Molecular characterization of a human rotavirus reveals porcine characteristics in most of the genes including VP6 and NSP4.
Long electropherotype with Subgroup I specificity is a common feature of animal rotaviruses. In an epidemic of infantile gastroenteritis in Manipur, India, long but SG I strains predominated in the outbreak in the year 1987-88. One such strain isolated from that region, following the outbreak had G9P [19] specificity. As this is a rare combination, the gene sequences encoding VP4, VP6, VP7, NSP1, NSP2, NSP3, NSP4 and NSP5 of this strain were analyzed. All these genes except VP7 were closely related to porcine rotaviruses (95-99% identity at amino acid level) and clustered with the porcine strains in phylogenetic analysis. In addition, it had subgroup I nature and belonged to NSP4 genotype B which is characteristic of animal rotaviruses. This is the first report of a rotavirus with VP6 and NSP4, two crucial proteins thought to be involved in host range restriction and pathogenicity, were of porcine origin and caused diarrhoea in a human host. Among the genes of this strain sequenced so far, only VP7 had highest identity to human strains at amino acid level. This study suggests reassortment may be occurring between human and other animal strains and some of the reassortant viruses may be virulent to humans.
Varghese
V
V
Division of Virology, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Calcutta, India.
Das
S
S
Singh
Ng B
NB
Kojima
K
K
Bhattacharya
S K
SK
Krishnan
T
T
Kobayashi
N
N
Naik
T N
TN
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000821:virology*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010802:Phylogeny; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013552:Swine; D014118:Toxins, Biological; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C081369:NS28 protein, rotavirus; C082740:NSP3 protein, Rotavirus; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014118:Toxins, Biological; C060339:VP4 protein, Rotavirus; C061332:VP6 protein, Rotavirus; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C104282:nsp1 protein, Rotavirus; C079234:NS35 protein, rotavirus