title: Molecular characterization of VP4, VP6 and VP7 genes of a rare G8P[14] rotavirus strain detected in an infant with gastroenteritis in Italy.
abstract: In this study, the molecular characterization of a rare G8P[14] group A rotavirus (GARV) strain detected in Northern Italy during the 2004-2005 epidemiological rotavirus season is described. Two hundred and seventy three rotavirus-like particle positive stools out of 856 stools from children (31.9%) hospitalized with gastroenteritis were analyzed using polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis and 271 GARVs were genotyped by VP7 and VP4 specific RT-PCRs. One strain (PR/1300/04) with a long electropherotype (e-type) displayed the G8 specificity and was VP4 un-typeable. The P and the subgroup (SG) specificities were determined by sequencing the VP4 and the VP6 gene, respectively. The PR/1300/04 strain exhibited P[14] and SGI specificities. By sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the VP4, VP6 and VP7 amplicons, the PR/1300/04 VP4 and VP6 genes were demonstrated to be of human rotavirus origin, with the VP4 gene closely related to the human Italian PA169 strain (G6P[14]), while the VP7 gene was of animal origin (bovine). These data suggest that the Italian PR/1300/04 strain could be a reassortant between a PA169-like Italian strain with P[14] specificity, long e-type and SGI, and a G8 animal strain. The increasing number of reports of atypical GARVs in humans suggests that interspecies transmission of genes greatly contributes to the GARV genetic evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Parma School of Medicine, viale Parma, Italy. mariacristina.medici@unipr.it
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Medici
authors.forename: Laura Anna
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Abelli
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dettori
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chezzi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C060339:VP4 protein, Rotavirus; C061332:VP6 protein, Rotavirus; C050779:VP7 protein, Rotavirus