title: Jatobal virus is a reassortant containing the small RNA of Oropouche virus.
abstract: Jatobal (JAT) virus was isolated in 1985 from a carnivore (Nasua nasua) in Tucuruí, Pará state, Brazil and was classified as a distinct member of the Simbu serogroup of the Bunyavirus genus, family Bunyaviridae on the basis of neutralization tests. On the basis of nucleotide sequencing, we have found that the small (S) RNA of JAT virus is very similar (>95% identity) to that of Oropouche (ORO) virus, in particular, the Peruvian genotype of ORO virus. In comparison, limited nucleotide sequencing of the G2 protein gene, encoded by the middle (M) RNA, of JAT and ORO viruses, revealed relatively little identity (<66%) between these two viruses. Neutralization tests confirmed the lack of cross-reactivity between the viruses. These results suggest that JAT virus is a reassortant containing the S RNA of ORO virus. JAT virus was attenuated in hamsters compared to ORO virus suggesting that the S RNA of ORO virus is not directly involved in hamster virulence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Pathology, Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 77555-1019, Galveston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suderman
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Beasley
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Travassos da Rosa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Shope
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tesh
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D012840:Simbu virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins