title: Molecular epidemiology of SARS-associated coronavirus, Beijing.
abstract: Single nucleotide variations (SNVs) at 5 loci (17564, 21721, 22222, 23823, and 27827) were used to define the molecular epidemiologic characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) from Beijing patients. Five fragments targeted at the SNV loci were amplified directly from clinical samples by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), before sequencing the amplified products. Analyses of 45 sequences obtained from 29 patients showed that the GGCTC motif dominated among samples collected from March to early April 2003; the TGTTT motif predominanted afterwards. The switch from GGCTC to TGTTT was observed among patients belonging to the same cluster, which ruled out the possibility of the coincidental superposition of 2 epidemics running in parallel in Beijing. The Beijing isolates underwent the same change pattern reported from Guangdong Province. The same series of mutations occurring in separate geographic locations and at different times suggests a dominant process of viral adaptation to the host.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fontanet
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Tian-Bao
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pan-He
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi-He
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Luan
authors.forename: Chao-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Qiu-Min
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhong-Tao
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Shu-Qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baril
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vabret
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wu-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*