Bs. Seal et al., Molecular evolution of the Newcastle disease virus matrix protein gene andphylogenetic relationships among the paramyxoviridae, VIRUS RES, 66(1), 2000, pp. 1-11
Matrix (M) gene sequences for recent field isolates and older reference New
castle disease viruses (NDV) were examined to determine phylogenetic relati
onships and population trends among these viruses. Overall, the M gene has
a majority of synonymous nucleotide sequence substitutions occurring among
NDV isolates. However, several predicted amino acid changes in the M protei
n of specific NDV isolates have occurred that correlate to phylogenetic rel
ationships. Nucleotide substitutions in these codons have a greater number
of nonsynonymous base changes. The NDV isolates arising since the 1970s bel
ong to a population of viruses that expanded worldwide at an exponential ra
te. These viruses may have their origins in free-living birds, are present
worldwide, and continue to circulate causing disease in poultry. A specific
NDV lineage composed of virulent isolates obtained in the US prior to 1970
appears to no longer exists among free-living birds or commercial poultry.
However, "vaccine-like" viruses are common in the US and continue to circu
late among commercial poultry. Based on M protein amino acid sequences, NDV
separates as a clade most closely related to morbilliviruses and not with
their current designated category, the rubulaviruses among the Paramyxoviri
dae. Consequently, avian paramyxoviruses should have their own taxonomic su
bfamily among the Paramyxovirinae. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All right
s reserved.