Molecular characterization of Newcastle disease viruses isolated from recent outbreaks in Taiwan

A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was described which amplified a portion of the F and HN genes of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolated from recent outbreaks in Taiwan. The F protein plays an important role in determining the virulence of NDV strains. Sequencing of a region specifying the F protein cleavage site was therefore undertaken and this verified the correlation between deduced amino sequences and pathogenicity. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of the F protein cleavage site showed that all recent Taiwanese isolates in 1999 were velogenic viruses. All the virulent viruses have the amino acid sequence 112RRQKR116 for the C-terminus of the F2 protein and phenylanine (F) at the N-terminus of the F1 protein, residue 117. A phylogenetic tree based on the nucleotide sequences of the F gene revealed that recent Taiwanese NDV isolates responsible for recent outbreaks were classified into two distant genotypes (VI and VII). Genotype VI virus is the first finding in Taiwan and has a highly genetic similarity to European isolates, suggesting that they might have originated from a common ancestor.