Abstract
BackgroundWhile many placental herpesvirus genomes have been fully sequenced, the complete genome of a marsupial herpesvirus has not been described. Here we present the first genome sequence of a metatherian herpesvirus, Macropodid herpesvirus 1 (MaHV-1).ResultsThe MaHV-1 viral genome was sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq sequencer, de novo assembly was performed and the genome was annotated. The MaHV-1 genome was 140 kbp in length and clustered phylogenetically with the primate simplexviruses, sharing 67 % nucleotide sequence identity with Human herpesviruses 1 and 2. The MaHV-1 genome contained 66 predicted open reading frames (ORFs) homologous to those in other herpesvirus genomes, but lacked homologues of UL3, UL4, UL56 and glycoprotein J. This is the first alphaherpesvirus genome that has been found to lack the UL3 and UL4 homologues. We identified six novel ORFs and confirmed their transcription by RT-PCR.ConclusionsThis is the first genome sequence of a herpesvirus that infects metatherians, a taxonomically unique mammalian clade. Members of the Simplexvirus genus are remarkably conserved, so the absence of ORFs otherwise retained in eutherian and avian alphaherpesviruses contributes to our understanding of the Alphaherpesvirinae. Further study of metatherian herpesvirus genetics and pathogenesis provides a unique approach to understanding herpesvirus-mammalian interactions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2390-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
While many placental herpesvirus genomes have been fully sequenced, the complete genome of a marsupial herpesvirus has not been described
Full list of author information is available at the end of the article designated Macropodid herpesvirus 1 (MaHV-1), was closely followed by the isolation of a second, related, herpesvirus (Macropodid herpesvirus 2, MaHV-2) from fatal cases of disease in several vulnerable macropod species
The macropodid viruses were detected in animals displaying some clinical signs of disease similar to those caused by Human herpesviruses 1 and 2 (HHV-1 and −2)
Summary
While many placental herpesvirus genomes have been fully sequenced, the complete genome of a marsupial herpesvirus has not been described. We present the first genome sequence of a metatherian herpesvirus, Macropodid herpesvirus 1 (MaHV-1). Members of the Herpesviridae have a linear doublestranded DNA genome, 120–245 kbp in length, and cause significant morbidity and mortality in diverse groups of animals. The first isolation of a marsupial herpesvirus was from a fatal outbreak of severe respiratory disease and systemic organ failure in a zoological collection of Parma wallabies (Macropus parma) [1]. The isolation of this alphaherpesvirus, Asia Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural. The macropodid viruses were detected in animals displaying some clinical signs of disease similar to those caused by Human herpesviruses 1 and 2 (HHV-1 and −2)
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