Genetic diversity in natural populations of mammalian reoviruses: tryptic peptide analysis of outer capsid polypeptides of murine, bovine, and human type 1 and 3 reovirus strains.

We have studied the structural relationships between the outer capsid polypeptides of eight murine, bovine, and human isolates of type 1 and 3 mammalian reoviruses. Our results show that the outer capsid polypeptides of reoviruses isolated from different mammalian species, in different years and different geographical areas, have both conserved and unique methionine-containing tryptic peptides. We found that tryptic peptides from mu 1C polypeptides of two human, one murine, and two bovine type 3 isolates and one human and two bovine type 1 reoviruses are highly conserved. Our data show that only one tryptic peptide pattern of the mu 1C polypeptide (encoded by the M2 gene) was present in reoviruses isolated from the three different mammalian species. The mu 1C polypeptide of the type 3 Dearing strain contained one tryptic peptide not found in any other reovirus isolate examined. In marked contrast to the mu 1C polypeptides, the sigma 3 polypeptides (encoded by the S4 gene) of three type 1 and three type 3 isolates were divided into two patterns based on significant differences in their tryptic peptides. In addition, at least seven tryptic peptides were conserved among the sigma 3 polypeptides of all virus strains examined. The sigma 3 polypeptide of the type 3 Dearing strain was distinguishable from the sigma 3 polypeptides of all other strains examined. The one mu 1C and two sigma 3 tryptic peptide patterns were found to occur interchangeably in isolates of type 1 or type 3. About 1/3 of the tyrosine-containing tryptic peptides of sigma 1 polypeptides of four type 3 isolates examined were conserved. Comparison of peptide differences in sigma 1 polypeptides of these isolates showed that each had one or more unique tryptic peptides, suggesting that the S1 genes coding for these polypeptides had undergone genetic drift or, alternatively, that there are at least two tryptic peptide patterns present among the sigma 1 polypeptides of these isolates. Our results suggest that genetic drift and reassortment are the most likely explanation for the extensive genetic diversity found in natural populations of mammalian reoviruses.