TY - JOUR AU - Chang, Hui-Wen AU - Egberink, Herman AU - Halpin, Rebecca AU - Spiro, David AU - Rottier, Peter J.M. T1 - Spike Protein Fusion Peptide and Feline Coronavirus Virulence T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2012 VL - 18 IS - 7 SP - 1089 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Coronaviruses are well known for their potential to change their host or tissue tropism, resulting in unpredictable new diseases and changes in pathogenicity; severe acute respiratory syndrome and feline coronaviruses, respectively, are the most recognized examples. Feline coronaviruses occur as 2 pathotypes: nonvirulent feline enteric coronaviruses (FECVs), which replicate in intestinal epithelium cells, and lethal feline infectious peritonitis viruses (FIPVs), which replicate in macrophages. Evidence indicates that FIPV originates from FECV by mutation, but consistent distinguishing differences have not been established. We sequenced the full genome of 11 viruses of each pathotype and then focused on the single most distinctive site by additionally sequencing hundreds of viruses in that region. As a result, we identified 2 alternative amino acid differences in the putative fusion peptide of the spike protein that together distinguish FIPV from FECV in >95% of cases. By these and perhaps other mutations, the virus apparently acquires its macrophage tropism and spreads systemically. KW - zoonoses KW - virulence KW - pathogenesis KW - virus tropism KW - feline coronavirus KW - feline infectious peritonitis virus KW - FIPV KW - feline enteric coronavirus KW - FECV KW - sequence KW - mutation KW - diagnosis KW - viruses KW - coronaviruses KW - the Netherlands DO - 10.3201/eid1807.120143 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/18/7/12-0143_article ER - End of Reference