Molecular cloning of bovine viral diarrhea viral sequences

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) genomic RNA was identified as a 12.5-kb single-stranded RNA molecule in both infected bovine embryonic kidney cells (BEK-1) and partially purified virions. BVD virion RNA was partially purified and used as a template for cDNA synthesis. BVDV-specific cDNA sequences were molecularly cloned and shown to hybridize to infected cell RNA but not to uninfected cell RNA or DNA. A single RNA species of 12.5 kb, representing the viral RNA genome, was detected in infected cells. A preliminary map of the BVDV specific cDNA clones was constructed and five major, nonoverlapping families were observed, accounting for approximately one-half of the viral genome.