title: Fusion protein predicted amino acid sequence of the first US avian pneumovirus isolate and lack of heterogeneity among other US isolates.
abstract: Avian pneumovirus (APV) was first isolated from turkeys in the west-central US following emergence of turkey rhinotracheitis (TRT) during 1996. Subsequently, several APV isolates were obtained from the north-central US. Matrix (M) and fusion (F) protein genes of these isolates were examined for sequence heterogeneity and compared with European APV subtypes A and B. Among US isolates the M gene shared greater than 98% nucleotide sequence identity with only one nonsynonymous change occurring in a single US isolate. Although the F gene among US APV isolates shared 98% nucleotide sequence identity, nine conserved substitutions were detected in the predicted amino acid sequence. The predicted amino acid sequence of the US APV isolate's F protein had 72% sequence identity to the F protein of APV subtype A and 71% sequence identity to the F protein of APV subtype B. This compares with 83% sequence identity between the APV subtype A and B predicted amino acid sequences of the F protein. The US isolates were phylogenetically distinguishable from their European counterparts based on F gene nucleotide or predicted amino acid sequences. Lack of sequence heterogeneity among US APV subtypes indicates these viruses have maintained a relatively stable population since the first outbreak of TRT. Phylogenetic analysis of the F protein among APV isolates supports classification of US isolates as a new APV subtype C.
authors.affiliation: Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, 934 College Station Road, Athens, GA, USA. bseal@asrr.arsusda.gov
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sellers
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Meinersmann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D005060:Europe; D005814:Genes, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D018111:Pneumovirus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D018186:Pneumovirus Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014422:Turkeys / Q000821:virology*; D014481:United States; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins