Abstract
Objective: To understand coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) virulence at the molecular level. Method: A mutation library was generated from noncardiovirulent CVB3/0. Highly virulent mutation variants were recovered and characterized both phenotypically and genotypically. Results: The variants consistently caused destruction of multiple tissues together with active virus production and induced severe mortality in vivo. The extent of infectious virus generation was directly correlated with that of histopathological aberration. Genotypic analysis of the entire genome indicated that the virulent viruses encode nucleotide substitutions in the 5′-nontranslated region, which have previously been identified in other virulent CVB3s. Conclusion: The present study provides evidence that particular nucleotide substitutions in the 5′-nontranslated region of nonvirulent CVB3 can lead to active virus replication, which is sufficient to induce virulence.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 447-453 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Intervirology |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Coxsackievirus B3
- Genotype analysis
- Mutagenesis
- Virus replication
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases