Molecular diversity of partial-length genomic segment 2 of human picobirnavirus.
OBJECTIVE
This study was carried out in order to evaluate the efficacy of the recently developed picobirnavirus (PBV) sets of primers and to establish the phylogenetic relationships of Argentine strains with PBV strains isolated in China and the USA.


METHODS
Thirteen fecal specimens tested as positive for PBV by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays using primers target to the genomic segments 2 of PBV strains isolated in China and the USA. The amplicons were sequenced and analyzed.


RESULTS
Primers derived from the China strain produced amplicons in only 4 of the 13 specimens (30.76%). No sample was revealed as positive with the primers derived from the US strain. DNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction products differed in nucleic acid and amino acid sequences by 13.9-42.28% and 18.1-51.1%, respectively. Despite this strain diversity, three domains of conserved nucleotide sequences as well as the amino acid motif D-S-D typical of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene of double-strand RNA viruses were identified. Comparatively, these conserved regions were also identified in homologous PBV strains from the USA and China. Phylogenetic analysis showed no time or geographic clustering.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide evidence that PBV may represent an emerging heterogeneous group of viruses.
Martínez
Laura C
LC
Instituto de Virología 'Dr J M Vanella', Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
Giordano
Miguel O
MO
Isa
Maria B
MB
Alvarado
Luis Fernando
LF
Paván
Jorge V
JV
Rinaldi
Diego
D
Nates
Silvia V
SV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001118:Argentina; D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D018708:Picobirnavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012327:RNA Virus Infections / Q000821:virology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014481:United States
D004279:DNA, Viral