title: Spread and predominance in Japan of novel G1P[8] double-reassortant rotavirus strains possessing a DS-1-like genotype constellation typical of G2P[4] strains.
abstract: Rotavirus is a major cause of severe gastroenteritis in children <5 years of age worldwide, and two, live attenuated rotavirus vaccines are globally available. As rotavirus vaccines are introduced into national immunization programs, there is an increasing need to monitor circulating wild-type strains. However, few studies have systematically examined their full genotype constellation. This study was therefore undertaken to characterize the whole genotype constellation of circulating rotavirus strains in three widely-separated locations in Japan during the 2012 rotavirus season when rotavirus vaccines became available in the country for the first time. Of 107 rotavirus-positive specimens, 50 (46.7%) strains collected from all three locations possessed an unusual G1-P[8]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N2-T2-E2-H2 constellation in which a typical G2P[4] strain appeared to have acquired its two surface protein genes from the most common G1P[8] strain. These G1P[8] double-reassortant strains were shown to possess the 11 genome segments virtually indistinguishable from each other in their nucleotide sequences and phylogenetic lineages except for two strains that underwent further intra-genotype reassortment. Successful spread to and predominance in broad locations across Japan of novel rotavirus strains possessing a genotype constellation that was previously thought not to be preferred suggests unexpected genomic flexibility of the genotype constellation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology 2, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Molecular Epidemiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Toyoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagomi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Konan Kosei Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Yuri Kumiai General Hospital, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Sinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Nantan General Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Molecular Epidemiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yen Hai
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Doan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Akita University, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Konan Kosei Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology 2, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Molecular Epidemiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan. Electronic address: onakagom@nagasaki-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nakagomi
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016865:Reassortant Viruses; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Evolution; Genotype constellation; Reassortment; Rotavirus