ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.

Sec. Veterinary Infectious Diseases

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1632917

Genetic Evolution, Epidemic Trends, and Recombination Dynamics of PRRSV-1 in China

Provisionally accepted
Chengzhen  WengChengzhen Weng1,2Xinxin  HuangXinxin Huang1,2Zhian  ChengZhian Cheng1,2Minjia  HeMinjia He1,2Beiwen  ZhangBeiwen Zhang1,2Meichun  ChenMeichun Chen1,2Hongxi  LiHongxi Li1,2Jingrui  XieJingrui Xie2longxin  Qiulongxin Qiu2Li  Xiao BingLi Xiao Bing2*Chong  CaoChong Cao2Hongbo  ChenHongbo Chen2*
  • 1Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
  • 2Longyan University, Longyan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

The persistent threat of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) to the global swine industry is exacerbated by the virus's high mutation rate and frequent recombination events. In China, the emergence of new PRRSV-1 strains in recent years has posed a significant challenge to the sustainability of pork production. This study systematically investigated the epidemiological patterns, genetic evolution, recombination dynamics, GP5 genetic diversity, and N-glycosylation variants of PRRSV-1 strains circulating in China. Whole-genome analysis demonstrated that Chinese PRRSV-1 isolates clustered within Subtype 1, with BJEU06-1-like as the predominant subgroup and NMEU09-1-like as the secondary subgroup. Novel subgroups (New Subgroups 1, 2, and 3), a new strain, GD2022, and an independent branch represented by strain GXFS20220129 were concurrently identified. High genetic diversity existed both within and between subgroups of Chinese PRRSV-1 strains. Whole-genome recombination has predominantly occurred through inter-subgroup exchange, primarily involving the BJEU06-1-like and Amervac-like lineages.Additionally, recombination events were identified between the field strain NVDC-FJ and the vaccine strain PRRSV1-CN-FJFQ-1-2023. Interestingly, the diversity of the ORF5 gene was consistent with that of the whole genome; however, there is a deviation in the phylogenetic tree position (BJEU06-1-like: 22 vs. 16). To understand the differences between ORF5 and whole-genome variations, we analyzed amino acid and glycosylation sites of the GP5 protein encoded by ORF5. The results indicated that mutations had occurred at amino acid sites within the antigenic epitopes and functional domains of GP5. Additionally, the prediction of potential N-glycosylation sites identified five locations in GP5: positions 35, 37, 38, 46, and 53. Alterations at these sites could facilitate immune evasion. Our analysis of the ORF5 gene suggests that PRRSV-1 research should not focus solely on ORF5 but rather must consider whole-genome variation, as this may provide insights for vaccine development. In summary, whole-genome studies of PRRSV-1 demonstrated that major recombinant subgroups and genetic evolution align with the current prevalence of BJEU06-1-like strains in China.

Keywords: PRRSV-1, Whole genome, Amino acid site, genetic evolution, GP5, Mutation

Received: 21 May 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Weng, Huang, Cheng, He, Zhang, Chen, Li, Xie, Qiu, Bing, Cao and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Li Xiao Bing, Longyan University, Longyan, China
Hongbo Chen, Longyan University, Longyan, China

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