Genomic Characterization of Two Chinese Isolates of Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome Virus

The genomes of two isolates of porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV) from China, designated HB-1(sh)/2002 and HB-2(sh)/2002, were sequenced and analyzed. The size of the genomes of HB-1(sh)/2002 and HB-2(sh)/2002 were 15,411 and 15,373 nucleotides respectively, excluding the poly(A) tails. Comparative analysis with the genomic sequences of another Chinese isolate (BJ-4) and North American (VR2332) and European (Lelystad virus, LV) viruses revealed that HB-1(sh)/2002 shared 89.8% identity with BJ-4 and VR2332, but only 54.7% with LV; while HB-2(sh)/2002 shared 89.4% and 89.5% identity with BJ-4 and VR2332 respectively and 54.3% with LV, indicating that the two new Chinese isolates were related to the North American PRRSV genotype. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequence of the structural protein ORF's showed that the two new Chinese isolates belong to same genetic subgroup. HB-2(sh)/2002 additionally exhibited variations in the NSP2 nonstructural protein encoded by ORF1 and the structural protein GP3 encoded by ORF3 in comparison with other North American PRRSV isolates, namely a 12 amino acids deletion in Nsp2 and one amino acid deletion in GP3 were found in HB-2(sh)/2002. Therefore, HB-2(sh)/2002 was a novel strain with unique deletions.