Identification and characterization of a novel rodent bocavirus from different rodent species in China

Abstract

Members in the genus Bocaparvovirus are closely related to human health and have a wide host range. The diverse hosts raise the possibility of crossing species barrier, which is a feature of emerging viruses. Among the mammalian hosts, rodents are generally acknowledged to be important reservoirs of emerging viruses. Here, rodent samples collected from six provinces and autonomous regions of China (Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Xinjiang, Guangxi and Yunnan) were used to investigate the prevalence and distribution of bocaparvoviruses. By using next-generation sequencing first, a partial non-structural protein 1 (NS1) gene belonging to a possible novel bocaparvovirus was discovered. Following this, PCR-based screening of NS1 gene was conducted in 485 rodent samples, with 106 positive results found in seven rodent species (Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, Apodemus agrarius, Cricetulus barabensis, Rattus flavipectus, Rattus rattus and Rhombomys opimus). Finally, six nearly full-length genomes and three complete CDS were obtained and the newly identified bocaparvovirus was tentatively named rodent bocavirus (RoBoV). RoBoV has three ORFs: NS1, NP1, and VP, which are characteristics of bocaparvoviruses. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that porcine bocavirus isolate PBoV-KU14, a member of Ungulate bocaparvovirus 4, was the most related virus to RoBoV, with 92.1–92.9% amino acid identities in NS1 protein. Alignments of RoBoV-related sequences showed RoBoV isolates could be classified into two clades, demonstrating an inter-host genetic diversity. The results indicate a potential interspecies transmission of RoBoV between rodents and swine and expand our knowledge on bocaparvoviruses in rodent populations.

Feline bocavirus-1 associated with outbreaks of hemorrhagic enteritis in household cats: potential first evidence of a pathological role, viral tropism and natural genetic recombination

“…The BoV genome possesses three main open reading frames, ORF1-3, encoding the non-structural protein NS1, capsid protein VP1/2 and nuclear phosphoprotein NP1, respectively 1 . The BoVs have emerged and caused diseases in various animals and humans, including canine BoVs (CBoVs), porcine BoVs (PBoV), bovine parvovirus, gorilla BoV, California sea lion BoV, rodent BoV, feline BoVs (FBoVs) and human BoVs (HBoVs), and so suggests a potentially wide host range of BoVs 1–3 . Many researches have indicated the association of BoVs with various clinical symptoms.…”

Porcine Bocavirus: A 10-Year History since Its Discovery

“…The bocavirus isolated from bats were closely related to porcine bocavirus (NC_024453.2, NC_016032.1, HQ223038.1, HQ291308.1) (Lau et al 2017 ). Similarly, the bocavirus isolated from rodents species were related with porcine bocavirus isolate PBoV-KU14 with 92.1%–92.9% amino acid identities in NS1 protein (Zhang C et al 2018 ). Therefore these studies clearly reflects that interspecies transmission must have occurred from minks, bats, Himalayan marmonts and rodents to the porcine.…”

“…Bocaviruses (Bo: bovine; ca: canine) were first reported in the 1960s (Blomström et al 2009 ; Zhou et al 2014 ; Lanave et al 2015 ) with possible recombination between bovine parvovirus and canine minute virus (Allander et al 2005 ; Lau et al 2011 ). Bocavirus is an emerging pathogen and has been reported in canines (Bodewes et al 2014 ), bovines (Mitra et al 2016 ), humans (Allander et al 2005 ), pigs (Blomström et al 2009 ), gorillas (Nze-Nkogue et al 2017 ), chimpanzees (Brožová et al 2016 ), California sea lion (Li et al 2011 ), rabbits (Lanave et al 2015 ), Himalayan marmots (Ao et al 2017 ), camels (Woo et al 2017 ), wild boars (Cadar et al 2011 ), bats (Lau et al 2017 ), minks (Wang et al 2017 ), house shrews (Xiong et al 2018 ) and rodents (Lau et al 2016 ; Xiong et al 2018 ; Zhang C et al 2018 ).…”

Characterization of the GBoV1 Capsid and Its Antibody Interactions

“…The family is divided into three subfamilies, including the subfamily Parvovirinae whose members infect vertebrate hosts [ 1 ]. Bocaparvoviruses represents the largest genus in this subfamily, with 21 classified species that infect a variety of hosts, including cows, rabbits, rodents, humans and non-human primates [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Bovine parvovirus (BPV) is the first discovered member of the genus, isolated from cattle in 1959 [ 3 ].…”