Premium
Characterization of hepatitis E virus (HEV) from Algeria and Chad by partial genome sequence
Author(s) -
van CuyckGandré Hélène,
Zhang Hua Y.,
Tsarev Sergei A.,
Clements Norma J.,
Cohen Stuart J.,
Caudill Jeffrey D.,
Buisson Yves,
Coursaget Pierre,
Warren Richard L.,
Longer Charles F.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199712)53:4<340::aid-jmv5>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - virology , biology , hepatitis e virus , phylogenetic tree , homology (biology) , nucleic acid , nucleic acid sequence , outbreak , genome , virus , polymerase chain reaction , peptide sequence , sequence analysis , genetics , amino acid , genotype , gene
The purpose of this study was to analyze partial nucleotide sequences and derived peptide sequences of hepatitis E virus (HEV) from two outbreaks of hepatitis E in Africa (Chad 1983–1984; Algeria 1978–1980). A portion of ORF3 and the major portion of ORF2 were amplified by Reverse Transcriptase‐Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT‐PCR). The PCR products were sequenced directly or after cloning into the pCRII vector. Sequences were then compared to the corresponding regions of reported full length HEV sequences. In the ORF2 and ORF3 regions, the homology between the Algerian and the Chad isolates at the nucleic acid level was 92 and 95%, respectively. At the peptide level the homology was 98% in both regions. In these regions, both strains are more related to Asian strains at the nucleic acid level (89 to 95%) and at the amino acid level (95 to 100%) than to the Mexico strain. At the peptide level the differences are less apparent. Both African isolates have amino acid changes in common with some reference strains although the Chad isolate has three unique changes. These African strains of HEV, based on the ORF2 and ORF3 phylogenetic trees, appear to be a distinct phylogenetic group, separate from the Mexican and Asian strains. J. Med. Virol. 53:340–347, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.