This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vijgen, L. Articles by Van Ranst, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vijgen, L. Articles by Van Ranst, M.

Complete Genomic Sequence of Human Coronavirus OC43: Molecular Clock Analysis Suggests a Relatively Recent Zoonotic Coronavirus Transmission Event

Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Received 14 June 2004/ Accepted 16 September 2004

Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-stranded RNA viruses with a genome of approximately 30 kb. Based on genetic similarities, coronaviruses are classified into three groups. Two group 2 coronaviruses, human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) and bovine coronavirus (BCoV), show remarkable antigenic and genetic similarities. In this study, we report the first complete genome sequence (30,738 nucleotides) of the prototype HCoV-OC43 strain (ATCC VR759). Complete genome and open reading frame (ORF) analyses were performed in comparison to the BCoV genome. In the region between the spike and membrane protein genes, a 290-nucleotide deletion is present, corresponding to the absence of BCoV ORFs ns4.9 and ns4.8. Nucleotide and amino acid similarity percentages were determined for the major HCoV-OC43 ORFs and for those of other group 2 coronaviruses. The highest degree of similarity is demonstrated between HCoV-OC43 and BCoV in all ORFs with the exception of the E gene. Molecular clock analysis of the spike gene sequences of BCoV and HCoV-OC43 suggests a relatively recent zoonotic transmission event and dates their most recent common ancestor to around 1890. An evolutionary rate in the order of 4 x 10^–4 nucleotide changes per site per year was estimated. This is the first animal-human zoonotic pair of coronaviruses that can be analyzed in order to gain insights into the processes of adaptation of a nonhuman coronavirus to a human host, which is important for understanding the interspecies transmission events that led to the origin of the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Zeng, Q., Langereis, M. A., van Vliet, A. L. W., Huizinga, E. G., de Groot, R. J. (2008). Structure of coronavirus hemagglutinin-esterase offers insight into corona and influenza virus evolution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105: 9065-9069 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hasoksuz, M., Alekseev, K., Vlasova, A., Zhang, X., Spiro, D., Halpin, R., Wang, S., Ghedin, E., Saif, L. J. (2007). Biologic, Antigenic, and Full-Length Genomic Characterization of a Bovine-Like Coronavirus Isolated from a Giraffe. J. Virol. 81: 4981-4990 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vijaykrishna, D., Smith, G. J. D., Zhang, J. X., Peiris, J. S. M., Chen, H., Guan, Y. (2007). Evolutionary Insights into the Ecology of Coronaviruses. J. Virol. 81: 4012-4020 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vabret, A., Dina, J., Mourez, T., Gouarin, S., Petitjean, J., van der Werf, S., Freymuth, F. (2006). Inter- and intra-variant genetic heterogeneity of human coronavirus OC43 strains in France.. J. Gen. Virol. 87: 3349-3353 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vijgen, L., Keyaerts, E., Lemey, P., Maes, P., Van Reeth, K., Nauwynck, H., Pensaert, M., Van Ranst, M. (2006). Evolutionary History of the Closely Related Group 2 Coronaviruses: Porcine Hemagglutinating Encephalomyelitis Virus, Bovine Coronavirus, and Human Coronavirus OC43. J. Virol. 80: 7270-7274 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wong, S. S Y, Yuen, K Y (2005). Zoonotic potential of emerging animal diseases. BMJ 331: 1260-1260 [Full Text]  
• Lau, S. K. P., Woo, P. C. Y., Li, K. S. M., Huang, Y., Tsoi, H.-W., Wong, B. H. L., Wong, S. S. Y., Leung, S.-Y., Chan, K.-H., Yuen, K.-Y. (2005). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-like virus in Chinese horseshoe bats. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 14040-14045 [Abstract] [Full Text]