Analytical and comparative research of genome of some Coronavirus strains in veterinary

Abstract

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a well-known causative agent of severe enteric, respiratory, and systemic
diseases in a wide range of animals and in humans but there is currently limited evidence that companion
animals can be a source of infection to other animals or to humans. To address the genetic complexity
of veterinary CoVs, a comparative pan-genomic analysis of CoVs sequences originating from veterinary
animals were conducted. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis was a rapid procedure for assessing
the very close antigenic relationship between feline CoV (FCoV) and canine CoV (CCoV). ANI-based
phylogenetic tree clustered CoVs according to their respective host species while pan-genomic analysis
demarcated strains clearly. The distribution of the clinical isolates all across the categories in the hierarchical
phylogenetic model enabled the visualization of their original ecological niches rather than their isolation
source. Also, we found that the virulent FCoV strains grouped with human CoV strains NL63 and 229E
confirming hypotheses stating that cats were highly susceptible to HCoVs, while dogs were low susceptible
to this virus. In conclusion, the combined analysis allowed better phylogenetic resolution and the implication
of virus origins, recombination, and virus–host interaction, as well as biomarker development.