HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hiromoto, Y. Articles by Nerome, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hiromoto, Y. Articles by Nerome, K. Agricola Articles by Hiromoto, Y. Articles by Nerome, K.

Phylogenetic analysis of the three polymerase genes (PB1, PB2 and PA) of influenza B virus

Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 23-1, Toyama 1-chome, Shinjuku-ku, 162-8640 Tokyo, Japan¹
Epizootic Research Station, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Kokubunji-machi, Shimotsuga, 329-04 Tochigi, Japan²

Author for correspondence: Kuniaki Nerome. Fax +81 3 5285 1155. e-mail knerome{at}nih.go.jp

Phylogenetic patterns of the three polymerase (PB2, PB1 and PA) genes of a total of 20 influenza B viruses isolated during a 58 year period, 1940–1998, were analysed in detail in a parallel manner. All three polymerase genes consistently showed evolutionary divergence into two major distinct lineages and their amino acid profiles demonstrated conserved lineage-specific substitutions. Dendrogram topologies of the PB2 and PB1 genes were very similar and contrasted with that of the PA gene. It was of particular interest to reveal that even though the PA gene evolved into two major lineages, that of three recent Asian Victoria/1/87-like strains formed a branch cluster located in the same lineage as that of recent Yamagata/16/88-like isolates. Differences in the phylogenetic pathways of three polymerase genes were not only a reflection of genetic reassortment between co-circulating influenza B viruses, but also an indication that the polymerase genes were not co-evolving as a unit. As a result, comparison of the phylogenetic patterns of the three polymerase genes with previously determined patterns of the HA, NP, M and NS genes of 18 viruses defined the existence of eight distinct genome constellations. Also, similar phylogenetic profiles among the PA, NP and M genes, as well as between the PB2 and PB1 genes, were observed, suggesting possible functional interactions among these proteins. Completion of evolutionary analysis of the six internal genes and the HA gene of influenza B viruses revealed frequent genetic reassortment among co-circulating variable strains and suggested co-dependent evolution of genes.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Nobusawa and K. Sato Comparison of the mutation rates of human influenza a and B viruses. J. Virol., April 1, 2006; 80(7): 3675 - 3678. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. McCullers, T. Saito, and A. R. Iverson Multiple Genotypes of Influenza B Virus Circulated between 1979 and 2003 J. Virol., December 1, 2004; 78(23): 12817 - 12828. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Hoffmann, K. Mahmood, C.-F. Yang, R. G. Webster, H. B. Greenberg, and G. Kemble Rescue of influenza B virus from eight plasmids PNAS, August 20, 2002; 99(17): 11411 - 11416. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]