Molecular Characterization of the Bocaviruses
Yuning Sun1, Fang Cheng1, David Pintel2 and Jianming Qiu1
1Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center
2Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri-Columbia
Background and Objective: Human bocavirus (HBoV), a newly identified human parvovirus in the genus of Bocavirus, is detected in children with lower respiratory tract infections at a rate of 1%-8% worldwide. The canine bocavirus, known as Minute virus of Canine (MVC), also causes diseases including neonatal respiratory infection in dogs. The genome of HBoV shares a similarity of approximately 50% with that of MVC.
Methods: The 5’- and 3’-terminal palindromes of MVC were molecularly cloned and sequenced. The transcription profiles of both MVC and HBoV were studied by RNase protection assay and Northern blot.
Results: The MVC genome, 5404 nucleotides (nts) in length, has disparate palindromic termini of 183 nts and 197 nts at the left and right ends of the genome, respectively. The left terminus was also found in two alternative orientations (“flip” or “flop”). Two full-length molecular clones constructed with alternative orientations of the left terminus were proved to be infectious on the canine 3873D cells. Furthermore, our results reveal that the transcription profile of HBoV is similar to that of MVC. All the major transcripts were generated through alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing from a single pre-mRNA that was transcribed from a single promoter located at the 5’ end of the genome.
Discussion and Conclusions: Bocaviruses share similar terminal repeats and transcriptional profile.Back to Kansas students and investigators earn awards at national symposium