Revalidation and genetic characterization of new members of Group C (Orthobunyavirus genus, Peribunyaviridae family) isolated in the Americas

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 5; p. e0197294
• Main Authors: Nunes, Márcio Roberto Teixeira, de Souza, William Marciel, Acrani, Gustavo Olszanski, Cardoso, Jedson Ferreira, da Silva, Sandro Patroca, Badra, Soraya Jabur, Figueiredo, Luiz Tadeu Moraes, Vasconcelos, Pedro Fernando da Costa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 24.05.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Amino acids; Animals; Biological evolution; Biology and Life Sciences; Brazil; Bunyaviridae; Cercopithecus aethiops; Computer and Information Sciences; Epidemiology; Evolution, Molecular; Genome, Viral; Genomes; Humans; Hygiene; Identification; Medical research; Medicine; Orthobunyavirus - genetics; Orthobunyavirus - isolation & purification; Pathogens; Peptides; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Proteins; Research and Analysis Methods; Vero Cells; Virology; Viruses; New Zealand; Brazil; Ecuador; United States > US; Peru
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197294

Group C serogroup includes members of the Orthobunyavirus genus (family Peribunyaviridae) and comprises 15 arboviruses that can be associated with febrile illness in humans. Although previous studies described the genome characterization of Group C orthobunyavirus, there is a gap in genomic information about the other viruses in this group. Therefore, in this study, complete genomes of members of Group C serogroup were sequenced or re-sequenced and used for genetic characterization, as well as to understand their phylogenetic and evolutionary aspects. Thus, our study reported the genomes of three new members in Group C virus (Apeu strain BeAn848, Itaqui strain BeAn12797 and Nepuyo strain BeAn10709), as well as re-sequencing of original strains of five members: Caraparu (strain BeAn3994), Madrid (strain BT4075), Murucutu (strain BeAn974), Oriboca (strain BeAn17), and Marituba (strain BeAn15). These viruses presented a typical genomic organization related to members of the Orthobunyavirus genus. Interestingly, all viruses of this serogroup showed an open reading frame (ORF) that encodes the putative nonstructural NSs protein that precedes the nucleoprotein ORF, an unprecedented fact in Group C virus. Also, we confirmed the presence of natural reassortment events. This study expands the genomic information of Group C viruses, as well as revalidates the genomic organization of viruses that were previously reported.