Molecular evolution and epidemiology of echovirus 6 in Finland

: Smura T, Kakkola L, Blomqvist S, Klemola P, Parsons A, Kallio-Kokko H, Savolainen-Kopra C, Kainov DE, Roivainen M

: 2013

: Infection, Genetics and Evolution

: Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases

: Infect Genet Evol

: 16

: 234

: 47

: 14

: 1567-1348

: 1567-7257

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2013.02.011

Echovirus 6 (E-6) (family Picornaviridae, genus Enterovirus) is one of the most commonly detected enteroviruses worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine molecular evolutionary and epidemiologic patterns of E-6. A complete genome of one E-6 strain and the partial VP1 coding regions of 169 strains were sequenced and analyzed along with sequences retrieved from the GenBank. The complete genome sequence analysis suggested complex recombination history for the Finnish E-6 strain. In VP1 region, the phylogenetic analysis suggested three major clusters that were further divided to several subclusters. The evolution of VP1 coding region was dominated by negative selection suggesting that the phylogeny of E-6 VP1 gene is predominantly a result of synonymous substitutions (i.e. neutral genetic drift). The partial VP1 sequence analysis suggested wide geographical distribution for some E-6 lineages. In Finland, multiple different E-6 lineages have circulated at the same time.