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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Avian Disease and Oncology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #331212
Title: Isolation, identification and evolution analysis of a novel subgroup of avian leukosis virus isolated from a local Chinese yellow broiler in South China

Author
item LI, XINJIAN - South China Agricultural University
item LIN, WENCHENG - South China Agricultural University
item CHANG, SHUANG - Shandong Agricultural University
item ZHAO, PENG - Shandong Agricultural University
item ZHANG, XINHENG - South China Agricultural University
item LIU, YANG - South China Agricultural University
item CHEN, WEIGUO - South China Agricultural University
item LI, BAOHONG - Guangdong Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item SHU, DINGMING - Guangdong Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item Zhang, Huanmin
item CHEN, FENG - South China Agricultural University
item XIE, QINGMEI - South China Agricultural University

Submitted to: Archives of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2016
Publication Date: 7/15/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5491091
Citation: Li, X., Lin, W., Chang, S., Zhao, P., Zhang, X., Liu, Y., Chen, W., Li, B., Shu, D., Zhang, H., Chen, F., Xie, Q. 2016. Isolation, identification and evolution analysis of a novel subgroup of avian leukosis virus isolated from a local Chinese yellow broiler in South China. Archives of Virology. 161(10):2717-2725. doi:10.1007/s00705-016-2965-x.

Interpretive Summary: Avian leukosis virus (ALV) causes tumor formation, which is associated with high mortality and economic loss in poultry. A new isolate of ALV has been identified from a Chinese native yellow broiler in Guangdong, China, and named GD14LZ. Molecular characterization of the isolate’s genetic blueprint showed the GD14LZ resembles a recently reported subgroup of ALV, known as ALV subgroup K but with some obvious differences in replication and pathogenicity. It is presumptively concluded that this new isolate likely resulted from recombination(s) of reported ALV-K and poultry endogenous ALV. This finding serves as a reminder that endogenous viruses facilitate the emergence of new recombinant viruses in combination with exogenous ones, which continues to complicate control measures necessary to prevent/slow down virus spread, and deteriorates eradication efforts.

Technical Abstract: Avian leukosis virus (ALV) causes high mortality associated with tumor formation and decreased fertility, and results in major economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. Recently, a putative novel ALV subgroup virus named ALV-K was observed in Chinese local chickens. In this study, a novel ALV strain named GD14LZ was isolated from a Chinese local yellow broiler in 2014. The proviral genome was sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. The replication ability and pathogenicity of this virus were also evaluated. The complete proviral genome sequence of GD14LZ was 7482 nt in length, with a genetic organization typical of replication-competent type C retroviruses lacking viral oncogenes. Sequence analysis showed that the gag, pol and gp37 genes of GD14LZ have high sequence similarity to those of other ALV strains (A–E subgroups), especially to those of ALV-E. The gp85 gene of the GD14LZ isolate showed a low sequence similarity to those other ALV strains (A–E subgroups) but showed high similarity to strains previously described as ALV-K. Phylogenetic analysis of gp85 also suggested that the GD14LZ isolate was related to ALV-K strains. Further study showed that this isolate replicated more slowly and was less pathogenic than other ALV strains. These results indicate that the GD14LZ isolate belongs to the novel subgroup ALV-K and probably arose by recombination of ALV-K with endogenous viruses with low replication and pathogenicity. This virus might have existed in local Chinese chickens for a long time.