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Genetic Variability of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Genome 5'-UTR from Northern Eurasia

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Abstract—

This paper reports the analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) genomic RNA isolated from 39 individual taiga ticks collected in several regions of Northern Eurasia. The sequences of 5'-UTRs of the Siberian and Far East TBEV genotypes were 89% and 95% identical to the prototype strains (Zausaev and 205), respectively. The detected nucleotide substitutions were typical for these two TBEV genotypes, which made possible unambiguous identification. Both conservative and variable motifs were detected in the 5'-UTR RNA. The B2, C1, and C2 elements of the Y-shaped 5'-UTR structure and the presumable viral RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase binding site were the most variable. The A2, CS A, CS B elements as well as the start codon were conservative. Interestingly, five substitutions in the 5'-UTR C1 variable element of the TBEVs isolated in different geographical regions were strictly conservative, while 11 different substitutions were detected in this element among the laboratory TBEV variants. A little less that a third of all nucleotide substitutions were mapped outside the main elements of the Y-shaped structure. In general, nucleotide substitutions were localized to stem structures, not being found in the hairpin regions of the TBEV 5'-UTR. The results indicated significant variability of the genomic RNA 5'-UTR in the TBEV laboratory strains and field isolates obtained from different geographical regions. It has been suggested that genetic variability of 5'-UTR is characteristic of the TBEV genome 5'-UTR organization and may serve as a structural basis for virus efficient replication in various avian, mammalian, and ixodic tick cells.

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Funding

The work was supported by the Russian Federal State Agency for Health and Consumer Rights Surveillance Sectorial Research Program (grant no. 141-00080-20-02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vector State Scientific Center for Virology and Biotechnology, 630559, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk oblast, Russia

    E. P. Ponomareva, V. A. Ternovoi, T. P. Mikryukova, E. V. Protopopova, N. L. Tupota & V. B. Loktev

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  1. E. P. Ponomareva
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  2. V. A. Ternovoi
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  3. T. P. Mikryukova
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  4. E. V. Protopopova
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  5. N. L. Tupota
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  6. V. B. Loktev
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. P. Ponomareva.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The present work doesn’t involve any experimentation using animals or humans performed by any of the authors.

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Translated by E. Martynova

Abbreviation: 5′-UTR, 5′-untranslated region; TBEV, tick-borne encephalitis virus.

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Ponomareva, E.P., Ternovoi, V.A., Mikryukova, T.P. et al. Genetic Variability of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Genome 5'-UTR from Northern Eurasia. Mol Biol 55, 372–380 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S002689332102028X

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S002689332102028X

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