Some orthopoxviruses produce large proteinaceous intracellular bodies, known as A-type inclusions (ATIs) during infection of host cells. Virions associate with ATIs resulting in distinct phenotypes referred to as V+, V+/ and V-. The phenotype V? has the virions embedded in the ATI matrix; V- has no virions embedded within or on thesurface of the ATI matrix, whereas an aberrant phenotype, the V+/ has virions only on the surface of ATIs. Viruses that do not produce ATI are designated as V0. Recombinant viruses generated from a V? cowpox virus (CPXV) and a V0 transgenic vaccinia virus (VACV) produced aberrant V+/ ATIs. ATI phenotype is dependent on the A-type inclusion protein (Atip) and the P4c protein. We sequenced the atip and p4c genes of parental and progeny recombinant viruses as well as their flanking sequences. The atip and p4c open reading frames were identical in parental V+ CPXV and hybrid V+/ progenies. Our results suggest that additional viral gene(s) are required for the formation of wild type V+ ATI.

Keywords Cowpox virus - MVA - A-type inclusion - P4c - Sequence analysis - Recombination