The genetic basis for cytopathogenicity of pestiviruses

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology 2000-11, Vol.77 (1), p.117-128
• Main Authors: Kümmerer, Beate M, Tautz, Norbert, Becher, Paul, Thiel, Heinz-Jürgen, Meyers, Gregor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Border disease virus; Bovine viral diarrhea virus; Bovine Virus Diarrhea-Mucosal Disease - genetics; Bovine Virus Diarrhea-Mucosal Disease - virology; Cattle; Classical Swine Fever - genetics; Classical Swine Fever - virology; Classical swine fever virus; Classical Swine Fever Virus - genetics; Classical Swine Fever Virus - pathogenicity; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; Cytopathogenic virus; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral - genetics; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral - pathogenicity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Genome, Viral; Microbiology; Mucosal disease; NS2 gene; Pestivirus - genetics; Pestivirus - pathogenicity; Swine; Viral Structural Proteins - genetics; Virology
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1135(00)00268-6

Two biotypes of pestiviruses, cytopathogenic (cp) and noncp viruses, can be distinguished by their effects on tissue culture cells. Identification of cp bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) has been frequently reported since antigenically closely related noncp and cp BVDV can be isolated from cattle with fatal mucosal disease (MD) and are called a virus pair. In contrast to the BVDV system, only few cp border disease virus (BDV) and cp classical swine fever virus (CSFV) strains have been described. Serological analyses and sequence comparison studies showed that cp pestiviruses arise from noncp viruses by mutation. Elaborate studies during the last 10 years revealed that in most cases RNA recombination is responsible for the generation of the cp viruses. Recent results showed a second way for the development of a cp pestivirus which is based on the introduction of a set of point mutations within the NS2 gene.