RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Lukashev, Alexander N A1 Corman, Victor Max A1 Schacht, Daniel A1 Gloza-Rausch, Florian A1 Seebens-Hoyer, Antje A1 Gmyl, Anatoly P A1 Drosten, Christian A1 Drexler, Jan FelixYR 2017 T1 Close genetic relatedness of picornaviruses from European and Asian bats JF Journal of General Virology, VO 98 IS 5 SP 955 OP 961 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000760 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Our investigation of 1004 faecal specimens from European bats for picornaviruses by broadly reactive nested reverse transcription-PCR found picornaviral RNA in 28 samples (2.8 %). Phylogenetic analysis of the partial 3D genomic region suggested that one bat virus belonged to the species Enterovirus G (EV-G, formerly Porcine enterovirus B). Bat infection was supported by relatively high EV-G concentrations of 1.1×106 RNA copies per gram of faeces. All other bat viruses belonged either to the bat-associated genus Mischivirus, or to an unclassified Picornaviridae group distantly related to the genus Sapelovirus. Members of this unclassified sapelovirus-related group had RNA secondary structures in their 3′-nontranslated regions that were typical of enteroviruses and that resembled structures that occur in bat-associated coronaviruses, suggesting ancient recombination events. Based on sequence distances, several picornaviruses from European and Chinese bats were likely conspecific, suggesting connectivity of virus populations. Due to their high mutation rates and their diversity, picornaviruses may be useful tools for studies of bat and virus ecology., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/jgv.0.000760