Characterization of a new Vaccinia virus isolate reveals the C23L gene as a putative genetic marker for autochthonous Group 1 Brazilian Vaccinia virus

PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e50413. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050413. Epub 2012 Nov 26.

Abstract

Since 1999, several Vaccinia virus (VACV) isolates, the etiological agents of bovine vaccinia (BV), have been frequently isolated and characterized with various biological and molecular methods. The results from these approaches have grouped these VACV isolates into two different clusters. This dichotomy has elicited debates surrounding the origin of the Brazilian VACV and its epidemiological significance. To ascertain vital information to settle these debates, we and other research groups have made efforts to identify molecular markers to discriminate VACV from other viruses of the genus Orthopoxvirus (OPV) and other VACV-BR groups. In this way, some genes have been identified as useful markers to discriminate between the VACV-BR groups. However, new markers are needed to infer ancestry and to correlate each sample or group with its unique epidemiological and biological features. The aims of this work were to characterize a new VACV isolate (VACV DMTV-2005) molecularly and biologically using conserved and non-conserved gene analyses for phylogenetic inference and to search for new genes that would elucidate the VACV-BR dichotomy. The VACV DMTV-2005 isolate reported in this study is biologically and phylogenetically clustered with other strains of Group 1 VACV-BR, the most prevalent VACV group that was isolated during the bovine vaccinia outbreaks in Brazil. Sequence analysis of C23L, the gene that encodes for the CC-chemokine-binding protein, revealed a ten-nucleotide deletion, which is a new Group 1 Brazilian VACV genetic marker. This deletion in the C23L open reading frame produces a premature stop-codon that is shared by all Group 1 VACV-BR strains and may also reflect the VACV-BR dichotomy; the deletion can also be considered to be a putative genetic marker for non-virulent Brazilian VACV isolates and may be used for the detection and molecular characterization of new isolates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Cattle
  • Cell Line
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Genes, Viral*
  • Genetic Markers
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Open Reading Frames
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Vaccinia / epidemiology
  • Vaccinia / virology
  • Vaccinia virus / classification*
  • Vaccinia virus / genetics*
  • Vaccinia virus / isolation & purification
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Genetic Markers

Associated data

  • GENBANK/JX678770
  • GENBANK/JX678771
  • GENBANK/JX678772
  • GENBANK/JX678773
  • GENBANK/JX678774
  • GENBANK/JX678775
  • GENBANK/JX678776
  • GENBANK/JX678777
  • GENBANK/JX678778
  • GENBANK/JX678779
  • GENBANK/JX678780
  • GENBANK/JX678781
  • GENBANK/JX678782

Grants and funding

Financial support was provided by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais(FAPEMIG) and Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA) and Pro-Reitoria de Pesquisa (PRPq-UFMG). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.