Comparison of genotypes I and III in Japanese encephalitis virus reveals distinct differences in their genetic and host diversity

Abstract

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an arthropod-borne disease associated with the majority of viral encephalitis cases in the Asia-Pacific region. The causative agent, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), has been phylogenetically divided into five genotypes. Recent surveillance data indicate that genotype I (GI) is gradually replacing genotype III (GIII) as the dominant genotype. To investigate the mechanism behind the genotype shift and the potential consequences in terms of vaccine efficacy, human cases, and virus dissemination, we collected (i) all full-length and partial JEV molecular sequences and (ii) associated genotype and host information comprising a data set of 873 sequences. We then examined differences between the two genotypes at the genetic and epidemiological level by investigating amino acid mutations, positive selection, and host range. We found that although GI is dominant, it has fewer sites predicted to be under positive selection, a narrower host range, and significantly fewer human isolates. For the E protein, the sites under positive selection define a haplotype set for each genotype that shows striking differences in their composition and diversity, with GIII showing significantly more variety than GI. Our results suggest that GI has displaced GIII by achieving a replication cycle that is more efficient but is also more restricted in its host range.