Ying He , Bingxia Lu , Kiril M. Dimitrov, Jiaxing Liang, Zhongwei Chen , Wu Zhao , Yibin Qin , Qunpeng Duan , Yingning Zhou , Lei Liu, Bin Li , Lingtian Yu, Zhenhua Duan , Qi Liu

  Abstract Newcastle disease is an important poultry disease that also affects Columbiform birds. The viruses adapted to pigeons and doves are referred to as pigeon paramyxoviruses 1 (PPMV-1). PPMV-1 are frequently isolated from pigeons worldwide and have the potential to cause disease in chickens. The complete genomes of 18 PPMV-1 isolated in China during 2012–2018 were sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS).Comprehensive phylogenetic analyses showed that five of the viruses belong to sub-genotype VI1.2.1.1.2.1 and 13 isolates belong to sub-genotype VI.2.1.1.2.2. The results demonstrate that these sub-genotypes have been predominant in China during the last decade. The viruses of these sub-genotypes have been independently maintained and continuously evolved for over 20 years, and differ significantly from those causing outbreaks worldwide during the 1980s to 2010s. The viral reservoir remains unknown and possibilities of the viruses being maintained in both pigeon farms and wild bird populations are viable. In vivo characterization of the isolates’ pathogenicity estimated mean death times between 62 and 114 hours and intracerebral pathogenicity indices between 0.00 and 0.63. Cross-reactivity testing showed minor antigenic differences between the studied viruses and the genotype II LaSota vaccine. These data will facilitate PPMV-1 epidemiology studies, vaccine development, and control of Newcastle disease in pigeons and poultry.

Keywords: pigeon paramyxovirus 1; next-generation sequencing; phylogenetic analysis; Newcastle disease

鸽 I 型副粘病毒的全基因组测序及病原学特性的研究

鸽 I 型副粘病毒（PPMV-1）是新城疫病毒（NDV）中的基因 VI 型 NDV，广泛分布于世界各地，引起鸟类和家禽感染，并主要引起鸽科鸟类感染发病。目前，针对此类病原的监测报告和有关疫病的研究尚不充分，导致 PPMV-1 遗传进化信息和控制措施的缺乏。

广西兽医生物技术重点实验室何颖团队在PPMV-1全基因组测序及病原学特性研究上取得新进展，相关研究成果以“Complete Genome Sequencing, Molecular Epidemiological, and Pathogenicity Analysis ofPigeon Paramyxoviruses Type 1 Isolated in Guangxi, China during 2012-2018”为题，发表在国际病毒学专业学术期刊《病毒（viruses）》上。

该研究建立了适用于福尔马林固定石蜡包埋（FFPE）组织和体液样本中 PPMV-1的第二代测序技术（NGS）检测诊断方法，并将该方法用于FFPE样本中 PPMV-1 的诊断和全基因组测序，为最新国际 NDV 分类命名系统的建立提供了数据支持。该研究采用最新的 2019 国际统一 NDV 命名分类系统对广西肉鸽中流行的基因 VI 型 NDV 进行命名分类，发现广西肉鸽中存在 VI.2.1.1.2.1（VI j）型 NDV 毒株。该研究从 2012‑2018 年中国广西规模养鸽场的肉鸽中分离出 18 株 PPMV-1，通过研究证明了这些PPMV-1 可以感染鸡，导致鸡的部分组织器官损伤但不表现临床症状，这说明 PPMV-1 有可能在其他家禽物种中传播而构成潜在威胁风险。同时，研究还发现中国广西鸽场中流行的 PPMV-1毒株与 La Sota 疫苗存在微小的抗原性差异，这可能是使用 Class II 类其他基因型 NDV 疫苗接种鸽子而造成对 PPMV-1 免疫失败的原因。该研究所获得数据将有助于 PPMV-1 流行病学研究、疫苗开发以及对鸽子和家禽新城疫的有效防控。

何颖副研究员为文章第一作者，Kiril M. Dimitrov和刘棋研究员为共同通讯作者。