Replicase genes of murine coronavirus strains A59 and JHM are interchangeable: differences in pathogenesis map to the 3' one-third of the genome.
The important roles of the spike protein and other structural proteins in murine coronavirus (MHV) pathogenesis have been demonstrated; however, the role of the replicase gene remains unexplored. We assessed the influence of the replicase genes of the highly neurovirulent MHV-JHM strain and the hepatotropic and mildly neurovirulent A59 strain in acute infection of the mouse. Analysis of chimeric A59/JHM recombinant viruses indicates that the replicase genes are interchangeable and that it is the 3' end of the genome, encoding the structural proteins, rather than the replicase gene, that determines the pathogenic properties of these chimeras.
Navas-Martin
Sonia
S
Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. sonia.navas-martin@drexelmed.edu
Brom
Maarten
M
Chua
Ming-Ming
MM
Watson
Richard
R
Qiu
Zhaozhu
Z
Weiss
Susan R
SR
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002460:Cell Line; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase