title: Molecular Classification of Human Adenovirus Type 7 Isolated From Acute Respiratory Disease Outbreak (ARD) in Korea, 2005-2006.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the genomic characteristics of human adenoviruses (HAdVs) that caused small-scale epidemics in Korea and compare sequence analysis and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred sixty-two throat swabs were collected from geographically distinct two cohabitation facilities during outbreaks in August 2005 and February-May 2006. 148 isolates were obtained using the adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549 cells) from 262 specimens. The sequences of 448 bp partial hexon gene of isolates were analized and compared with serotype results using neutralizing test. The hexon (1.2 kb), fiber, and E4 ORF 6/7 34.7 kDa protein (2.1 kb) genes were further analysed in 10 randomly selected specimens. RFLP of the genomic DNA for genotyping was also performed and compared with sequence information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the isolates were localized into the same cluster when phylogenetic tree was generated based on hexon gene using Clustal W. While fiber and E4 ORF 6/7 34.7 kDa protein genes were analysed, the tree was divided into two clusters. Interestingly, isolates with same genetic characteristics of hexon gene did not show identical RFLP patterns in accordance with their origin of episode, rather phylogenetic analysis of fiber and E4 ORF 6/7 34.7 kDa protein genes were correlated with RFLP patterns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that serotype classification based on hexon gene might not be enough to discriminate HAdV serotype, and additional genetic characteristics including fiber and/or E4 ORF 6/7 should be recruited to dispose subgroup of HAdV serotype.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Viruses, Center for Infectious Disease, National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Wan Ji
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yoon Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kisoon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: E4 ORF 6/7; fiber; hexon; human adenovirus Type 7; restriction fragment  length polymorphism