RNA segment 9 exists as a duplex concatemer in an Australian strain of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV): Genetic analysis and evidence for the presence of concatemers as a normal feature of orbivirus replication

• Published in: Virology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 420; no. 2; pp. 164 - 171
• Main Authors: Anthony, S.J, Darpel, K.E, Belaganahalli, M.N, Maan, N, Nomikou, K, Sutton, G, Attoui, H, Maan, S, Mertens, P.P.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 25-11-2011
• Subjects: Animals; Australia; Base Sequence; Bluetongue virus; BTV; Cell Line; Concatemer; Cricetinae; dsRNA; EHDV; Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus; Gene duplication; Genes, Viral; Genetic Variation; Genome, Viral; Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic - genetics; Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic - physiology; Infectious Disease; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Orbivirus; Phylogeny; RNA, Viral - chemistry; RNA, Viral - genetics; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Virus Replication; Australia; dsRNA; Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus; BTV; EHDV; Orbivirus; Gene duplication; Concatemer; Bluetongue virus
• ISSN: 0042-6822; 1096-0341
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2011.09.009

Abstract This paper reports a concatemeric RNA in a strain of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotype 5. Sequencing showed that the concatemeric RNA contains two identical full-length copies of genome segment 9, arranged in series, which has apparently replaced the monomeric form of the segment. In vitro translation demonstrated that the concatemeric RNA can act as a viable template for VP6 translation, but that no double-sized protein is produced. Studies were also performed to assess whether mutations might be easily introduced into the second copy (which might indicate some potential evolutionary significance of a concatemeric RNA segment), however multiple (n = 40) passages generated no changes in the sequence of either the upstream or downstream segments. Further, we present results that demonstrate the presence of concatemers or partial gene duplications in multiple segments of different orbiviruses (in tissue culture and purified virus), suggesting their generation is likely to be a normal feature of orbivirus replication.