Analysis of genetic factors related to preferential selection of the NSP1 gene segment observed in mixed infection and multiple passage of rotaviruses

Reassortment is one of the major evolutionary mechanisms of the rotavirus genome. Preferential selection (assortment) of the NSP1 gene segment from either of the parental viruses after coinfection of these viruses has been reported as a notable finding in reassortment. To analyze genetic factors which are associated with preferential selection of the rotavirus NSP1 gene segment into progeny viruses, mixed infection and multiple passages were performed using two panels of rotaviruses, i.e., bovine rotavirus A5 clones, and simian rotavirus SA11 and five strains of SA11-based single NSP1 gene-substitution reassortants. In the first experiment, three A5 clones (A5-10, A5-13, and A5-16) that had genetically distinct NSP1 genes in the same genetic background were used. In coinfection of these A5 clones, it was noted that the A5-10 NSP1 gene, which encodes an incomplete protein product due to presence of a nonsense codon at an unusual position, was selected more preferentially than the A5-13 NSP1 gene with intact length and structure. The A5-16 NSP1 gene, with a deletion of 500 bp, was least efficiently selected. In the second experiment, we prepared two reassortants, SOF and SRF, which have NSP1 genes from rotavirus strains OSU and RRV, respectively, in the genetic background of SA11, which were used together with previously prepared reassortants SKF, SDF, and SNF, which had NSP1 genes from strains KU, DS1, and K9, respectively. Among the 6 NSP1 genes analyzed, the NSP1 gene from SKF was most preferentially selected, followed by SNF, SOF, SDF, SA11, and SRF, in that order. Although SOF exhibited less growth efficacy than SA11, the growth rates of other reassortants were similar to that of SA11. These findings suggest that for the occurrence of preferential selection of the NSP1 gene, production of the intact NSP1 protein may not be involved, but the presence of intact length of the NSP1 gene may be required. Furthermore, it was also found that genetic similarity based on primary structure of this gene is not related to the selectivity of the NSP1 gene.