FIG. 2.
Characterization of transcript encoding vIL-8 by RACE analysis. (A) Schematic drawing of the MDV genome and the location of vIL-8. Transcripts encompassing meq, meqΔC-BamL, and vIL-8 are depicted at the bottom of the diagram with exons in boxes and introns in solid lines. Abbreviations: IRL, long internal repeat; IRS, short internal repeat; TRL, long terminal repeat; TRS, short terminal repeat; UL, unique long sequence; US, unique short sequence. (B) Locations of the oligonucleotide primers used in RACE reactions. vIL-8F4 was used as a gene-specific primer in 3′ RACE. vIL-8B1 was used as a gene-specific primer in 5′ RACE. vIL-8FL-S and vIL-8FL-AS are primers derived from RACE results used to amplify the full length of the vIL-8 open reading frame. The empty arrows depict exons II and III present in the meqΔC-BamL and vIL-8 sequences. (C) Ethidium bromide-stained agarose gel (1%) demonstrates 0.3- and 0.45-kb PCR amplicons in 5′- and 3′ RACE reactions, respectively. Sizes are given on left in kilobases.