Detection of a Human Rotavirus with G12 and P[9] Specificity in Thailand

Abstract

G12 rotavirus has not been detected anywhere in the world since the first detection of a human strain, L26 (G12, P1B[4]), in the Philippines in 1990. In this study, we isolated a human rotavirus (strain T152) with a VP7 of G12 specificity from the stool of an 11-month-old diarrheic patient in Thailand. The strain T152 exhibited a long RNA pattern and subgroup I specificity. In the comparison of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the VP7 gene of strain T152 with those of rotaviruses with different G type specificities, strain T152 showed the highest identity, 90.9 and 93.9%, respectively, to G12 prototype strain L26. In contrast, the VP4 gene of strain T152 showed the highest identity with P[9] specificity of human strains K8 and AU-1 and feline strains Cat2 and FRV-1, with homologies of 89.3 to 90.6% at the nucleotide level and 93.9 to 95.6% at the amino acid level. Thus, strain T152 was found to be a natural reassortant strain with G12 and P[9] specificities.Rotavirus is the major cause of acute gastroenteritis in infants of animals and humans. In developing countries, rotavirus infection results in high mortality, and an annual death rate of 800,000 persons has been estimated (6). Furthermore, in developed countries, rotavirus infection is a cause of high morbidity. However, to date no vaccine has been successful. Rotavirus VP7 and VP4 have independent serotype specificities of the G serotype and P serotype, respectively. A total of 14 G serotypes have been reported. Among them, 10 G serotypes have been detected in humans. G1 to G4 are the major G serotypes, and G5, G6, G8 to G10, and G12 are minor or unusual ones (2, 6). In contrast, 21 P genotypes have been recognized, and at least 10 P genotypes have been detected in humans. Recently, a number of strains with an unusual G or P type and a rare combination of G and P types have been detected in human rotaviruses worldwide (1, 3, 10-12, 16, 17, 25-27).G12 was first detected in stool specimens collected from diarrheic children under 2 years of age between December 1987 and February 1988 in the Philippines (20, 27). In 40 rotavirus-positive stool specimens, 20 samples showed subgroup I and long RNA profile (7). Four samples were adapted to cell culture, and at least two (L26 and L27) of them were found to have G12 and P1B[4] specificities by serological and sequence analyses of their VP4 and VP7 (20,27). Since then, however, no further report on the detection of G12 in humans or animals has been presented, although extensive surveys on the G serotype distribution worldwide have been conducted. In this study, we isolated a human rotavirus with G12 and P[9] specificities in Thailand. MATERIALS AND METHODSStool specimens. A total of 405 stool specimens were collected from diarrheic children in a hospital of the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Thailand, between 1998 and 1999. An approximately 10% (wt/vol) stool suspension was prepared in phosphate-buffered saline. For virus isolation in MA-104 cells in roller tube culture, each stool extr...

Molecular characterization of VP4, VP6, VP7, NSP4, and NSP5/6 genes identifies an unusual G3P[10] human rotavirus strain

“…Compared to the other NSP5/6 sequences deposited in the GenBank database, the CMH079/05 showed the highest degree of sequence identity with human rotavirus strain T152, which was isolated previously in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1998 [Pongsuwanna et al, 2002]. Phylogenetic analysis of the NSP5/6 gene also revealed that the CMH079/05 strain clustered in an exclusive branch with the T152 rotavirus strain (Fig.…”

“…Additionally, the detections of multiple combinations of G3 with several P genotypes such as G3P[3] [Khamrin et al, 2006a], G3P[9] [Khamrin et al, 2007b], G3P[10] (in the present study), and G3P[19] [Maneekarn et al, 2006] in the same geographical area (Chiang Mai City) suggests that reassortment events among rotaviruses circulating in that area are taken place frequently. Furthermore, analysis of the NSP5/6 sequence of CMH079/05 revealed that it was most closely related with that of T152, a G12P[9] human rotavirus strain isolated in 1998 from an 11-month-old child admitted to hospital in Bangkok, Thailand [Pongsuwanna et al, 2002].…”

The detection and molecular characterization of human G12 genotypes in South Africa

“…Serotype G12 strains were first detected in children in Philippines between December 1987 and February 1988 Urasawa et al, 1990]. Sporadic detection of G12 strains followed in 1998-1999 in Washington, USA [Griffin et al, 2002], between 1998 and 1999 in Thailand [Pongsuwanna et al, 2002] and in 1999 in Argentina [Castello et al, 2006]. In Bangladesh and India, G12 strains were first detected sporadically in 2000 and 2001, respectively [Das et al, 2003;Rahman et al, 2007].…”

“…G12 strains subsequently detected revealed a multitude of genome organizations including a long electropherotype and P[9] specificity [Pongsuwanna et al, 2002], a short electropherotype and P[6] specificity [Griffin et al, 2002] and long electropherotypes and P[6] specificity [Das et al, 2003]. G12 strains have also been recently detected with P[8] specificity and appear to reassort frequently [Banerjee et al, 2007], mimicking the ''promiscuous'' nature of G9 strains during their global emergence.…”

Modification of rotavirus multiplex RT‐PCR for the detection of G12 strains based on characterization of emerging G12 rotavirus strains from South India

“…Since 2000, G12 HRV strains have been reported in Japan, Thailand, USA, India, Bangladesh (accession number DQ482723), and Argentina [Griffin et al, 2002;Pongsuwanna et al, 2002;Das et al, 2003;Shinozaki et al, 2004;Castello et al, 2006;Samajdar et al, 2006]. Two of the most recent reports have come from surveillance studies conducted in Argentina and eastern India, where G12 HRV strain was found in 6.7% and 17.1% of samples, respectively, suggesting that this is an emerging rotavirus strain [Castello et al, 2006;Samajdar et al, 2006].…”