Laboratório de Virologia, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9090 - Agronomia, CEP 91540-000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis - UniRitter, Rua Orfanotrófio, 555 - Santa Tereza, Porto Alegre - RS, CEP 90840-440. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
J Gen Virol. 2018 Jul;99(7):890-896. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001082. Epub 2018 May 24.
Hepaciviruses (HVs) have been detected in several domestic and wild animals and present high genetic diversity. The actual classification divides the genus Hepacivirus into 14 species (A-N), according to their phylogenetic relationships, including the bovine hepacivirus [Hepacivirus N (HNV)]. In this study, we confirmed HNV circulation in Brazil and sequenced the whole genome of two strains. Based on the current classification of HCV, which is divided into genotypes and subtypes, we analysed all available bovine hepacivirus sequences in the GenBank database and proposed an HNV classification. All of the sequences were grouped into a single genotype, putatively named 'genotype 1'. This genotype can be clearly divided into four subtypes: A and D containing sequences from Germany and Brazil, respectively, and B and C containing Ghanaian sequences. In addition, the NS3-coding region was used to estimate the time to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of each subtype, using a Bayesian approach and a relaxed molecular clock model. The analyses indicated a common origin of the virus circulating in Germany and Brazil. Ghanaian sequences seemed to have an older TMRCA, indicating a long time of circulation of these viruses in the African continent.
肝病毒（HVs）已在多种家养和野生动物中被检测到，具有高度的遗传多样性。根据其系统发育关系，实际分类将属肝病毒分为 14 个种（A-N），包括牛肝病毒[肝病毒 N（HNV）]。在本研究中，我们证实了 HNV 在巴西的传播，并对两个毒株的全基因组进行了测序。基于目前 HCV 的分类，即分为基因型和亚型，我们分析了 GenBank 数据库中所有可用的牛肝病毒序列，并提出了一种 HNV 的分类。所有序列均被分为一个单一的基因型，暂定名为“基因型 1”。该基因型可明显分为四个亚型：A 和 D 分别包含来自德国和巴西的序列，而 B 和 C 包含加纳的序列。此外，还使用贝叶斯方法和宽松的分子钟模型，对 NS3 编码区进行分析，以估计每个亚型的最近共同祖先（TMRCA）的时间。分析表明，在德国和巴西流行的病毒具有共同的起源。加纳的序列似乎具有更早的 TMRCA，表明这些病毒在非洲大陆的循环时间较长。
