Molecular characterization of the env gene from Brazilian field isolates of Bovine Leukemia Virus

• DOI: 10.1007/s11262-006-0011-x
• Publication Date: 2006-08-17T19:46:27Z
• Authors: Marcelo Fernandes...; Ariel Pereda; Daniel Stancek; Maurílio Andrade ...; Jenner Karlisson ...; Irene Greiser-Wilke; Rômulo Cerqueira ...
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Molecular Sequence Data; DNA Restriction Enzymes; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Genes, env; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Leukemia Virus, Bovine; Animals; Cattle; Amino Acid Sequence; Brazil; Phylogeny; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

Molecular characterization of Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) isolates from Brazil using the env gene sequences revealed a high conservation of this gene. In most cases the substitutions corresponded to silent transitions. In addition, cystein residues, potential glycosylation sites, neutralization domains and other critical residues involved with the envelope structural domains and viral infectivity were conserved. Most of the substitutions found in the aminoacid sequences of the gp51 protein were localized in the G and H epitopes. Using the SIFT software, it was predicted that they should not alter the protein functions. Phylogenetic analyses showed that partial or complete env gene sequences grouped in three or four phylogenetic clusters, respectively. The sequences from the Brazilian isolates had similar mutation rates as compared to samples from other countries, and belonged to at least two phylogenetic clusters.