Genetic variability of the M genome segment of clinical and environmental Toscana virus strains

Twenty-seven strains of Toscana virus, collected over a period of 23 years and isolated from several localities and from different hosts (humans, arthropods and a bat), were investigated by sequencing of a portion of the M genomic segment comprising the G(N) glycoprotein coding region. Sequence data indicated that the divergence among isolates ranged from 0 to 5.7 % at the nucleotide level and from 0 to 3.4 % at the amino acid level. Phylogenetic analysis revealed four main clusters. A close correspondence between viral strains and area/year of isolation could not be demonstrated, whilst co-circulation of different viral strains in the same area and in the same time period was observed for both patients and environmental viral isolates. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences and evolutionary analysis indicated that most of the sites along the gene may be invariable because of purifying and/or neutral selection.