Molecular characterization of hepatitis B virus genotype A from Argentina and Brazil.
To study the diversification of hepatitis B virus genotype A in Latin America, we analyzed seven new Argentinian isolates and published sequences from Argentina and Brazil and other countries from the region. We found that the European subgenotype A2 prevailed in most of the countries except for Brazil, where the African subgenotype A1 predominated. A2 isolates did not differ significantly from the GenBank sequences, whereas some A1 isolates carried, concomitantly, amino acids characteristic of the subgenotypes A3 (R(501) in P protein) and A2 (D(355) in P/T(54) in preS2). This combination is absent in the A1 subgenotype around the world. We discuss the origin, distribution and introduction of those subgenotypes in the Americas.
Mbayed
Viviana Andrea
VA
Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956 4 masculine piso, C1113AAB, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. vmbayed@ffyb.uba.ar
Piñeiro y Leone
Flavia Guadalupe
FG
Pezzano
Silvana Claudia
SC
Campos
Rodolfo Héctor
RH
D001118:Argentina; D001938:Brazil; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
D004279:DNA, Viral