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Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis identifies candidate members of a new picornavirus genus in terrestrial tortoise species

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Abstract

Near-complete genome sequences of seven picornavirus (PV) strains isolated from different terrestrial tortoise species were determined and characterized. The genome organization of the strains proved to be similar and displayed a typical PV layout, and the polyprotein-encoding regions showed low similarity to those of other PVs. The predicted regions of the tortoise PV genomes were related to the corresponding genome parts of viruses belonging to distinct genera, implying modular evolution of these novel viruses. Our results suggest that these tortoise PVs belong to a prototype species in a separate proposed genus in the family Picornaviridae, tentatively called Topivirus (Tortoise picornavirus).

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Acknowledgments

Our work was supported by the Momentum Program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the OTKA K108727 grant of the National Scientific Research Fund of Hungary. Additional support was given to Ferenc Jakab from the National Excellence Program (co-funded by the European Union and the State of Hungary through the European Social Fund in the framework of TÁMOP 4.2.4 A/2-11-1-2012-0001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Agricultural Research, Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungária krt. 21, 1581, Budapest, Hungary

    Szilvia L. Farkas, Katalin Ihász, Enikő Fehér, Dániel Bartha & Krisztián Bányai

  2. János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 48-as tér 1, 7622, Pécs, Hungary

    Ferenc Jakab

  3. Department of Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, István u. 2, 1078, Budapest, Hungary

    János Gál

  4. Laboratory for Clinical Diagnostics, LABOKLIN GmbH & Co. KG, Steubenstr. 4, 97688, Bad Kissingen, Germany

    Rachel E. Marschang

Authors
  1. Szilvia L. Farkas
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  2. Katalin Ihász
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  3. Enikő Fehér
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  7. Krisztián Bányai
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  8. Rachel E. Marschang
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Correspondence to Szilvia L. Farkas.

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Farkas, S.L., Ihász, K., Fehér, E. et al. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis identifies candidate members of a new picornavirus genus in terrestrial tortoise species. Arch Virol 160, 811–816 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-014-2292-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-014-2292-z

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