Genetic and antigenic differences between fowlpox and quailpox viruses.

The genomes of a fowlpox and quailpox virus isolate were compared by restriction enzyme analysis using BamHI, EcoRI, and HindIII endonucleases. The genetic profiles of the two virus species were very distinct with fragments lacking similar electrophoretic mobilities. In contrast, the patterns of three quailpox virus isolates were very similar with a high proportion of co-migrating fragments. When the immunogenic proteins of two quailpox, three fowlpox, a juncopox, and a pigeonpox virus isolate were examined by immunoblotting, common as well as unique antigens were detected. The greatest disparity was between quailpox virus and the other three species which are genomically conserved. Therefore, on the basis of genetic as well as immunological analysis, quailpox virus is a distinct species of the genus Avipoxvirus.