Nucleotide sequence of the p39-capsid gene region of the Lymantria dispar nuclear polyhedrosis virus.

A 1.85 kb region, containing an open reading frame (ORF) homologous to the baculovirus p39-capsid gene, was sequenced from the Lymantria dispar multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdMNPV) genome. Analysis of the p39-capsid gene demonstrated that it was 39% and 47% identical in amino acid sequence with the homologous genes in the Autographa californica and Orgyia pseudotsugata MNPVs, respectively. Two late promoter elements located upstream of the p39 gene in the LdMNPV genome are conserved with two other baculoviruses, whereas an ORF located downstream is not conserved.