Comparison of sequence homology of major capsid protein gene of ranavirus frog virus 3 and rana grylio virus isolates from China
Since 1995, three viral isolates named RGV9506, RGV9807 and RGV9808 associated with frog mortality were isolated from farm-raised frogs (Rana grylio virus, RGV) in China. Both ultrastructural morphology and serological characterisitics had shown that the RGV isolates belong to genus Ranavirus. The DNA sequence analysis of the 5^ end of th emajor capsid protein (MCP) gene of RGV isolates by PCR amplification produced a 531bp fragment. DNA templates were prepared from cells infected with different RGV isolates and the specific primers designed were based on highly conserved region at the 5^ of the gene encoding Frog virus 3(FV3) MCP, which is t he typical species of the genus Ranavirus. The PCR products indicate that the nucleotide sequence of MCP gene of the RGV9506, RGV9807 and RGV9808 showed 99.6%, 99.8% and 98.4% homology respectively with the corresponding region of the MCP gene of FV3.