title: Effects of a point mutation in the 3' end of the S genome segment of naturally occurring and engineered Bunyamwera viruses.
abstract: The genome of Bunyamwera virus (BUN) consists of three segments of single-stranded RNA of negative polarity. The smallest segment, S, encodes the N protein and a nonstructural protein called NSs. We recently described a mutant virus (BUNdelNSs) that does not express NSs but overexpresses N and grows to lower titres than wild-type (wt) BUN. Here we report a BUNdelNSs variant that expresses lower levels of N protein and grows to higher titres. Sequencing of the 3' and 5' termini of the BUNdelNSs S RNA segment and analysis using a minireplicon system show that the N overexpressing phenotype results from a single nucleotide substitution at position 16 in the 3' terminus. This mutation could also be detected in wtBUN populations, and was isolated by plaquing a 'wt' variant carrying the mutation. This variant was found to express increased N and NSs levels, and grew to lower titres than wtBUN.
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Church Street, Glasgow G11 5JR, UK.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kohl
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Church Street, Glasgow G11 5JR, UK.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bridgen
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Church Street, Glasgow G11 5JR, UK.
authors.forename: Ewan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, 845 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Church Street, Glasgow G11 5JR, UK.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D002042:Bunyamwera virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D017354:Point Mutation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C423924:N protein, Bunyamwera bunyavirus; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins