The X protein of borna disease virus serves essential functions in the viral multiplication cycle.
The X gene of Borna disease virus (BDV) encodes a nonstructural 10-kDa protein that can interact with viral polymerase cofactor P, thus regulating polymerase activity. It remained unknown whether X is essential for virus multiplication. All our attempts to generate mutant BDV with a nonfunctional X gene proved unsuccessful. However, a mutant virus with an inactive X gene was able to replicate in Vero cells if an artificial gene cassette encoding X was inserted at a site near the 5' end of the viral genome. These results indicate that X performs essential viral functions.
Poenisch
Marion
M
Department of Virology, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Strasse 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Wille
Sandra
S
Ackermann
Andreas
A
Staeheli
Peter
P
Schneider
Urs
U
D024506:5' Flanking Region; D000818:Animals; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D016679:Genome, Viral; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014709:Vero Cells; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics*
D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase