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Normal replication of vesicular stomatitis virus without C proteins
E Kretzschmar1, R Peluso, M J Schnell
1Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA.
Virology
|February 15, 1996
Summary
Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) C and C' proteins are not essential for viral replication in cell culture. However, these conserved proteins may play a role in VSV pathogenesis and insect vector transmission.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The P gene of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) encodes essential proteins.
- A second open reading frame within the VSV P gene encodes small basic C and C' proteins.
- Previous studies reported C and C' protein expression in the New Jersey serotype of VSV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of C and C' proteins in VSV replication.
- To determine if C and C' proteins are essential for VSV growth in tissue culture.
- To explore the potential function of C and C' proteins in viral pathogenesis or transmission.
Main Methods:
- Site-directed mutagenesis was used to introduce a stop codon in the C and C' coding sequence, creating a mutated P gene.
- The mutated P gene was recombined into an infectious VSV clone to generate a mutant virus.
- Viral replication, mRNA and protein synthesis, virus particle production, and host protein shut-off were compared between mutant and wild-type VSV.
Main Results:
- The Indiana serotype of VSV also expresses C and C' proteins from the second open reading frame of the P gene.
- Mutant VSV lacking C and C' proteins replicated normally and produced infectious virus particles.
- Viral mRNA and protein synthesis, virus yields, and host shut-off kinetics were indistinguishable between mutant and wild-type VSV.
Conclusions:
- C and C' proteins are dispensable for VSV replication and propagation in tissue culture.
- Despite being dispensable in vitro, the conservation of C and C' proteins across all vesiculoviruses suggests a potential role in viral pathogenesis or transmission by insect vectors.