TY - JOUR
T1 - Partial sequencing of recent Portuguese myxoma virus field isolates exhibits a high degree of genetic stability
AU - Muller, A.
AU - Silva, E.
AU - Abrantes, J.
AU - Esteves, P. J.
AU - Ferreira, P. G.
AU - Carvalheira, J. C.
AU - Nowotny, N.
AU - Thompson, G.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology Portugal: Project POCTI/BIA-BDE/61553/2004 and grants SFRH/BD/31093/2006, SFRH/BD/31048/2006, SFRH/BPD/27021/2006 to A.M., J.A. and P.J.E., respectively. Our thanks go to IDT Biologika GmbH, Dessau, Germany, in particular to Dr. Neubert for the permission to use the vaccine strain “MAV” and for supplying information on its origin, and to the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Tiergesundheit, Insel Riems, Germany, in particular to Dr. Dauber and Dr. Riebe, for supplying the RK-13 cells and the above-mentioned myxoma vaccine strain. Our thanks also go to Dr. S. Bertagnoli, École Nationale Veterinaire, Toulouse, France, for the primers and protocol for amplifying the thymidine kinase gene of myxoma virus. We also thank the National Laboratory for Veterinary Investigation (LNIV, Delegação do Norte) for infrastructural support.
PY - 2010/1/6
Y1 - 2010/1/6
N2 - To study genetic changes underlying myxoma virus evolution in its new host, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), we sequenced selected genomic regions of nine recent virulent field strains and a live attenuated vaccine strain ("MAV", Germany). DNA was extracted from cell culture passaged myxoma virus. A total of 4863 bp (approximately 3% of the genome) of 10 regions spanning 12 genes of the myxoma viruses was sequenced and compared to the original virulent strain "Lausanne" and its attenuated field derivative strain "6918". The field strains displayed a maximum of three (strains C43, C95) and a minimum of one (strains CD01, CD05) nucleotide substitutions. These were distributed through all analysed coding regions, except gene M022L (major envelope protein), where all strains were identical to "Lausanne" and "6918". Two new single nucleotide insertions were observed in some of the field strains: within the intergenic region M014L/M015L and within gene M009L, where it leads to a frameshift. These insertions were located after homopolymeric regions. The vaccine strain displayed 37 nucleotide substitutions, predominantly (95%) located in genes M022L and M036L. Interestingly, regions M009L and M014L/M015L of the vaccine were not amplified successfully, suggesting major genomic changes that could account for its attenuated phenotype. Our results support a high degree of genetic stability of myxoma virus over the past five decades. None of the analysed genome regions by its own seems sufficient for the genetic characterisation of field strains.
AB - To study genetic changes underlying myxoma virus evolution in its new host, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), we sequenced selected genomic regions of nine recent virulent field strains and a live attenuated vaccine strain ("MAV", Germany). DNA was extracted from cell culture passaged myxoma virus. A total of 4863 bp (approximately 3% of the genome) of 10 regions spanning 12 genes of the myxoma viruses was sequenced and compared to the original virulent strain "Lausanne" and its attenuated field derivative strain "6918". The field strains displayed a maximum of three (strains C43, C95) and a minimum of one (strains CD01, CD05) nucleotide substitutions. These were distributed through all analysed coding regions, except gene M022L (major envelope protein), where all strains were identical to "Lausanne" and "6918". Two new single nucleotide insertions were observed in some of the field strains: within the intergenic region M014L/M015L and within gene M009L, where it leads to a frameshift. These insertions were located after homopolymeric regions. The vaccine strain displayed 37 nucleotide substitutions, predominantly (95%) located in genes M022L and M036L. Interestingly, regions M009L and M014L/M015L of the vaccine were not amplified successfully, suggesting major genomic changes that could account for its attenuated phenotype. Our results support a high degree of genetic stability of myxoma virus over the past five decades. None of the analysed genome regions by its own seems sufficient for the genetic characterisation of field strains.
KW - Co-evolution
KW - European rabbit
KW - Field strains
KW - Myxoma virus
KW - Sequence analysis
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U2 - 10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.07.028
DO - 10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.07.028
M3 - Article
C2 - 19709821
AN - SCOPUS:71549122561
SN - 0378-1135
VL - 140
SP - 161
EP - 166
JO - Veterinary Microbiology
JF - Veterinary Microbiology
IS - 1-2
ER -
