Molecular Characterization of Novel G5 Bovine Rotavirus Strains

Abstract

Group A rotaviruses are a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children as well as many domestic animals. The rotavirus genome is composed of 11 segments of double-stranded RNA and can undergo genetic reassortment during mixed infections, leading to progeny viruses with novel or atypical phenotypes. The aim of this study was to determine if the bovine group A rotavirus strains KJ44 and KJ75, isolated from clinically infected calves, share genetic features with viruses obtained from heterologous species. All 11 genes sequences of the KJ44 and KJ75 strains were sequenced and analyzed. The KJ44 VP4 had 91.7% to 96.3% deduced amino acid identity to the bovine related P[1] strain, whereas the KJ75 strain was most closely related to the bovine related P[5] strain (91.9% to 96.9% amino acid identity). Both KJ44 and KJ75 strains also contained the bovine related VP3 gene. The remaining 9 segments were closely related to porcine group A rotaviruses. The KJ44 and KJ75 strains showed high amino acid identity to the G5 rotaviruses, sharing 90.4% to 99.0% identity. In addition, these strains belonged to the NSP4 genotype B, which is typical of porcine rotaviruses and subgroup I, with the closest relationship to the porcine JL-94 strain. These results strongly suggest that bovine rotavirus strains with the G5 genotype occur in nature as a novel G genotype in cattle as a result of a natural reassortment between bovine and porcine strains.Group A rotaviruses are a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children and in a wide variety of domestic animals (5, 22, 63). These viruses, belonging to the Reoviridae family, are nonenveloped, icosahedral particles consisting of 11 segments of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) enclosed in a triple-layered protein capsid (8). The two outer capsid proteins, VP7 and VP4, independently elicit neutralizing antibodies, which induce protective immunity and are used to classify the rotavirus strains into G (for glycoprotein) and P (for protease sensitive) sero-or genotypes (8). The inner capsid protein, VP6, bears subgroup (SG) specificities that allow the classification of group A rotaviruses into SGI, SGII, both SGI and SGII, or neither SG based on reactivity with the SGspecific monoclonal antibodies (8).The serotypic and genotypic characterization of rotavirus strains is important for determining the extent of the diversity in circulating strains. In extensive serological and genomic studies, 15 G serotypes and 26 P genotypes have been established for rotaviruses of humans and animals thus far (17,27,39,40,42,44,52,53). The most common rotavirus G serotypes found in humans are G1, G2, G3, and G9. Although it was originally believed that animal rotaviruses did not infect humans under natural conditions (34), the intensification of rotavirus surveillance, together with the development of better characterization methods for typing previously nontypeable strains, has resulted in the detection of animal-like rotavirus strains such as porcine-like G5 and bovine-like G6, G8, and G10 in huma...

Full genomic analysis of a porcine–bovine reassortant G4P[6] rotavirus strain R479 isolated from an infant in China

“…The G5P[1] rotavirus strains KJ44 and KJ75 which were isolated from calves with diarrhea in South Korea have VP3 and VP4 genes of bovine origin in the genetic background of porcine rotaviruses [Park et al, 2006]. The G3P [7] rotavirus strain PP-1 was isolated from calves with diarrhea in UK.…”

Whole genome characterization of new bovine rotavirus G21P[29] and G24P[33] strains provides evidence for interspecies transmission

“…Among bovine rotaviruses, three G genotypes (G6, G8 and G10) and three P genotypes (P[1], P[5] and P [11]) are the most common (Estes & Kapikian, 2007). Bovine rotavirus strains with additional unusual G genotypes (G1, G2, G3, G5, G15 and G18) and P genotypes (P[3], P[14] and P[17]) have also been described (Blackhall et al, 1992;El-Attar et al, 2002;Estes & Kapikian, 2007;Fukai et al, 2004;Ghosh et al, 2007;Hussein et al, 1993;Isegawa et al, 1994;Martella et al, 2010;Park et al, 2006;Rao et al, 2000). However, the relationships among most of these unusual strains including G21P [29] genotypes and other rotavirus strains are unclear because information on the genetic background of these unusual strains is limited.…”

“…, 2002; Estes & Kapikian, 2007; Fukai et al, 2004; Ghosh et al, 2007;Hussein et al, 1993; Isegawa et al, 1994;Martella et al, 2010;Park et al, 2006;Rao et al, 2000). However, the relationships among most of these unusual strains including G21P [29] genotypes and other rotavirus strains are unclear because information on the genetic background of these unusual strains is limited.…”

Detection of rare reassortant G5P[6] rotavirus, Bulgaria

“…While G5 genotype is typical for pigs (Midgley et al, 2011), it has been occasionally reported in children with acute gastroenteritis from South America (Leite et al, 1996;Bok et al, 2001;Coluchi et al, 2002), Africa (Esona et al, 2004) and parts of Asia (Ahmed et al, 2007), and has also been found in cattle (Park et al, 2006;Ha et al, 2009). No previous reports have described the occurrence of human G5 RVA in Europe.…”