title: Whole-genome sequence analysis of G3 and G14 equine group A rotaviruses isolated in the late 1990s and 2009-2010.
abstract: Equine group A rotavirus (RVA) G3P[12] and G14P[12] strains cause gastroenteritis in foals worldwide. Both of these strains have been co-circulating in Japan since G14P[12] strains emerged in the late 1990s. Although it is important to comprehensively understand the evolution of RVA strains, whole-genome sequence data on recent equine RVA strains in Japan are lacking. Therefore, in this study, whole-genome analysis of 23 equine RVA isolates from the late 1990s and 2009-2010 and the vaccine strain RVA/Horse-tc/JPN/HO-5/1982/G3P[12] (HO-5) was performed. The G3 strains, including strain HO-5, shared a G3-P[12]-I6-R2-C2-M3-A10-N2-T3-E2-H7 genotype constellation, and all of their 11 gene segments were highly conserved, regardless of the year of isolation. G14 strains also exhibited an identical genotype constellation (G14-P[12]-I2-R2-C2-M3-A10-N2-T3-E2-H7), but, phylogenetically, segregated into two lineages within the VP7-G14 and NSP4-E2 genotypes. G14 strains were closely related to G3 strains in their VP4, VP1-3, NSP1-3 and NSP5 gene segments. Interestingly, the NSP4 gene of all G3 and G14 strains isolated in the late 1990s branched into a bovine-RVA-like NSP4 gene cluster. These results indicate that, apart from VP7, VP6, and NSP4 genes, the Japanese equine RVA strains share a highly conserved genetic backbone, and that strains possessing a bovine-RVA-like NSP4 gene were predominant in the late 1990s in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Epizootic Research Center, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Shimotsuku, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsunemitsu
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Omatsu
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: Junsuke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Todaka
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizutani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D007564:Japan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral