Coding strategy of the S and M genomic segments of a hantavirus representing a new subtype of the Puumala serotype

Abstract

The hantavirus strain Vranica was previously reported to have been isolated from a bank vole in Bosnia-Hercegovina and associated with the occurrence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HRFS) in humans. The complete cDNA nucleotide sequences of the small (S) and medium (M) genomic RNA segments of this virus were determined. Major open reading frames were found in the S and M segment between nucleotide positions 43 and 1341 coding for a polypeptide of 433 amino acid residues and between nucleotide positions 41 and 3,484 coding for 1,148 amino acid residues, respectively. The analysis and the alignment of the nucleotide and the derived amino acid sequences with known sequences of other hantavirus strains demonstrate that Vranica resembles Swedish strains and represents a new virus subtype of the Puumala serotype distinct from the subtypes represented by virus strains CG18-20 and Sotkamo.

Distribution and genetic heterogeneity of Puumala virus in Sweden

“…The branching pattern of the two trees indicates that the differences between the northern and southern virus lineages have not evolved from interchange of gene segments, as shown for SN virus (Li et aI., 1995), but rather indicates different evolutionary origins. The strain Vranica was found to branch closely to the northern Swedish strains, confirming that the previously reported uncertainty regarding its origin from former Yugoslavia (Reip et al, 1995) is well-grounded.…”

Development of Novel Immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM Enzyme Immunoassays Based on Recombinant Puumala and Dobrava Hantavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins

“…Viral gene sequences. Expression plasmids contained N-coding sequences of one of the following hantavirus strains: DOBV-Aa, strain East Slovakia-862-Aa (48); HTNV, strain Fojnica (47); PUUV, strain Vranica/Hällnäs (38) or strain Sotkamo (51).…”

Extensive Host Sharing of Central European Tula Virus

“…To detect hantavirus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, rodent transudates were screened by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and Western blot (WB) tests based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae-expressed His-tagged N proteins of PUUV strain Vranica/Hällnäs (9,50) and TULV strain Moravia (44; M. Mertens, R. Petraityte, K. Sasnauskas, R. Friedrich, and R. G. Ulrich, unpublished data). Assays were performed as described previously (11).…”