[Sequence analysis of integration sites of reticuloendotheliosis virus LTR in fowlpox vaccine virus genomes].

By use of genomic DNA prepared from 5 fowlpox virus (FPV) vaccines made in China (from Shandong, Beijing, Liaoning, Zhejing and Shanghai respectively) as the templates, reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) LTR was amplified in PCR with a pair of primers synthesized according to the sequences flanking the integrated REV-5'LTR in FPV genomes published in US and Australia. Sequence analysis indicated that the REV-5'LTR integration sites in genomes of all 5 Chinese PFV vaccine products were identical to American and Australian FPV vaccines with integrated REV-5' LTR. Among the 5 FPV vaccine products made in China, 3 productes Vac-B-Ch, Vac-D-Ch and Vac-E-Ch had the integrated REV-5' LTR sequences of 223bp with 100% homology to that in American vaccine Vac-3-Am and Australian vaccine Vac-M3-Au. The integrated 505bp REV-LTR sequences in another Chinese products Vac-A-Ch and Vac-C-Ch had 99.6% homology to the integrated REV-LTR of American vaccine Vac-1-Am and Australian vaccine Vac-S-Au. However, REV-5'LTR integrated in all 5 FPV vaccines made in China gave only 75.4%-91.5% homology to LTR of a Chinese field strain HA9901 of REV. Based on the above results, it is reasonable to speculate that the virus stocks for the 5 Chinese FPV vaccine products were rather originally imported with their integrated REV LTR than recombinated with LTR of REV local field strains in China.