Heterogeneity and evolution rates of delta virus RNA sequences.
To investigate the geographical divergence of delta virus RNA sequences, 868 nucleotides (nt), including the delta antigen-coding region, were determined in isolates from two Japanese patients, M and S, by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing and compared with three previously reported nucleotide sequences. The sequence obtained for hepatitis delta virus RNA from patient M was approximately 92% identical to sequences previously obtained for two other strains of hepatitis delta virus, whereas the sequence of hepatitis delta virus RNA obtained from patient S was approximately 81% identical to the previously sequenced strains. This suggests that delta agent in Japan has a heterogeneous origin and the delta virus RNA sequence from Japanese patient S is the most divergent delta virus isolate yet analyzed. To study the evolution rate of delta virus RNA, viral isolates obtained 3 and 4 years apart from each of two patients were also sequenced. It was estimated that the substitution rate of viral RNA was 0.57 x 10(-3) nt per site per year in patient M and 0.64 x 10(-3) nt per site per year in patient S for the delta antigen gene.
Imazeki
F
F
First Department of Medicine, Chiba University School of Medicine, Japan.
Omata
M
M
Ohto
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005814:Genes, Viral; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000382:microbiology; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D035923:Hepatitis delta Antigens; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D012367:RNA, Viral; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; C442244:hepatitis delta virus large antigen