Rana catesbeiana virus Z (RCV-Z): a novel pathogenic ranavirus.
A virus, designated Rana catesbeiana virus Z (RCV-Z), was isolated from the visceral tissue of moribund tadpoles of the North American bullfrog Rana catesbeiana. SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) analysis of viral proteins and sequence analysis of the amino terminal end of the major capsid protein showed that RCV-Z was similar to frog virus 3 (FV3) and other ranaviruses isolated from anurans and fish. However, analysis of restriction fragment profiles following digestion of viral genomic DNA with XbaI and BamHI indicated that RCV-Z was markedly different from FV3. Moreover, in contrast to FV3, RCV-Z contained a full-length copy of the viral homolog of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF-2alpha). Experimental infection of bullfrog tadpoles with FV3 and RCV-Z demonstrated that RCV-Z was much more pathogenic than FV3, and that prior infection with FV3 protected them from subsequent RCV-Z induced mortality. Collectively, these results suggest that RCV-Z may represent a novel species of ranavirus capable of infecting frogs and that possession of a viral eIF-2alpha homolog (vIF-2alpha) correlates with enhanced virulence.
Majji
Sai
S
Department of Microbiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississipi 39216, USA.
LaPatra
Scott
S
Long
Scott M
SM
Sample
Robert
R
Bryan
Locke
L
Sinning
Allan
A
Chinchar
V Gregory
VG
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011892:Rana catesbeiana / Q000196:embryology / Q000821:virology*; D017995:Ranavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013460:Sulfur Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence
D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2; D013460:Sulfur Isotopes; D014764:Viral Proteins