Nucleotide sequence of the p74 gene of a baculovirus pathogenic to the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus.

Polypeptide p74 has been found to be essential for production of virulent occlusion bodies of the baculovirus Autographa californica multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV). Hybridization with AcMNPV-derived probes has led to the location of the p74 gene in the spruce budworm virus, Choristoneura fumiferana MNPV. Sequence data indicate that CfMNPV p74 is 73% identical to AcMNPV at the nucleotide level and 77% identical at the amino acid level. Elements of predicted secondary structure are also conserved.