Reassortment in vivo: driving force for diversity of human rotavirus strains isolated in the United Kingdom between 1995 and 1999.
The G and P genotypes of 3,601 rotavirus strains collected in the United Kingdom between 1995 and 1999 were determined (M. Iturriza-Gómara et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 38:4394-4401, 2000). In 95.4% of the strains the most common G and P combinations, G1P[8], G2P[4], G3P[8], and G4P[8], were found. A small but significant number (2%) of isolates from the remaining strains were reassortants of the most common cocirculating strains, e.g., G1P[4] and G2P[8]. Rotavirus G9P[6] and G9P[8] strains, which constituted 2.7% of all viruses, were genetically closely related in their G components, but the P components of the G9P[8] strains were very closely related to those of cocirculating strains of the more common G types (G1, G3, and G4). In conclusion, genetic interaction by reassortment among cocirculating rotaviruses is not a rare event and contributes significantly to their overall diversity.
Iturriza-Gómara
M
M
Clinical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QW, United Kingdom.
Isherwood
B
B
Desselberger
U
U
Gray
J
J
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012699:Serology; D012703:Serotyping; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom
D004279:DNA, Viral