Identification and characterization of a natural inter-genotypic (2b/1b) recombinant hepatitis C virus in Japan.

Abstract

A hepatitis C virus (HCV) strain (HC10-0804) recovered from a 12-year-old Japanese female with chronic hepatitis C segregated into discordant genotypes, 2b and 1b, in the 5'UTR/core and NS5B regions, respectively, thus suggesting an inter-genotypic recombination. The HC10-0804 isolate had a genomic length of 9,423 nucleotides (nt), excluding the poly(U) tract at the 3' terminus, and encoded a single open reading frame (ORF) for a polyprotein of 3,014 amino acids (aa). Based on Simplot and Bootscan analyses, the crossover point from 2b to 1b was estimated at nt 3443/3444 (aa 1034/1035), just after the beginning of the NS3 region. Comparison of the entire genomic sequence showed that the HC10-0804 strain was only 90.2% identical to the previously reported 2b/1b recombinant strain (SE-03-07-1689) from the Philippines, whose putative crossover point was 24 nt downstream of that of HC10-0804. These results indicate the circulation of a novel inter-genotypic (2b/1b) recombinant HCV in Japan.

• Authors: Koji Yokoyama, Masaharu Takahashi, Tsutomu Nishizawa, Shigeo Nagashima, Suljid Jirintai, Shigeru Yotsumoto, Hiroaki Okamoto, Mariko Y Momoi
• Journal: Archives of virology (Arch Virol) Vol. 156 Issue 9 Pg. 1591-601 (Sep 2011) ISSN: 1432-8798 [Electronic] Austria
• PMID: 21643787 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Child
• Female
• Genotype
• Hepacivirus (classification, genetics)
• Hepatitis C (epidemiology, virology)
• Humans
• Japan (epidemiology)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Reassortant Viruses (genetics)
• Time Factors