Molecular characterization of Menangle virus, a novel paramyxovirus which infects pigs, fruit bats, and humans

Menangle virus (MenV), isolated in August 1997 following an outbreak of rep roductive disease in a piggery in New South Wales, is the second previously unclassified member of the family Paramyxoviridae to be identified in Aust ralia since 1994. Similar to Hendra virus (HeV), MenV appears to be a virus of fruit bats (flying foxes) in the genus Pteropus. No serological cross-r eactivity was detected between MenV and other known paramyxoviruses and to facilitate virus classification a cDNA subtraction method was used to obtai n viral-specific cDNA from MenV-infected cells. Cloning and sequencing of t he products enabled the entire sequences of the NR P/V, M, F, and HN genes to be determined. Comparison of the nucleotide and deduced amino acid seque nces for each gene with members of the family Paramyxoviridae, determinatio n of the P gene mRNA editing strategy, and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that MenV is a new member of the genus Rubulavirus. However the deduced pro tein sequence of MenV HN exhibited only limited sequence homology when comp ared with attachment proteins of other paramyxoviruses, Key differences wit hin the amino acid residues considered important determinants of neuraminid ase activity suggest MenV HN is unlikely to possess the same degree of neur aminidase activity characteristic of other rubulavirus and respirovirus HN proteins. (C) 2001 Academic Press.