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. 2003 Nov 28;39(2):141-7.
doi: 10.1016/S0928-8244(03)00237-2.

Quasispecies composition and phylogenetic analysis of feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) in naturally infected cats

Mara Battilani  1 , Tiziana Coradin, Alessandra Scagliarini, Sara Ciulli, Fabio Ostanello, Santino Prosperi, Luigi Morganti
Affiliations

Quasispecies composition and phylogenetic analysis of feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) in naturally infected cats

Mara Battilani et al. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. .

Abstract

Quasispecies composition and tissue distribution of feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) were studied in naturally infected cats. The genomic complexity of FCoVs was investigated using single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of N and ORF7b amplicons, and the evolutionary process was investigated by sequence-based phylogenetic analysis. SSCP analysis showed high heterogeneity of the FCoV genome which was correlated with the seriousness of the clinical form. The two genomic regions analysed showed different levels of variation; the N region demonstrated significant heterogeneity as compared to ORF7b. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences showed the clear separation of sequences analysed on the basis of virulence and geographical origin. A maximum likelihood analysis of N and ORF7b data sets showed a situation of strong heterogeneity for the N region.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
SSCP patterns of N amplicons of the strains from cat 420. Lymph nodes (LN) and liver (L) exhibited the highest variability in their SSCP band patterns as compared to other organs (LI=large intestine; SI=small intestine; K=kidney, S=spleen).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Likelihood mapping for the N and ORF7b fragments. Numbers of quartets in the corners represent fully resolved phylogeny.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Phylogenetic trees based on alignments of the sequences of the N (A) and the ORF7b (B) regions. Bootstrap values equal to or greater than 65% are indicated. R: reference strains, ▄: avirulent strains, •: cat 419, ◯: cat 420, ♦: cat 453.
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