Bluetongue Virus NS4 Protein Is an Interferon Antagonist and a Determinant of Virus Virulence.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the causative agent of bluetongue, a major infectious disease of ruminants with serious consequences to both animal health and the economy. The clinical outcome of BTV infection is highly variable and dependent on a variety of factors related to both the virus and the host. In this study, we show that the BTV nonstructural protein NS4 favors viral replication in sheep, the animal species most affected by bluetongue. In addition, NS4 confers a replication advantage on the virus in interferon (IFN)-competent primary sheep endothelial cells and immortalized cell lines. We determined that in cells infected with an NS4 deletion mutant (BTV8ΔNS4), there is increased synthesis of type I IFN compared to cells infected with wild-type BTV-8. In addition,

SUBMITTER: Ratinier M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4934764 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature