An open reading frame, denoted ORF2, present in the replication and stabilization region of plasmid pRmeGR4a of Rhizobium meliloti GR4, was identified by sequence analysis. This 1068-bp ORF2 potentially codes for a 356-amino-acid protein that seems to play a role in pRmeGR4a stabilization. Similarities of the ORF2-encoded protein with eukaryotic cytoskeletal proteins and DNA-binding proteins we...

Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV) is an aphid-infecting virus with a 10-kb ssRNA genome that contains two large open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 and ORF2 encode the nonstructural and structural polyproteins, respectively. Both ORFs are preceded by noncoding regions of 500 nt that could function as internal ribosome entry segments (IRESes). The sequence for ORF2 lacks an obvious initiation codon, ...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus genotype-3 (HEV-gt-3) causes autochthonous infections in western countries, with a primary reservoir in animals, especially pigs. HEV transfusion transmission has been reported, and HEV-gt-3 prevalence is high in some European countries. The prevalence of HEV RNA was investigated among Danish blood donors, and the prevalence of HEV transfusion-transmitted infection ...

Zoonotic transmission of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is mostly mediated by HEV-3 and HEV-4 genotypes, and domestic pigs are an important reservoir of these genotypes. A survey of 14 pig farms in Korea revealed HEV RNA in 30 of 148 (20.3%) fecal samples. HEV-3a and HEV-4c subtypes were identified in five pig farms (35.7%) and two pig farms (14.3%), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that ...

BACKGROUND Two hepatitis E virus (HEV) outbreaks occurred in Algeria (1979 - 1980 and 1987 - 1988). However, to date, no study on the prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies has been conducted in Algeria, and the genotype of the circulating strains remains unclear. OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to investigate the presence of anti- HEV antibodies among outpatients and blood donors in three dif...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections are a major cause of acute hepatitis in developing and industrialized countries. Little is known about anti-HEV immunity in solid-organ recipients. METHODS We screened 263 solid-organ recipients for anti-HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) at transplantation. They were followed up for 1 year and tested for HEV RNA and anti-HEV antibodies 1 year after trans...

Background.  Autochthonous hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been reported in over 200 solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients since 2006, yet little is known about the burden of HEV among SOT recipients in North America. We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with HEV infection among SOT recipients at our institution. M...

Infections with hepatitis E virus (HEV) in solid-organ transplant recipients can lead to chronic hepatitis. However, the incidence of de novo HEV infections after transplantation and risk for reactivation in patients with antibodies against HEV before transplantation are unknown. Pretransplant prevalence of these antibodies in 700 solid-organ transplant recipients at Toulouse University Hospita...

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2), a single-stranded DNA virus associated with post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome of swine, has two potential open reading frames, ORF1 and ORF2, greater than 600 nucleotides in length. ORF1 is predicted to encode a replication-associated protein (Rep) essential for replication of viral DNA, while ORF2 contains a conserved basic amino acid sequence at the N te...

Diagnosis of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is usually determined serologically by detection of the presence of immunoglobulin (Ig)M antibodies or rising anti-HEV IgG titers. However, serological assays have demonstrated a significant variation in their sensitivities and specificities. In this study, we present the systematic comparison of different immunological anti-HEV assays using complete serocon...