Abstract
The p143 gene of the Spodoptera exigua multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) Il isolate was cloned and sequenced. This process revealed a 3, 666-nucleotide open reading frame (ORF), which encodes a deduced 1, 222-amino acid polypeptide with a molecular weight of 143, 285 (P143). The SeMNPV 11 P143 possessed seven consensus motifs conserved in members of the superfamily of DNA or RNA helicases. Seven amino acid substitutions were identified, when compared with the P143 of the SeMNPV US isolate. Of the seven substitutions, six were localized within the amino acid residues from 484 to 547. The deduced amino acid sequences in this region were compared among five geographically distinct isolates after amplification by PCR. The results showed that these were identical with that of the I1 isolate. SeMNPV I1 P143 had approximately 40% identities and more than 66% similarities to other NPV DNA helicases. However, the carboxyl-terminus region including the consensus motifs was identical within the SeMNPV isolates and relatively conserved among four NPVs.
