Naturally arising point mutations in non-essential domains of equine infectious anemia virus Rev alter Rev-dependent nuclear-export activity.
Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) exhibits a high rate of genetic variation in vivo, and results in a clinically variable disease in infected horses. In vivo populations of EIAV have been characterized by the presence of distinct, genetic subpopulations of Rev that differ in phenotype and fluctuate in dominance in a manner coincident with each clinical stage of disease. This study examined the specific mutations that arose in vivo and altered the phenotype. The Rev protein was found to be highly conserved, and only 10 aa mutations were observed at a frequency greater than 10 % in the sample population. Nine of these mutations were capable of significantly altering Rev activity, either as single mutations in the context of the founder variant, or in the context of cumulatively fixed mutations. The results indicated that limited genetic variation outside the essential functional domains of Rev can alter the phenotype and may confer a selective advantage in vivo.
Sparks
Wendy O
WO
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
Dorman
Karin S
KS
Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.|Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
Liu
Sijun
S
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
Carpenter
Susan
S
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.|Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004859:Equine Infectious Anemia / Q000821:virology*; D015694:Gene Products, rev / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006736:Horses; D004860:Infectious Anemia Virus, Equine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017354:Point Mutation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics
D015694:Gene Products, rev