1. Analysis of the monkeypox virus genome.
- Author
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Shchelkunov SN, Totmenin AV, Safronov PF, Mikheev MV, Gutorov VV, Ryazankina OI, Petrov NA, Babkin IV, Uvarova EA, Sandakhchiev LS, Sisler JR, Esposito JJ, Damon IK, Jahrling PB, and Moss B
- Subjects
- Animals, Base Sequence, DNA, Viral chemistry, DNA, Viral genetics, Humans, Molecular Sequence Data, Monkeypox virus chemistry, Phylogeny, Telomere genetics, Viral Proteins genetics, Viral Proteins metabolism, Genome, Viral, Monkeypox virus genetics, Open Reading Frames, Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Abstract
Monkeypox virus (MPV) belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus of the family Poxviridae, is endemic in parts of Africa, and causes a human disease that resembles smallpox. The 196,858-bp MPV genome was analyzed with regard to structural features and open reading frames. Each end of the genome contains an identical but oppositely oriented 6379-bp terminal inverted repetition, which similar to that of other orthopoxviruses, includes a putative telomere resolution sequence and short tandem repeats. Computer-assisted analysis was used to identify 190 open reading frames containing >/=60 amino acid residues. Of these, four were present within the inverted terminal repetition. MPV contained the known essential orthopoxvirus genes but only a subset of the putative immunomodulatory and host range genes. Sequence comparisons confirmed the assignment of MPV as a distinct species of orthopoxvirus that is not a direct ancestor or a direct descendent of variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox.
- Published
- 2002
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