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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #232412

Title: Homologous recombination within the capsid gene of porcine circovirus type 2 subgroup viruses via natural co-infection

Author
item Cheung, Andrew

Submitted to: Archives of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/30/2009
Publication Date: 3/1/2009
Citation: Cheung, A.K. 2009. Homologous Recombination within the Capsid Gene of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Subgroup Viruses via Natural Co-Infection. Archives of Virology. 154(3):531–534.

Interpretive Summary: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is an important viral pathogen of swine. While clinical signs of disease and postmortem lesions induced by PCV2 are known, there is little information on the temporal pathogenesis and epidemiology of the virus. Previous phylogenetic analyses have shown that PCV2 can be separated into two subgroup viruses: the "North American" PCV2-group 2 (Gp2) and the "European" PCV2-group 1 (Gp1). However, the relative pathogenic nature of Gp1 and Gp2 viruses remains unclear. Here, we detected 2 naturally occurring Gp1/Gp2 viruses generated by homologous recombination within the capsid protein gene. Thus, this work provides insight into the generation of PCV2 variability via homologous recombination. The information obtained advances our understanding of circovirus biology and aids the research of scientists in industry, universities and government agencies.

Technical Abstract: Several studies had reported homologous recombination between porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2)-group 1 (Gp1) and -group 2 (Gp2) viruses. Interestingly, the recombination events described thus far mapped either within the Rep gene sequences or the sequences flanking the Rep gene region. Previously, the presence of both Gp-1 and Gp-2 DNA sequences in tissues of the same infected swine from the 2005 United States porcine circovirus-associated disease outbreak was reported, which indicates that the animal was co-infected with both PCV2 subgroup viruses. Here, two naturally occurring chimeric genomes were identified that exhibited homologous recombination within the capsid gene sequences.