Molecular characterization of Brazilian avian pneumovirus isolates using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, restriction endonuclease analysis and sequencing of a G gene fragment

A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was employ ed to amplify a G gene transcript of the avian pneumovirus (APV) in two Eur opean turkey isolates and two Brazilian chicken isolates. The PCR products were digested using restriction endonucleases and the restriction patterns were compared with earlier reported isolate patterns. The same PCR products were cloned into pUC18 and sequenced. Restriction patterns and sequence an alyses of the approximately 600 bp products from both Brazilian isolates re vealed 99% identity with earlier reported subgroup A APV sequence, suggesti ng that these isolates belong to this subgroup.