The role of noncoding regions of classical swine fever virus C-strain in its adaptation to the rabbit

• Published in: Virus research 2014-04, Vol.183, p.117-122
• Main Authors: Li, Chao, Li, Yongfeng, Shen, Liang, Huang, Junhua, Sun, Yuan, Luo, Yuzi, Zhao, Bibo, Wang, Chunhua, Yuan, Jin, Qiu, Hua-Ji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation to the rabbit; Adaptation, Biological; Animals; C-strain; China; Classical swine fever virus; Classical swine fever virus - genetics; Classical swine fever virus - physiology; Fever induction; Noncoding regions; Rabbits; Recombination, Genetic; Replication in the spleen; RNA, Untranslated - genetics; RNA, Viral - genetics; Serial Passage; Spleen - virology; Virus Replication
• ISSN: 0168-1702; 1872-7492
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2014.02.003

•We rescued a series of chimeras derived from C-strain and Shimen strain.•Rabbits inoculated with any of the chimeras developed antibodies but not fever.•The NCRs of C-strain are essential for its fever induction in rabbits.•Chimeras harboring the entire coding region of C-strain replicated in the spleen of rabbits.•The NCRs of C-strain are not necessary for its replication in the spleen of rabbits. Classical swine fever (CSF) is a devastating disease of swine caused by classical swine fever virus (CSFV). C-strain, a modified live vaccine against CSF, was developed through hundreds of passages of a highly virulent CSFV in the rabbit in China in the mid-1950s. To identify the role of noncoding regions (NCRs) of C-strain in its adaptation to the rabbit, we generated and evaluated a series of chimeric viruses derived from C-strain and the highly virulent Shimen strain. The results demonstrated that the NCRs of the C-strain were essential for its fever induction in rabbits and the coding region but not NCRs was necessary for its replication in the spleen of rabbits.