Bovine viral diarrhea virus: prevention of persistent fetal infection by a combination of two mutations affecting Erns RNase and Npro protease.

ABSTRACT: Different genetically engineered mutants of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were analyzed for the ability to establish infection in the fetuses of pregnant heifers. The virus mutants exhibited either a deletion of the overwhelming part of the genomic region coding for the N-terminal protease N(pro), a deletion of codon 349, which abrogates the RNase activity of the structural glycoprotein E(rns), or a combination of both mutations. Two months after infection of pregnant cattle with wild-type virus or either of the single mutants, the majority of the fetuses contained virus or were aborted or found dead in the uterus. In contrast, the double mutant was not recovered from fetal tissues after a similar challenge, and no dead fetuses were found. This result was verified with a nonrelated BV

SUBMITTER: Meyers G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1866084 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature