Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Anand Agricultural University, Anand - 388 001 (Gujarat).
*Corresponding author: E.mail - bbbhanderi@yahoo.co.in
1Department of Animal Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, AAU, Anand (Gujarat).
Total of six pairs of primers were used, which were selected to amplify different gene segments. The primer pair BamH1/BamH2 specifically amplifying a 434 bp segment from BamHI fragment (of MDV-1) containing 132 bp repeats located in TRL and IRL region of MDV genome, detected 32 samples positive indicating presence of double 132 bp repeats in the amplified segment. Primer pair AGAM1/AGAM2 and P1/P2, both targeting the antigen A gene (UL44) produced 314 bp and 199 bp products, respectively in 30 out of 34 clinical samples tested. Primer set M1.1/M1.8 amplified a 318 bp product as against expected 247 bp product in 30 samples. To confirm the result, these primers were subjected to NCBI BLAST, and it was found that the primer specific segment of 318 bp does exist in published sequence of Md5, and Md11BAC. Only two field samples produced expected amplicon of 505 bp when tested with MDV-3 specific HVT1/HVT2 to detect the vaccine virus (HVT). All the three HVT vaccines produced the amplicon of 505 bp, whereas SB-1 vaccine was negative, proving specificity of this primer pair for HVT.
Marek's disease virus, PCR, detection, hen
