Genome trimming: a unique strategy for replication control employed by Borna disease virus.

ABSTRACT: Genome and antigenome synthesis of negative-strand RNA viruses is initiated at promoters located in inverted terminal repeats (ITR). The ITR of Borna disease virus (BDV), a persisting neurotropic virus with a nuclear replication phase, are exceptional in that they appear to be noncomplete. Our analysis showed that the vast majority of genomic and antigenomic RNA molecules of BDV lack four 5'-terminal nucleotides required for perfect complementarity with the 3' ITR. By using a previously undescribed reverse genetics system, we investigated whether the structure of the ITR would affect virus propagation. BDV rescued from cDNA encoding complete ITR (rBDVc) showed wild-type virulence, whereas virus rescued from cDNA encoding a viral genome with noncomplete ITR (rBDVnc) was strongly attenuated.

SUBMITTER: Schneider U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC552903 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature