title: Murine coronavirus spike protein determines the ability of the virus to replicate in the liver and cause hepatitis.
abstract: Recombinant mouse hepatitis viruses (MHV) differing only in the spike gene, containing A59, MHV-4, and MHV-2 spike genes in the background of the A59 genome, were compared for their ability to replicate in the liver and induce hepatitis in weanling C57BL/6 mice infected with 500 PFU of each virus by intrahepatic injection. Penn98-1, expressing the MHV-2 spike gene, replicated to high titer in the liver, similar to MHV-2, and induced severe hepatitis with extensive hepatocellular necrosis. S(A59)R13, expressing the A59 spike gene, replicated to a somewhat lower titer and induced moderate to severe hepatitis with zonal necrosis, similar to MHV-A59. S4R21, expressing the MHV-4 spike gene, replicated to a minimal extent and induced few if any pathological changes, similar to MHV-4. Thus, the extent of replication and the degree of hepatitis in the liver induced by these recombinant viruses were determined largely by the spike protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6076, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Navas
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Das Sarma
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lavi
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hingley
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins