A hamster-attenuated, temperature-sensitive mutant of Venezuelan encephalitis virus

VIRULENCE

Why do parasites harm their hosts? Intuition suggests that parasites should evolve to be benign whenever the host is needed for transmission. Yet a growing theoretical literature offers several models to explain why natural selection may favor virulent parasites over avirulent ones. This perspective first organizes these models into a simple framework and then evaluates the empirical evidence for and against the models. There is relatively scant evidence to support any of the models rigorously, and indeed, there are only a few unequivocal observations of virulence actually evolving in parasite populations. These shortcomings are surmountable, however, and empirical models of host-parasite interactions have been developed for many kinds of pathogens so that the relevant data could be acquired in the near future.

Histidine at position 1042 of the p150 region of a KRT live attenuated rubella vaccine strain is responsible for the temperature sensitivity

The Japanese live attenuated KRT rubella vaccine strain has a temperature sensitivity (ts) phenotype. The objective of this study is to identify the region responsible for this phenotype. Genomic sequences of the KRT strain and the wild-type strain (RVi/Matsue.JPN/68) with the non-ts phenotype were investigated and reverse genetic systems (RG) for these strains were developed. The ts phenotype of KRT varied drastically on replacement of the p150 gene (encoding a methyltransferase and a nonstructural protease). Analysis of four chimeric viruses showed the region responsible for the ts phenotype to be located between Bsm I and Nhe I sites (genome position 2803-3243). There were two amino acid differences at positions 1007 and 1042. Mutations were introduced into the KRT cDNA clone, designated G1007D, H1042Y and G1007D-H1042Y. H1042Y and G1007D-H1042Y grew well at a restrictive temperature with a 100-fold higher titer than G1007D and the KRT strain, but a 10-fold lower titer than RVi/Matsue.JPN/68. Since the growth of H1042Y was not completely the same as that of the wild-type strain at the restrictive temperature, we also assessed whether other genomic regions have an additive effect with H1042Y on the ts phenotype. H1042Y-RViM SP having structural proteins of RVi/Matsue.JPN/68 grew better than H1042Y, similar to RVi/Matsue.JPN/68. Thus, we concluded that one mutation, of the histidine at position 1042 of p150, was essential for the ts phenotype of the KRT strain, and structural proteins of KRT had an additive effect with H1042Y on the ts phenotype.

Attenuation of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus strain TC-83 is encoded by the 5'-noncoding region and the E2 envelope glycoprotein

The virulent Trinidad donkey (TRD) strain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus and its live attenuated vaccine derivative, TC-83 virus, have different neurovirulence characteristics. A full-length cDNA clone of the TC-83 virus genome was constructed behind the bacteriophage T7 promoter in the polylinker of plasmid pUC18. To identify the genomic determinants of TC-83 virus attenuation, TRD virus-specific sequences were inserted into the TC-83 virus clone by in vitro mutagenesis or recombination. Antigenic analysis of recombinant viruses with VEE E2- and E1-specific monoclonal antibodies gave predicted antigenic reactivities. Mouse challenge experiments indicated that genetic markers responsible for the attenuated phenotype of TC-83 virus are composed of genome nucleotide position 3 in the 5'-noncoding region and the E2 envelope glycoprotein. TC-83 virus amino acid position E2-120 appeared to be the major structural determinant of attenuation. Insertion of the TRD virus-specific 5'-noncoding region, by itself, into the TC-83 virus full-length clone did not alter the attenuated phenotype of the virus. However, the TRD virus-specific 5'-noncoding region enhanced the virulence potential of downstream TRD virus amino acid sequences.

Isolation and preliminary characterization of mutants of western equine encephalomyelitis virus with altered virulence in chickens

A small plaque (sp) and four temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of western equine encephalomyelitis virus (WEEV) were obtained from a highly virulent field isolate (BFS-1703) after mutagenesis with 5-azacytidine or nitrosoguanidine or following undiluted passage in mosquito cell culture. Three ts mutants (158, 214, and 260) expressed stable ts phenotypes as determined both by six-hour leak yield and efficiency of plaquing (EOP) analyses. Progeny of ts mutant 214 grown at the nonpermissive temperature lacked hemagglutinin activity. The sp mutant (148) was as highly virulent as the wild-type virus (WTV) for newly hatched chickens (infected when 12 hours old), whereas the ts mutants were attenuated in their virulence for this host. Attentuation was correlated with lower viremia titers in 24-hour postinfection blood samples. The WTV and those mutants able to infect 21-day-old chickens produced nonlethal infections but the growth of ts 158 was apparently restricted in this high-temperature nonpermissive host. All ts mutants except ts 158 lost their ts phenotype after growth for 24 hours in newly hatched chickens and in duck embryonic cell culture (DECC) maintained at 42 degrees C.

In vitro and in vivo properties of chemically induced temperature-sensitive mutants of Chlamydia psittaci var. ovis: screening in a murine model

Two temperature-sensitive (ts) strains, 1B and 1H, were obtained after nitrosoguanidine treatment of the wild-type virulent abortive ovine strain Chlamydia psittaci AB7. Optimum growth temperature on McCoy cells was 38 degrees C for the three strains, but at the restrictive temperature, 39.5 degrees C, ts strains differed from the parental strain in their total infective yield of chlamydiae, their efficiency of plating, and the morphology of the plaques and cytoplasmic inclusions. Their survival at 51 degrees C was also reduced compared with that of the wild field strains. The virulence of the two ts strains was attenuated for pregnant mice, but these two ts strains were able to multiply in mice and to induce a strong immunity to virulent challenge with either the parental AB7 strain or the caprine or bovine abortive field strains.

Sensitivity of Toxorhynchites amboinensis mosquitoes versus chicken embryonic cell cultures for assays of Venezuelan encephalitis virus

Toxorhynchites amboinensis mosquitoes inoculated intrathoracically with Venezuelan encephalitis virus and tested for infectious virus 12 to 19 days later by inoculation of primary chicken embryonic cell cultures yielded approximately the same titers of virus as did direct inoculation of cultures, with counting of plaques 3 days thereafter. Titers were slightly higher in T. amboinensis for three virus strains, equal for two virus strains, and slightly lower for two virus strains. Comparative titers of four strains were similar, whether virus suspensions came from infectious vertebrate cells or infected invertebrate (T. amboinensis) cells. Each of the seven strains of Venezuelan encephalitis virus reached virus concentrations of 10(4.2) to 10(5.1) plaque-forming units in individual T. amboinensis mosquitoes after extrinsic incubation periods of 12 to 19 days. No temperature-sensitive (29 versus 37 degrees C) virus was detected in T. amboinensis mosquitoes infected by six strains of Venezuelan encephalitis virus.