Allpahuayo virus: A newly recognized arenavirus (Arenaviridae) from arboreal rice rats (Oecomys bicolor and Oecomys paricola) in northeastern Peru

Allpahuayo virus was initially isolated from arboreal rice rats (Oecomys bi color and Oecomys paricola) collected during 1997 at the Allpahuayo Biologi cal Station in northeastern Peru. Serological and genetic studies identifie d the virus as a new member of the Tacaribe complex of the genus Arenavirus . The small (S) segment of the AHpahuayo virus prototype strain CLHP-2098 ( Accession No. AY012686) was sequenced, as well as that of sympatric isolate CLHP-2472 (Accession No. AY012687), from the same rodent species. The S se gment was 3382 bases in length and phylogenetic analysis indicated that All pahuayo is a sister virus to Pichinde in clade A. Two ambisense, nonoverlap ping reading frames were identified, which result in two predicted gene pro ducts, a glycoprotein precursor (GPC) and a nucleocapsid protein (NP). A pr edicted stable single hairpin secondary structure was identified in the int ergenic region between GPC and NP Details of the genetic organization of Al lpahuayo virus are discussed. (C) 2001 Academic Press.