Simultaneous persistence of multiple genome variants of human parvovirus B19

• Published in: Journal of general virology Vol. 89; no. 1; pp. 164 - 176
• Main Authors: Schneider, Beate, Hone, Andrea, Tolba, Rene H, Fischer, Hans-Peter, Blumel, Johannes, Eis-Hubinger, Anna M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.01.2008; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Antibodies, Viral - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Cloning, Molecular; DNA, Viral - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Variation; Genome, Viral; Genotype; Hepatectomy; Human parvovirus B19; Humans; Liver - virology; Liver Transplantation; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Molecular Sequence Data; Parvovirus B19, Human - classification; Parvovirus B19, Human - genetics; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Tissue Donors; Virology; Virus; Human; Microbiology; Parvoviridae; Erythrovirus; Genome; Virus B19; Parvovirinae
• DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.83053-0
• ISSN: 0022-1317

1 Institute of Virology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany 2 Department of Surgery, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany 3 Institute of Pathology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany 4 Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, D-63225 Langen, Germany Correspondence Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger Anna-Maria.Eis-Huebinger{at}ukb.uni-bonn.de The species human parvovirus B19 (B19V) can be divided into three genotypes. In this study, we addressed the question as to whether infection of an individual is restricted to one genotype. As viral DNA is detectable in tissue for long times after acute infection, we examined 87 liver specimens from adults for the presence of B19V DNA. Fifty-nine samples were found to be positive, 32 of them for genotype 1, 27 for genotype 2 and four for genotype 3. In four samples, DNA of two genotypes was detected; samples from three individuals were positive for genotypes 1 and 2 and a sample from one individual was positive for genotypes 1 and 3. Surprisingly, significant sequence heterogeneity was observed at approximately 1 % of the nucleotides of the genotype 1 genomes from individuals with double genotype 1 and 2 infection. Controls using different enzymes for genome amplification and dilutions of the template verified that nucleotide heterogeneity was due to the presence of three or more genome variants of genotype 1. In summary, the evidence shows that individuals can be infected with two different genotypes, and B19V DNA can persist as a population of different genomes. The results may have implications for the understanding of the antiviral immune response and the development of vaccines against B19V. The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the sequences 30.1, 58, 59, 60 and 30.3, and 31.2, 32.2 and 33.2 are DQ408301–DQ408305 and DQ333426–DQ333428, respectively. The accession numbers for the genotype 1 sequences 1–10 and 12–29 as well as for the genotype 2 sequences 34–57 read as follows: EU144308–EU144317, EU144318–EU144335 and EU144336–EU144359, respectively. Supplementary tables are available with the online version of this paper.