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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Avian Disease and Oncology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #334859
Title: Genomic characterization of recent chicken anemia virus isolates in China

Author
item LI, YANG - Shandong Agricultural University
item FANG, LICHUN - Shandong Agricultural University
item FU, JIAYUAN - Shandong Agricultural University
item CUI, SHUAI - Shandong Agricultural University
item LI, XIAOHUA - Shandong Agricultural University
item Zhang, Huanmin
item CUI, ZHIZHONG - Shandong Agricultural University
item CHANG, SHUANG - Shandong Agricultural University
item SHI, WEIFENG - Shandong Agricultural University
item ZHAO, PENG - Shandong Agricultural University

Submitted to: Frontiers in Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/27/2017
Publication Date: 3/10/2017
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5700716
Citation: Li, Y., Fang, L., Fu, J., Cui, S., Li, X., Zhang, H., Cui, Z., Chang, S., Shi, W., Zhao, P. 2017. Genomic characterization of recent chicken anemia virus isolates in China. Frontiers in Microbiology. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.00401.

Interpretive Summary: Chicken anemia virus is a DNA virus, which primarily disables the immune system of chickens, especially in young chicks. Twenty-two new isolates of the chicken anemia viruses were found in commercial farms located in northern China. Similar viruses were also isolated from stray mice and dogs in the same area for the first time. Molecular genetics analyses of the virus genomes revealed varied differences and some characteristics in common. The findings are of importance in facilitating future investigations on both genomics and epidemiology of the anemia viruses, which should advance the prevention measures of the disease.

Technical Abstract: Chicken infectious anemiavirus (CIAV) causes diseases in young chickens, which include increased pathogenicity of secondary infectious agents, generalized lymphoid depletion, and immune-repression. In the present study, we have identified 22 CIAV strains isolated from several commercial chicken farms in Northern China during 2014-2015. In addition, two CIAVs were also isolated from stray mice (CIAV-Mouse) and dogs (CIAV-Dog), respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of identification of CIAV from mice and dogs. Phylogenetic analysis of 121 full-length CIAV genome sequences showed that all available CIAV could be classified into eight lineages, supported by phylogenetic trees estimated using different methods. Furthermore, the 24 novel CIAV sequences scattered across different branches, clearly lack of spatio-temporal distribution characteristics. Analysis of the 450 amino acids of VP1 protein identified 33 amino acid substitutes that were specific for CIAVs isolated from northern China. Putative gene recombination events were also detected in the genomes of newly isolated CIAVs. In particular, a putative recombinant event was detected in the CIAV-Dog genome with high statistical support. In summary, our findings expanded the range of CIAV host, established a robust classification system for CIAV, revealed additional genomic diversity of CIAV, and therefore, warranted additional efforts to explore CIAV genomics and epidemiology in relation to both avian and mammalian hosts.