Global Displacement of Canine Parvovirus by a Host-Adapted Variant: Structural Comparison between Pandemic Viruses with Distinct Host Ranges

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) emerged in 1978 and spread worldwide within 2 years. Subsequently, CPV-2 was completely replaced by the variant CPV-2a, which is characterized by four specific capsid (VP2) mutations. The X-ray crystal structure of the CPV-2a capsid shows that each mutation confers small local changes. The loss of a hydrogen bond and introduction of a glycine residue likely introduce flexibility to sites that control interactions with the host receptor, antibodies, and sialic acids.