Nucleotide variation in the VP7 gene affects PCR genotyping of G9 rotaviruses identified in Italy.
A modified (aFT9m) and a degenerate (aFT9d) version of the rotavirus G9-specific primer (aFT9) allowed strains that were previously untypable, because of point mutations accumulating at the primer binding site, to be G typed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The strains were collected during 2001-2002 in Italy in hospitals of the Apulia region, from children affected by severe rotavirus-associated enteritis. Using a wide selection of G9 rotaviruses detected worldwide, sequencing of the G9 untypable strains, sequence comparison, and phylogenetic analysis showed that the Italian strains have strong genetic similarity (< or =99.4%) to G9 rotaviruses identified recently in many parts of the world and different from the old G9 strains identified during the 1980s (less than 90%). Genetic variation of G9 rotaviruses explains the constraints encountered in the typing assays and presumably accounts, together with genetic reassortment events, for the emergence on a global scale of the G9 serotype.
Martella
Vito
V
Department of Animal Health and Well-Being, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. v.martella@veterinaria.uniba.it
Terio
Valentina
V
Arista
Serenella
S
Elia
Gabriella
G
Corrente
Marialaura
M
Madio
Anna
A
Pratelli
Annamaria
A
Tempesta
Maria
M
Cirani
Antonio
A
Buonavoglia
Canio
C
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001483:Base Sequence; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D017931:DNA Primers; D004751:Enteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus