Viral interference phenomena induced by foot-and-mouth disease temperature-sensitive mutants in bovine kidney cells

Purification of an acid-stable bovine leukocyte interferon

Bovine leukocyte interferon (BoL-IFN), produced in bovine peripheral blood leukocytes after priming and induction with Sendai virus, was concentrated by precipitation with KSCN (pH 3.5) and purified by gel column chromatography. Recovery of BoL-IFN from precipitation was higher when crude BoL-IFN containing more fetal bovine serum (FBS) was used. However, purity of BoL-IFN recovered from the gel filtration column was highest when crude BoL-IFN with no FBS was used. The use of 25% ethylene glycol in the column elution buffer resulted in over 93% recovery of the applied IFN activity, versus only 25% when buffer contained no ethylene glycol. Column-purified BoL-IFN was further concentrated by ultrafiltration and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in denaturing buffer. When crude BoL-IFN containing no FBS was used for purification, BoL-IFN from a selected column fraction applied to SDS-PAGE resulted in a single narrow band with an apparent molecular weight (MW) of 19,000 Da. Extraction of the SDS-PAGE gel resulted in a single peak of IFN activity indicating identity of the activity and the polypeptide. This proved to be a practical method for obtaining sufficient quantities of purified natural BoL-IFN for use in the production of monoclonal antibodies to BoL-IFN and other biological experiments.

Homologous interference by a foot-and-mouth disease virus strain attenuated for cattle

An attenuated strain of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) of the A24 Cruzeiro subtype grew less well than wild-type virus in primary bovine fetal kidney (PBK) cells resulting in a 4-log lowered efficiency of plaque formation. Both wild-type and attenuated virus grew equally well in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells and in suckling mice. Using PBK cells, virus-specific RNA of the wild-type accumulated up to 6 hours after infection. In contrast, PBK cells infected with the attenuated strain made less than 20 per cent of the RNA synthesized by wild-type virus. Infection of the cell with wild-type virus followed by superinfection with attenuated virus led to almost complete inhibition of viral RNA synthesis, an effect which is dependent on the concentration of input attenuated virus. Three subsequent undiluted successive passages of the attenuated virus resulted in a preparation which no longer interfered with wild-type RNA synthesis and which induced more of its own viral RNA synthesis in PBK cells. The basis of this interference was considered. Interference occurred intracellularly and was directed only against viruses within the genus FMDV. A role for interferon was ruled out. Attempts to demonstrate the physical presence of defective interfering (DI) particles of FMDV in the attenuated strain failed; but, cyclic patterns of infectivity were produced during successive undiluted passages.

Characterization of a foot-and-mouth disease mutant temperature-sensitive for viral RNA synthesis

A temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) did not produce RNA polymerase activity nor synthesize viral RNA when incubated in cells solely at the nonpermissive temperature (38.5 degrees C). Infected cells initially incubated at 38.5 degrees C and then shifted down to 33 degrees C synthesized increased amounts of viral RNA at earlier times compared to infected cells kept at 33 degrees C throughout, indicating that RNA polymerase precursors were synthesized at 38.5 degrees C. In cells shifted up to 38.5 degrees C from 33 degrees C, the total amount of viral RNA synthesized after infection increased sharply for about 15 minutes and then rapidly increased over the next 2 hours. RNA polymerase activity presented a similar pattern in its initial twofold increase and subsequent rapid decrease. Pulse labeling experiments showed that mutant viral RNA synthesis continued at a diminishing rate for 2 hours in cells shifted up to 38.5 degrees C. The data from temperature after shift-up was degraded. The FMDV ts mutant is apparently additionally defective in being unable to protect viral RNA synthesized after shift-up to 38.5 degrees C.