Molecular analysis of the prototype coxsackievirus B5 genome

To facilitate studies of the phylogenetic relationship between enteroviruse s, in particular the prototype strain (Faulkner) of coxsackievirus B5 (CVB5 F) and other CVB5 isolates and to facilitate studies of the interactions be tween CVB5F and the target cell, the complete nucleotide sequence of the pr ototype has been determined. The complete: sequence was collected from thre e overlapping reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) gene rated amplicons. Molecular analysis of the CVB5F; genome verified that this strain is more related to other CVB5 isolates and to swine vesicular disea se virus strains than to other enteroviruses. In addition, comparison of th e amino acid sequence derived from the structural genes indicated a divisio n of group B coxsackievirus into subgroups, where CVB1, CVB3 and CVB35 cons titute one group, CVB2 and CVB4 from a second group and CVB6 prototype form s a branch of its own. This observation, supported by reports describing th e interactions between CVB and the cell surface, may reflect that these sub groups of group B coxsackieviruses have evolved to use slightly different a pproaches to carry out the complete infectious cycle within the cell.