Whole Genome Analysis of Human Rotaviruses Reveals Single Gene Reassortant Rotavirus Strains in Zambia

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 13; no. 9; p. 1872
• Main Authors: Maringa, Wairimu M., Simwaka, Julia, Mwangi, Peter N., Mpabalwani, Evans M., Mwenda, Jason M., Mphahlele, M. Jeffrey, Seheri, Mapaseka L., Nyaga, Martin M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18.09.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: amino acid; Amino acids; Antigens, Viral - chemistry; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Capsid Proteins - chemistry; Capsid Proteins - genetics; Capsid Proteins - immunology; Constellations; Diarrhea; Epitopes; Ethics; Female; genes; Genetic diversity; Genome, Viral; Genomes; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; genotype constellation; Genotypes; Humans; Infant; intergenogroup reassortment; Laboratories; Male; Pathogens; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Proteins; Reassortant Viruses - genetics; Rotarix; Rotavirus; Rotavirus - genetics; Rotavirus Infections - virology; Rotavirus Vaccines; sequence analysis; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Strains (organisms); Surveillance; Vaccines; Vaccines, Attenuated; Viral Proteins - chemistry; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - immunology; Viruses; VP1 protein; whole genome; Whole Genome Sequencing; Zambia; Zambia; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Africa; Lusaka Zambia; genotype constellation; intergenogroup reassortment; amino acid; rotavirus; Rotarix; whole genome
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v13091872

Rotarix® vaccine was implemented nationwide in Zambia in 2013. In this study, four unusual strains collected in the post-vaccine period were subjected to whole genome sequencing and analysis. The four strains possessed atypical genotype constellations, with at least one reassortant genome segment within the constellation. One of the strains (UFS-NGS-MRC-DPRU4749) was genetically and phylogenetically distinct in the VP4 and VP1 gene segments. Pairwise analyses demonstrated several amino acid disparities in the VP4 antigenic sites of this strain compared to that of Rotarix®. Although the impact of these amino acid disparities remains to be determined, this study adds to our understanding of the whole genomes of reassortant strains circulating in Zambia following Rotarix® vaccine introduction.