Molecular characterization of Brazilian FeLV strains in S ão Luis, Maranhão Brazil

AbstractThe feline leukemia virus (FeLV) belongs to theRetroviridae family andGammaretrovirus genus, and causes a variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases in domestic cats (Felis catus), such as thymic and multicentric lymphomas, myelodysplastic syndromes, acute myeloid leukemia, aplastic anemia, and immunodeficiency. The aim of the present study was to carry out the molecular characterization of FeLV-positive samples and determine the circulating viral subtype in the city of S ão Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, as well as identify its phylogenetic relationship and genetic diversity. The FIV Ac/FeLV Ag Test Kit (Alere™) and the commercial immunoenzymatic assay kit (Alere™) were used to detect the positive samples, which were subsequently confirmed by ELISA (ELISA - SNAP® C ombo FeLV/FIV). To confirm the presence of proviral DNA, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the target fragments of 450, 235, and 166 bp of the FeLVgag gene. For the detection of FeLV subtypes, nested PCR was performed for FeLV-A, B, and C, with amplification of 2350-, 1072-, 866-, and 1755-bp fragments for the FeLVenv gene. The results obtained by nested PCR showed that the four positive samples amplified the A and B subtypes. The C subtype was not amplified. There was an AB combination but no ABC combination. Phylogenetic analysis revealed similarities (78%bootstrap) between the subtype circulating in Brazil and FeLV-AB and with the subtypes of Eastern Asia (Japan) and So...
Source: Virus Genes - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research