Comparison of partial and full &lt;em&gt;VP2&lt;/em&gt; gene sequences of parvovirus from domestic cats in Turkey

Zeynep Akkutay-Yoldar,B Taylan Koç

doi:10.22201/fmvz.24486760e.2019.4.643

Abstract

Parvoviruses are ubiquitous pathogens that cause a fatal disease in cats and are able to mutate for cross-species transmission. Both the feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and the canine parvovirus (CPV), with their antigenic variants, induce a disease in cats that presents with similar signs. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of parvoviruses in blood and exudate samples from five clinically symptomatic cats (from Ankara, Turkey). The gene coding for the VP2 structural capsid protein of the obtained parvoviruses was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), purified and partially or nearly full-length sequenced. The maximum likelihood (ML) method was used for molecular characterization. Phylogenetic analysis based on nearly full-length sequencing of the VP2 gene and amino acid arrangement showed that four of the viral strains were closely related and localized in the same FPV cluster. The fifth strain found was located in the same cluster but on a separate branch. Viral field strains were included in the CPV-2 group as determined by partial genome analysis: four fitted in the CPV-2c, and one in a separate clade within the CPV-2b group. To our knowledge, this is the first report that details nearly full-length VP2 gene characterisation in Turkish cats. Overall, nearly full-length VP2 contrasts were more effective to determine the origin of parvovirus strains, than partial length comparisons.

Highlights

The feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and the canine parvovirus (CPV) are single-stranded DNA members of the Parvovirinae subfamily of Parvoviridae.[1]
Phylogeographic analyses of all strains with nearly full-length VP2 sequences, revealed that four of the sequences obtained from the sampled cats were grouped in the FPV cluster, whilst the fifth sequence (FPV/TR/2017/cat3), part of this clade, was placed in a distinct branch (Figure 2)
When nucleotide alignments of VP2 gene parvovirus variants found in this study were contrasted with strain sequences found in other parts of the world, the greater divergence was found between gene sequences of the FPV/ TR/2017/cat[3] and the AJ002932.1-FPV-Panocell German strain (92.2% similarity)

Summary

Introduction

The feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and the canine parvovirus (CPV) are single-stranded DNA members of the Parvovirinae subfamily of Parvoviridae.[1]. The CPV-2a and -2b variants differ from the original CPV-2 strain in five or six amino acid residues of the VP2 capsid protein.[2]

Objectives

Methods

Results