title: Resolving ambiguity in the phylogenetic relationship of genotypes A, B, and C of hepatitis B virus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important infectious agent that causes widespread concern because billions of people are infected by at least 8 different HBV genotypes worldwide. However, reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationship between HBV genotypes is difficult. Specifically, the phylogenetic relationships among genotypes A, B, and C are not clear from previous studies because of the confounding effects of genotype recombination. In order to clarify the evolutionary relationships, a rigorous approach is required that can effectively explore genetic sequences with recombination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the present study, phylogenetic relationship of the HBV genotypes was reconstructed using a consensus phylogeny of phylogenetic trees of HBV genome segments. Reliability of the reconstructed phylogeny was extensively evaluated in agreements of local phylogenies of genome segments.The reconstructed phylogenetic tree revealed that HBV genotypes B and C had a closer phylogenetic relationship than genotypes A and B or A and C. Evaluations showed the consensus method was capable to reconstruct reliable phylogenetic relationship in the presence of recombinants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The consensus method implemented in this study provides an alternative approach for reconstructing reliable phylogenetic relationships for viruses with possible genetic recombination. Our approach revealed the phylogenetic relationships of genotypes A, B, and C of HBV.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yueming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Minxian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hongxiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wei R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yungang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic