Molecular characterization of phocine distemper virus: gene order and sequence of the gene encoding the attachment (H) protein.

Generation of a set of cDNA clones covering the N, P/V/C, M, F, H and part of the L gene of phocine distemper virus (PDV) has been described. The gene order of PDV determined from a physical as well as a transcriptional map, was identical to that of the other morbilliviruses so far studied. The H gene sequence (1951 nucleotides) contains one large open reading frame which encodes a protein of 607 amino acids, identical in length to that of the H protein of the Convac strain of canine distemper virus (CDV). Nucleotide and protein sequence comparisons between PDV and the other morbilliviruses provide further evidence in favour of PDV's inclusion in the morbillivirus genus as a distinct species closely related to CDV and more distantly to measles virus and rinderpest virus.