title: Genetic characterization of avian metapneumovirus subtype C isolated from pheasants in a live bird market.
abstract: Complete nucleotide sequences of two avian metapneumoviruses (aMPV), designated PL-1 and PL-2, were isolated from pheasants, revealing novel sequences of the first aMPV to be fully sequenced in Korea. The complete genome of both PL-1 and PL-2 was composed of 13,170 nucleotides. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PL-1 belonged to aMPV subtype C, sharing higher homology in deduced amino acid sequence identities with hMPV, rather than with aMPV subtypes A and B. Replication of PL-1 in experimentally re-infected pheasants was confirmed by reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Chickens and mice were experimentally inoculated with PL-1 to test the replication potential of PL-1 in other species. Although one specimen from the nasal turbinates of an inoculated chicken showed a slight trace of viral replication at 3 days post-infection (dpi), all of the infected mice were negative for aMPV by RT-PCR throughout the experiment, suggesting that PL-1 does not readily infect mammals. This is the first report of the isolation and complete genomic sequence of aMPV subtype C originating from pheasants.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Chungbuk National University, 12 Gaeshin-Dong Heungduk-Ku, Cheongju 361-763, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun ho
authors.initials: Eh
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min-Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jin-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chul-Joong
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyunggee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Ki
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000821:virology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D046094:Galliformes / Q000821:virology*; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014709:Vero Cells