Detection of a Bocavirus Circular Genome in Fecal Specimens from Children with Acute Diarrhea in Beijing, China

To determine if human bocavirus 2 (HBoV2) has a circular genome similar to the head-to-tail sequence of HBoV1 and the episomal form of HBoV3, 15 HBoV2 positive samples identified from 553 stool specimens from children with acute diarrhea were tested for a head-to-tail sequence using TaqMan-based real-time PCR. A circular genome with a head-to-tail sequence was identified in one (BJQ435) out of 15 samples tested by nested PCR. The complete circular genome of HBoV2-C1 (BJQ435) was 5307 nt in length and was flanked with a 520 nt-long terminal non-coding region (NCR). The secondary structure of HBoV2 -C1 had some differences compared to HBoV3-E1 (JN086998). Our study indicates that the HBoV genome exists in the form of a head-to-tail monomer and provides more information for understanding the HBoV replication mechanism.