title: Genetic characterization and phylogeny of Andes virus and variants from Argentina and Chile.
abstract: Andes virus, one of five hantaviruses known to cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), emerged in 1995 in southwestern Argentina (López et al. (1996) Virology 220, 223-226). The complete nucleotide sequence of Andes virus S genome segment was determined and compared with sequences of viral RNAs in autopsy tissues of more recently reported HPS cases from southwestern Argentina and south of Chile (cases ESQ H-1/96 and CH H-1/96). Andes virus S segment was found to be 1876 nucleotides in length and to encode the nucleocapsid protein (N), 428 amino acids in length. S segment analysis also revealed a long 5' non-coding region (547 nucleotides) which displays three copies of an octanucleotide sequence repeat. Comparisons of S segment sequences of ESQ H-1/96 and CH H-1/96 (82% of the entire genome sequence) with the corresponding sequences of Andes virus revealed identities of 97.2% and 98.5%, respectively. Sequence motifs identical and in the same positions as exhibited in Andes virus 5' non-coding region were found in both, ESQ H-1/96 and CH H-1/96 sequences. Three genome fragments of the M segment sequence of the viruses (representing approximately 34% of the entire sequence) were also analyzed. Comparisons of S and M segment sequences of Andes virus with the corresponding sequences of ESQ H-1/96 showed S and M segment identities which differ by less than 1.4%. Andes virus and CH H-1/96 have S segments that differ by 1.5% from one another while their M segment fragments differ by 5.5-8.2%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Andes virus along with ESQ H-1/96 and CH H-1/96 form a distinct lineage within the clade containing Bayou and Black Creek Canal viruses. It also showed that Andes virus branch of trees derived from comparisons of S or M sequences differed. It is concluded that Andes virus variants causing HPS circulate east and west of the Andes mountains.
authors.affiliation: Dpto. de Virus, Instituto Nacional de Microbiologia Carlos G. Malbran, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Padula
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Edelstein
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Franze-Fernández
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001118:Argentina; D001483:Base Sequence; D002677:Chile; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral