[Hemogglutinin gene and amino acid characteristic of measles virus in Jilin province, 2001-2008].

Objective: To study the genetic characteristic and amino acid mutation of hemogglutinin (H) protein of measles viruses circulated in Jilin provine in 2001-2008.

Methods: 5 representative strains of measles virus circulated in Jilin provine in 2001-2008 were chosen to conduct the RNA extraction and the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) for amplifying H gene and to do sequence analysis of the PCR products, and then to compare with Chinese vaccine strain S191 and 23 kinds of genotypes of measles virus representative strains from genebank for analysis of phylogenetic, nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity and variation, glycosylated domains variation.

Results: 5 strains of measles virus belong to H1 genotype, H1a sub-genotype. There were 6-17 (0.3%-0.9%) nucleotides and 3-9 (0.5%-1.5%) amino acids differences among 5 strains. There were 9-17 (0.5%-0.9%) nucleotides and 3-7 (0.5%-1.2%) amino acids differences between 5 strains and China 93-4, and 89-95 (4.8%-5.1%) nucleotides and 25-30 (4.1%-4.8%) amino acids differences between 5 strains and China vaccine S191. H protein of 5 measles virus all keep 4 glycosylation sites, the fifth glycosylation site NLS238-240 was losen because of the mutation from Set to Asn. in 240th amino acids.

Conclusion: 5 measles virus circulated in Jilin province in 2001-2008 lose one glycosylation site which probably affected antigenencity. The nucleotides and amino acids differences among 5 strains were not too but both the nucleotides and amino acids identity showed falling trend year after year with both China 93-4 and S191. The H gene variation of measles virus in Jilin province was still increasing and accumulating year by year.