Journal List > J Bacteriol Virol > v.41(4) > 1034012

Kim and Park: Genetic Characterization of Norovirus GII.3 Circulating in Korea

Abstract

Noroviruses (NoV) are the major viral pathogen that causes epidemic acute gastroenteritis and outbreaks of food-borne illness. The major genotypes responsible for the epidemics of NoV are GII.4 and GII.3. However, most studies of NoV have been associated with GII.4 genotype and only few studies have been done with GII.3 genotype. Here, we selected 18 GII.3 strains, which recently circulated in Korea, and determined the partial sequences of the capsid gene. Phylogenetic analysis comparing these sequences with 29 reference strains from the GenBank database was performed using the MEGA program. All NoV GII.3 strains formed 2 distinct genetic lineages and variant groups. Lineage A showed 94.1∼97.6%, 90.2∼94.6% nucleotide identities from lineage B and variant group, respectively. Lineage B showed 90.2∼94.6% nucleotide identities from variant group. These different genetic lineages based on the phylogenetic analysis of capsid sequences imply that the circulating Korean NoV GII.3 strains have potential antigenic variation.

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Figure 1.
Gel electrophoresis of PCR products of capsid region of 18 norovirus GII.3 isolates from patients with gastroenteritis; Lane M, 100 bp DNA ladder; Lane 1∼18, 18 norovirus GII.3 isolates; Lane 19, negative control; Lane 20, positive control.
jbv-41-287f1.tif
Figure 2.
Phylogenetic analysis based on a 205 bp sequence of the capsid region of Korean norovirus GII.3 strains and reference strains. Nucleotide sequences were analyzed using the neighbor-joining method.
jbv-41-287f2.tif
Figure 3.
Phylogenetic analysis of the capsid region of norovirus GII.3 lineages and Korea GII.4.
jbv-41-287f3.tif
Figure 4.
Comparison of norovirus GII.3 amino acid sequences and Korea GII.4 consensus sequence in the capsid region. The box is conserved mutation site.
jbv-41-287f4.tif
Table 1.
Norovirus GII.3 strains isolated from patients' stool with acute gastroenteritis
Isolate Gender Age Year Month Accession no.
Kor08 (01-002) F 5 yr 2008 Jan JN704616
Kor08 (01-057) F 2 yr 2008 Jan JN704617
Kor08 (01-059) M under 1yr 2008 Jan JN704618
Kor08 (03-069) F 15 yr 2008 Mar JN704619
Kor08 (04-019) M 2 yr 2008 Apr JN704620
Kor08 (04-034) F 3 yr 2008 Apr JN704621
Kor08 (05-060) M 1 yr 2008 May JN704622
Kor08 (11-118) F 1 yr 2008 Nov JN704623
Kor08 (12-011) F 3 yr 2008 Dec JN704624
Kor08 (12-065) M 1 yr 2008 Dec JN704625
Kor08 (12-066) F under 1yr 2008 Dec JN704626
Kor08 (12-117) M 1 yr 2008 Dec JN704627
Kor08 (12-177) M under 1yr 2008 Dec JN704628
Kor09 (03-053) F 1 yr 2009 Mar JN704629
Kor09 (06-025) F 38 yr 2009 Jun JN704630
Kor09 (08-074) M 5 yr 2009 Aug JN704631
Kor09 (09-117) M 1 yr 2009 Sep JN704632
Kor10 (06-060) M 1 yr 2010 Jun JN704633
Table 2.
Identities of nucleotide and amino acid of capsid region between the lineages and variant group
Lineage B Variants
Lineage A Nucleotide 94.1∼97.6 90.2∼94.6
Amino acid 94.1∼100 95.6∼100
Lineage B Nucleotide 91.7∼94.1
Amino acid 94.1∼100
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