Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Potential virulence determinants in terminal regions of variola smallpox virus genome

Abstract

SMALLPOX eradication culminated the most successful antimicrobial campaign in medical history1. To characterize further the linear double-stranded DNA genome of the aetiological agent of smallpox, we have determined the entire nucleotide sequence of the highly virulent variola major virus, strain Bangladesh-1975 (VAR-BSH; 186,102 base pairs, 33.7% G + C; Genbank accession number, L22579). Here we highlight features of the molecule and focus on a few of the 187 putative proteins that probably contribute to pathogenicity and virus host-range properties. One hundred and fifty proteins were markedly similar to those of vaccinia virus (smallpox vaccine), for which a complete sequence has been reported2,3 for strain Copenhagen (VAC-CPN; 191,636 base pairs, 33.3% G + C). The remaining 37 proteins reflected variola-specific sequences or open reading frame divergences for variant proteins, which are often truncated or elongated compared with their vaccinia counterparts.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fenner, F. et al. Smallpox and its Eradication (World Health Organization, Geneva, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Goebel, S. J. et al. Virology 179, 247–266 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Johnson, G. P., Goebel, S. J. & Paoletti, E. Virology 196, 381–401 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Fenner, F., Wittek, R. & Dumbell, K. The Orthopoxviruses (Academic, San Diego, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Buller, R. M. L. & Palumbo, G. J. Microbiol. Rev. 55, 80–122 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Moss, B. Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immun. 163, 41–70 (1990).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Esposito, J. J. & Knight, J. C. Virology 143, 230–251 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Esposito, J. J. in Classification and Nomenclature of Viruses Arch. Virol. Suppl. 2 (eds Francki, R. I. B. et al.) 91–102 (Springer, New York, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Aguado, B., Selmes, I. P. & Smith, G. L. J. gen. Virol. 73, 2887–2902 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Smith, G. L., Chan, Y. S. & Howard, S. T. J. gen. Virol. 72, 1349–1376 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Smith, G. L. J. gen. Virol. 74, 1725–1740 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kotwal, G. J. & Moss, B. Virology 167, 524–537 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kotwal, G. J. & Moss, B. J. Virol. 63, 600–606 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Beattie, E., Tartaglia, J. & Paoletti, E. Virology 183, 419–422 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Perkus, M. E. et al. Virology 179, 276–286 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Rouslahti, E. & Perschbacher, M. D. Cell 44, 517–518 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Mahy, B. W. J., Esposito, J. J. & Venter, J. C. ASM News 57, 577–580 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Mahy, B. W. J. & Howard, C. Rev. med. Virol. 3, 131–135 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Shchelkunov, S. N. et al. Virus Res. 27, 25–35 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Shchelkunov, S. N., Blinov, V. M. & Sandakhchiev, L. FEBS Lett. 319, 80–83 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Shchelkunov, S. N., Blinov, V. M. & Sandakhchiev, L. FEBS Lett. 319, 163–165 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Shchelkunov, S. N. et al. Doklady Akademii Nauk 328, 629–632 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Pearson, W. R. & Lipman, D. J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 2444–2448 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Henikoff, S. Gene 28, 351–359 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. & Maniatis, T. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual 2nd edn (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Martin-Gallardo, A. et al. Nat. Genet. 1, 34–39 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Gocayne, J. D. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 8296–8300 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Massung, R., Esposito, J., Liu, Li. et al. Potential virulence determinants in terminal regions of variola smallpox virus genome. Nature 366, 748–751 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/366748a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/366748a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing