Genomic Studies and genetic characterization of equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) strains: estimating the global similarity by distance methods

MARTÍN OCAMPOS G; BARBEITO CLAUDIO G; GALOSI CECILIA M

International Research Journal of Microbiology

Open Journals

Año: 2011 vol. 2 p. 79 - 84

2141-5463

Equid Herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a member of the genus Varicellovirus, which belongs to thesubfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae. EHV-1 contains five non-codifying regions ofvariable sizes. One of them, called intergenic region (IR), is located between ORF 62 and ORF63.This region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and its products were sequenced. Weanalyzed 25 EHV-1 strains isolated from different geographical areas. Genomic analysis showed ahigh percentage of identity of the strains of the intergenic region. In 13 Argentinean strains, 18-bpinsertions were found located in the 109168 bp position, whereas, in the AR6 strain, a 9-bp insertwas found in the same position. The strains studied were classified using global similaritytechniques and the analysis of genetic distances revealed that seven strains are grouped withforeign strains. Within this group a subgroup comprising an Argentinean and a British strain wasidentified. No relationship between the isolation years and the geographical origins of EHV-1strains was found.