Differentiation of transmissible gastroenteritis virus from porcine respiratory coronavirus and other antigenically related coronaviruses by using cDNA probes specific for the 5' region of the S glycoprotein gene.

Two cDNA clones prepared from the virulent Miller strain of transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) were identified, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. The clones were nonoverlapping and located in the 5' region of the S glycoprotein gene. Their nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences were compared with published sequences of the attenuated Purdue strain of TGEV and feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). TGEV clone pE21 contained 381 bp of the S glycoprotein gene and had greater than 98% nucleotide and amino acid sequence homology with Purdue TGEV and over 87% nucleotide and amino acid sequence homology with FIPV. TGEV clone pD24 contained 267 bp of the S glycoprotein gene. It had greater than 98% nucleotide and amino acid sequence homology with Purdue TGEV but only 54% nucleotide sequence homology and 24% amino acid sequence homology with FIPV. A probe prepared from pD24 could differentiate TGEV from porcine respiratory coronavirus and other antigenically related coronaviruses, FIPV, feline enteric coronavirus, and canine coronavirus in a dot blot hybridization assay.