Variations in genome fragments coding for RNA polymerase in human and simian hepatitis A viruses

Abstract

The genome of hepatitis A virus (HAV) isolated from spontaneously infected African vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aerhiops) has been cloned and partially sequenced. Comparison of genome fragments (1248 and 162 bp) from the 3D (RNA polymerase) region with the corresponding parts of human HAV genomes revealed a high degree of heterogeneity: there were altogether 257 nucleotide changes leading to 44 substitutions in predicted amino acid sequence, i.e. 89% amino acid identity. This divergence is considered to be significantly greater than genomic variations usually found among human HAV strains, where amino acid identity in the 3D region is over 98%.

Antibodies against hepatitis E virus in old world monkeys

“…Genomic sequence analysis of simian hepatitis A virus strains isolated from naturally infected owl [12], cynomolgus [13] or African green monkey [14] revealed that these strains differ greatly from human HAV as well as between each other. In the present study we have provided evidence for natural infection of rhesus monkeys with HEV.…”

Viral hepatitis and primates: historical and molecular analysis of human and nonhuman primate hepatitis A, B, and the GB‐related viruses

“…Sequencing of the virus from Asian and African monkeys revealed that these viruses were genetically distinct from known human HAV strains (Fig. 1) [30–32]. In addition, these studies confirmed that amino acid changes within the immunodominant neutralization epitope [33–35] were responsible for the altered antigenicity and host range.…”

Cocirculation of and coinfections with hepatitis A virus subgenotypes IIIA and IB in patients from Pune, western India

“…Variability in 3D polymerase region has been described for human HAV strains; 12–14 human and simian HAVs, 15 and more recently among human HAV genotypes 16 . With the availability of nucleotide sequences of Nor21 strain, representing subgenotype IIIA from GenBank in November 2002, 3D polymerase region of HAV IIIA strains examined in this study was identified.…”

“…The dendrogram based on the alignment of RNA polymerase region (116 bp) of 31 specimens and other strains of HAV is shown in Figure 2. Comparison of cluster 1 strains (15) in the equivalent genomic region of HM175 and other strains of IB showed PNI 98.8 ± 0.88 and 99.4 ± 0.3, respectively. PNI within the strains of cluster 1 is 99.4 ± 0.3.…”

“…Variability in 3D polymerase region has been described for human HAV strains; [12][13][14] human and simian HAVs, 15 and more recently among human HAV genotypes. 16 116 bp fragment from RNA polymerase region, despite their placement in genotype IIIA ( Table 2).…”