Skip to main content
PMC home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1990 Mar;87(6):2057–2061. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.6.2057

Hepatitis C virus shares amino acid sequence similarity with pestiviruses and flaviviruses as well as members of two plant virus supergroups.

R H Miller 1, R H Purcell 1
PMCID: PMC53625  PMID: 2156259

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important human pathogen that is associated with transfusion-related non-A, non-B hepatitis. Recently, HCV cDNA was cloned and the nucleotide sequence of approximately three-quarters of the virus genome was determined. A region of the predicted polyprotein sequence was found to share similarity with a nonstructural protein encoded by dengue virus, a member of the flavivirus family. We report here that HCV shares an even greater degree of protein sequence similarity with members of the pestivirus group (i.e., bovine viral diarrhea virus and hog cholera virus), which are thought to be distantly related to the flaviviruses. In addition, we find that HCV shares significant protein sequence similarity with the polyproteins encoded by members of the picornavirus-like and alphavirus-like plant virus supergroups. These data suggest that HCV may be evolutionarily related to both plant and animal viruses.

Full text

PDF
2057

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alter H. J., Purcell R. H., Holland P. V., Popper H. Transmissible agent in non-A, non-B hepatitis. Lancet. 1978 Mar 4;1(8062):459–463. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)90131-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blum H. E., Vyas G. N. Non-A, non-B hepatitis: a contemporary assessment. Haematologia (Budap) 1982;15(2):153–173. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bradley D. W., McCaustland K. A., Cook E. H., Schable C. A., Ebert J. W., Maynard J. E. Posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis in chimpanzees. Physicochemical evidence that the tubule-forming agent is a small, enveloped virus. Gastroenterology. 1985 Mar;88(3):773–779. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brutlag D. L., Clayton J., Friedland P., Kedes L. H. SEQ: a nucleotide sequence analysis and recombination system. Nucleic Acids Res. 1982 Jan 11;10(1):279–294. doi: 10.1093/nar/10.1.279. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. COOPER P. D. RESCUE OF ONE PHENOTYPE IN MIXED INFECTIONS WITH HEAT-DEFECTIVE MUTANTS OF TYPE 1 POLIOVIRUS. Virology. 1965 Mar;25:431–438. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(65)90064-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Castle E., Leidner U., Nowak T., Wengler G., Wengler G. Primary structure of the West Nile flavivirus genome region coding for all nonstructural proteins. Virology. 1986 Feb;149(1):10–26. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(86)90082-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Choo Q. L., Kuo G., Weiner A. J., Overby L. R., Bradley D. W., Houghton M. Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science. 1989 Apr 21;244(4902):359–362. doi: 10.1126/science.2523562. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Coia G., Parker M. D., Speight G., Byrne M. E., Westaway E. G. Nucleotide and complete amino acid sequences of Kunjin virus: definitive gene order and characteristics of the virus-specified proteins. J Gen Virol. 1988 Jan;69(Pt 1):1–21. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-69-1-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Colett M. S., Larson R., Gold C., Strick D., Anderson D. K., Purchio A. F. Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the pestivirus bovine viral diarrhea virus. Virology. 1988 Jul;165(1):191–199. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(88)90672-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Deubel V., Kinney R. M., Trent D. W. Nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence of the nonstructural proteins of dengue type 2 virus, Jamaica genotype: comparative analysis of the full-length genome. Virology. 1988 Jul;165(1):234–244. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(88)90677-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Dienstag J. L. Non-A, non-B hepatitis. I. Recognition, epidemiology, and clinical features. Gastroenterology. 1983 Aug;85(2):439–462. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Domier L. L., Franklin K. M., Shahabuddin M., Hellmann G. M., Overmeyer J. H., Hiremath S. T., Siaw M. F., Lomonossoff G. P., Shaw J. G., Rhoads R. E. The nucleotide sequence of tobacco vein mottling virus RNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 1986 Jul 11;14(13):5417–5430. doi: 10.1093/nar/14.13.5417. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Fagan E. A., Ellis D. S., Tovey G. M., Lloyd G., Portmann B., Williams R., Zuckerman A. J. Toga-like virus as a cause of fulminant hepatitis attributed to sporadic non-A, non-B. J Med Virol. 1989 Jul;28(3):150–155. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890280308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Fagan E. A., Williams R. Non-A, non-B hepatitis. Semin Liver Dis. 1984 Nov;4(4):314–335. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1040661. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Feinstone S. M., Alter H. J., Dienes H. P., Shimizu Y., Popper H., Blackmore D., Sly D., London W. T., Purcell R. H. Non-A, non-B hepatitis in chimpanzees and marmosets. J Infect Dis. 1981 Dec;144(6):588–598. doi: 10.1093/infdis/144.6.588. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Feinstone S. M., Kapikian A. Z., Purcell R. H., Alter H. J., Holland P. V. Transfusion-associated hepatitis not due to viral hepatitis type A or B. N Engl J Med. 1975 Apr 10;292(15):767–770. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197504102921502. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Goldbach R., Wellink J. Evolution of plus-strand RNA viruses. Intervirology. 1988;29(5):260–267. doi: 10.1159/000150054. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Gorbalenya A. E., Donchenko A. P., Koonin E. V., Blinov V. M. N-terminal domains of putative helicases of flavi- and pestiviruses may be serine proteases. Nucleic Acids Res. 1989 May 25;17(10):3889–3897. doi: 10.1093/nar/17.10.3889. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Guilley H., Carrington J. C., Balàzs E., Jonard G., Richards K., Morris T. J. Nucleotide sequence and genome organization of carnation mottle virus RNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Sep 25;13(18):6663–6677. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.18.6663. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Hahn Y. S., Galler R., Hunkapiller T., Dalrymple J. M., Strauss J. H., Strauss E. G. Nucleotide sequence of dengue 2 RNA and comparison of the encoded proteins with those of other flaviviruses. Virology. 1988 Jan;162(1):167–180. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(88)90406-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. He L. F., Alling D., Popkin T., Shapiro M., Alter H. J., Purcell R. H. Determining the size of non-A, non-B hepatitis virus by filtration. J Infect Dis. 1987 Oct;156(4):636–640. doi: 10.1093/infdis/156.4.636. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Khatchikian D., Orlich M., Rott R. Increased viral pathogenicity after insertion of a 28S ribosomal RNA sequence into the haemagglutinin gene of an influenza virus. Nature. 1989 Jul 13;340(6229):156–157. doi: 10.1038/340156a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Korn L. J., Queen C. L., Wegman M. N. Computer analysis of nucleic acid regulatory sequences. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Oct;74(10):4401–4405. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.10.4401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Kuo G., Choo Q. L., Alter H. J., Gitnick G. L., Redeker A. G., Purcell R. H., Miyamura T., Dienstag J. L., Alter M. J., Stevens C. E. An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiologic virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science. 1989 Apr 21;244(4902):362–364. doi: 10.1126/science.2496467. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Laín S., Riechmann J. L., Martín M. T., García J. A. Homologous potyvirus and flavivirus proteins belonging to a superfamily of helicase-like proteins. Gene. 1989 Oct 30;82(2):357–362. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(89)90063-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Mackow E., Makino Y., Zhao B. T., Zhang Y. M., Markoff L., Buckler-White A., Guiler M., Chanock R., Lai C. J. The nucleotide sequence of dengue type 4 virus: analysis of genes coding for nonstructural proteins. Virology. 1987 Aug;159(2):217–228. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(87)90458-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Mandl C. W., Heinz F. X., Stöckl E., Kunz C. Genome sequence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (Western subtype) and comparative analysis of nonstructural proteins with other flaviviruses. Virology. 1989 Nov;173(1):291–301. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(89)90246-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Mattsson L. Chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis with special reference to the transfusion-associated form. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl. 1989;59:1–55. doi: 10.3109/inf.1988.20.suppl-59.01. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Meyers G., Rümenapf T., Thiel H. J. Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the genome of hog cholera virus. Virology. 1989 Aug;171(2):555–567. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(89)90625-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Needleman S. B., Wunsch C. D. A general method applicable to the search for similarities in the amino acid sequence of two proteins. J Mol Biol. 1970 Mar;48(3):443–453. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(70)90057-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Pearson W. R., Lipman D. J. Improved tools for biological sequence comparison. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Apr;85(8):2444–2448. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.8.2444. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Purcell R. H., Gerin J. L., Popper H., London W. T., Cicmanec J., Eichberg J. W., Newman J., Hrinda M. E. Hepatitis B virus, hepatitis non-A, non-B virus and hepatitis delta virus in lyophilized antihemophilic factor: relative sensitivity to heat. Hepatology. 1985 Nov-Dec;5(6):1091–1099. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840050606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Rice C. M., Lenches E. M., Eddy S. R., Shin S. J., Sheets R. L., Strauss J. H. Nucleotide sequence of yellow fever virus: implications for flavivirus gene expression and evolution. Science. 1985 Aug 23;229(4715):726–733. doi: 10.1126/science.4023707. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Sumiyoshi H., Mori C., Fuke I., Morita K., Kuhara S., Kondou J., Kikuchi Y., Nagamatu H., Igarashi A. Complete nucleotide sequence of the Japanese encephalitis virus genome RNA. Virology. 1987 Dec;161(2):497–510. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(87)90144-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Yaegashi T., Vakharia V. N., Page K., Sasaguri Y., Feighny R., Padmanabhan R. Partial sequence analysis of cloned dengue virus type 2 genome. Gene. 1986;46(2-3):257–267. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(86)90410-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES