Monoclonal antibody-escape variant of dengue virus type 1 (MabEV DEN-1) was
discovered and isolated in an outbreak of dengue in Klang Valley, Malaysia from December
2004 to March 2005. This study was done to investigate whether DEN152 (an isolate of
MabEV DEN-1) is a product of recombination event or not. In addition, the non-synonymous
mutations that correlate with the monoclonal antibody-escape variant were determined in
this study. The genomes of DEN152 and two new DEN-1 isolates, DENB04 and DENK154
were completely sequenced, aligned, and compared. Phylogenetic tree was plotted and the
recombination event on DEN152 was investigated. DEN152 is sub-grouped under genotype I
and is closely related genetically to a DEN-1 isolated in Japan in 2004. DEN152 is not a
recombinant product of any parental strains. Four amino acid substitutions were unique only
to DEN 152. These amino acid substitutions were Ser[326]Leu, Ser[340]Leu at the deduced E
protein, Ile[250]Thr at NS1 protein, and Thr[41]Ser at NS5 protein. Thus, DEN152 is an isolate of
the emerging monoclonal antibody-escape variant DEN-1 that escaped diagnostic laboratory
detection.