Abstract
Phylogenetic analyses of RHDV provide information on the affinity of strains and point to evolutionary dependencies among them. The objective of the study was the phylogenetic analysis of six strains of RHD virus, including four Czech strains (CAMPV-351, CAMPV-561, CAMPV-562, CAMPV-558) and two French strains (Fr-1, Fr-2), on the basis of a fragment of the gene encoding C-terminal end of VP60 capsid structural protein. Phylogenetic analysis involved 25 sequences of RHDV homologues obtained from RHDV GenBank. The phylogenetic tree generated for 31 RHDV strains on the basis of a fragment of the gene encoding C-terminal end of VP60 capsid structural protein divided the strains analysed into four genetic groups (G1-G4), whereas the strains analysed were grouped in three genetic groups: G1 (CAMPV-351, CAMPV-562, CAMPV-558), G2 (Fr-1, Fr-2) and G3 (CAMPV-561). The phylogenetic analysis performed for Czech and French strains evidences that the strains feature different evolutionary paths and derive from European strains that caused foci of the plague in Germany and France. The obtained distribution of strains into four genetic groups testifies to their evolution, which is proved by group 4 gathering RHDVa strains.
Highlights
RHD (Rabbit haemorrhagic disease) virus was first described in 1984 in China, where it caused viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD), which is very acute [1]
Obtained sequences of six analysed strains (CAMPV-351, CAMPV-561, CAMPV-562, CAMPV-558, Fr-1, Fr-2) of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) were submitted to GenBank Table 1
According to one of the theories on virus evolution [27], RHDV strains will keep evolving, and this phenomenon will be manifested by new strains of the virus, which can nowadays be evidenced by French strain referred to as French RHD variant from 2010 [17], which is much different from the original RHDV subtype and the new RHDVa subtype, and its occurrence suggests differentiation of a new group of RHDV strains
Summary
RHD (Rabbit haemorrhagic disease) virus was first described in 1984 in China, where it caused viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD), which is very acute [1]. Studies on samples collected from rabbits deceased in the years 1950-1970 in the United Kingdom have indicated the presence of anti-RHD antibodies in serum and the presence of genetic material of the RHD virus in bone marrow [22]. These results point to the occurrence of the RHD virus in Europe long before the outbreak of the disease caused by the virus in China. Polish studies performed on the basis of analogical fragment, and involving six RHDV strains originating from the Central Europe (Eisenhuttenstadt, Frankfurt, Rossi, V-411, 24/89, 1447/96), from the years 1989-2002, indicated strain distribution into two genetic groups, while strain distribution in the groups correlated with geographic location and the time of isolation [28]
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