title: Characterization of homologous defective interfering RNA during persistent infection of Vero cells with Japanese encephalitis virus.
abstract: It has been suggested that defective interfering (DI) RNA contributes to the persistence of Japanese en-cephalitis virus (JEV). In this study, we characterized molecular and biological aspects of the DI RNA and its relation to viral persistence. We identified a homolo-gous DI virus intimately associated with JEV persis-tence in Vero cells. The production of DI RNA during undiluted serial passages of JEV coincided with the appearance of cells refractory to acute infection with JEV. We also established a Vero cell clone with a per-sistent JEV infection in which the DI RNA co-replicated efficiently at the expense of helper virus. The infectious virus yield of the clone fluctuated dur-ing its growth depending upon the amount of DI RNA accumulated in the previous replication cycle. Identifi-cation of the corresponding negative-sense RNA of the DI RNA indicated that the DI RNA functioned as a replication unit. Most of the DI RNA molecules re-tained their open reading frames despite a large dele-tion, encompassing most of the prM, the entire E, and the 5' half of the NS1 gene. Taken together, these ob-servations suggest that the generation of homologous DI RNA during successive JEV acute infections in Vero cells probably participates actively in persistent JEV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sang-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Sun-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Soo-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yong Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D003673:Defective Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D004664:Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D012692:Serial Passage; D014709:Vero Cells; D014762:Viral Interference / Q000235:genetics*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral