Rearrangements of rotavirus genomic segment 11 are generated during acute infection of immunocompetent children and do not occur at random.

ABSTRACT: Group A rotaviruses are the main cause of viral gastroenteritis in infants. The viral genome consists of 11 double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) segments. Dysfunction of the viral RNA polymerase can lead to gene rearrangements, which most often consist of partial sequence duplication of a dsRNA segment. Gene rearrangements have been detected in vivo during chronic infection in immunodeficient children or in vitro during passages at a high multiplicity of infection in cell culture, suggesting that these replication conditions lead to selective advantages favoring the recovery of viruses with rearranged genes. During acute rotavirus infection, the replication level is high, but the occurrence of rearrangement events has never been reported. By the use of a reverse transcription-PCR assay specifically

SUBMITTER: Schnepf N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2268475 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature