Sequence homology between human and animal rotavirus serotype-specific glycoproteins.

The dsRNA gene segment coding for the major outer shell glycoprotein of a human rotavirus (Hu/Australia/5/77, serotype 2) was converted into DNA and cloned into the PstI site of the plasmid pBR322. The cloned gene was sequenced and found to be 1062 bp long with one long open reading frame capable of coding for a protein 326 amino-acids. When this gene sequence was compared to the published sequences of the corresponding genes of two animal rotaviruses, SA11 (simian) and UK (bovine), all three were found to be closely related (74-78%). The predicted amino-acid sequences of the three genes were also highly conserved (75-86%), despite the fact that the three viruses belong to different serotypes.