{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,10]],"date-time":"2026-02-10T19:27:05Z","timestamp":1770751625631,"version":"3.50.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]],"date-time":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769731200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Guangdong Provincial Laboratory","award":["XJGDL2022002"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["XJGDL2022002"]}]},{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch Center of Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology","award":["XJ2025KJ008"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["XJ2025KJ008"]}]},{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch Center of Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology","award":["P20211154-0301"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P20211154-0301"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes a highly contagious disease in chickens. The prevalence of GVI-1 is increasing; however, the genomic characteristics and antigenic properties of this genotype strain remain insufficiently characterized. In this study, the genome characteristics and antigenic properties of a naturally attenuated CK\/CH\/SC\/YC_GVI-1-DK\/LMB20210104 (abbreviated as YC_GVI-1) strain were systematically analyzed. YC_GVI-1 occupies a distinct phylogenetic lineage and shares a similarity of 98.2%, the highest nucleotide sequence homology, with the reference strain CK\/CH\/FJ\/202005 (accession number: MW791835.1). This strain was likely originated through a genetic recombination event between two major parental strains, CK\/CH\/FJ\/202005 and CK\/CH\/GX\/HX (accession number: PP817796.1). However, its S protein harbors ten unique amino acid substitutions, compared to the same protein in the other two virulent strains in the same genotype. AlphaFold3-based structural prediction reveals that one of these substitutions, methionine 485 to valine substitution, may induce a conformational change in the adjacent phenylalanine residue at position 431, resulting in a shift in the local secondary structure from \u03b2-sheet to random coil. Characterization of its antigenicity showed that this strain induces a strong humoral immune response, with neutralizing antibody titers of 26.40 against homologous strain YC_GVI-1 and 24.00 against heterologous strain JS96_GI-19. Furthermore, vaccination of chickens with this strain conferred complete protection (100%) against JS96_GI-19. The findings provide novel insights into the molecular evolution and antigenicity of YC_GVI-1, offering key information for improving IBV surveillance and vaccine development.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18020191","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]],"date-time":"2026-01-30T14:35:46Z","timestamp":1769783746000},"page":"191","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Characterization of the Genomics and Antigenicity of a Naturally Attenuated Gammacoronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus Strain in the Genotype GVI-1 Lineage"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-0638-4371","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ting","family":"Xiong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China"},{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shuting","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China"},{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yanfen","family":"Lyu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Mathematics and Physics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hongmei","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mengyao","family":"Jing","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zekun","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fei","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shuaibo","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Mathematics and Physics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Haixia","family":"Feng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6039-2948","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dingxiang","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ruiai","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China"},{"name":"Zhaoqing Branch of Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, Zhaoqing 526238, China"},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioproducts Development for Animal Epidemic Prevention, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhaoqing 526238, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"223","DOI":"10.1080\/03079457.2011.566260","article-title":"Infectious bronchitis virus variants: A review of the history, current situation and control measures","volume":"40","author":"Sjaak","year":"2011","journal-title":"Avian Pathol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1144924","DOI":"10.1155\/2023\/1144924","article-title":"Global Emergence of Infectious Bronchitis Virus Variants: Evolution, Immunity, and Vaccination Challenges","volume":"2023","author":"Abozeid","year":"2023","journal-title":"Transbound. 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