Characterization of Culex Flavivirus (Flaviviridae) strains isolated from mosquitoes in the United States and Trinidad.
Recent reports indicate that flaviviruses similar to the cell fusing agent virus (CFAV) naturally infect a wide variety of mosquito species. These newly recognized insect-specific viruses comprise a distinct CFAV complex within the genus Flavivirus. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of nine strains of Culex flavivirus (Cx FV), a member of the CFAV complex, from mosquitoes collected in the United States (East Texas) and Trinidad. Phylogenetic analyses of the envelope protein gene sequences of these nine mosquito isolates with those of other CFAV complex flaviviruses in GenBank indicate that the U.S. isolates group with CxFV isolates from Asia (Japan and Indonesia), while the Trinidad isolates are more similar to CxFV isolates from Central America. A discussion follows on the possible biological significance of the CFAV complex flaviviruses.
Kim
Dal Y
DY
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0609, USA.
Guzman
Hilda
H
Bueno
Rudy
R
Dennett
James A
JA
Auguste
Albert J
AJ
Carrington
Christine V F
CV
Popov
Vsevolod L
VL
Weaver
Scott C
SC
Beasley
David W C
DW
Tesh
Robert B
RB
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology*; D005416:Flavivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D023061:Gene Order; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013781:Texas; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago
D015686:Gene Products, env