Greater numbers of nucleotide substitutions are introduced into the genomic RNA of bovine viral diarrhea virus during acute infections of pregnant cattle than of non-pregnant cattle.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) strains circulating in livestock herds show significant sequence variation. Conventional wisdom states that most sequence variation arises during acute infections in response to immune or other environmental pressures. A recent study showed that more nucleotide changes were introduced into the BVDV genomic RNA during the establishment of a single fetal persistent infection than following a series of acute infections of naïve cattle. However, it was not known if nucleotide changes were introduce when the virus crossed the placenta and infected the fetus or during the acute infection of the dam.

Methods

The sequence of the open reading frame (ORF) from viruses isolated from four acutely infected pregnant heifers following exposure

SUBMITTER: Neill JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3487799 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature