An Outbreak of a Disease in Farmed Fallow Deer (Dama Dama L) Resembling Bovine Virus Diarrhea/Mucosal Disease

Farmed fallow deer suddenly developed disease showing lethargy, weakness, anorexia and several of them died. The animals showed macroscopic lesions in the digestive mucosa characterized by erosions, ulcers and necrotizing lesions. Histo-pathology of the mucous membranes revealed marked inter- and intracellular oedema, erosions, ulcers and intracyto-plasmic inclusions bodies. BVD-virus was demonstrated in 1 deer using an indirect immunofluorescence method. It is suggested that the disease may have been caused by Bovine Virus Diarrhea virus alone or in conjunction with a simultaneous infection by another unidentified virus.     

Failure to Induce Mucosal Disease in Cattle Persistently Infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus by Treatment with Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

Recent research has shown that cattle that develop mucosal disease (MD) often, if not always, have been persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) since birth. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether MD could be induced by immunosuppression of persistently BVDV-infected cattle. For that purpose, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was injected intramuscularly, twice daily for 5 consecutive days in 4 persistently BVDV-infected cattle and in 3 control cattle. Before the ACTH treatment, the numbers of leukocytes, neutrophils and mononuclear cells (MNC) per litre of blood in BVDV-infected cattle were in the same range as in the controls. Similarly, the proportions of B cells, T cells, monocytes and Fcγ+ cells (cells with receptor for the Fc part of IgG) were the same in the 2 groups of animals. On the other hand, the proliferative response to mitogen stimulation of MNC obtained from the control animals was twice as high as the corresponding value of the persistently BVDV-infected cattle. In all animals, ACTH treatment caused increased Cortisol concentrations, leukocytosis, neutrophilia and decreased mitogen-induced lymphocyte stimulation. However, the MNC count and the proportions of B cells, T cells, Fcγ+ cells and monocytes remained unaltered. In spite of the immunosuppression, indicated by the decrease in mitogen-induced lymphocyte stimulation. ACTH treatment did not provoke any clinical signs of MD in the persistently BVDV-infected cattle.     

Identification and Characterization of an RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Activity within the Nonstructural Protein 5B Region of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus

Nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) contains sequence motifs that are predictive of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity. We describe the expression and purification of the BVDV NS5B protein derived from an infectious cDNA clone of BVDV (NADL strain). BVDV NS5B protein was active in an in vitro RNA polymerase assay using homopolymeric RNA or BVDV minigenomic RNA templates. The major product was a covalently linked double-stranded molecule generated by a “copy-back” mechanism from the input template RNA. In addition, a nucleotide-nonspecific and template-independent terminal nucleotidyl transferase activity was observed with the BVDV NS5B preparation.     

Assignment of the Multifunctional NS3 Protein of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus during RNA Replication: an In Vivo and In Vitro Study

Studies on the replication of the pestivirus bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were considerably facilitated by the recent discovery of an autonomous subgenomic BVDV RNA replicon (DI9c). DI9c comprises mainly the untranslated regions of the viral genome and the coding region of the nonstructural proteins NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A, and NS5B. To assess the significance of the NS3-associated nucleoside triphosphatase/helicase activity during RNA replication and to explore other functional features of NS3, we generated a repertoire of DI9c derivatives bearing in-frame mutations in different parts of the NS3 coding unit. Most alterations resulted in deficient replicons, several of which encoded an NS3 protein with an inhibited protease function. Three lesions permitted replication, though at a lower level than that of the wild-type RNA, i.e., replacement of the third position of the DEYH helicase motif II by either T or F and an insertion of four amino acid residues in the C-terminal part of NS3. While polyprotein proteolysis was found to be almost unaffected in these latter replicons, in vitro studies with the purified mutant NS3 proteins revealed a significantly impaired helicase activity for the motif II substitutions. NS3 with a DEFH motif, moreover, showed a significantly lower ATPase activity. In contrast, the C-terminal insertion had no negative impact on the ATPase/RNA helicase activity of NS3. All three mutations affected the synthesis of both replication products-negative-strand intermediate and progeny positive-strand RNA-in a symmetric manner. Unexpectedly, various attempts to rescue or enhance the replication capability of nonfunctional or less functional DI9c NS3 derivatives, respectively, by providing intact NS3 in trans failed. Our experimental data thus demonstrate that the diverse enzymatic activities of the NS3 protein-in particular the ATPase/RNA helicase-play a pivotal role even during early steps of the viral replication pathway. They may further indicate the C-terminal part of NS3 to be an important functional determinant of the RNA replication process.     

牛病毒性腹泻病毒基因组cDNA文库的构建

以牛病毒性腹泻病毒（ＢＶＤＶ）┥ｎＬ株的基因组ＲＮＡ为模板,经逆向转录酶作用,合成第一链ｃＤＮＡ,再以ＲＮａｄｓｅ／Ｈ与ＤＮＡ聚合酶Ｉ联合作用合成ｄｓｃＤＮＡ,并以ｄＣ同聚物尾化。ｐＵＣ８ＤＮＡ在Ｐｓｔ Ｉ酶解后,以ｄＧ同聚物尾化,两者退火构成重组质粒,转化到Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ ＪＭ１０１受体菌中,另以γ－＾３２Ｐ－ＡＴＰ标记ＢＶＤＶ ＲＮＡ制备探针,通过菌落原位杂交筛选重组子。酶切分配表明重组质粒插入     

Electron Microscopy of Viral RNA: Molecular Weight Determination of Bacterial and Animal Virus RNAs

A method for preparation of single-stranded RNA for electron microscopy determination of molecular weight is reported. The method uses treatment with formaldehyde at elevated temperatures to remove secondary structure and spreading in a protein monolayer from 50% formamide onto a 50% formamide hypophase. Molecular weights were determined for some bacterial and animal viruses, for which conflicting values had been reported earlier. Molecular weights determined by the method, using Escherichia coli large subunit rRNA for a standard (1.1 × 10⁶), are as follows: E. coli small subunit rRNA, 0.53 × 10⁶; coliphage f2-RNA, 1.3 × 10⁶; Qβ-RNA, 1.55 × 10⁶; and Newcastle disease virus RNA, 5.78 × 10⁶.     

牛病毒性腹泻病毒E2蛋白单克隆抗体的制备及初步鉴定

为制备牛病毒性腹泻病毒(BVDV)糖蛋白E2单克隆抗体(MAb),利用原核表达并且纯化的重组糖蛋白E2(rE2)免疫BALB/c小鼠,取免疫后小鼠脾细胞与骨髓瘤细胞SP2/0融合.采用以BVDV为检测抗原的间接ELISA筛选阳性细胞克隆,经3次克隆纯化后获得2株稳定分泌抗E2特异性MAb的杂交瘤细胞株,分别命名为4E3与1G11.用4E3与1G11杂交瘤细胞株接种BALB/c小鼠制备腹水,采用rE2及BVDV包被的ELISA测得的效价分别是6.21×106和6.83×105及6.83×105和7.5×104.间接ELISA、Western blot、IFA试验表明两株杂交瘤细胞所分泌的MAb具有良好的反应性和特异性.经抗体亚类鉴定4E3与1G11均为IgM/K.特异性试验表明4E3与1G11这2株MAb均不与牛传染性鼻气管炎病毒、牛副流感病毒3型、牛腺病毒3型反应;其中4E3不与猪瘟病毒反应,而1G11则可与猪瘟病毒发生交叉反应,这种反应特性可试用于BVDV与猪瘟病毒的鉴别诊断.所制备的4E3与1G11 MAb可以用于BVDV抗原的检测,为建立检测BVDV E2蛋白血清抗体的ELISA奠定了基础.     

Infectious Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (Strain NADL) RNA from Stable cDNA Clones: a Cellular Insert Determines NS3 Production and Viral Cytopathogenicity

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), strain NADL, was originally isolated from an animal with fatal mucosal disease. This isolate is cytopathic in cell culture and produces two forms of NS3-containing proteins: uncleaved NS2-3 and mature NS3. For BVDV NADL, the production of NS3, a characteristic of cytopathic BVDV strains, is believed to be a consequence of an in-frame insertion of a 270-nucleotide cellular mRNA sequence (called cIns) in the NS2 coding region. In this study, we constructed a stable full-length cDNA copy of BVDV NADL in a low-copy-number plasmid vector. As assayed by transfection of MDBK cells, uncapped RNAs transcribed from this template were highly infectious (>10⁵ PFU/μg). The recovered virus was similar in plaque morphology, growth properties, polyprotein processing, and cytopathogenicity to the BVDV NADL parent. Deletion of cIns abolished processing at the NS2/NS3 site and produced a virus that was no longer cytopathic for MDBK cells. This deletion did not affect the efficiency of infectious virus production or viral protein production, but it reduced the level of virus-specific RNA synthesis and accumulation. Thus, cIns not only modulates NS3 production but also upregulates RNA replication relative to an isogenic noncytopathic derivative lacking the insert. These results raise the possibility of a linkage between enhanced BVDV NADL RNA replication and virus-induced cytopathogenicity.     

Molecular Characterization of Fecal Microbiota in Patients with Viral Diarrhea

The study provides molecular analyses of fecal microbiota of diarrhea patients infected with four different types of viruses. Fecal specimens from 52 patients with viral diarrhea (13 each of adenovirus, norovirus, rotavirus, and astrovirus) and six healthy individuals were collected and etiological viral agent was confirmed by enzyme immunoassay and specific PCR. To assess the changes in microbial diversity in patients with viral diarrhea, DNA from stool were extracted and characterized by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) with universal primers specific for the V3 region of 16S rRNA gene. The strongest bands of the DGGE profiling were excised and sequenced to identify the dominant groups. Bacteroides vulgatus, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus genera were also enumerated by real time PCR. The results revealed that bacterial diversity and similarity in feces from viral diarrhea groups were significantly lower (mean H′/ H _max^￠ H_{ \max }^{\prime } 0.89–0.94, 29–43, respectively) as compared with those of healthy individuals (mean H′/ H _max^￠ H_{ \max }^{\prime } 1.36, 59, respectively). Sequencing of dominant bands affirmed that diarrhea groups were mainly comprised of phylum Firmicutes, such as genera Enterococcus, Peptostreptococcaceae incertae sedi, Streptococcus, Weissella, and Clostridium, and opportunistically pathogenic genus Shigella, while dominant group in healthy individuals was phylum Bacteroidetes. Copy number of Bacteroides vulgatus, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus genera was also reduced significantly in viral diarrhea groups as compared to healthy group. It is concluded that opportunistic pathogens increases, while other species of commensal microbiota decrease significantly in the viral diarrhea patients and dysbacteriosis is dependent on type of virus infection.     

Demonstration of Vd-Virus by the Fluorescent Antibody Technique in Tissues of Cattle Affected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea (Mucosal Disease)

An account is given of immunohistological studies performed on tissue specimens from 59 cattle affected with BVD-MD. The animals had either died or been killed in an advanced state of the disease. From 47 of these animals VD-virus was demonstrated in primary calf kidney cultures inoculated with suspensions of at least one of the following tissues: small intestine, lung, kidney, and spleen. Conjugates were produced from sera of goats that had been immunized with the Danish VD-virus strain UG59. VD-virus could be demonstrated in all the types of tissue examined, but the degree of involvement was particularly high in the mucous membranes of the alimentary tract. It was characteristic that in all tissues viral antigen could often be demonstrated in the walls of blood vessels. In 9 out of 10 cases infected neurons were demonstrated in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. If fresh tissues are available for examination, FA-staining of cryostat sections may give a rapid diagnosis of BVD-MD.     

Functional Characterization of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Nonstructural Protein 5A by Reverse Genetic Analysis and Live Cell Imaging

Nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a hydrophilic phosphoprotein with RNA binding activity and a critical component of the viral replicase. In silico analysis suggests that NS5A encompasses three domains interconnected by two low-complexity sequences (LCSs). While domain I harbors two functional determinants, an N-terminal amphipathic helix important for membrane association, and a Zn-binding site essential for RNA replication, the structure and function of the C-terminal half of NS5A are still ill defined. In this study, we introduced a panel of 10 amino acid deletions covering the C-terminal half of NS5A. In the context of a highly efficient monocistronic replicon, deletions in LCS I and the N-terminal part of domain II, as well as in domain III, were tolerated with regard to RNA replication. When introduced into a bicistronic replicon, only deletions in LCS I and the N-terminal part of domain II were tolerated. In the context of the viral full-length genome, these mutations allowed residual virion morphogenesis. Based on these data, a functional monocistronic BVDV replicon coding for an NS5A variant with an insertion of the fluorescent protein mCherry was constructed. Live cell imaging demonstrated that a fraction of NS5A-mCherry localizes to the surface of lipid droplets. Taken together, this study provides novel insights into the functions of BVDV NS5A. Moreover, we established the first pestiviral replicon expressing fluorescent NS5A-mCherry to directly visualize functional viral replication complexes by live cell imaging.     

Prevalence Study and Genetic Typing of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) in Four Bovine Species in China

To determine the nationwide status of persistent BVDV infection in different bovine species in China and compare different test methods, a total of 1379 serum samples from clinical healthy dairy cattle, beef cattle, yaks (Bos grunniens), and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) were collected in eight provinces of China from 2010 to 2013. The samples were analyzed using commercial antibody (Ab) and antigen (Ag) detection kits, and RT-PCR based on the 5’-UTR and Npro gene sequencing. Results showed that the overall positive rates for BVDV Ab, Ag and RT-PCR detection were 58.09% (801/1379), 1.39% (14/1010), and 22.64% (146/645), respectively, while the individual positive rates varied among regions, species, and farms. The average Ab-positive rates for dairy cattle, beef cattle, yaks, and water buffalo were 89.49% (298/333), 63.27% (248/392), 45.38% (236/520), and 14.18% (19/134), respectively, while the Ag-positive rates were 0.00% (0/116), 0.77% (3/392), 0.82% (3/368), and 5.97% (8/134), respectively, and the nucleic acid-positive rates detected by RT-PCR were 32.06% (42/131), 13.00% (26/200), 28.89% (52/180), and 19.40% (26/134), respectively. In addition, the RT-PCR products were sequenced and 124 5’-UTR sequences were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis of the 5’-UTR sequences indicated that all of the 124 BVDV-positive samples were BVDV-1 and subtyped into either BVDV-1b (33.06%), BVDV-1m (49.19%), or a new cluster, designated as BVDV-1u (17.74%). Phylogenetic analysis based on Npro sequences confirmed this novel subtype. In conclusion, this study revealed the prevalence of BVDV-1 in bovine species in China and the dominant subtypes. The high proportion of bovines with detectable viral nucleic acids in the sera, even in the presence of high Ab levels, revealed a serious threat to bovine health.     

Molecular Analysis of Spring Viraemia of Carp Virus in China: A Fatal Aquatic Viral Disease that Might Spread in East Asian

Spring viraemia of carp (SVC) is a fatal viral disease for cyprinid fish, which is caused by spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV). To date, no SVC outbreak has been reported in China. Between 1998 and 2002, outbreaks of SVC were reported in ornamental and wild fish in Europe and America, imported from multiple sources including China. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the viral strain isolated from America was shown to be originated from Asia. These outbreaks not only resulted in huge economic losses, but also raise an interesting question as to whether SVCV really exists in China and if so, is it responsible for SVC outbreaks? From 2002 to 2006, we screened 6700 samples from ornamental fish farms using the cell culture method of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), and further verified the presence of SVCV by ELISA and real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Two infected samples were found and the complete genome of SVCV was sequenced from one of the isolates, termed SVCV-C1. Several unique hallmarks of SVCV-C1 were identified, including six amino acid (KSLANA) insertion in the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L) protein and ten nucleotide insertion in the region between glycoprotein (G) and L genes in European SVCV strains. Phylogenetic tree analysis of the full-length G protein of selected SVCV isolates from the United Kingdom and United States revealed that G proteins could be classified into Ia and Id sub genogroups. The Ia sub genogroup can be further divided into newly defined sub genogroups Ia-A and Ia-B. The isolates derived from the United States and China including the SVCV-C1 belongs to in the Ia-A sub genogroup. The SVCV-C1 G protein shares more than 99% homology with the G proteins of the SVCV strains from England and the United States, making it difficult to compare their pathogenicity. Comparison of the predicted three-dimensional structure based on the published G protein sequences from five SVCV strains revealed that the main differences were in the loops of the pleckstrin homology domains. Since SVCV is highly pathogenic, we speculate that SVC may therefore pose a serious threat to farmed cyprinid fish in China.     

A Single Point Mutation in Nonstructural Protein NS2 of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Results in Temperature-Sensitive Attenuation of Viral Cytopathogenicity

For Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), the type species of the genus Pestivirus in the family Flaviviridae, cytopathogenic (cp) and noncytopathogenic (ncp) viruses are distinguished according to their effect on cultured cells. It has been established that cytopathogenicity of BVDV correlates with efficient production of viral nonstructural protein NS3 and with enhanced viral RNA synthesis. Here, we describe generation and characterization of a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of cp BVDV strain CP7, termed TS2.7. Infection of bovine cells with TS2.7 and the parent CP7 at 33°C resulted in efficient viral replication and a cytopathic effect. In contrast, the ability of TS2.7 to cause cytopathogenicity at 39.5°C was drastically reduced despite production of high titers of infectious virus. Further experiments, including nucleotide sequencing of the TS2.7 genome and reverse genetics, showed that a Y1338H substitution at residue 193 of NS2 resulted in the temperature-dependent attenuation of cytopathogenicity despite high levels of infectious virus production. Interestingly, TS2.7 and the reconstructed mutant CP7-Y1338H produced NS3 in addition to NS2-3 throughout infection. Compared to the parent CP7, NS2-3 processing was slightly decreased at both temperatures. Quantification of viral RNAs that were accumulated at 10 h postinfection demonstrated that attenuation of the cytopathogenicity of the ts mutants at 39.5°C correlated with reduced amounts of viral RNA, while the efficiency of viral RNA synthesis at 33°C was not affected. Taken together, the results of this study show that a mutation in BVDV NS2 attenuates viral RNA replication and suppresses viral cytopathogenicity at high temperature without altering NS3 expression and infectious virus production in a temperature-dependent manner.The pestiviruses Bovine viral diarrhea virus-1 (BVDV-1), BVDV-2, Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), and Border disease virus (BDV) are causative agents of economically important livestock diseases. Together with the genera Flavivirus, including several important human pathogens like Dengue fever virus, West Nile virus, Yellow fever virus, and Tick-borne encephalitis virus, and Hepacivirus (human Hepatitis C virus [HCV]), the genus Pestivirus constitutes the family Flaviviridae (8, 20). All members of this family are enveloped viruses with a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome encompassing one large open reading frame (ORF) flanked by 5′ and 3′ nontranslated regions (NTR) (see references 8 and 28 for reviews). The ORF encodes a polyprotein which is co- and posttranslationally processed into the mature viral proteins by viral and cellular proteases. For BVDV, the RNA genome is about 12.3 kb in length and encodes a polyprotein of about 3,900 amino acids. The first third of the ORF encodes a nonstructural (NS) autoprotease and four structural proteins, while the remaining part of the genome encodes NS proteins which share many common characteristics and functions with the corresponding NS proteins encoded by the HCV genome (8, 28). NS2 of BVDV represents a cysteine autoprotease which is distantly related to the HCV NS2-3 protease (26). NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A, and NS5B are essential components of the pestivirus replicase (7, 10, 49). NS3 possesses multiple enzymatic activities, namely serine protease (48, 52, 53), NTPase (46), and helicase activity (51). NS4A acts as an essential cofactor for the NS3 proteinase. NS5B represents the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) (22, 56). The functions of NS4B and NS5A remain to be determined. NS5A has been shown to be a phosphorylated protein that is associated with cellular serine/threonine kinases (44).According to their effects in tissue culture, two biotypes of pestiviruses are distinguished: cytopathogenic (cp) and noncytopathogenic (ncp) viruses (17, 27). The occurrence of cp BVDV in cattle persistently infected with ncp BVDV is directly linked to the induction of lethal mucosal disease in cattle (12, 13). Previous studies have shown that cp BVDV strains evolved from ncp BVDV strains by different kinds of mutations. These include RNA recombination with various cellular mRNAs, resulting in insertions of cellular protein-coding sequences into the viral genome, as well as insertions, duplications, and deletions of viral sequences, and point mutations (1, 2, 9, 24, 33, 36, 37, 42). A common consequence of all these genetic changes in cp BVDV genomes is the efficient production of NS3 at early and late phases of infection. In contrast, NS3 cannot be detected in cells at late time points after infection with ncp BVDV. An additional major difference is that the cp viruses produce amounts of viral RNA significantly larger than those of their ncp counterparts (7, 32, 50). While there is clear evidence that cell death induced by cp BVDV is mediated by apoptosis, the molecular mechanisms involved in pestiviral cytopathogenicity are poorly understood. In particular, the role of NS3 in triggering apoptosis remains unclear. It has been hypothesized that the NS3 serine proteinase might be involved in activation of the apoptotic proteolytic cascade (21, 55). Furthermore, it has been suggested that the NS3-mediated, enhanced viral RNA synthesis of cp BVDV and subsequently larger amounts of viral double-stranded RNAs may play a crucial role in triggering apoptosis (31, 54).In this study, we describe generation and characterization of a temperature-sensitive (ts) cp BVDV mutant whose ability to cause viral cytopathogenicity at high temperature is strongly attenuated. Our results demonstrate that a single amino acid substitution in NS2 attenuates BVDV cytopathogenicity at high temperature without affecting production of infectious viruses and expression of NS3 in a temperature-dependent manner.     

Molecular Characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae Isolated from Bovine Mastitis in Eastern China

One hundred and two Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) isolates were collected from dairy cattle with subclinical mastitis in Eastern China during 2011. Clonal groups were established by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), respectively. Capsular polysaccharides (CPS), pilus and alpha-like-protein (Alp) family genes were also characterized by molecular techniques. MLST analysis revealed that these isolates were limited to three clonal groups and were clustered in six different lineages, i.e. ST (sequence type) 103, ST568, ST67, ST301, ST313 and ST570, of which ST568 and ST570 were new genotypes. PFGE analysis revealed this isolates were clustered in 27 PFGE types, of which, types 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 18, 23 and 25 were the eight major types, comprising close to 70% (71/102) of all the isolates. The most prevalent sequence types were ST103 (58% isolates) and ST568 (31% isolates), comprising capsular genotype Ia isolates without any of the detected Alp genes, suggesting the appearance of novel genomic backgrounds of prevalent strains of bovine S. agalactiae. All the strains possessed the pilus island 2b (PI-2b) gene and the prevalent capsular genotypes were types Ia (89% isolates) and II (11% isolates), the conserved pilus type providing suitable data for the development of vaccines against mastitis caused by S. agalactiae.     

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Strain Oregon: a Novel Mechanism for Processing of NS2-3 Based on Point Mutations

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) isolates can either be cytopathogenic (cp) or noncytopathogenic (noncp). While both biotypes express the nonstructural protein NS2-3, generation of NS3 strictly correlates with the cp phenotype. The production of NS3 is usually caused by cp specific genome alterations, which were found to be due to RNA recombination. Molecular analyses of the cp BVDV strain Oregon revealed that it does not possess such genome alterations but nevertheless is able to generate NS3 via processing of NS2-3. The NS3 serine protease is not involved in this cleavage, which, according to protein sequencing, occurs between amino acids 1589 and 1590 of the BVDV Oregon polyprotein. Transient-expression studies indicated that important information for the cleavage of NS2-3 is located within NS2. This was verified by expression of chimeric constructs containing cDNA fragments derived from BVDV Oregon and a noncp BVDV. It could be shown that the C-terminal part of NS2 plays a crucial role in NS2-3 cleavage. These data, together with results obtained by site-specific exchanges in this region, revealed a new mechanism for NS2-3 processing which is based on point mutations within NS2.     

Fertility of cows challenged with a cytopathic strain of Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus during an outbreak of spontaneous infection with a noncytopathic strain

During an attempt to accumulate 40 Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus (BVDV) seronegative cows for breeding and for intramuscular infection on Day 21 of gestation, a persistently infected cow was inadvertently included among the first group of seronegative animals assembled. This animal proceeded to infect all seronegative animals added to the experimental herd. Since the addition of cows was gradual and they were bred as they arrived, a group of cows was bred before they seroconverted, another group was inseminated during seroconversion and a third group was seropositive when bred. First service conception rates were 22.2, 44.4 and 78.6%, respectively. The difference between 22.2 and 78.6% conception rates was significant (P < 0.05). Thirty cows were diagnosed pregnant at 21 d after service on the basis of nonreturn to estrus, presence of a palpable corpus luteum and high serum progesterone concentration. Seventeen of these received cytopathic BVDV intramuscularly and 13 cows served as controls. All control cows and 9 of 17 (52.9%) virus-treated cows had normal fetuses and placentas at slaughter on Day 70. Six pregnancies were lost between 23 and 33 d after insemination and two were lost between 35 and 40 d after insemination. Noncytopathic BVDV was demonstrated in all eight of these cows either in the buffy coat or in tissues, despite the presence of serum neutralizing antibodies.