Genetic characterization of K13965, a strain of Oak Vale virus from Western Australia

Abstract

K13965, an uncharacterized virus, was isolated in 1993 from Anopheles annulipes mosquitoes collected in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. Here, we report its genomic sequence, identify it as a rhabdovirus, and characterize its phylogenetic relationships. The genome comprises a P′ (C) and SH protein similar to the recently characterized Tupaia and Durham viruses, and shows overlap between G and L genes. Comparison of K13965 genome sequence to other rhabdoviruses identified K13965 as a strain of the unclassified Australian Oak Vale rhabdovirus, whose complete genome sequence we also determined. Phylogenetic analysis of N and L sequences indicated genetic relationship to a recently proposed Sandjima virus clade, although the Oak Vale virus sequences form a branch separate from the African members of that group.