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F J Fuller

Publications and source records attributed to F J Fuller.

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Nucleotide sequence of the tick-borne, orthomyxo-like Dhori/Indian/1313/61 virus envelope gene.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the fourth largest segment of single-stranded RNA of the tick-borne, orthomyxo-like Dhori/Indian/1313/61 virus was determined by using cloned cDNA derived from infected cell mRNA. The fourth RNA contains 1586 nucleotides and can code for a protein of 521 amino acids with a molecular weight of 58,675 Da. The predicted polypeptide possesses an amino-terminal hydrophobic region that may function as a signal sequence to initiate translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and a carboxyl-terminal hydrophobic region that could serve as a stop transfer sequence for anchoring this protein in the membrane. The envelope protein of Dhori virus does not display significant amino acid sequence homology with any of the envelope proteins (hemagglutinin or neuraminidase) of the influenza virus family members (or any other virus group) suggesting that the Dhori envelope protein is unique and may at least in part account for its divergent biological properties with other orthomyxoviruses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nucleotide sequence of the envelope protein genes of a highly virulent, neurotropic strain of Newcastle disease virus.

The envelope glycoproteins of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and fusion (F) proteins, play important roles in determining the host immune response and the virulence of that particular virus strain. The complete nucleotide sequence of the HN and F genes of a highly neurovirulent strain of NDV (Texas G. B., 1948) was determined in an effort to study the molecular basis of this strain's neurotropic properties. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences for the HN and F among the American NDV strains revealed that the Texas G. B. and Beaudette C envelope genes are closely related to each other and are less closely related to the avirulent B1 Hitchner strain. We have found 11 amino acid changes in the predicted HN protein between the Beaudette C and Texas G. B. strain but only 2 conservative amino acid changes (amino acids 11 and 197) in the F protein between these two strains. Although the virulence of NDV strains has been related to sequences at the cleavage site of F0, the property of neurovirulence cannot depend solely upon these sequences because there are no sequence differences between the Beaudette C and Texas G. B. strains. We suggest that the neurovirulence phenotype could be due to the molecular properties of the HN protein; however, we cannot exclude the possibility that the two conservative amino acid differences between the two F proteins could also play a role in determining the phenotypic differences between these two virus strains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of virologic and serologic responses of lambs and calves infected with bluetongue virus serotype 10.

Four lambs and 3 calves, seronegative to bluetongue virus (BTV), were inoculated intravenously with a highly plaque-purified strain of BTV Serotype 10. A single calf and lamb served as controls and were inoculated with uninfected cell culture lysate. All BTV-inoculated lambs exhibited mild clinical manifestations of bluetongue, whereas infected calves were asymptomatic. Viremia persisted in BTV-infected lambs for 35-42 days, and for 42-56 days in BTV-infected calves. Neutralizing antibodies were first detected in sera collected at Day 14 post-inoculation (PI) from 2 BTV-infected calves and all 4 infected lambs, and at Day 28 PI in the remaining calf. The appearance of neutralizing antibody in serum did not coincide with clearance of virus from blood; BTV and specific neutralizing antibody coexisted in peripheral blood of infected lambs and calves for as long as 28 days. The sequential development, specificity and intensity of virus protein-specific humoral immune responses of lambs and calves were evaluated by immunoprecipitation of [35S]-labelled proteins in BTV-infected cell lysates by sera collected from inoculated animals at bi-weekly intervals PI. Sera from infected lambs and calves reacted most consistently with BTV structural proteins VP2 and VP7, and nonstructural protein NS2, and less consistently with structural protein VP5, and nonstructural protein NS1. Lambs developed humoral immune responses to individual BTV proteins more rapidly than calves, and one calf had especially weak virus protein-specific humoral immune responses; viremia persisted longer in this calf than any other animal in the study. The clearance of virus from the peripheral blood of BTV-infected lambs and calves is not caused simply by the production of virus-specific neutralizing antibody, however the intensity of humoral immune responses to individual BTV proteins might influence the duration of viremia in different animals.

Animals↗

Bluetongue virus genome remains stable throughout prolonged infection of cattle.

Infection of three calves with a highly plaque-purified strain of bluetongue virus (BTV) resulted in prolonged infections, during which virus and neutralizing antibodies co-circulated in peripheral blood. Oligonucleotide fingerprint analyses of the original challenge virus and of the final virus isolate obtained from each calf demonstrated the BTV genome to remain stable throughout prolonged infection as no differences in fingerprint patterns were detected. Six neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), and a polyclonal rabbit antiserum, were produced against the challenge virus. This panel of MAbs recognized at least two distinct neutralizing epitopes as demonstrated by immune precipitation. Neutralizing epitopes remained stable through the prolonged infections, as all MAbs and the polyclonal rabbit antiserum neutralized the challenge virus and the final calf isolates to equivalent titres. These results suggest that antigenic drift is not the mechanism by which BTV is able to persist in cattle in spite of a strong humoral immune response.

Animals↗

Complete nucleotide sequence of the tick-borne, orthomyxo-like Dhori/Indian/1313/61 virus nucleoprotein gene.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the fifth largest segment of single-stranded RNA of the tick-borne, orthomyxo-like Dhori/Ind/1313/61 virus was determined by using cloned cDNA derived from infected cell mRNA and dideoxynucleotide sequencing of viral RNA. The fifth RNA contains 1479 nucleotides and can code for a protein of 477 amino acids with a molecular weight of 53,679 Da. The RNA 5 protein of the Dhori/Ind/1313/61 virus possesses five short regions (16-26 amino acids) which share a high degree (50-59%) of amino acid sequence homology with a computer-aligned consensus sequence of the influenza nucleoprotein gene family. These and other structural features of the RNA 5 protein suggest that RNA 5 of Dhori viruses codes for the nucleoprotein. The data also suggest that Dhori viruses are orthomyxoviruses, but that they are more distantly related to the influenza viruses than type A, B, and C viruses are to each other.

Base Sequence↗

Humoral immune response of calves to bluetongue virus infection.

Humoral immune responses of 7 calves to bluetongue virus (BTV) infection were evaluated by plaque-reduction assay and immunoblotting. Most readily interpretable results were obtained with the immunoblot assay when colostrum-deprived calves were used, and sera were reacted with proteins in partially purified extracts of BTV. Viremia persisted in calves for 35 to 56 days, and BTV coexisted in blood for several weeks with virus-specific neutralizing antibody. Calves developed antibody to virus protein 2, the major determinant of virus neutralization, at 14 to 28 days after inoculation; this time interval also coincided with the appearance of neutralizing antibody in serum. Virus clearance in BTV-infected calves did not coincide with humoral immune responses to protein 2 or other virion proteins.

Animals↗

A single nucleotide change in the E2 glycoprotein gene of Sindbis virus affects penetration rate in cell culture and virulence in neonatal mice.

The nucleotide sequence of the glycoprotein genes of fully virulent Sindbis virus and derived mutants that have reduced neurovirulence for neonatal mice (attenuated mutants) has been determined. A single amino acid difference, arginine instead of serine at position 114 of the mature E2 glycoprotein, distinguished the prototype attenuated mutant from its virulent wild-type parent. Virulent revertants of the attenuated mutant showed same-site reversion to the wild-type sequence. An identical single amino acid substitution, an arginine for the serine at E2 position 114, was found in a second independently selected attenuated mutant. The strains are characterized by genetic linkage between attenuation, accelerated penetration of baby hamster kidney cells, and efficient neutralization by the E2-specific monoclonal antibodies R6 and R13; selection for change in one property simultaneously selected for change in the other two (Olmsted, R. A., Baric, R. S., Sawyer, B. A. & Johnston, R. E. (1984) Science 225, 424-427 and Olmsted, R. A., Meyer, W. J. & Johnston, R. E. (1986) Virology 148, 1-10). The nucleotide sequence data suggest that a single mutation in the E2 gene is sufficient to cause these coordinate phenotypic changes. These findings identify a single locus in a Sindbis virus surface glycoprotein gene that determines both efficiency of interaction with cultured baby hamster kidney cells and degree of virulence in neonatal mice.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Genetic stability in calves of a single strain of bluetongue virus.

Newborn calves were inoculated IV with highly plaque-purified bluetongue virus (BTV), serotype 10. The electrophoretic migration patterns of RNA segments and proteins of viruses isolated from calves at intervals after inoculation were compared. In addition, sera collected from calves at intervals after inoculation were compared for their abilities to neutralize several virus isolates from the same calf. Viremia persisted in calves for up to 56 days. Differences were not detected in the electrophoretic migration pattern of RNA segments or proteins of any of the BTV isolates. All calves produced high titers of neutralizing antibody to the original BTV inoculum by 28 days after inoculation, and significant (greater than or equal to 4-fold) differences were not detected in the neutralizing titers of sera to viruses collected at intervals after inoculation. The plaque-purified strain of BTV appeared to be stable genetically in infected calves, and failure to demonstrate antigenic variation among isolates indicated that antigenic shift was not the mechanism that allowed viremia to persist in BTV-infected calves.

Animals↗

Interferon induction by viruses. IV. Sindbis virus: early passage defective-interfering particles induce interferon.

We have shown that a single defective-interfering (DI) particle of early (5th) passage Sindbis virus induces maximal amounts of interferon in an 'aged' primary chick embryo cell. The capacity of such DI particles to induce interferon is inactivated by small amounts of u.v. radiation (i/e dose = 232 ergs/mm2). The I/e dose for inactivation of the interferon-inducing capacity of infectious virus particles is 399 ergs/mm2 and for infectivity is 101 ergs/mm2. Pre-treatment with interferon blocks formation of interferon in response to either DI or infectious virus particles. Our results suggest that Sindbis virus genes must be expressed to form the interferon inducer, which is presumably a molecule of double-stranded (ds)RNA. We postulate that for interferon induction, the genomic RNA which codes for genes G and A must be translated into products whose concerted action produces a dsRNA molecule upon synthesis of a segment of RNA complementary to the genome. The RNA from early passage DI particles is sufficiently large (25S, 1.6 x 10(6) mol. wt.) to accommodate these genes, whereas the RNA from the late passage DI particles (20S, 1.0 x 10(6) mol. wt.) is not. Late (15th) passage DI particles do not induce interferon formation.

Animals↗

Interferon induction by viruses. Sindbis virus: defective-interfering particles temperature-sensitive for interferon induction.

A defective-interfering (DI) particle of Sindbis virus was generated from a ts mutant of RNA-complementation group A by serially undiluted passages at 30 degrees C. This mutant induced interferon at a permissive temperature (30 degrees C), but not at a non-permissive temperature (40.5 degrees C); it also expressed homotypic interference throughout the range 30 to 40.5 degrees C. This demonstrates for the first time in a DI particle a ts function, namely, the ability to induce interferon. In addition, our data provide further evidence that the RNA genome of a Sindbis DI particle can be translated within the cell. We postulate that the products of translation function to produce the putative inducer of interferon, namely a molecule of dsRNA.

Defective Viruses↗

Interferon induction by viruses. II. Sindbis virus: interferon induction requires one-quarter of the genome--genes G and A.

We have measured the amounts of interferon formed by chick cells 'aged' in vitro in response to different amounts of infectious wild-type Sindbis virus. Our results suggest that one plaque-forming unit is enough to induce maximum interferon formation. With higher m.o.i. the yield of interferon is less. To inactivate the interferon-inducing activity of Sindbis virus, four times more u.v.-radiation was needed than to inactivate the infectivity of the virus. This suggests that only 25% of the virus genome need be intact in order to induce interferon. Temperature-sensitive Sindbis virus mutants from the three RNA+ complementation groups, C. D and E, gave rise to interferon in chick cells incubated at a non-permissive temperature, Similarly, mutants from two of the RNA- groups, B and F, gave rise to interferon, but not mutants from groups G and A. We conclude that no pre-formed inducer of interferon is present in Sindbis virus. It appears, however, that genes G and A represent a special one-quarter of the genome which must be functional in order to synthesize an interferon-inducing moiety. We suggest that this moiety is a double-stranded RNA molecule formed after synthesis of a segment of RNA complementary to the genome.

Animals↗

Nucleotide sequence and vaccinia expression of the nucleoprotein of a highly virulent, neurotropic strain of Newcastle disease virus.

The nucleoprotein (NP) of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was selected to study the relative importance of an internal structural protein in the avian immune response. The NP gene of the virulent, neurotropic NDV Texas GB (TGB) strain was cloned and sequenced. Nucleotide sequence data for the NP gene allowed comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences for the NP genes of NDV-TGB and the avirulent duck isolate NDV-D26. These comparisons demonstrated an 89% nucleotide sequence homology and a 97% homology between the deduced amino acid sequences. The NDV-TGB NP expressed in recombinant vaccinia virus (rVAC) was electrophoretically and immunologically identical to the wild-type NDV-TGB. Although inoculation of chickens with the recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the NDV NP gene elicited anti-NDV antibodies in higher titers than in birds inoculated with live LaSota NDV, this strong anti-NDV response did not protect against lethal challenge with NDV-TGB.

Amino Acid Sequence↗