Ťahyňa virus (TAHV), a member of the Bunyaviridae family (California complex), is an important but neglected human mosquito-borne pathogen. The virus genome is composed of three segments, i.e., small (S), medium (M), and large (L). Previous studies on genetic variability of viruses within the California complex were focused on S and M segments, but the L segment remains relatively unstudied. To assess the genetic variation and the relation to virus phenotype we analyzed the L segment sequences of biologically diverse TAHV strains isolated in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Phylogenetic analysis covering all available sequences of the L segment of TAHV clearly revealed two distinguished lineages, tentatively named as "European" and "Asian". The L segment strains within the European lineage are highly conserved (identity 99.3%), whilst Asian strains are more genetically diverse (identity 97%). Based on sequence comparison with other bunyaviruses, several non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions unique for TAHV in the L segment were identified. We also identified specific residue substitutions in the endonuclease domain of TAHV compared with the La Crosse virus. Since the endonuclease domain of the La Crosse virus has been resolved, we employed an all energy landscape algorithm to analyze the ligand migration of a viral polymerase inhibitor. This allowed us to demonstrate, at the atomic level, that this viral polymerase inhibitor randomly explored the specific residue substitutions in the endonuclease domain of the TAHV L segment.

Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branišovská 31 CZ 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Institute of Parasitology Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Branišovská 31 CZ 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic

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