title: Rat parvovirus type 1: the prototype for a new rodent parvovirus serogroup.
abstract: A newly recognized parvovirus of laboratory rats, designated rat parvovirus type 1a (RPV-1a), was found to be antigenically distinct. It was cloned, sequenced, and compared with the University of Massachusetts strain of rat virus (RV-UMass) and other autonomous parvoviruses. RPV-1a VP1 identity with these viruses never exceeded 69%, thus explaining its antigenic divergence. In addition, RPV-1a had reduced amino acid identity in NS coding regions (82%), reflecting phylogenetic divergence from other rodent parvoviruses. RPV-1a infection in rats had a predilection for endothelium and lymphoid tissues as previously reported for RV. Infectious RPV-1a was isolated 3 weeks after inoculation of infant rats, suggesting that it, like RV, may result in persistent infection. In contrast to RV, RPV-1a was enterotropic, a characteristic previously associated with parvovirus infections of mice rather than rats. RPV-1a also differed from RV in that infection was nonpathogenic for infant rats under conditions where RV infection causes high morbidity and mortality. Thus, RPV-1a is the prototype virus of an antigenically, genetically, and biologically distinct rodent parvovirus serogroup.
authors.affiliation: Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8016, USA. lisa.ball-goodrich@yale.edu
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ball-Goodrich
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Leland
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Paturzo
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Jacoby
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D017992:Parvovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral