Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #391354
Research Project: Enhancing Genetic Resistance to Marek’s Disease in Poultry

Location: Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research

Title: The emergence, diversification, and transmission of Subgroup J Avian Leukosis Virus reveals that the live chicken trade plays a critical role in the adaption and endemicity of viruses to the yellow-chickens

Author
item DENG, QIAOMU - Guangxi University
item LI, QIUHONG - Guangxi University
item LI, MIN - Guangxi University
item ZHANG, SHENGBIN - Yongxin Husbandry Group Of Xijiang Co, Ltd
item WANG, PEIKUN - Linyi University
item FU, FUMEI - Guangxi University
item ZHU, WEIVU - Guangxi University
item WEI, TIANCHAO - Guangxi University
item MO, MEILAN - Guangxi University
item HUANG, TENG - Guangxi University
item Zhang, Huanmin
item WEI, PING - Guangxi University

Submitted to: Journal of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/4/2022
Publication Date: 8/12/2022
Citation: Deng, Q., Li, Q., Li, M., Zhang, S., Wang, P., Fu, F., Zhu, W., Wei, T., Mo, M., Huang, T., Zhang, H., Wei, P. 2022. The emergence, diversification, and transmission of Subgroup J Avian Leukosis Virus reveals that the live chicken trade plays a critical role in the adaption and endemicity of viruses to the yellow-chickens. Journal of Virology. 96(17):e0071722. https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00717-22.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00717-22

Interpretive Summary: Although avian leukosis (AL) is not a current threat to the US poultry industry, it continues to pose a critical threat outside the US and creates hurdles that prevent international free trade of poultry. This study systematically analyzed a gene sequence of the avian leukosis viruses that were isolated from diseased chicken samples where AL outbreaks took place in multiple countries over the last three decades. The findings provided vital epidemiology information, which would lead to strategical improvement on the disease control, therefore, benefiting the world poultry industry and the consumers.

Technical Abstract: The geographical spread and inter-host transmission of the subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) may be the most important issues for epidemiology. An integrated analysis, including phylogenetic trees, homology modeling, evolutionary dynamics, selection analysis and viral transmission, based on the gp85 gene sequences of the 665 worldwide ALV-J isolates during 1988–2020, was performed. A new Clade 3 has been emerging and was evolved from the dominating Clade 1.3 of the Chinese Yellow-chicken, and the loss of a a-helix or ß-sheet of the gp85 protein monomer was found by the homology modeling. The rapid evolution found in Clades 1.3 and 3 may be closely associated with the adaption and endemicity of viruses to the Yellow-chickens. The early U.S. strains from Clade 1.1 acted as an important source for the global spread of ALV-J and the earliest introduction into China was closely associated with the imported chicken breeders in the 1990s. The dominant outward migrations of Clades 1.1 and 1.2, respectively, from the Chinese northern White-chickens and layers to the Chinese southern Yellow-chickens, and the dominating migration of Clade 1.3 from the Chinese southern Yellow-chickens to other regions and hosts, indicated that the long-distance movement of these viruses between regions in China was associated with the live chicken trade. Furthermore, Yellow-chickens have been facing the risk of infections of the emerging Clades 2 and 3. Our findings provide new insights for the epidemiology and help to understand the critical factors involved in ALV-J dissemination.