title: Molecular diversity of partial-length genomic segment 2 of human picobirnavirus.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Virología 'Dr J M Vanella', Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Miguel O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Maria B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Isa
authors.forename: Luis Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Alvarado
authors.forename: Jorge V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Paván
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Silvia V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Nates
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral