This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Holzschu, D. L. Articles by Casey, J. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Holzschu, D. L. Articles by Casey, J. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Virol, March 1998, p. 2177-2182, Vol. 72, No. 3
0022-538X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

The Nucleotide Sequence and Spliced pol mRNA Levels of the Nonprimate Spumavirus Bovine Foamy Virus

Donald L. Holzschu,^1, Mari A. Delaney,¹ Randall W. Renshaw,² and James W. Casey^1,*

Department of Microbiology and Immunology¹ and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory,² College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

Received 24 March 1997/Accepted 9 December 1997

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a replication-competent clone of bovine foamy virus (BFV) and have quantitated the amount of splice pol mRNA processed early in infection. The 544-amino-acid Gag protein precursor has little sequence similarity with its primate foamy virus homologs, but the putative nucleocapsid (NC) protein, like the primate NCs, contains the three glycine-arginine-rich regions that are postulated to bind genomic RNA during virion assembly. The BFV gag and pol open reading frames overlap, with pro and pol in the same translational frame. As with the human foamy virus (HFV) and feline foamy virus, we have detected a spliced pol mRNA by PCR. Quantitatively, this mRNA approximates the level of full-length genomic RNA early in infection. The integrase (IN) domain of reverse transcriptase does not contain the canonical HH-CC zinc finger motif present in all characterized retroviral INs, but it does contain a nearby histidine residue that could conceivably participate as a member of the zinc finger. The env gene encodes a protein that is over 40% identical in sequence to the HFV Env. By comparison, the Gag precursor of BFV is predicted to be only 28% identical to the HFV protein.

---

^* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Phone: (607) 253-3579. Fax: (607) 253-3384. E-mail: JWC3{at}cornell.edu.

Present address: Department of Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Bodem, J., Krausslich, H.-G., Rethwilm, A. (2007). Acetylation of the foamy virus transactivator Tas by PCAF augments promoter-binding affinity and virus transcription. J. Gen. Virol. 88: 259-263 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Eastman, S. W., Linial, M. L. (2001). Identification of a Conserved Residue of Foamy Virus Gag Required for Intracellular Capsid Assembly. J. Virol. 75: 6857-6864 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• LaPierre, L. A., Holzschu, D. L., Bowser, P. R., Casey, J. W. (1999). Sequence and Transcriptional Analyses of the Fish Retroviruses Walleye Epidermal Hyperplasia Virus Types 1 and 2: Evidence for a Gene Duplication. J. Virol. 73: 9393-9403 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Linial, M. L. (1999). Foamy Viruses Are Unconventional Retroviruses. J. Virol. 73: 1747-1755 [Full Text]  
• Yu, S. F., Sullivan, M. D., Linial, M. L. (1999). Evidence that the Human Foamy Virus Genome Is DNA. J. Virol. 73: 1565-1572 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wang, G, Mulligan, M. (1999). Comparative sequence analysis and predictions for the envelope glycoproteins of foamy viruses. J. Gen. Virol. 80: 245-254 [Abstract]