[Construction and rescue of rabies virus mutant strain SRV9]

To construct a rabies virus mutant, the psi region was replaced by the coding region of human cytochrome c gene, and the coding region for cytoplasmic domain of glycoprotein G was deleted in the full-length of genomic cDNA of rabies virus strain SRV9. The mutant plasmid and the plasmids with N, P, L and G structural proteins of wild type SRV9 were co-transfected into BHK-21 cells. It was shown by IFA that there were many specific fluorescence in the BHK-21 cells, and typical rabies virus virions were observed by electronic microscope. These results demonstrated that the mutant rabies virus was successfully rescued. The genetically modified SRV9 stain has promise to provide invaluable experimental tool to develop attenuated live rabies vaccine.