We have determined the DNA sequence of the long unique region (UL) in the genome of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain 17. The UL sequence contained 107943 residues and had a base composition of 66-9~ G+C. Together with our previous work, this completes the sequence of HSV-1 DNA, giving a total genome length of 152260 residues of base composition 68.3~ G+C. Genes in the UL region were located by the use of published mapping analyses, transcript structures and sequence data, and by examination of DNA sequence characteristics. Fifty-six genes were identified, accounting for most of the sequence. Some 28 of these are at present of unknown function. The gene layout for UL was found to be very similar to that for the corresponding part of the genome of varicella-zoster virus, the only other completely sequenced alphaherpesvirus, and the amino acid sequences of equivalent proteins showed a range of similarities. In the whole genome of HSV-1 we now recognize 72 genes which encode 70 distinct proteins. INTRODUCTION In the last decade, the study of animal viruses has been revolutionized by the application of nucleic acid sequencing techniques to viral genomes. Many smaller virus genomes have been completely sequenced, and the sequences interpreted to give high resolution views of the genetic organization and the nature of the encoded proteins, while comparisons of sequences have enhanced our understanding of relationships between viruses. For larger virus genomes, total determination of nucleotide sequence remains a formidable undertaking, and only two complete sequences of virus genomes larger than 105 residues have been published. These are for the gammaherpesvirus Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) of 172282 residues (Baer et al., 1984) and the alphaherpesvirus varicella-zoster virus (VZV) of 124884 residues (Davison & Scott, 1986a). In this paper we report a third complete herpesvirus genome sequence, that of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which comprises 152260 residues. The molecular biology and genetics of HSV types 1 and 2 have been widely investigated such that overall they are the most extensively characterized of the family Herpesviridae. A decade ago, studies on the structure of HSV DNA showed it to be a linear molecule which could be viewed as consisting of two covalently linked segments, designated long (L) and short (S). Each segment contains a unique sequence flanked by a pair of inverted repeat sequences, as shown in Fig. 1. The long repeat (RL) and short repeat (Rs) sequences are distinct. The molecule also

The genetic content of wild-type human cytomegalovirus was investigated by sequencing the 235 645 bp genome of a low passage strain (Merlin). Substantial regions of the genome (genes RL1-UL11, UL105-UL112 and UL120-UL150) were also sequenced in several other strains, including two that had not been passaged in cell culture. Comparative analyses, which employed the published genome sequence of a high passage strain (AD169), indicated that Merlin accurately reflects the wild-type complement of 165 genes, containing no obvious mutations other than a single nucleotide substitution that truncates gene UL128. A sizeable subset of genes exhibits unusually high variation between strains, and comprises many, but not all, of those that encode proteins known or predicted to be secreted or membrane-associated. In contrast to unpassaged strains, all of the passaged strains analysed have visibly disabling mutations in one or both of two groups of genes that may influence cell tropism. One comprises UL128, UL130 and UL131A, which putatively encode secreted proteins, and the other contains RL5A, RL13 and UL9, which are members of the RL11 glycoprotein gene family. The case in support of a lack of protein-coding potential in the region between UL105 and UL111A was also strengthened.

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gHerpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) causes a chronic, lifelong infection in >60% of adults. Multiple recent vaccine trials have failed, with viral diversity likely contributing to these failures. To understand HSV-1 diversity better, we comprehensively compared 20 newly sequenced viral genomes from China, Japan, Kenya, and South Korea with six previously sequenced genomes from the United States, Europe, and Japan. In this diverse collection of passaged strains, we found that one-fifth of the newly sequenced members share a gene deletion and one-third exhibit homopolymeric frameshift mutations (HFMs). Individual strains exhibit genotypic and potential phenotypic variation via HFMs, deletions, short sequence repeats, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms, although the protein sequence identity between strains exceeds 90% on average. In the first genome-scale analysis of positive selection in HSV-1, we found signs of selection in specific proteins and residues, including the fusion protein glycoprotein H. We also confirmed previous results suggesting that recombination has occurred with high frequency throughout the HSV-1 genome. Despite this, the HSV-1 strains analyzed clustered by geographic origin during whole-genome distance analysis. These data shed light on likely routes of HSV-1 adaptation to changing environments and will aid in the selection of vaccine antigens that are invariant worldwide. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1; species Human herpesvirus 1, genus Simplexvirus, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, order Herpesvirales) is among the most successful human pathogens in terms of its global distribution, longevity in the host, and mild symptoms among the great majority of those exposed (1-4). HSV-1 is a large, enveloped DNA virus that infects lytically at epithelial surfaces and establishes a lifelong, latent infection in sensory neurons. HSV-1 infection produces a wide range of symptoms, ranging from few or none in many seropositive individuals to periodic lesions on epithelial surfaces in a significant proportion of people and to lethal encephalitis as an extreme manifestation in a few. There is no vaccine at present (5, 6). Studies in animal models have characterized the ways in which genetic variation between viral strains can influence the symptoms of pathology, including lesion severity and rates of reactivation from latency. The most recent phase III vaccine trial for HSV failed to provide protection from infection (7, 8), and one contributing factor to this failure may well be variation among HSV isolates found in the field.Based on early restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses, HSV-1 has been described as more diverse than HSV-2 (9-11). In contrast to both HSV-1 and HSV-2, the related human alphaherpesvirus, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), has relatively low interstrain diversity (12-15). Decades of research comparing RFLP bands, polypeptide size, and PCR-based sequence analysis have revealed that HSV-1 strains vary between individuals, over sequential isolates from the s...

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