Adenovirus hexon. Sequence comparison of subgroup C serotypes 2 and 5.

The group C adenoviruses type 2 (Ad2) and type 5 (Ad5) are distinguished serologically by the antigenic determinants of the hexon and fiber capsomers . The hexon-coding region of the viral genome (map units 51.6-59.7) can be divided into three major zones with regard to DNA sequence homology between Ad2 and Ad5 on the basis of fine structure disclosed by restriction endonuclease site mapping ( Boursnell , M.E.G., and Mautner , V. (1981) Virology 112, 198-209). At the NH2-terminal end, there is almost complete restriction enzyme site homology between Ad2 and Ad5, the COOH terminus displays partial homology, and a central zone (map units 52.7-56.0) is heterologous and has no common restriction sites. We report here the DNA sequence of the Ad5 hexon gene (map units 51.6-59.7). This sequence is compared to that established for Ad2 (G. Akusj arvi , P. Alestr öm, M. Pettersson , H. Jornvall , and U. Pettersson , manuscript submitted for publication), and the heterologous zone is shown to encode an amino acid sequence that differs from that of Ad2 at many different loci within the zone (map units 52.7-56.0), interspersed with short stretches of highly conserved sequence.