Tackling feline infectious peritonitis via reverse genetics
Volker Thiel1, Heinz-Jürgen Thiel, Gergely Tekes
1a Institute of Virology; Justus-Liebig-University Giessen ; Giessen , Germany.
Bioengineered
|December 9, 2014
Summary
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal feline disease. Researchers used reverse genetics to create feline coronaviruses (FCoVs), finding only type II FCoVs caused FIP, highlighting ORF 3c
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a significant lethal disease in cats caused by feline coronaviruses (FCoVs).
- Current understanding of FIP pathogenesis is limited, with no effective treatments available.
- Reverse genetics offers a novel approach to study FIP pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathogenicity of recombinant feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) using reverse genetics.
- To identify viral factors contributing to FIP pathogenesis.
- To compare the virulence of different FCoV strains and chimeras.
Main Methods:
- Generation of recombinant FCoVs, including type I, type II, and chimeric strains.
- In vivo pathogenicity studies in cats using the generated recombinant FCoVs.
- Analysis of viral genetic material from infected animals, focusing on ORF 3c.
Main Results:
- All generated recombinant FCoVs and reference strains established productive infections in cats.
- Only the recombinant type II FCoV strain 79-1146 induced FIP, similar to its parental isolate.
- Type I FCoVs and chimeric FCoVs did not induce FIP.
- An intact ORF 3c was consistently found in viruses re-isolated from FIP-diseased cats.
Conclusions:
- Recombinant type II FCoV strain 79-1146 retains the high pathogenicity of its parental isolate.
- Type I FCoVs and chimeric FCoVs generated in this study are not pathogenic for FIP.
- The presence of an intact ORF 3c appears crucial for FIP pathogenesis.
