Journal Article

Identification and Molecular Characterization of a Divergent Asian-like Canine Parvovirus Type 2b (CPV-2b) Strain in Southern Italy

Schirò, Giorgia, Purpari, Giuseppa, Vicari, Domenico, Chiaramonte, Gabriele, Randazzo, Vincenzo, Vullo, Stefano, Canuti, Marta, Di Bella, Santina, Mira, Francesco, Castronovo, Calogero, Guercio, Annalisa, Cannella, Vincenza

2022

Overview

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is an infectious agent relevant to domestic and wild carnivorans. Recent studies documented the introduction and spread of CPV-2c strains of Asian origin in the Italian canine population. We investigated tissue samples from a puppy collected during necropsy for the presence of viral enteropathogens and all samples tested positive only for CPV-2. The full coding sequence of a CPV-2b (VP2 426Asp) strain was obtained. This virus was related to CPV-2c strains of Asian origin and unrelated to European CPV-2b strains. The sequence had genetic signatures typical of Asian strains (NS1: 60Val, 545Val, 630Pro; VP2: 5Gly, 267Tyr, 324Ile) and mutations rarely reported in Asian CPV-2b strains (NS1: 588N; VP2: 370Arg). Phylogenetic analyses placed this strain in well-supported clades, including Asian CPV-2c-like strains, but always as a basal, single-sequence long branch. No recombination was observed for this strain, and we speculate that it could have originated from an Asian CPV-2c-like strain that acquired the 426Asp mutation. This study reports the first evidence of an Asian-like CPV-2b strain in Italy, confirming the occurrence of continuous changes in the global CPV-2 spread. Since positive convergent mutations complicate data interpretation, a combination of phylogenetic and mutation pattern analyses is crucial in studying the origin and evolution of CPV-2 strains.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Amino acids / Brief Report / Dogs / Genomes / Mutation / Phylogenetics / Proteins / Viruses