Analysis of 15 different genome types of adenovirus type 7 isolated on five continents

A total of 15 different genome types of adenovirus type 7 (Ad7), i.e., Ad7p, Ad7p1, Ad7a, Ad7a1 to Ad7a5, Ad7b, Ad7c, Ad7d, Ad7d1, Ad7e, Ad7f, and Ad7g, were identified among 40 selected strains isolated in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Australia by using restriction endonucleases BamHI, BclI, BglI, BglII, BstEII, EcoRI, HindIII, HpaI, SalI, SmaI, XbaI, and XhoI. Eight of them, Ad7p1, Ad7a1 to Ad7a5, Ad7d1, and Ad7g, are newly discovered. All 15 genome types could be distinguished by the four restriction endonucleases BamHI, BclI, BglI, and XbaI. At least four restriction sites differed between Ad7d and Ad7g. Pairwise analyses of comigrating DNA restriction fragments of all 15 Ad7 genome types were performed and presented in a schematic fashion. According to the degree of comigration of DNA restriction fragments, the 15 genome types could be divided into three clusters. Ad7b was the dominant genome type in different parts of the world and may have evolved in China into Ad7d and further to Ad7d1.