Molecular determinants of Pichinde virus infection of guinea pigs--a small animal model system for arenaviral hemorrhagic fevers.
Arenaviruses are enveloped single-strand RNA viruses that mostly have natural hosts in rodents. Upon infection of humans, several arenaviruses can cause severe hemorrhagic fever diseases, including Lassa fever that is endemic in West Africa. The virulence mechanism of these deadly arenaviruses can be studied in a safe and economical small animal model-guinea pigs infected by a nonpathogenic arenavirus Pichinde virus (PICV), a virulent strain of which can cause similar disease syndromes in guinea pigs as arenaviral hemorrhagic fevers in humans. We have recently developed molecular clones for both the virulent and avirulent strains of PICV. Using the available reverse genetics tools, we are characterizing the molecular determinants of virulent arenavirus infections in vivo.
Liang
Yuying
Y
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. yliang5@emory.edu
Lan
Shuiyun
S
Ly
Hinh
H
D000818:Animals; D001116:Arenaviridae / Q000235:genetics; D001117:Arenaviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001831:Body Temperature; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D018052:Pichinde virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014766:Viremia / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral