Zinc glycine chelate ameliorates DSS‑induced intestinal barrier dysfunction via attenuating TLR4/NF‑κB pathway in meat ducks

Background Zinc glycine chelate(Zn-Gly)has anti-inflammation and growth-promoting properties;however,the mechanism of Zn-Gly contribution to gut barrier function in Cherry Valley ducks during intestinal inflammation is unknown.Three-hundred 1-day-old ducks were divided into 5 groups(6 replicates and 10 ducks per replicate)in a completely randomized design:the control and dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)groups were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet,and experimental groups received supplements of 70,120 or 170 mg/kg Zn in form of Zn-Gly.The DSS and treatment groups were given 2 mL of 0.45 g/mL DSS daily during d 15–21,and the control group received normal saline.The experiment lasted 21 d.Results Compared with DSS group,70,120 and 170 mg/kg Zn significantly increased body weight(BW),villus height and the ratio of villus to crypt,and significantly decreased the crypt depth of jejunum at 21 d.The number of goblet cells in jejunal villi in the Zn-Gly group was significantly increased by periodic acid-Schiff staining.Compared with control,the content of intestinal permeability marker D-lactic acid(D-LA)and fluxes of fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC-D)in plasma of DSS group significantly increased,and 170 mg/kg Zn supplementation significantly decreased the D-LA content and FITC-D fluxes.Compared with control,contents of plasma,jejunum endotoxin and jejunum pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-αwere significantly increased in DSS group,and were significantly decreased by 170 mg/kg Zn supplementation.Dietary Zn significantly increased the contents of anti-inflammatory factors IL-10,IL-22 and sIgA and IgG in jejunum.Real-time PCR and Western blot results showed that 170 mg/kg Zn supplementation significantly increased mRNA expression levels of CLDN-1 and expression of OCLN protein in jejunum,and decreased gene and protein expression of CLDN-2 compared with DSS group.The 120 mg/kg Zn significantly promoted the expressions of IL-22 and IgA.Dietary Zn-Gly supplementation significantly decreased pro-inflammatory genes IL-8 and TNF-αexpression levels and TNF-αprotein expression in jejunum.Additionally,Zn significantly reduced the gene and protein expression of TLR4,MYD88 and NF-κB p65.Conclusions Zn-Gly improved duck BW and alleviated intestinal injury by regulating intestinal morphology,barrier function and gut inflammation-related signal pathways TLR4/MYD88/NF-κB p65.

Mobile genetic elements facilitate the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from duck farms

Multidrug-resistant(MDR)Enterobacteriaceae critically threaten duck farming and public health.The phenotypes,genotypes,and associated mobile genetic elements(MGEs)of MDR Enterobacteriaceae isolated from 6 duck farms in Zhejiang Province,China,were investigated.A total of 215 isolates were identified as Escherichia coli(64.65%),Klebsiella pneumoniae(12.09%),Proteus mirabilis(10.23%),Salmonella(8.84%),and Enterobacter cloacae(4.19%).Meanwhile,all isolates were resistant to at least two antibiotics.Most isolates carried tet(A)(85.12%),blaTEM(78.60%)and sul1(67.44%)resistance genes.Gene co-occurrence analysis showed that the resistance genes were associated with IS26 and integrons.A conjugative IncFII plasmid pSDM004 containing all the above MGEs was detected in Proteus mirabilis isolate SDM004.This isolate was resistant to 18 antibiotics and carried the blaNDM-5 gene.MGEs,especially plasmids,are the primary antibiotic resistance gene transmission route in duck farms.These findings provide a theoretical basis for the rational use of antibiotics in farms which are substantial for evaluating public health and food safety.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the genetic basis of crest cushion formation in duck

The Chinese crested duck is a unique duck breed having a bulbous feather shape on its duck head.However,the mechanisms involved in its formation and development are unclear.In the present study,RNA sequencing analysis was performed on the crested tissues of 6 Chinese crested ducks and the scalp tissues of 6 cherry valley ducks(CVs)from 2 developmental stages.This study identified 261 differentially expressed genes(DEGs),122 upregulated and 139 downregulated,in the E28 stage and 361 DEGs,154 upregulated and 207 downregulated in the D42 stage between CC and CV ducks.The subsequent results of weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA)revealed that the turquoise and cyan modules were associated with the crest trait in the D42 stage,meanwhile,the green,brown,and pink modules were associated with the crest trait in the E28 stage.Venn analysis of the DEGs and WGCNA showed that 145 and 45 genes are associated between the D42 and E28 stages,respectively.The expression of WNT16,BMP2,SLC35F2,SLC6A15,APOBEC2,ABHD6,TNNC2,MYL1,and TNNI2 were verified by real-time quantitative PCR.This study provides an approach to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the crested trait development.

River width and depth as key factors of diurnal activity energy expenditure allocation for wintering Spot-billed Ducks in the Xin'an River Basin

Rivers are important habitats for wintering waterbirds.However,they are easily influenced by natural and human activities.An important approach for waterbirds to adapt to habitats is adjusting the activity time and energy expenditure allocation of diurnal behavior.The compensatory foraging hypothesis predicts that increased energy expenditure leads to longer foraging time,which in turn increases food intake and helps maintain a constant energy balance.However,it is unclear whether human-disturbed habitats result in increased energy expenditure related to safety or foraging.In this study,the scan sample method was used to observe the diurnal behavior of the wintering Spot-billed Duck(Anas poecilorhyncha) in two rivers in the Xin’an River Basin from October 2021 to March 2022.The allocation of time and energy expenditure for activity in both normal and disturbed environments was calculated.The results showed that foraging accounted for the highest percentage of time and energy expenditure.Additionally,foraging decreased in the disturbed environment than that in the normal environment.Resting behavior showed the opposite trend,while other behaviors were similar in both environments.The total diurnal energy expenditure of ducks in the disturbed environment was greater than that in the normal environment,with decreased foraging and resting time percentage and increased behaviors related to immediate safety(swimming and alert) and comfort.These results oppose the compensatory foraging hypothesis in favor of increased security.The optimal diurnal energy expenditure model included river width and water depth,which had a positive relationship;an increase in either of these two factors resulted in an increase in energy expenditure.This study provides a better understanding of energy allocation strategies underlying the superficial time allocation of wintering waterbirds according to environmental conditions.Exploring these changes can help understand the maximum fitness of wintering waterbirds in response to nature and human influences.

Study on Development Rule of Muscle Fiber in Different Duck Breeds

[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the development rule of muscle fiber in different duck breeds during various developmental stages. [Method] Cherry valley duck, Jinding duck, White muscory duck and Suma duck （ Cherry valley duck ♂ × Jinding duck ♀ ） were fed for 10 weeks to observe the ultrastructure of muscle fiber by electron microscope, and the myofibril diameter and sarcomere length were also determined. [Result] The myofibril diameter increased with ages. Sarcomere length and myofibril diameter did not change significantly with the increasing ages （P〉0.05）. The myofibril diameter of White muscory duck and Jinding duck were thicker, while that of Cherry valley cluck and Suma duck were thinner. Moreover, the sarcomere length of Suma duck and White muscory duck were longer, while that of Cherry valley duck and Jinding duck were shorter. Thus, the basic characteristics of ultrastructure of muscle fiber were consistent in these duck breeds.[Conclusion] The results have an important meaning for duck breeding.

Effects of Blood Cell Membrane Disruption by Ultrasonic Technology on the Quality of Duck Blood Tofu

[Objective] The aim was to improve the quality of the duck blood tofu by ultrasonic technology. [Method] Ultrasonic technology was used to break the blood cell membrane. The optimal ultrasonic condition was determined by single factor de- sign, and the differences in sensory quality and nutritional value between the duck blood tofu treated with and without ultrasonication were studied. [Result] The optimal ultrasonic power was 400 W and the optimal ultrasonic time was 6 min. Under these conditions, the content of duck blood haemoglobin increased by 43.46%, the content of iron increased by 10.85%, and the breakage rate was 100%. The a＊ value of the duck blood tofu increased significantly under ultrasonic treatment. Both internal micro-structure and texture parameters proved that the ultrasonic contributed to the formation of gel structure. After treatment by artificial gastric juice and artifi- cial intestinal juice, the total amino acids in the digestive juice were 9.25% higher than that of the duck blood tofu without ultrasonic treatment. [Conclusion] The duck blood tofu under ultrasonic treatment would be beneficial to human body absorption, and the nutrition value would be higher as well.

Genetic Analysis of Six Endangered Local Duck Populations in China Based on Microsatellite Markers

Seventeen microsatellite loci were used to assess the genetic variation and population structure of six endangered duck populations in China. PIC, heterozygosity with two estimators of genetic differentiation （FST and GST）, and Nei＇s standard genetic distance were evaluated. The results showed that these six endangered duck populations showed high polymorphism. The propor- tion of inter-population subdivision among the six duck populations ranged between 17.0 and 14.7%. The average heterozygosity was 0.706, 0.702, 0.691, 0.676, 0.604, and 0.660 in the Gaoyou, Liancheng, Jinding, Beijing, Shaoxing, and Jianchang ducks, respectively. The average PIC ranged from 0.561 to 0.663. Finally, the results showed higher genetic diversity and difference above the levels of genetic variation among all the populations.

Effects of Probiotics on Growth Performance and Blood Biochemical Indexes of Cherry Valley Ducks

In order to investigate the effects of probiotics on growth performance, blood biochemical indexes and economic benefits of Cherry Valley ducks, different probiotics were added into the feed of Cherry Valley ducks. Total 240 1-d-old Cherry Valley ducks were selected, and they were randomly divided into 4 groups, including 1 control group and 3 treatment groups. There were 3 replicates for each group and there were 20 ducks for each replicate. The ducks in the control group were fed the basal diet, and the ducks in the 3 treatment groups were fed the basal diet added with Lactobacillus, Bacillus natto and florfenicol, respectively. The test lasted for 42 d. The results showed that the addition of Lactobacillus and Bacillus natto could improve the average daily weight gain and final average weight （P〈0.05） of Cherry Valley ducks, and reduce the glutamic-pyruvic transaminase ac- tivity, alkaline phosphatase activity and serum urinary nitrogen content in duck blood （P〈0.05） and reduce the creatinine content and total cholesterol content in Cherry Valley ducks （P〉0.05）; at the same time, adding probiotics to feed could also in- crease the grass economic benefits of Cherry Valley ducks. In overall, the effects of adding probiotics were better than those of adding antibiotic.

Unprotected condition of a new breeding Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) population in Pingshan, Hebei Province, China

A new breeding population of Mandarin Duck （Aix gaIericulata, Linnaeus） was first recorded in 2003 in Jiao- tanzhuang-Hehekou region of Pingshan county, Hebei Province, China. Recently, the gradually increasing population indicates that there are suitable breeding habitats （such as foraging habitats and nesting sites） for Mandarin Duck. However, these habitats are always close to human disturbances, which are the potential risk for their population. Therefore, it is urgent to put forward an applicable protection strategy, in order to strengthen the public awareness for this unprotected population.

右半结肠癌中p53,ki-67的表达及与分化程度及Ducks分期的关系

目的:研究p53,ki-67在右半结肠癌组织中的表达,初步探讨两者与结肠癌分化程度和Ducks分期的关系方法:统计89例右半结肠癌病人肿瘤p53,ki-67的表达,结合临床病理进行分析。结果:右半结肠癌p53蛋白阳性表达与结肠癌分化程度和Ducks分期有关,ki-67蛋白的表达强度与Ducks分期有关。结论:检测p53、ki-67的表达对临床治疗及预后有一定的指导意义。

福建省鸭禽流感病毒分离株(A/Duck/Fujian/FQ107/2007〔H9N2〕)全基因测序及遗传进化分析

为了解一株可引起产蛋鸭产蛋异常的H9N2亚型禽流感病毒A/Duck/Fujian/FQ107/2007(H9N2)(以下简称Dk/FQ107/07)分离株的分子特性及其遗传进化地位,运用RT-PCR方法对其基因组进行扩增,克隆至pMD18-T载体后测序。结果显示,Dk/FQ107/07病毒株的血凝素(haemagglutini,HA)蛋白裂解位点的氨基酸组成为-PARSSR↓GLF-,其静脉接种指数(intravenous pathogenicity index,IVPI)为0.04,符合低致病性禽流感病毒特征;Dk/FQ107/07株HA基因与A/chicken/Shantou/5269/2005(H9N2)同源性最高,为98.9%,和我国首次哺乳动物流感病毒分离株A/Swine/HongKong/9/98(H9N2)有较近的遗传进化关系,三者均属于经典的H9N2/Y280群系;神经氨酸酶(neuraminidase,NA)基因与中国大陆首次分离株A/chicken/Beijing/1/1994(H9N2)相比,在63、64、65位点上缺失3个氨基酸(T、E、I);核蛋白(nucleoprotein,NP)基因与高致病性鸭源禽流感分离株A/Duck/Fujian/1734/05(H5N1)和A/Duck/Fujian/9713/2005(H5N1)在同一遗传进化分支上,而从聚合酶(polymerase PA,PA)基因的遗传进化分析发现其基因属于H9N2/Y439群系。由此可见,Dk/FQ107/07可能是由不同禽流感病毒基因亚群间发生自然重排的产物。

Ducks’B期直肠癌淋巴结中的GCCmRNA表达与预后的关系

目的探讨GCCm RNA在Ducks’B期直肠癌淋巴结中表达与预后的关系及能否作为判定淋巴隐匿性转移的有效指标。方法应用RT-PCR检测33例Ducks’B期直肠癌淋巴结中GCCm RNA表达水平,并分析患者的局部复发率、3年无瘤生存率(PFS)、3年总生存率(OS)与不同GCCm RNA表达水平的关系。结果 GCCm RNA阴性组患者的局部复发率和远处转移率更低(P<0.01),无瘤生存率与总生存率更高(P<0.01)。结论 GCCm RNA不同表达状态Ducks’B期直肠癌患者的预后有差异,GCCm RNA可以作为直肠癌淋巴结微转移的有效检测指标,可以作为甄别p N0直肠癌高危患者的可靠分子学指标,有利于高危患者后续辅助治疗的选择。

一株鸭源H4N6亚型禽流感病毒A/duck/Shanghai/Y20/2006的全基因组序列测定及遗传演化分析

为了解鸭源H4N6亚型禽流感病毒A/duck/Shanghai/Y20/2006(DK/SH/Y20/06)的来源、特征及其分子演化规律,进一步丰富水禽流感病毒的基因库,对该病毒8个基因片段分别进行了扩增和序列测定,利用分子生物学软件对测序结果进行序列分析,并与GenBank登录的相关病毒进行了遗传演化分析。结果表明,DK/SH/Y20/06的HA基因切割位点附近的氨基酸序列(PEKASR↓GLF)符合低致病力AIV的特征,其分子遗传演化关系属于欧亚分支;NA基因与A/mallard/Yanchen/2005(H4N6)在同一分支内,核苷酸序列同源性为98.3%;而PB2、PB1、NP、PA基因与目前在国内流行的H6亚型禽流感病毒关系密切;M基因与A/environment/Korea/CSM05/2004(H3N1)处于同一分支;而NS基因与A/wild duck/Korea/YS44/2004(H1N2)同源性最高。且DK/SH/Y20/06的8个基因与美洲H4N6亚型AIV分离株均不处在同一遗传进化分支上,相互之间遗传关系较远。可见,DK/SH/Y20/06可能是由H4N6、H6N2、H6N5、H3N1和H1N2等不同亚型来源的基因在鸭体内经过复杂重组演变的一株重组病毒。

Correlation between Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Detection of Intron 1 of PRL Gene with Body Size Traits in Jingjiang Partridge Duck

[Objective]The research aimed to study the polymorphism of intron 1 and its effects on prolactin（PRL） gene and body size traits of Jingjiang Partridge Duck.[Method]Taking 96 Jingjiang partridge ducks as materials,the polymorphism of intron 1 of PRL gene was detected by PCR-RFLP method.And the relationship between the gene polymorphism and body size traits was analyzed.[Result]Intron 1 in PRL gene of Jingjiang Partridge Duck had sequence polymorphism.Two kinds of genotypes（AB and BB） were detected by DraⅠrestriction and genotype BB was dominant in population（91.67%）.The results of Chi-square test indicated that this site was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in Jingjiang Duck（P 〉0.05）.The results of least square analysis showed that the ducks with AB genotype had larger pelvis breadth（P 〈0.01） but smaller chest measurement（P 〈0.05） than those of BB ducks.[Conclusion]It was preliminarily concluded that PRL gene could be regarded as useful candidate gene（marker） for part of body size traits of Jingjiang Partridge Duck and part of body size traits can be improved by allele selection.

Cloning and Phylogenetic Analysis of NS1 Genes from Different Isolates of H9N2 Subtype Duck Influenza Virus

[ Objective] The study aimed to lay a foundation for the further studies on function mechanism of NS1 protein in the interspecies transmission of waterfowl influenza virus. [Method] Using the serologic assay and the specific RT-PCR method, some strains of H9 subtype waterfowl influenza virus were isolated from the 12 to 20 day-old muscovy duck flocks without any clinical symptoms in different areas of Guangdong Province. Four of these strains, including A/duck/ZQ/303/2007（H9N2） （A3 for short）, A/Duck/FJ/301/2007 （H9N2） （C1 for short）, A/Duck/NH/306/2007（H9N2） （ D6 for short）, A/duck/SS/402/2007（H9N2） （ E2 for short）, and a strain named A/duck/ZC/2007（H9N2） （L1 for short） from a muscovy duck died of avian influenza virus （AIV）, were used for NSl gene cloning and sequencing. Subsequently, the obtained NSl gene sequences were compared with other NS1 sequences registered in GenBank, and the phylogenetic analysis was also conducted. [Result] When compared with the H9N2 AIV NS1 sequences in GenBank, the NSl genes of the four AIV strains A3, C1, 136 and E2 displayed homologies ranging from 99% to 100% at nucleotide level, and 95% to 100% at amino acid level; while the NSl gene of L1 strain displayed homology ranging from 94% to 97% at nucleotide level, and 93% to 98% at amino acid level. The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that A3, C1, D6 and E2 were highly resemblant, and L1 was closest to AY66473 （chicken, 2003）. By comparison with the NS1 gene sequences of L1, AF523514 （duck）, AY664743 （chicken） and EF155262.1 （quail） using DNAstar, A3, C1, D6 and E.2 presented nucleotide variations at site 21 （ R→Q）, 70, 71 （ KE→EG）, 86 （ A→S）, 124 （V→M） and 225 （ S→N）, and amino acid variations at site 21,70, 71 and 86 in dsRNA- dependent protein kinase （PKR） binding domain of NSl gene, which induced the evident variations of antigenic determinant and surface proba- bility plot of NS1 protein. [ Conclusion] This study suggested that the amino acid sequence variation in PKR binding domain of NS1 protein had something to do with the virus pathogenicity.

带有Duck变换器并具CVT功能的光伏系统稳定性分析

利用状态空间平均模型推导了带有Duck变换器并具有定电压跟踪功能(CVT)的光伏系统模型,求出了该系统的闭环传递函数,应用罗斯判据确定了控制器参数的范圈。最后对直流和交流光伏水泵进行校正,证明该方法具有良好的应用效果。

Nutritional effects of the dietary inclusion of partially defatted Hermetia illucens larva meal in Muscovy duck

Background: The present work is aimed at evaluating the effect of different inclusion levels of a partially defatted black soldier fly(Hermetia illucens,L.;HI) larva meal for ducks.A total of 192 female 3-day-old Muscovy ducklings(Cairina moschata domestica,Canedins R71 L White,Grimaud Freres Selection,France) were divided into 4 groups,assigned 4 different dietary treatments(6 replicates/treatment and 8 birds/replicate) and reared from 3 to 50 days of age.HI larva meal was included at increasing levels(0,3%,6% and 9%,HI0,HI3,HI6 and HI9,respectively) in isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets formulated for 3 feeding phases: starter(3–17 days of age),grower(18–38 days of age) and finisher(39–50 days of age).The growth performance and apparent total tract digestibility were evaluated during the trial using titanium dioxide as an inert marker(0.3% of inclusion).At 51 days of age,two birds per pen were slaughtered and histomorphological investigations were performed.Results: The live weight and average daily gain showed a quadratic response to increasing HI meal in the grower period(minimum corresponding to the HI6 group).No effects of dietary inclusion levels were observed for the daily feed intake or feed conversion ratio.The apparent dry matter and organic matter digestibility were not affected by the dietary treatment.A linear decrease was observed for the crude protein apparent digestibility in the starter period(minimum for the HI9 groups).The ether extract apparent digestibility increased linearly during the grower and finisher periods(minimum for the HI0 group).The morphometric indices were not influenced by the dietary treatments.Conclusions: The inclusion of up to 9% of HI partially defatted larva meal in the diet of ducks did not cause any effect on growth performance,as well as the apparent digestibility.Moreover,dietary HI inclusion preserved the physiological intestinal development.

Performance of a water hyacinth(Eichhornia crassipes)system in the treatment of wastewater from a duck farm and the effects of using water hyacinth as duck feed

Nowadays, intensive breeding of poultry and livestock of large scale has made the treatment of its waste and wastewater an urgent environmental issue, which motivated this study. A wetland of 688 mz was constructed on an egg duck farm, and water hyacinth （Eichhornia crassipes） was chosen as an aquatic plant for the wetland and used as food for duck production. The objectives of this study were to test the role of water hyacinth in purifying nutrient-rich wastewater and its effects on the ducks＇ feed intake, egg laying performance and egg quality. This paper shows that the constructed wetland removed as much as 64.44% of chemical oxygen demand （COD）, 21.78% of total nitrogen （TN） and 23.02% of total phosphorus （TP）. Both dissolved oxygen （DO） and the transparency of the wastewater were remarkably improved, with its transparency 2.5 times higher than that of the untreated wastewater. After the ducks were fed with water hyacinth, the average daily feed intake and the egg-laying ratio in the test group were 5.86% and 9.79% higher, respectively, than in the control group; the differences were both significant at the 0.01 probability level. The egg weight in the test group was 2.36% higher than in the control group （P 〈 0.05）, but the feed conversion ratios were almost the same. The eggshell thickness and strength were among the egg qualities significantly increased in ducks fed with water hyacinth. We concluded that a water hyacinth system was effective for purifying wastewater from an intensive duck farm during the water hyacinth growing season, as harvested water hyacinth had an excellent performance as duck feed. We also discussed the limitations of the experiment.

Cloning and Sequence of Glycoprotein H Gene of Duck Plague Virus

The glycoprotein H （gH） gene homologue of duck plague virus （DPV） was cloned by degenerate polymerase chain reaction （PCR） and sequenced. It was located immediately downstream from the thymidine kinase gene （TK）. In addition, the 3＇-end of the gene homologue to herpesvirus UL21 was located downstream from the gH gene. DPV gH gene open reading frame （ORF） was 2 505 bp in length and its primary translation product was a polypeptide of 834 amino acids long. It possessed several characteristics of membrane glycoproteins, including an N-terminal hydrophobic signal sequence, an external domain containing eight putative N-linked glycosylation sites, a C-terminal transmembrane domain, and a charged cytoplasmic tail. Comparison with other herpesvirus revealed identities of 20.2, 25.1, 23.0, 23.0, 26.5 and 26.0% with the gH counterparts of the human herpesvirus virus 1 （HSV1）, equine herpesvirus 4 （EHV4）, bovine herpesvirus 1 （BHV1）, pseudorabies virus （PRV）, gallid herpesvirus 2 （GHV2） and gallid herpesvirus 3 （GHV3）, respectively.

Cloning of Thymidine Kinase Gene of Duck Plague Virus Using Degenerate PCR

The DNA of duck plague virus （DPV） thymidine kinase （TK） gene was cloned and sequenced from a vaccine virus in the study. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers for the consensus site of herpesvirus UL24, TK, and glycoprotein H（gH） gene were used in the polymerase chain reaction （PCR） to amplify DNA product with 3 741-base-pairs （bp） in size. DNA sequence analysis revealed a 1 077-base-pairs （bp） open reading frame （ORF） encoding a 358 amino acid polypeptide homologous to herpesvirus TK proteins. The predicted TK protein shared 31.2, 41.3, 35.7, 37.4, and 28.4% identity with herpes simplex virus typel, equine herpesvirus type 4, Marek＇s disease virus 2, herpesvirus turkey, and infectious laryngotracheitis virus, respectively. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of other herpesvirus TK proteins showed that these proteins were not conserved on the whole, otherwise the portion of the TK proteins corresponding to the nucleotide binding domain and the nucleoside binding site were highly conserved among herpesvirus. Comparison with the amino acid sequences of the conserved nucleotide and nucleoside binding domains of other eleven herpesvirus TK proteins to the predicted DPV peptide confirmed its identity as the DPV TK protein.