Virus causing respiratory tract illness in susceptible mammals
The invention relates to the field of virology. The invention provides an isolated essentially mammalian negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus (MPV) within the subfamily Pneumovirinae of the family Paramyxoviridae and identifiable as phylogenetically corresponding to the genus Metapneumovirus and components thereof.
1. A method for diagnosing a human metapneumovirus infection in a mammal, the method comprising:
determining in a sample from the mammal the presence of a component of human metapneumovirus by hybridizing a nucleic acid amplification product of the sample with a DNA molecule of at least 10 nucleotides in length that is at least 90% identical to a stretch of the DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO: 36, or the complement thereof, wherein the nucleic acid amplification product is the product of a nucleic acid amplification reaction with a nucleic acid from the sample as the template for the reaction;
wherein hybridization of the DNA molecule with the nucleic acid amplification product indicates human metaPneumovirus infection of the mammal; and
wherein the nucleic acid amplification product comprises DNA.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification reaction is selected from the group consisting of PCR, RAP, and RT-PCR.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the DNA molecule is at least 18 nucleotides in length.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the DNA molecule is at least 90% identical to a stretch of nucleotides in bases 27-1277 of DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO: 36, or the complement thereof.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the DNA molecule is at least 25 nucleotides in length.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the DNA molecule is at least 90% identical to a stretch of nucleotides in bases 27-1277 of DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO: 36, or the complement thereof.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the DNA molecule is at least 90% identical to a stretch of nucleotides in bases 27-1277 of DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO: 36, or the complement thereof.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the DNA molecule comprises SEQ ID NO: 122.
9. A method for diagnosing a human metaPneumovirus infection of a mammal, the method comprising:
determining in a sample from the mammal the presence of human metaPneumovirus or a component thereof by hybridizing a nucleic acid amplification product of the sample with a DNA molecule specifically reactive with a stretch of at least 10 nucleotides of the DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO: 36, or the complement thereof, wherein the nucleic acid amplification product is the product of a nucleic acid amplification reaction with a nucleic acid from the sample as the template for the reaction;
wherein hybridization of the DNA molecule with the nucleic acid amplification product indicates human metaPneumovirus infection of the mammal; and
wherein the nucleic acid amplification product comprises DNA.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein nucleic acid amplification reaction is selected from the group consisting of PCR, RAP, and RT-PCR.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the DNA molecule is at least 18 nucleotides in length.
12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the DNA is at least 25 nucleotides in length.
13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the DNA molecule is specifically reactive with a stretch of at least 18 nucleotides of the DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO: 36.
14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the DNA molecule is specifically reactive with a stretch of at least 25 nucleotides of the DNA sequence of SEQ ID NO: 36.
15. A method of detecting if human metaPneumovirus is present in a mammalian subject, the method comprising:
reacting an amplified product with a DNA molecule that hybridizes with the amplified product;
hybridizing the DNA molecule to the amplified product; and
detecting the hybridized DNA molecule;
wherein the amplified product is the product of a nucleic acid amplification reaction with a set of primers for the amplification of at least a portion of the N gene of human metaPneumovirus and a nucleic acid from the sample as the template for the reaction,
wherein the N gene, when transcribed and translated, produces a polypeptide at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 1; and
wherein the detection of the hybridized DNA molecule indicates the presence of human metaPneumovirus in the mammalian subject; and
wherein the amplified product comprises DNA.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification reaction is selected from the group consisting of PCR, RAP, and RT-PCR.
17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the DNA molecule comprises a label.
18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein detecting the hybridized DNA molecule comprises detecting the label.
19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the DNA molecule is at least 10 bases in length.
20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the DNA molecule is at least 40 bases in length.
21. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the DNA molecule comprises SEQ ID NO: 122.
22. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the set of primers comprises SEQ ID NOs: 113 and 114.
23. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the N gene comprises bases 27-1227 of SEQ ID NO:36.
24. A method of detecting if human metaPneumovirus is present in a mammalian subject, the method comprising:
reacting an amplified product with a DNA molecule of at least 25 nucleotides in length that specifically hybridizes with the amplified product;
hybridizing the DNA molecule to the amplified product; and
detecting the hybridized DNA molecule;
wherein the amplified product is the product of a nucleic acid amplification reaction with a set of primers for the amplification of at least a portion of the N gene of human metaPneumovirus and a nucleic acid from the sample as the template for the reaction,
wherein the N gene, when transcribed and translated, produces a polypeptide at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 1; and
wherein detection of the hybridized DNA molecule indicates the presence of human metaPneumovirus in the mammalian subject; and
wherein the amplified product comprises DNA.