title: Molecular characterization of OP354-like P[8] (P[8]b subtype) human rotaviruses A species isolated in Japan.
abstract: OP354-like P[8] (P[8]b subtype) species A rotaviruses (RVAs) were isolated first time in Japan during a RVA survey in Okayama Prefecture between 2006 and 2009. Two of 236 RVA-positive samples were identified as G1P[8]b by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. P[8]b strains (RVA/human-wt/JPN/OH1998/2008/G1P[8]b and RVA/human-wt/JPN/OH2024/2008/G1P[8]b) were isolated only in May, 2008 and both patients infected with P[8]b viruses lived in the same city, suggesting that the prevalence of P[8]b RVAs is limited considerably in Okayama Prefecture. Molecular analysis of four genes (VP4, VP6, VP7, and NSP4 genes) of Japanese P[8]b strains revealed that the VP4 genes of these strains were related closely to those of Southeast Asian and Indian P[8]b strains. In contrast, the VP6, VP7, and NSP4 genes of Japanese P[8]b strains were highly homologous to G1P[8]a strains prevalent in the same area. These results suggest that the Japanese P[8]b strain may be a result of reassortment events between Japanese G1P[8]a viruses and unidentified Asian viruses possessing the P[8]b VP4 gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Okayama Prefectural Institute for Environmental Science and Public Health, Okayama, Japan. mitsutaka_kuzuya@pref.okayama.lg.jp
authors.forename: Mitsutaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuzuya
authors.forename: Ritsushi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamano
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kida
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanadani
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins