Classification of Hepatitis C Virus Type 2 Isolates by Phylogenetic Analysis of Core and NS5 Regions

Phylogenetic analyses of HCV type 2 isolates based on core sequences (nucleotides 160 to 356) (a) and NS5 sequences (nucleotides 7500 to 7612) (b). The branching pattern of the trees was obtained by the FM algorithm, bootstrap values above 70 out of 100 are shown at the branch points, and double asterisks indicate branches atP < 0.01 as calculated by the ML method. Branches identifying the monophyletic clades also retrieved by the DNAPARS method are indicated by a plus sign. Numbers above the bars indicate the number of substitutions per site calculated by Kimura’s two-parameter model with a transition/transversion ratio of 2.00. (a) Italian isolates examined in both the core and NS5 region are indicated by arrows. In both panels, the subtypes of isolates and consensus sequences are indicated by the following symbols: ★, 2a; ♦, 2b; ○, 2c; ●, 2c (Italian isolates); ■, 2d; ▵, 2e; □, 2f.