title: Tick-borne encephalitis virus strains of Western Siberia.
abstract: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) strains were isolated from ticks in Western Siberia for 12 years. Molecular hybridization of the 46 viral RNA with the TBEV cDNA and oligonucleotide probes revealed differences between the Siberian and Far Eastern strains. A comparison of the viral E gene fragment nucleotide sequence showed 89-98% homology between Siberian TBEV strains, whereas their similarity with strains from other populations was less than 83%. However, the viral E and NS1 glycoprotein antigenic structures appeared to be conservative because of the degenerate genetic code. This was shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with the corresponding monoclonal antibodies (MAb). The single exception was the MAb 17C3 against nonstructural glycoprotein NS1, which could distinguish Siberian from Far Eastern strains. Moreover, the neurovirulence differed between strains from the two natural populations. Lower neuroinvasiveness of the Siberian strains in comparison with Far Eastern Sofyin strain might be caused by both E and NS1 glycoprotein mutations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Frunze Street 11, 630091 91, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation.
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Bakhvalova
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Rar
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Tkachev
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Matveev
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Matveev
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Karavanov
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dobrotvorsky
authors.forename: O V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Morozova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001483:Base Sequence; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012800:Siberia; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; C100315:NS1 protein, Flavivirus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C065696:glycoprotein E, Flavivirus