Abstract
Porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV) is an immunosuppressive virus that mainly inhibits the immune function of the macrophage and T-cell lymphatic systems, and has caused huge economic losses to the porcine breeding industry. Molecular epidemiological investigation of PCMV is important for prevention and treatment, and this study is the first such investigation in Sichuan Province, Southwest China. A PCMV positive infection rate of 84.4% (865/1025) confirmed that PCMV is widely distributed in Sichuan Province. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the PCMV glycoprotein B gene (gB) nucleotide and amino acid sequences from 24 novel Sichuan isolates and 18 other PCMV gB sequences from Genbank. PCMV does not appear to have evolved into different serotypes, and two distinct sequence groups were identified (A and B). However, whether PCMV from this region has evolved into different genotypes requires further research. Analysis of the amino acid sequences confirmed the conservation of gB, but amino acid substitutions in the major epitope region have caused antigenic drift, which may have altered the immunogenicity of PCMV.
Highlights
Porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV) belongs to the genus Cytomegalovirus, subfamily Betaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae [1], and is an icosahedral virus with a double-stranded linear DNA genome
We report the detection and characterization of PCMV based on sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the glycoprotein B (gB) nucleotide and amino acid sequences from a large quantity of samples collected from major breeding bases and rural farms in Sichuan Province, China
PCMV Detection The collection locations of the 1025 samples were distributed throughout 14 districts in Sichuan Province
Summary
Porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV) belongs to the genus Cytomegalovirus, subfamily Betaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae [1], and is an icosahedral virus with a double-stranded linear DNA genome. The risk of PCMV infection for human recipients needs further research [3,4,5]. PCMV induces fatal systemic infections in young animals, and can cause death in piglets and embryos. Similar to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and other cytomegaloviruses, lifelong latent infection often occurs in recovered pigs [6,7,8]. PCMV is highly host specific, and is unable to replicate in rabbits, rats, chicken embryos, or in a guinea pig cell culture system. Efforts to study PCMV have been hindered by its specificity for porcine epithelial cells. PCMV has been recognized as a serious hazard for the pig breeding industry
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
