ObjectiveTo understand the L gene sequences of rabies virus isolated from wild Melogale moschata and domestic dogs and the mutation and genetic evolution characteristics of LP at the molecular level in Zhejiang.

MethodsThe nucleic acid sequence of the L gene coding region was determined by using laboratory-positive rabies virus samples, and the sequences of nucleotide acid and amino acid of L gene were analyzed with software bioanalysis, and the encoded protein were aligned with 36 reference sequence encoding regions from GenBank.

ResultsThe full-length nucleotide acid sequences of the L gene of rabies virus strains isolated from wild Melogale moschata (F02, F04) and domestic dogs (D01, D02) were obtained by sequencing and submitted to GenBank. The ORFs were all 6 387 bp, and all the encoding regions started with two consecutive codons ATG, encoding 2 128 amino acids. The short sequences of specific functions on the conserved domain of LP were almost completely conserved, and the sequence conservation between each domain was slightly poor. The polarity of most mutations did not change, and most of them were nonsense mutations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the wild rabies strains isolated from Melogale moschata and domestic dogs in Zhejiang belong to the traditional rabies virus Asian lineage and belong to the same phylogenetic group of the widely spread rabies virus in China.

ConclusionThe composition of the rabies virus L gene in Zhejiang is consistent with other traditional rabies viruses. The constructed phylogenetic tree has the same analytical effect as the N gene. The rabies virus from Melogale moschata still has the genetic characteristics of the native rabies virus. Domestic dog rabies virus might has same origin with rabies viruses in other host animals in China and might has cross transmission recently. Rabies viruses from different hosts have the evolution characteristics of population diversity and area specific spread characteristics.