COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF VP8(ASTERISK) SEQUENCES FROM ROTAVIRUSES POSSESSING M37-LIKE VP4 RECOVERED FROM CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT DIARRHEA

Rotavirus strains belonging to G types 1 to 4 and having a P3 genotype (M37-1ike VP4) were recovered from children with symptomatic and asym ptomatic infections. Partial sequences of their VP4 genes were determi ned in an attempt to characterize these strains further. The genomic r egions encoding VP8, the connecting and putative fusion peptides and three other regions in VP5 were sequenced. The deduced amino acid seq uences were compared with rotavirus strains belonging to different P g enotypes that had been previously reported. High degrees of identity w ere found between the VP8 fragment of all human P3 strains (92.7 to 9 9.7%) suggesting that they belong to the same genotype, regardless of differences in their virulence. Furthermore, based on comparative sequ ence analysis, we did not identify any amino acid(s) that differ appre ciably between symptomatic and asymptomatic strains and could therefor e be associated with virulence. The results suggest that the P3 genoty pe, although frequently associated with asymptomatic infections, may n ot be the single determining factor in attenuation of symptoms.