Detection Of Borna Disease Virus P40 Gene Fragment And Nuclear Protein In Brain Tissue Of Bats From Zunyi Region Of Guizhou Province

Objective: To investigate whether Borna disease virus(BDV) natural infection exist in the bats from Zunyi region of Guizhou province and compare the homology of the BDV p40 nucleotide sequence from the healthy bats in Zunyi area of Guizhou province with foreign standard strains and epidemic strains. Further enrich the epidemiological characteristics of BDV in Guizhou province.Methods: The BDV p40 gene fragment in frontal and temporal lobe brain tissue of 82 bats were detected by fluorescence quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(FQ-RT-PCR). The BDV p40 positive samples were purified, cloned and sequenced. The BDV p40 gene fragment was compared with the foreign standard strains and epidemic strains, and analyzed the homology and variation. Meanwhile, the Western blotting(WB) was used to detect the BDV nuclear protein in brain tissues from bats.Results: It was found that the positive rate of the BDV p40 gene fragment in frontal and temporal lobe brain tissue of 82 bats from Zunyi city of Guizhou province was 12.2%(10/82), the sequencing results of the BDV p40 positive samples from bats were imported into the National center for biotechnology information(NCBI) system to analyze their homologies with the foreign strains and epidemic strains. The BDV p40 fragment nucleotide sequence compared with Strain V and H1766 exhibited 96.2% homology, and 3 genetic loci with consistently silent mutations were noted(nt548G>T,nt550T>G,nt553A>T), the mutations rate was 3.8%(3/78). When it compared with He/80 exhibited 94.9% homology, and 4 genetic loci with consistently silent mutations were demonstrated(nt548G>T,nt550T>G,nt553A>T,nt609T>C), the mutations rate was 5.1%(4/78). However, no changes in the encoded amino acid were noted. The nuclear protein of BDV was detected in 10 bats, and the positive rate was 12.2%(10/82). The BDV p40 gene fragment and nuclear protein were detected in six bats of them.Conclusion:The natural infection of BDV exists in wild bats from Zunyi region of Guizhou province. And the BDV p40 nucleotide sequences from wild bats are highly homologouswith Strain V and H1766, Guizhou also probably is the prevalence regions of BDV.