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

A Bayesian phylogeny of the partial NS3 gene shown in Figure 3A suggested that the M. glareolus hepacivirus clade 1 was monophyletic with HCV and the canine/equine hepaciviruses. M. glareolus hepacivirus clade 2 was most closely related to GBV-B while the R. pumilio-associated clade formed a sister taxon to all other hepaciviruses. An analysis of all replicate trees indicated that the deep phylogenetic nodes were not resolved ( Figure 3A ). The monophyly of HCV and the M. glareolus clade 1 hepaciviruses was maintained in 68.6% of tree replicates (3,430 of 5,000). In another 28.9% of trees (1,446/5,000), the two M. glareolus hepacivirus clades clustered together. Monophyly of all three rodent hepacivirus clades and GBV-B was indicated in only 15 of 5,000 tree replicates (0.3%).