Characterisation of hexon and fibre genes of a novel strain of adenovirus involved in epidemic keratoconjunctivitis.
OBJECTIVE
To characterise a novel strain (M86) of adenovirus (Ad) involved in epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC).


RESULTS
The virus strain was neutralised by antisera to both Ad35 and Ad11. Restriction endonuclease analysis of genomic DNA showed 98% and 88% homology with Ad11 and Ad35, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the hypervariable regions of (HVRs) of the hexon gene showed a higher homology with Ad35 (94.4%) than with Ad11 (83.7%). However, it was 100% homologous to Ad35 in HVRs 1, 2, 3, and 6 and to Ad11 in HVRs 4 and 6. In the fibre knob, the isolate was more homologous to Ad11 (99.4%) than to Ad35 (29.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
This novel strain of adenovirus showed similarities with both Ad11 and Ad35. The isolation of a novel strain like Ad35+11 is important because of its association with EKC.
Adhikary
A K
AK
Infectious Disease Surveillance Centre, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. arun@nih.go.jp
Inada
T
T
Numaga
J
J
Suzuki
E
E
Ushijima
H
H
Banik
U
U
Mukouyama
A
A
Matsuno
S
S
Okabe
N
N
D000258:Adenovirus Infections, Human / Q000821:virology*; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D003236:Conjunctivitis, Viral / Q000821:virology*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007637:Keratoconjunctivitis / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017385:Sequence Homology
D036022:Capsid Proteins; C018315:hexon capsid protein, Adenovirus