A novel complex A/C/G intergenotypic recombinant of hepatitis B virus isolated in southern China.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and subgenotypes may vary in geographical distribution and virological features. Previous investigations, including ours, showed that HBV genotypes B and C were respectively predominant in South and North China, while genotypes A and D were infrequently detected and genotype G was not found. In this study, a novel A/C/G intergenotype was identified in patients with chronic HBV infection in Guilin, a city in southern China. Initial phylogenetic analysis based on the S gene suggested the HBV recombinant to be genotype G. However, extended genotyping based on the entire HBV genome indicated it to be an A/C/G intergenotype with a closer relation to genotype C. Breakpoint analysis using the SIMPLOT program revealed that the recombinant had a recombination with a arrangement of genotypes A, G, A and C fragments. Compared with the HBV recombinants harboring one or two genotype G fragments found in Asian countries, this Guilin recombinant was highly similar to the Vietnam (98-99%) and Long An recombinants (96-99%), but had a relatively low similarity to the Thailand one (89%). Unlike those with the typical genotype G of HBV, the patients with the Guilin recombinant were seropositive for HBeAg. Moreover, a relatively high HBV DNA viral load (>2 × 10(6) IU/ml) was detected in the patients, and the analysis of viral replication capacity showed that the Guilin recombinant strains had a competent replication capacity similar to genotypes B and C strains. These findings can aid in not only the clarification of the phylogenetic origin of the HBV recombinants with the genotype G fragment found in Asian countries, but also the understanding of the virological properties of these complicated HBV recombinants.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
Heling
H
Su
Viral Hepatitis Research Laboratory, Institute of Infectious Diseases/Liver Failure Medical Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China.
Yan
Y
Liu
Viral Hepatitis Research Laboratory, Institute of Infectious Diseases/Liver Failure Medical Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China.
Zhihui
Z
Xu
Division of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of Guilin, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
Shuquan
S
Cheng
Division of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of Guilin, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
Haiyan
H
Ye
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine in Liver Injury and Repair, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
Qing
Q
Xu
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
Qingbo
Q
Liu
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
Shuhong
S
Tan
Viral Hepatitis Research Laboratory, Institute of Infectious Diseases/Liver Failure Medical Center, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China.
Dongping
D
Xu
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
Yongming
Y
Liu
D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D055815:Young Adult
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens