NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS (TYPE 3B) ISOLATED FROM A JAPANESE PATIENT WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C

The genomic sequences of many hepatitis C virus (HCV) isolates have be en reported and a variety of virus genotypes have been classified base d on homology in the conserved regions. We have previously identified five distinct genotypes (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b and 3b) in Japanese patients w ith chronic HCV infection by comparing the sequences of the NS5 region . The complete nucleotide sequence for five genotypes (1a, 1b, 1c, 2a and 2b) have already been reported and we report here the complete nuc leotide sequence of genotype 3b. The isolate (HCV Tr) was 9439 nucleot ides long, excluding the poly(U) tract at its 3' end, and encodes a si ngle long open readingframe of 3023 amino acids. Total nucleotide sequ ence homologies were 68.4 to 68.7 %, 68.3 to 69.0 %, 67.2 %, 65.8 % an d 65.6 % compared with type 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a and 2b genomes, respectivel y. The amino acid sequences of these five genotypes were highly homolo gous in the core, NS3 and NSSB regions, but the E2/NS1 region, which c ontains hypervariable regions 1 and 2, and the NSSA region were poorly conserved. Although it was possible to detect antibody against the re latively homologous core and NS3 regions by ELISA, the presence of div ergent protein structures must be taken into account in the developmen t of a vaccine.