SuPReMe: a rapid reverse genetics method to generate clonal populations of recombinant RNA viruses.

ABSTRACT: Reverse genetics systems enable the manipulation of viral genomes and are proving to be essential for studying RNA viruses. Methods for generating clonal virus populations are particularly useful for studying the impact of genomic modifications on viral properties. Here, by exploiting a chikungunya virus model, we compare viral populations and their replicative fitness when generated using either the rapid and user-friendly PCR-based ISA (Infectious Subgenomic Amplicons) method or classical infectious clone technology. As anticipated, the ISA method resulted in greater genetic diversity of the viral populations, but no significant difference in viral fitness in vitro was observed. On the basis of these results, a new ISA-derived reverse genetics procedure was developed. This method, design

SUBMITTER: Driouich JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5861084 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature