title: Bluetongue virus serotype 27: detection and characterization of two novel variants in Corsica, France.
abstract: During the compulsory vaccination programme against bluetongue virus serotype 1 (BTV-1) in Corsica (France) in 2014, a BTV strain belonging to a previously uncharacterized serotype (BTV-27) was isolated from asymptomatic goats. The present study describes the detection and molecular characterization of two additional distinct BTV-27 variants found in goats in Corsica in 2014 and 2015. The full coding genome of these two novel BTV-27 variants show high homology (90-93 % nucleotide/93-95 % amino acid) with the originally described BTV-27 isolate from Corsican goats in 2014. These three variants constitute the novel serotype BTV-27 ('BTV-27/FRA2014/v01 to v03'). Phylogenetic analyses with the 26 other established BTV serotypes revealed the closest relationship to BTV-25 (SWI2008/01) (80 % nucleotide/86 % amino acid) and to BTV-26 (KUW2010/02) (73-74 % nucleotide/80-81 % amino acid). However, highest sequence homologies between individual segments of BTV-27/FRA2014/v01-v03 with BTV-25 and BTV-26 vary. All three variants share the same segment 2 nucleotype with BTV-25. Neutralization assays of anti-BTV27/FRA2014/v01-v03 sera with a reassortant virus containing the outer capsid proteins of BTV-25 (BTV1VP2/VP5 BTV25) further confirmed that BTV-27 represents a distinct BTV serotype. Relationships between the variants and with BTV-25 and BTV-26, hypotheses about their origin, reassortment events and evolution are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Est, ANSES, ENVA, INRA, UMR 1161 VIROLOGIE, Laboratoire de Santé Animale d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bréard
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Est, ANSES, ENVA, INRA, UMR 1161 VIROLOGIE, Laboratoire de Santé Animale d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sailleau
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jenckel
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Est, ANSES, ENVA, INRA, UMR 1161 VIROLOGIE, Laboratoire de Santé Animale d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Viarouge
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Est, ANSES, ENVA, INRA, UMR 1161 VIROLOGIE, Laboratoire de Santé Animale d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vitour
authors.affiliation: MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palmarini
authors.affiliation: Regional Federation of Corsican Animal Health Groups, FRGDSB20 Ajaccio, France.
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallois
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Höper
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Est, ANSES, ENVA, INRA, UMR 1161 VIROLOGIE, Laboratoire de Santé Animale d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Stéphan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zientara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D001819:Bluetongue / Q000821:virology*; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005602:France; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006041:Goats; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D065288:Serogroup
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral