Evidence for Novel Hepaciviruses in Rodents

Drexler, Jan Felix; Corman, Victor Max; Müller, Marcel Alexander; Lukashev, Alexander N.; Gmyl, Anatoly; Coutard, Bruno; Adam, Alexander; Ritz, Daniel; Leijten, Lonneke M.; van Riel, Debby; Kallies, Rene; Klose, Stefan M.; Gloza-Rausch, Florian; Binger, Tabea; Annan, Augustina; Adu-Sarkodie, Yaw; Oppong, Samuel; Bourgarel, Mathieu; Rupp, Daniel; Hoffmann, Bernd; Schlegel, Mathias; Kümmerer, Beate M.; Krüger, Detlev H.; Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas; Setién, Alvaro Aguilar; Cottontail, Veronika M.; Hemachudha, Thiravat; Wacharapluesadee, Supaporn; Osterrieder, Klaus; Bartenschlager, Ralf; Matthee, Sonja; Beer, Martin; Kuiken, Thijs; Reusken, Chantal; Leroy, Eric M.; Ulrich, Rainer G.; Drosten, Christian

e portal inflammatory activity and low-grade fibrosis in a case with high hepacivirus RNA genomic organization of the novel viruses provides additional criteria for tentative classification. Like all hepaciviruses and in contrast to all members of the genus Pegivirus, the novel viruses have a discernible core gene [61] . In contrast to the genus Pestivirus [62] , their genomes contained no putative N pro and E rns genes in any reading frame. Finally, in contrast to the genus Flavivirus [63] , all rodent viruses showed IRES secondary structures in their 59genome termini. Some of the novel rodent IRES structures appeared to contain both elements related to type 3 IRES known from hepaci-and pestiviruses and type 4 IRES known from pegiviruses. Additionally, both M. glareolus rodent hepacivirus polyprotein clades were preceded by predominantly pegivirusrelated IRES structures, while the R. pumilio hepacivirus clade was preceded by a predominantly hepacivirus-related IRES. This may be compatible with ancient recombination events between Flaviviridae genera, a phenomenon known in the family Picornaviridae [64, 65] .