Genetic and Phylogenetic Analysis of Feline Coronavirus in Guangxi Province of China from 2021 to 2024

Overview

Journal Vet Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2024 Oct 25

PMID 39453047

Authors

Kaichuang Shi

Mengyi He

Yuwen Shi

Feng Long

Yandi Shi

Yanwen Yin

Yi Pan

Zongqiang Li

Shuping Feng

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Feline coronavirus (FCoV), as one of the important pathogens of feline viral gastroenteritis, has been attracting great attention. A total of 1869 rectal and nasal swabs, feces, and ascites samples were collected from eight regions in Guangxi province during 2021-2024. The multiplex RT-qPCR established in our laboratory was used to test these samples for FCoV, and 17.66% (330/1869) of the samples were positive for FCoV. The S, M, and N genes of 63 FCoV-positive samples were amplified and sequenced, and the genetic and evolutionary characteristics were analyzed. Similarity analysis showed that the nucleotide and amino acid homologies of S, M, and N genes were 81.2-99.6% and 70.2-99.5%, 89.9-100% and 91.6-100%, and 90.1-100% and 91.5-100%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all 63 FCoV strains, based on S gene sequences, belonged to type I FCoV (FCoV-I), and were clustered with Chinese strains and the Netherlands UU strains. Recombinant signals were detected in the S gene of strains GXLZ03-2022, GXLZ08-2022, and CCoV GD/2020/X9. The results suggest that FCoV is still prevalent in the Guangxi province of southern China, and the prevalent FCoV strains show high genetic diversity and novel epidemic characteristics.

References

Herrewegh A, Smeenk I, Horzinek M, Rottier P, de Groot R . Feline coronavirus type II strains 79-1683 and 79-1146 originate from a double recombination between feline coronavirus type I and canine coronavirus. J Virol. 1998; 72(5):4508-14. PMC: 109693. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.72.5.4508-4514.1998. View

Tasker S . Diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis: Update on evidence supporting available tests. J Feline Med Surg. 2018; 20(3):228-243. PMC: 10816288. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X18758592. View

Li C, Liu Q, Kong F, Guo D, Zhai J, Su M . Circulation and genetic diversity of Feline coronavirus type I and II from clinically healthy and FIP-suspected cats in China. Transbound Emerg Dis. 2018; 66(2):763-775. PMC: 7168551. DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13081. View

Gao Y, Wang Q, Liang X, Zhang S, Bao D, Zhao H . An updated review of feline coronavirus: mind the two biotypes. Virus Res. 2023; 326:199059. PMC: 10194308. DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199059. View

Belouzard S, Millet J, Licitra B, Whittaker G . Mechanisms of coronavirus cell entry mediated by the viral spike protein. Viruses. 2012; 4(6):1011-33. PMC: 3397359. DOI: 10.3390/v4061011. View

Zhu J, Deng S, Mou D, Zhang G, Fu Y, Huang W . Analysis of spike and accessory 3c genes mutations of less virulent and FIP-associated feline coronaviruses in Beijing, China. Virology. 2023; 589:109919. DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.109919. View

Ouyang H, Liu J, Yin Y, Cao S, Yan R, Ren Y . Epidemiology and Comparative Analyses of the S Gene on Feline Coronavirus in Central China. Pathogens. 2022; 11(4). PMC: 9031646. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040460. View

Tekes G, Thiel H . Feline Coronaviruses: Pathogenesis of Feline Infectious Peritonitis. Adv Virus Res. 2016; 96:193-218. PMC: 7112361. DOI: 10.1016/bs.aivir.2016.08.002. View

Zhou Q, Li Y, Huang J, Fu N, Song X, Sha X . Prevalence and molecular characteristics of feline coronavirus in southwest China from 2017 to 2020. J Gen Virol. 2021; 102(9). DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001654. View

10.

Olsen C, Corapi W, Ngichabe C, Baines J, Scott F . Monoclonal antibodies to the spike protein of feline infectious peritonitis virus mediate antibody-dependent enhancement of infection of feline macrophages. J Virol. 1992; 66(2):956-65. PMC: 240797. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.66.2.956-965.1992. View

11.

He W, Ji X, He W, Dellicour S, Wang S, Li G . Genomic Epidemiology, Evolution, and Transmission Dynamics of Porcine Deltacoronavirus. Mol Biol Evol. 2020; 37(9):2641-2654. PMC: 7454817. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa117. View

12.

Decaro N, Mari V, Lanave G, Lorusso E, Lucente M, Desario C . Mutation analysis of the spike protein in Italian feline infectious peritonitis virus and feline enteric coronavirus sequences. Res Vet Sci. 2021; 135:15-19. DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.12.023. View

13.

Yang H, Peng Q, Lang Y, Du S, Cao S, Wu R . Phylogeny, Evolution, and Transmission Dynamics of Canine and Feline Coronaviruses: A Retro-Prospective Study. Front Microbiol. 2022; 13:850516. PMC: 9087556. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.850516. View

14.

Jaimes J, Millet J, Stout A, Andre N, Whittaker G . A Tale of Two Viruses: The Distinct Spike Glycoproteins of Feline Coronaviruses. Viruses. 2020; 12(1). PMC: 7019228. DOI: 10.3390/v12010083. View

15.

Ehmann R, Kristen-Burmann C, Bank-Wolf B, Konig M, Herden C, Hain T . Reverse Genetics for Type I Feline Coronavirus Field Isolate To Study the Molecular Pathogenesis of Feline Infectious Peritonitis. mBio. 2018; 9(4). PMC: 6069117. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01422-18. View

16.

Guarnieri C, Bertola L, Ferrari L, Quintavalla C, Corradi A, Di Lecce R . Myocarditis in an FIP-Diseased Cat with FCoV M1058L Mutation: Clinical and Pathological Changes. Animals (Basel). 2024; 14(11). PMC: 11171033. DOI: 10.3390/ani14111673. View

17.

McBride R, Van Zyl M, Fielding B . The coronavirus nucleocapsid is a multifunctional protein. Viruses. 2014; 6(8):2991-3018. PMC: 4147684. DOI: 10.3390/v6082991. View

18.

Lauzi S, Stranieri A, Giordano A, Luzzago C, Zehender G, Paltrinieri S . Origin and transmission of Feline coronavirus type I in domestic cats from Northern Italy: a phylogeographic approach. Vet Microbiol. 2020; 244:108667. PMC: 7152909. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2020.108667. View

19.

Doki T, Yabe M, Takano T, Hohdatsu T . Differential induction of type I interferon by type I and type II feline coronaviruses in vitro. Res Vet Sci. 2018; 120:57-62. PMC: 7111755. DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2018.09.002. View

20.

Guo Z, Lu Q, Jin Q, Li P, Xing G, Zhang G . Phylogenetically evolutionary analysis provides insights into the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of porcine deltacoronavirus. BMC Vet Res. 2024; 20(1):22. PMC: 10782762. DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03863-2. View