The Structure and Function of Jembrana Disease Virus Genome

The pathogenic agent of Jembrana disease is a virus which was consequently named Jembrana disease virus (JDV). JDV was definitively defined as a member of the subfamily of lentiviruses of the family of Retroviridae. The genome of JDV is a linear single-stranded RNA, 7732 nucleotides in length. It contains the structural genes gag, pol and env which encode structural and enzymatic proteins that make up infectious viral particles and flanking long terminal repeats (LTR) that characterize all retroviruses. Accessory genes of JDV include tat, rev and vif that are typical of lentiviruses and which are required for the production of regulatory proteins. Products of most accessory genes have been shown to play important roles in viral replication and pathogenesis. The genome of BIV, another bovine lentivirus, is the most related lentivirus to JDV. Though the two bovine lentiviruses have to be considered as two distinct entities as the two viruses are sufficiently different.