Abstract
The region of the Orgyia pseudotsugata multinucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (OpMNPV) genome containing the ubiquitin and the nuclear matrix-associated protein (39K) genes was sequenced. The first 77 amino acids of the OpMNPV ubiquitin open reading frame (ORF) showed 84.4% and 79% amino acid sequence identity to Autographa californica multinucleocapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) and the Spodoptera frugiperda insect ubiquitin, respectively. The predicted OpMNPV ubiquitin protein contains a 3' tail of 16 amino acids not present in the AcMNPV or S. frugiperda ubiquitin ORFs. The OpMNPV 39K ORF showed 56% amino acid sequence identity with the AcMNPV 39K ORF. Four additional ORFs from this region were also characterized.