Genetic analysis of dog rabies viruses circulating in Bangkok

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 235 - 240
• Main Authors: Khawplod, Pakamatz, Shoji, Yoko, Ubol, Sukathida, Mitmoonpitak, Channarong, Wilde, Henry, Nishizono, Akira, Kurane, Ichiro, Morimoto, Kinjiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.05.2006
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Amino Acid Substitution; Animals; Base Sequence; Cloning, Molecular; Dog Diseases - epidemiology; Dog Diseases - virology; Dogs; Genetic Variation; Glycoprotein gene; Glycoproteins - chemistry; Glycoproteins - genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Quasispecies; Rabies - epidemiology; Rabies - veterinary; Rabies - virology; Rabies virus; Rabies virus - chemistry; Rabies virus - genetics; Rabies virus - isolation & purification; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; RNA, Viral - genetics; RNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Thai dog rabies; Thailand - epidemiology; Thailand; Quasispecies; Glycoprotein gene; Rabies virus; Thai dog rabies
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2005.06.002

The genetic diversity of the rabies virus glycoprotein (G) gene isolated from individual rabid dogs (inter-hosts) and within a single infected dog (intra-host) has been analyzed in an effort to better understand selective pressures and population shifts among rabies viruses circulating in Bangkok. Comparison of individual master sequences among inter-hosts revealed that the dog virus isolates circulating in Bangkok were phylogenetically closely related. The ectodomain of the glycoprotein was highly conserved among the virus isolates. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of the G gene within an intra-host was assessed by comparing the cloned sequences in the virus population. The comparisons revealed that rabies virus circulating in an intra-host consisted of closely related heterogenous populations with minor substitutions at nucleotide (0.19%) and amino acid levels.