RNA genome stability of Toscana virus during serial transovarial transmission in the sandfly Phlebotomus perniciosus.
We have carried out a T1 ribonuclease fingerprinting analysis of the RNA genomes of Toscana virus isolates from successive generations of an experimentally virus-infected laboratory colony of Phlebotomus perniciosus sandflies. This analysis detected no virus RNA genome changes during transovarial transmission of the virus over 12 sandfly generations (a period of almost 2 years). These results demonstrate that although RNA viruses can exhibit high rates of mutational change under a variety of conditions, Toscana virus RNA genomes can be maintained in a stable manner during repeated transovarial virus transmission in the natural insect host. The implications of these results for insect RNA virus evolution are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002043:Bunyaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D007303:Insect Vectors; D010053:Ovary / Q000382:microbiology; D010691:Phlebotomus; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*
D012367:RNA, Viral