{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"institution":[{"name":"bioRxiv"}],"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T22:06:14Z","timestamp":1771538774621,"version":"3.50.1"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]]},"group-title":"Genomics","reference-count":38,"publisher":"openRxiv","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]],"date-time":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771286400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>\n                  Avian alphaherpesviruses of the genus\n                  <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                  include several economically important pathogens, such as the tumour-causing Marek\u2019s disease virus (MDV-1) of chickens. However, the diversity of related viruses in wild and non-model avian hosts remains poorly characterised. Here, we describe the genome of Pavonine herpesvirus 1 (PaHv1), a novel\n                  <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                  infecting peafowl (\n                  <jats:italic>Pavo<\/jats:italic>\n                  spp.). Through de novo assembly of reads generated from whole-genome sequencing of 370 captive peafowl, we generated a single viral genomic scaffold of 134,149 bp in length and an estimated total genome size of \u223c146 kbp following reconstruction of terminal repeat regions. PaHv1 exhibits canonical\n                  <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                  UL-IRL-IRS-US genomic architecture and encodes 169 open reading frames, of which 82 have clear orthologs in other\n                  <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                  species. Comparative genomic analyses revealed strong syntenic concordance between PaHv1, MDV-1, MDV-2 and Meleagrid alphaherpesvirus 1 (HVT), but with notable absences of the Meq oncogene, viral interleukin-8 (vIL8), and a truncated pp38 gene \u2013 genes known to underpin oncogenicity and virulence in MDV-1. Phylogenetic analysis places PaHv1 firmly within the\n                  <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                  genus as a sister to the poultry-associated MDV-1 and MDV-2 viruses, but distinct from a previously described Phasianid herpesvirus with a partial DNA terminase sequence. PaHv1 was detected predominantly in feather-derived samples, consistent with replication or persistence in the feather follicle epithelium. Taken together, these findings identify PaHv1 as a novel, likely non-oncogenic\n                  <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                  , expanding our understanding of herpesvirus diversity, evolution and host association in galliform birds.\n                <\/jats:p>\n                <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Importance<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Herpesviruses cause several economically important diseases in domesticated birds, including Marek\u2019s disease, duck plague and infectious laryngotracheitis. Despite this, our understanding of herpesviruses infecting wild and semi-wild birds remains limited. Here, we present the genome of Pavonine herpesvirus 1 (PaHv1), a virus in the\n                    <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                    genus which infects peafowl. Based on comparative genomics with other\n                    <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                    species, we note the absence of several genes important for the high virulence of Marek\u2019s Disease Virus, such as the Meq oncogene, viral interleukin-8 and a truncated pp38. This, taken together with absence of clinical disease in preliminary observations, suggests that PaHv1 causes either a subclinical infection or one with mild symptoms. Our work expands the known evolutionary breadth of avian herpesviruses in the\n                    <jats:italic>Mardivirus<\/jats:italic>\n                    genus. In addition, PaHv1 may provide a useful starting point for the development of novel vaccine vectors for pathogenic herpesvirus infections.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.64898\/2026.02.16.706139","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T05:45:10Z","timestamp":1771393510000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The genome sequence of Pavonine herpesvirus 1, a novel\n                  <i>Mardivirus<\/i>\n                  infecting peafowl"],"prefix":"10.64898","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8222-7687","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Steven R.","family":"Fiddaman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Pirbright Institute, Ash Rd, Pirbright, Woking GU24 0NF, UK"},{"name":"The University of Oxford, Department of Biology, The Peter Medawar Building, South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3SY, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7806-4256","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Soraia","family":"Barbosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIBIO, Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Biodiversidade e Recursos Gen\u00e9ticos, InBIO Laborat\u00f3rio Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vair\u00e3o, Portugal"},{"name":"BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vair\u00e3o, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Miguel","family":"Carneiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIBIO, Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Biodiversidade e Recursos Gen\u00e9ticos, InBIO Laborat\u00f3rio Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vair\u00e3o, Portugal"},{"name":"BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vair\u00e3o, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Joel M.","family":"Alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIBIO, Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Biodiversidade e Recursos Gen\u00e9ticos, InBIO Laborat\u00f3rio Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vair\u00e3o, Portugal"},{"name":"BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vair\u00e3o, Portugal"},{"name":"The University of Oxford, School of Archaeology, 1 South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK"}]},{"given":"Adrian L.","family":"Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The University of Oxford, Department of Biology, The Peter Medawar Building, South Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3SY, UK"}]}],"member":"54368","reference":[{"key":"2026021913050652000_2026.02.16.706139v1.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/JVI.75.2.971-978.2001"},{"key":"2026021913050652000_2026.02.16.706139v1.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.64898\/2026.01.26.701322"},{"key":"2026021913050652000_2026.02.16.706139v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/emboj\/cdg086"},{"key":"2026021913050652000_2026.02.16.706139v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/ve\/veab025"},{"key":"2026021913050652000_2026.02.16.706139v1.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/JVI.01393-09"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026021913050652000_2026.02.16.706139v1.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1038\/nmeth.3176","article-title":"Fast and Sensitive Protein Alignment Using DIAMOND","volume":"12","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nature Methods"},{"issue":"8","key":"2026021913050652000_2026.02.16.706139v1.7","first-page":"1271","article-title":"Large, Stable, 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