title: Isolation and characterization of a transfectant influenza B virus altered in RNA segment 6.
abstract: This report describes the successful generation of an influenza B transfectant virus altered in RNA segment 6, which encodes the neuraminidase (NA) protein. The procedure for selection of the transfectant virus relies on the use of strain-specific anti-NA monoclonal antibodies to inhibit growth of the helper virus within the system. A transfectant virus has been engineered which has a coding change in the NA protein. This change resulted in attenuated growth in vitro that could be rescued by addition of exogenous bacterial NA. The mutant virus-associated NA activity was unstable as a result of the engineered changes. The ability to genetically manipulate influenza B virus segment 6 will allow us to assess the function of both NA and the small protein NB, also coded from this RNA, within the context of the virus infectious cycle.
authors.affiliation: School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 228, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK1.
authors.forename: Kate V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Rowley
authors.affiliation: School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 228, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK1.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 228, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK1.
authors.forename: Wendy S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Barclay
mesh_terms: D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D009439:Neuraminidase