Abstract
Background: Porcine parvovirus (PPV) usually causes reproductive failure in sows. The objective of the present study was to analyze the phylogenetic distribution and perform molecular characterization of PPVs isolated in China, as well as to identify two field strains, LZ and JY. The data used in this study contained the available sequences for NS1 and VP2 from GenBank, as well as the two aforementioned Chinese strains. Results: Phylogenetic analysis shows that the PPV sequences are divided into four groups. The early Chinese PPV isolates are Group I viruses, and nearly all of the later Chinese PPV isolates are Group II viruses. LZ belongs to group II, whereas the JY strain is a Group III virus. This is the first report on the isolation of a Group III virus in China. The detection of selective pressures on the PPV genome shows that the NS1 and VP2 genes are under purifying selection and positive selection, respectively. Moreover, the amino acids in the VP2 capsid are highly variable because of the positive selection. Conclusions: Our study provides new molecular data on PPV strains in China, and emphasizes the importance of etiological studies of PPV in pigs.