Molecular Epidemiology of B3 and D8 Measles Viruses through Hemagglutinin Phylogenetic History

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 21; no. 12; p. 4435
• Main Authors: Bianchi, Silvia, Canuti, Marta, Ciceri, Giulia, Gori, Maria, Colzani, Daniela, Dura, Marco, Pennati, Beatrice Marina, Baggieri, Melissa, Magurano, Fabio, Tanzi, Elisabetta, Amendola, Antonella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.06.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acids; Antibodies; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Health surveillance; Hemagglutinins - genetics; Hemagglutinins - immunology; Humans; Investigations; Italy - epidemiology; Measles; Measles - epidemiology; Measles - prevention & control; Measles - virology; Measles virus - classification; Measles virus - genetics; Measles virus - immunology; Molecular Epidemiology; Mutation; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Proteins; Public health; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology; Vaccines; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Vaccines - administration & dosage; Viruses; Italy; United Kingdom > UK; Asia; United States > US; Europe; measles surveillance strategies; genotype B3; genotype D8; hemagglutinin; immunodominant epitopes; H gene; measles virus
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124435

Of the 24 known measles genotypes, only D8 and B3 are responsible for outbreaks in the last years in Europe, Asia, and America. In this study the H gene of 92 strains circulating between 2015 and 2019 in Lombardy, Northern Italy, and 1273 H sequences available in GenBank were analyzed in order to evaluate the genetic variability and to assess the conservation of the immunodominant sites. Overall, in Lombardy we observed the presence of four different B3 and three different D8 clusters, each one of them including sequences derived from viruses found in both vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects. Worldwide, the residue 400 within the H protein, a position located within the main immune epitope, is mutated in all circulating strains that belong to the two globally endemic genotypes, B3 and D8. Our data demonstrate the usefulness of measles virus (MV) H gene sequencing. Indeed, the monitoring the H protein epitopes of circulating strains could be included in the measles laboratory surveillance activities in order to improve and optimize strategies for measles control, as countries go towards elimination phase.