Genetic control of host resistance to flavivirus infection in animals

Flaviviruses are small, enveloped RNA viruses which are generally transmitted by arthropods to animals and man. Although flaviviruses cause important diseases in domestic animals and man, flaviviral infection of animals which constitute the normal vertebrate reservoir may be mild or sub-clinical, which suggests that some adaptation between virus and host may have occurred. While this possibility is difficult to study in wild animals, extensive studies using laboratory mice have demonstrated the existence of innate, flavivirus-specific resistance. Resistance is heritable and is attributable to the gene Flvr, which is located on chromosome 5 in this species. The mechanism of resistance is at present unknown, but acts early and limits the replication of flaviviruses in cells. While some evidence supports a role for Flvr in enhancing the production of defective interfering virus, thereby restricting the production of infectious virus, other reports suggest that Flvr interferes with either virus RNA replication or RNA packaging. Recent research suggests that cytoplasmic proteins bind to the viral replication complex and that allelic forms of these proteins in resistant mice may restrict the production of infectious progeny. Apparent resistance to flaviviruses has been described in other vertebrates, although it remains to be seen if this is attributable to a homologue of Flvr. Nonetheless, knowledge gained of the characteristics and function of Flvr in mice should be applicable to other host species, and improvement of resistance to flaviviral infection in domestic animals by selective breeding or gene technology may ultimately be possible.