LaPierre L A, Holzschu D L, Wooster G A, Bowser P R, Casey J W
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
J Virol. 1998 Apr;72(4):3484-90. doi: 10.1128/JVI.72.4.3484-3490.1998.
Walleye discrete epidermal hyperplasia (WEH) is a hyperproliferative skin disease that is prevalent on adult walleye fish throughout North America. We have identified two retroviruses associated with WEH, designated here as walleye epidermal hyperplasia virus type 1 and type 2 (WEHV1 and WEHV2), that are closely related to one another (77% identity) and to walleye dermal sarcoma virus (64% identity) within the polymerase region. WEHV1 and/or WEHV2 viral DNA was readily detected by PCR in hyperplastic tissue samples, but only low levels of viral DNA were detected in uninvolved skin. Southern blot analysis showed one to three copies of integrated WEHV2 viral DNA in lesions but did not detect WEHV2 viral DNA in uninvolved skin from the same fish. Northern blots detected abundant levels of WEHV1 and/or WEHV2 virion RNA transcripts of approximately 13 kb in hyperplastic tissue, but virion RNA was not observed in uninvolved skin and muscle. These results suggest that WEHV1 and WEHV2 are the causative agents of discrete epidermal hyperplasia.
角膜白斑离散性表皮增生（WEH）是一种增殖性皮肤病，在北美各地的成年角膜白斑鱼中普遍存在。我们已经鉴定出两种与WEH相关的逆转录病毒，在这里命名为角膜白斑表皮增生病毒1型和2型（WEHV1和WEHV2），它们彼此密切相关（77%的同一性），并且在聚合酶区域内与角膜白斑皮肤肉瘤病毒密切相关（64%的同一性）。通过PCR在增生组织样本中很容易检测到WEHV1和/或WEHV2病毒DNA，但在未受累的皮肤中仅检测到低水平的病毒DNA。Southern印迹分析显示病变中有一到三个整合的WEHV2病毒DNA拷贝，但在同一条鱼的未受累皮肤中未检测到WEHV2病毒DNA。Northern印迹在增生组织中检测到大量约13kb的WEHV1和/或WEHV2病毒粒子RNA转录本，但在未受累的皮肤和肌肉中未观察到病毒粒子RNA。这些结果表明WEHV1和WEHV2是离散性表皮增生的病原体。
