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Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

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DAO 134:1-13 (2019)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03354

Low intraspecific variation of Frog virus 3 with evidence for novel FV3-like isolates in central and northwestern Canada

Samantha A. Grant1, Joe-Felix Bienentreu2, Sibelle Torres Vilaça1,*, Craig R. Brunetti1,3, David Lesbarrères2, Dennis L. Murray1,3, Christopher J. Kyle1,4

1Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
2Genetics and Ecology of Amphibians Research Group (GEARG), Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2C6, Canada
3Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
4Forensic Science Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 7B8, Canada
*Corresponding author:

ABSTRACT: Frog virus 3 (FV3) and FV3-like ranaviruses can infect a variety of cold-blooded aquatic species and present a primary threat to amphibians across the globe. Previous studies of FV3-like viruses have largely investigated higher-level phylogenetic distinctions of these pathogens via portions of the conserved major capsid protein (MCP), and the putative virulence gene vIF-2α. Few studies, however, have investigated the spatial distribution of FV3 variants at the population level – data that can be used to further understand the spatial epidemiology of this disease. In this study, we sequenced the MCP and vIF-2α of 127 FV3-positive amphibians sampled from Canadian water bodies in Ontario, northeastern Alberta, and southern Northwest Territories to explore whether intraspecific genetic variation exists within FV3. There was a lack of variation at the 2 markers across these regions, suggesting that there is a lack of FV3 sequence diversity in Canada, which may hint at a single source of infection that has spread. However, an undocumented variant termed Wood Buffalo ranavirus (WBRV) was detected in samples from 3 sites in Alberta and Northwest Territories that clustered within the FV3-like lineage with 99.3% sequence homology for MCP. For vIF-2α, all sequences were the expected truncated variant except for 6 samples in Ontario. These latter sequences were suggestive of recombination with common midwife toad virus (CMTV). The lack of variation suggests that higher-resolution genome analyses will be required to further explore the spatial spread and intraspecific variation of the disease.


KEY WORDS: Frog virus 3 · Ranavirus · Phylogenetic · Major capsid protein · vIF-2α · Amphibians · Wildlife disease


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Cite this article as: Grant SA, Bienentreu JF, Vilaça ST, Brunetti CR, Lesbarrères D, Murray DL, Kyle CJ (2019) Low intraspecific variation of Frog virus 3 with evidence for novel FV3-like isolates in central and northwestern Canada. Dis Aquat Org 134:1-13. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03354

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