Subgroup C avian metapneumovirus (MPV) and the recently isolated human MPV exhibit a common organization but have extensive sequence divergence in their putative SH and G genes.
The genes encoding the putative small hydrophobic (SH), attachment (G) and polymerase (L) proteins of the Colorado isolate of subgroup C avian pneumovirus (APV) were entirely or partially sequenced. They all included metapneumovirus (MPV)-like gene start and gene end sequences. The deduced Colorado SH protein shared 26.9 and 21.7 % aa identity with its counterpart in human MPV (hMPV) and APV subgroup A, respectively, but its only significant aa similarities were to hMPV. Conserved features included a common hydrophobicity profile with an unique transmembrane domain and the conservation of most extracellular cysteine residues. The Colorado putative G gene encoded several ORFs, the longer of which encoded a 252 aa long type II glycoprotein with aa similarities to hMPV G only (20.6 % overall aa identity with seven conserved N-terminal residues). The putative Colorado G protein shared, at best, 21.0 % aa identity with its counterparts in the other APV subgroups and did not contain the extracellular cysteine residues and short aa stretch highly conserved in other APVs. The N-terminal end of the Colorado L protein exhibited 73.6 and 54.9 % aa identity with hMPV and APV subgroup A, respectively, with four aa blocks highly conserved among Pneumovirus: Phylogenetic analysis performed on the nt sequences confirmed that the L sequences from MPVs were genetically related, whereas analysis of the G sequences revealed that among MPVs, only APV subgroups A, B and D clustered together, independently of both the Colorado isolate and hMPV, which shared weak genetic relatedness at the G gene level.
Toquin
D
D
French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA), Avian and Rabbit Virology Immunology and Parasitology Unit (VIPAC), BP53, 22440 Ploufragan, France.
de Boisseson
C
C
Virus Genetics and Biosecurity Unit (UGVB), BP53, 22440 Ploufragan, France.
Beven
V
V
Virus Genetics and Biosecurity Unit (UGVB), BP53, 22440 Ploufragan, France.
Senne
D A
DA
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), PO Box 844, Ames, IA 50010, USA.
Eterradossi
N
N
French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA), Avian and Rabbit Virology Immunology and Parasitology Unit (VIPAC), BP53, 22440 Ploufragan, France.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D001717:Birds; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics; D005814:Genes, Viral; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015707:HN Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins
D015707:HN Protein; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C116204:attachment protein G; C056150:small hydrophobic protein, virus; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases