Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre P.O. Box 334, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar 263168, Uttarakhand, India.
Viruses. 2024 Aug 8;16(8):1269. doi: 10.3390/v16081269.
Applying a pan-astrovirus (AstV) RT-hemi-nested PCR assay, we report here high detection rates (28.3%, 15/53) of AstVs in the small Indian mongoose () on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts. Based on deduced amino acid (aa) identities and phylogenetic analysis of long RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) sequences (~315 aa, partial RdRp), the AstVs detected in the mongooses (designated as Mon-AstVs) were classified into two distinct groups (deduced aa identities of 66.45-67.30% between the groups). The putative RdRps of the Mon-AstVs shared low deduced aa identities with those of AstVs from other host species (<69%, <54%, and <50% identities with reptilian/amphibian AstVs, avastroviruses, and mamastroviruses, respectively). Phylogenetically, the group-I and group-II Mon-AstVs formed two distinct clusters, near the cluster of reptilian/amphibian AstVs, and were distantly related to avastroviruses and mamastroviruses. Since the mongooses were apparently healthy during sampling, we could not establish if the Mon-AstVs infected the animal or were of dietary origin. Although we could not ascertain the true host of the Mon-AstVs, phylogenetic analysis indicated that these viruses might have originated from lower vertebrates. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the detection and molecular characterization of AstVs in mongooses, highlighting the wide host range and significant genetic diversity within the family .
应用 pan-astrovirus (AstV) RT-半巢式 PCR 检测方法，我们在此报告在加勒比圣基茨岛上的小型印度食蟹獴（）中高的 AstV 检测率（28.3%，15/53）。基于推导的氨基酸（aa）身份和长 RNA 依赖性 RNA 聚合酶（RdRp）序列的系统发育分析（~315 aa，部分 RdRp），在食蟹獴中检测到的 AstV（被指定为 Mon-AstVs）分为两个不同的组（组之间的推导 aa 同一性为 66.45-67.30%）。Mon-AstVs 的假定 RdRp 与来自其他宿主物种的 AstVs 的推导 aa 同一性较低（与爬行类/两栖类 AstV、禽 AstV 和哺乳动物 AstV 的同一性分别为<69%、<54%和<50%）。系统发育上，组 I 和组 II Mon-AstVs 形成两个不同的聚类，靠近爬行类/两栖类 AstV 聚类，与禽 AstV 和哺乳动物 AstV 关系较远。由于在采样期间食蟹獴显然是健康的，我们无法确定 Mon-AstV 是否感染了动物或来源于饮食。虽然我们无法确定 Mon-AstV 的真正宿主，但系统发育分析表明这些病毒可能起源于较低等的脊椎动物。据我们所知，这是首次在食蟹獴中检测到 AstV 并对其进行分子特征分析的报告，突显了该科病毒宿主范围广泛且具有显著的遗传多样性。
