[Correlation between serotype and electrophoretype of rotaviruses isolated in 2 Mexican populations]

In order to study the correlation between the serotype specificity and the genomic RNA electrophoretic pattern (electropherotype) of human rotavirus (HRV) strains, we analyzed the electropherotypes of 54 HRV that had been collected during a four year study in Mexico, and whose serotypes had been previously determined. We detected 17 different electropherotypes, four in association with serotype G1, two with serotype G2, six with serotype G3, and five with serotype G4. There were no viruses with the same electropherotype having a different serotype. The variations in RNA electrophoretic migration were greater between viruses belonging to different serotypes than between viruses of the same serotype. It is of note that the relative separation of RNA segments 7 and 9 remained constant among viruses of the same serotype. Electropherotyping might have a serotype predictive value for rotavirus specimens lacking the virion outer capsid.