Journal of General Virology, Vol 78, 1581-1587, Copyright © 1997 by Society for General Microbiology

ARTICLES

Sequence analysis of the nucleocapsid gene of measles virus isolates from South Africa identifies a new genotype

S Kreis, E Vardas and T Whistler
National Institute for Virology, Johannesburg, South Africa. stephk@niv.ac.za

Sequence analysis was performed on 20 measles virus (MV) isolates from South Africa, five of which were obtained between 1986 and 1989 and 15 isolates collected during the 1994/95 measles season. A 590 bp fragment of the carboxyl terminus of the nucleocapsid (N) was amplified by PCR and subjected to sequence and phylogenetic analysis. Comparison of the South African MV strains with those previously described revealed that at least two distinct groups of wild-type (wt) MV exist, one of which has been circulating since 1986. The major genotype (I) was represented by the more recent isolates which showed three characteristic amino acid substitutions. Furthermore, three vaccine-like viruses with sequences very similar to the Edmonston wt strain were identified. Phylogenetic analysis of 100 MV strains allowed the assignment of new definitions for MV genotypes and subgroups. Employing these definitions, the majority of South African isolates analysed here formed a new genotype.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Carsillo, X. Zhang, D. Vasconcelos, S. Niewiesk, and M. Oglesbee A Single Codon in the Nucleocapsid Protein C Terminus Contributes to In Vitro and In Vivo Fitness of Edmonston Measles Virus J. Virol., March 15, 2006; 80(6): 2904 - 2912. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. L. Kingston, W. A. Baase, and L. S. Gay Characterization of Nucleocapsid Binding by the Measles Virus and Mumps Virus Phosphoproteins J. Virol., August 15, 2004; 78(16): 8630 - 8640. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. Kremer, F. Fack, C. M. Olinger, M. N. Mulders, and C. P. Muller Measles Virus Genotyping by Nucleotide-Specific Multiplex PCR J. Clin. Microbiol., July 1, 2004; 42(7): 3017 - 3022. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Santibanez, A. Tischer, A. Heider, A. Siedler, and H. Hengel Rapid replacement of endemic measles virus genotypes J. Gen. Virol., November 1, 2002; 83(11): 2699 - 2708. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Zhang, C. Glendening, H. Linke, C. L. Parks, C. Brooks, S. A. Udem, and M. Oglesbee Identification and Characterization of a Regulatory Domain on the Carboxyl Terminus of the Measles Virus Nucleocapsid Protein J. Virol., July 29, 2002; 76(17): 8737 - 8746. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. S. El Mubarak, M. W. G. van de Bildt, O. A. Mustafa, H. W. Vos, M. M. Mukhtar, S. A. Ibrahim, A. C. Andeweg, A. M. El Hassan, A. D. M. E. Osterhaus, and R. L. de Swart Genetic characterization of wild-type measles viruses circulating in suburban Khartoum, 1997-2000 J. Gen. Virol., June 1, 2002; 83(6): 1437 - 1443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Chibo, C. J. Birch, P. A. Rota, and M. G. Catton Molecular characterization of measles viruses isolated in Victoria, Australia, between 1973 and 1998 J. Gen. Virol., October 1, 2000; 81(10): 2511 - 2518. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				F Hanses, A. Truong, W Ammerlaan, O Ikusika, F Adu, A. Oyefolu, S. Omilabu, and C. Muller Molecular epidemiology of Nigerian and Ghanaian measles virus isolates reveals a genotype circulating widely in western and central Africa J. Gen. Virol., April 1, 1999; 80(4): 871 - 877. [Abstract]

				E. Vardas, P. M. Leary, J. Yeats, W. Badrodien, and S. Kreis Case Report and Molecular Analysis of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis in a South African Child J. Clin. Microbiol., March 1, 1999; 37(3): 775 - 777. [Abstract] [Full Text]