Objective: Characterization of RdRp gene (L) of rabies virus aG and CTN181 strain in China.
Methods: Overlapped fragments were amplified and assembled. Then characterization and phylogenetic analyses as well as prediction of functional regions were performed using biologic softwares.
Results: L gene of CTN181 and aG strains were composed with 6387nt and 6384nt respectively and there were two repeated ATG in the start of L gene in CTN181 strain. In addition, some mutations and new functional regions were discovered and presumed to be crucial to the role of these regions in replication of rabies virus. Analyses of L gene provide new insight into the functional regions, and phylogenetic analyses showed that human vaccine strain aG were independent to others recommended by WHO.
Conclusions: The characterization of complete L genes will be helpful for research on new functional regions, antiviral drugs targeted at RdRp and phylogenetic analyses.