Molecular analysis of rubella virus epidemiology across three continents, North America, Europe, and Asia, 1961-1997.
E1 gene nucleotide sequences of 63 rubella virus isolates from North America, Europe, and Asia isolated between 1961 and 1997 were compared phylogenetically. Two genotypes were evident: Genotype I contained 60 viruses from North America, Europe, and Japan, and genotype II contained 3 viruses from China and India. The genotype I isolates prior to 1970 grouped into a single diffuse clade, indicating intercontinental circulation, while most post-1975 viruses segregated into geographic clades from each continent, indicating evolution in response to vaccination programs. The E1 amino acid sequences differed by no more than 3%; thus, no major antigenic variation was apparent. Among 4 viruses from congenital rubella syndrome that occurred following reinfection, only one amino acid substitution occurred in several important epitopes, indicating that antigenic drift is not important in this phenomenon. However, 2 viruses isolated from chronic arthritis exhibited changes in these epitopes. Isolates of the RA 27/3 vaccine strain were readily identifiable by nucleotide sequence.
Frey
T K
TK
Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30303, USA. biotkf@panther.gsu.edu
Abernathy
E S
ES
Bosma
T J
TJ
Starkey
W G
WG
Corbett
K M
KM
Best
J M
JM
Katow
S
S
Weaver
S C
SC
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C061826:E1 envelope protein, Rubella virus