ABSTRACT
@#Abstract: Objective The main aim of the study is to sequence the complete genome of two Getah virus strains (GS11-155 and HNDZ1712-1) isolated in Gansu Province and Hainan Province in 2011 and 2017 respectively and analyze the molecular and genetic evolution of the two strains compared with M1, which was first isolated in 1964 in Hainan Province, China. Methods Genome of two newly isolated Getah viruses were sequenced by virus gene amplification technique, and the genomic database of Getah viruses was established. The molecular characteristics and genetic evolution of the viruses were analyzed by bioinformatics software. Results The genome length of two new isolated Getah virus strains (GS11-155 and HNDZ1712-1) was 11 690 nt and 11 621 nt, respectively. Both strains had the structural characteristics of Alphavirus genome. Although the nucleotide sequence lengths of structural genes, non-structural genes and non-coding junction regions of the two strains were identical, the nucleotide sequence lengths of the 5' and 3' non-coding regions of the viral genomes were a few different. The 3'UTR repeats elements in the genomes of the two virus strains did not change. It was 97.7% and 98.1% different of nucleotide and amino acid homology between both strains of Getah virus, HNDZ1712-1 isolated in 2017 and M1 isolated in 1964 in Hainan Province. Interesting, Gansu 2011 cluster and Hainan 2017 cluster were emerged leading by both strains GS11-155 and HNDZ1712-1 respectively, those two clusters totally independent with M1 virus isolated from Hainan in 1964 in whole genome phylogenetic analysis first. Conclusions Although the HNDZ1712-1 was also isolated from mosquito samples in Hainan Province, it was in a completely different evolutionary branch from the M1 isolated from Hainan Island in 1964, and was closely related to the strain isolated from Gansu Province (GS11-155) thousands of kilometers away. It is suggested that the two new strains of Getah virus are different from the Getah virus isolated in 1964.