Identification and genetic analysis of bat hepatitis B virus in Yunnan province

Abstract

Objective To understand the diversity and prevalence of bat hepatitis B virus in Yunnan province. Methods A total of 84 bat tissue samples were collected from Pu'er area. High-throughput sequencing, specific PCR and genome walking method were used to amplify bat hepatitis B virus nucleic acids. The sequences analysis and phylogentic analysis were performed. Results The analyses showed that 3.75% (3/84) of the bats carried hepatitis B virus and all positive sameples were from Rhinolophus sinicus. The virus strains were named as PuEr BHBV. Sequence analysis showed that PuEr BHBV and NeiXiang-Rp-89 had 87.1% nucleotide similarity and 90.5% amino acid similarity. Phylogenetic analysis indicated rich diversity of the bat hepatitis B virus and the strains were separated into two branches. The PuEr BHBV was clustered with bat hepatitis B virus discovered from Guizhou province, Neixiang of Henan province, but clustered in different branch from the stains isolated from Panama. Sequence analysis showed that PuEr BHBV present similar gene structure and conserved functional domain with other hepatitis B viruses. Conclusions PuEr BHBV should be considered as a new bat hepatitis B virus strain. Virus transmissions among different bat species and different geographic area may have driven the adaptive evolution of bat the virus, leading to the genetic diversity of the bat hepatitis B virus. This study extends our knowledge of the genetic diversity of hepatitis B virus. Key words: Bat; Hepatitis B virus; Pu'er area, Yunnan province; Genetic diversity