Molecular Cloning and Sequence Analysis of the Duck Enteritis Virus Nucleocapsid Gene (UL38)

A recombinant plasmid selected from DEV gene libraries constructed by our lab was sequenced and an open reading frame (ORF) containing 1398bp nucleotides was preliminarily identified by aligning with gene bank database by the software of BlastN and ORF Finder. Specific primers were designed and PCR products containing this ORF were cloned into the vector of PMD18-T. DNA sequence analysis showed that this newly identified ORF encoded a protein of 465 amino acids with predicted Mr of 51.6411 kDa homologous to herpesvirus UL38 proteins. The DEV UL38 gene consisted of 362 adenine (25.9%), 308 cytosine (22%), 340 guanine (24.3%) and 388 thymine (27.8%). The sequences of deduced amino acids of the DEV UL38 gene shared high homology with other members of known alphaherpesviruses, supporting the classification of DEV. Phylogenetic analysis of the DEV UL38 gene revealed that DEV should belong to an individual genus within the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily.