Biochemical features of parvovirus B19 genovariant 1a2 dominating during the incidence rise in Belarus

Abstract

Two genovariants (1a1 and 1a2) are distinguished among Human parvovirus B19 (B19P) of subgenotype 1a, of which 1a2 was predominantly distributed during the incidence rise in Belarus. The aim of this study was a comparative analysis of the amino acid variability and of the mutational pressure directions in different parts of the genome between genovariants 1a1 and 1a2.The analysis of the consensus amino acid sequences of two genovariants and the three-dimensional structure models of protein fragments was carried out. In total, two unique amino acid substitutions in the main non-structural protein NS1 of 1a2 were found (I181M and E114G), one of which E114G is close to the DNA-binding domain (OBD) responsible for attachment to the replication origin site and can affect the rate of virus replication and transcription. Three unique amino acid substitutions were found in the structural polypeptide VP of 1a2: V30L, S98N, and N533S. Two of them are located in the most immunogenic region VP1u and can contribute to the escape from immune response. The investigation of the mutational pressure direction revealed a decrease in the frequency of G to T transversions in the second reading frame of 1a2, which reflects a higher transcription rate as a result of amino acid substitution in the OBD protein.The differences revealed between the genetic variants of subgenotype 1a B19P both in the antigenic sites and in the replication and transcription system can provide an increased “fitness” for the genetic variant 1a2 and explain its predominant distribution during the incidence rise.