Expression of bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase in avian and mammalian cells by a recombinant fowlpox virus.

The bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase gene was integrated into the fowlpox virus genome under the control of the vaccinia virus early/late promoter, P7.5. The recombinant fowlpox virus, fpEFLT7pol, stably expressed T7 RNA polymerase in avian and mammalian cells, allowing transient expression of transfected genes under the control of the T7 promoter. The recombinant fowlpox virus expressing T7 RNA polymerase offers an alternative to the widely used vaccinia virus vTF7-3, or the recently developed modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) T7 RNA polymerase recombinant, a highly attenuated strain with restricted host-range. Recombinant fowlpox viruses have the advantage that as no infectious virus are produced from mammalian cells they do not have to be used under stringent microbiological safety conditions.

Experimental evidence of recombination in coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus.

Embryonated eggs were coinfected with two strains of the coronavirus avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), IBV-Beaudette and IBV-M41, to investigate whether recombination between the two strains would occur. Virions were isolated from the allantoic fluid of the coinfected eggs and putative hybrid RNAs were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using strain-specific oligonucleotides. PCR products, of the expected sizes, were obtained as predicted from potential recombination events between the nucleoprotein (N) gene and the 3'-untranslated region of the two IBV genomes. Sequencing confirmed that they corresponded to hybrid RNAs. Virus produced as a result of the mixed infection was treated with an M41-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibody and passaged in Vero cells, in which IBV-Beaudette, but not IBV-M41, replicated. Hybrid RNA was still detectable after three serial passages. Since no IBV-M41 was detectable this confirmed that infectious recombinant genomes had been produced in the embryonated eggs. These findings not only support the circumstantial evidence, from sequencing studies of IBV field strains, that recombination occurs during replication of IBV and contributes to the diversity of IBV, but also show that coronavirus RNA recombination is not limited to mouse hepatitis virus.

First experimental evidence of recombination in infectious bronchitis virus. Recombination in IBV.

A high frequency of recombination has been shown to occur during replication of the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) in vitro as well as in vivo. Although sequencing of field strains of coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) has indicated that IBV strains also undergo recombination, there has been no experimental evidence to support this deduction. To investigate whether recombination occurs in IBV, embryonated eggs were coinfected with IBV-Beaudette and IBV-M41. Potential recombinants were detected by strain-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications, using oligonucleotides corresponding to regions in the 3' end of the genome. Sequencing of the PCR products confirmed that a number of recombinations had occurred between the two strains.

The use of PCR genome mapping for the characterisation of TGEV strains.

Previous studies on different transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) strains, including porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV), have identified regions within the genome that are polymorphic as regards insertions and deletions. For example the 672 base deletion within the S gene and multiple deletions 5', within and 3' of the ORF-3a gene were detected in strains of PRCV. The presence of deletions may be associated with a change in the virulence, attenuation or tissue tropism of the isolate. The Nouzilly (188-SG) TGEV vaccine strain was attenuated by passage of a cell culture adapted virulent isolate D-52 188 times through swine testis cells after treatment with gastric juice. PCR amplification with oligonucleotides, corresponding to known TGEV sequences, were used to analyse D-52 and 188-SG for genetic variation. Results with several pairs of oligonucleotides within the first 1565 nucleotides of the S gene did not identify a deletion within this region of the genome from either strain. However, oligonucleotides directed against the ORF-3a/3b region detected a deletion of about 250 nucleotides within the 188-SG genome but not in the D-52 genome. Since all the attenuated TGEV strains so far sequenced, PRCV, Miller SP and 188-SG, contained deletions within the ORF-3a/3b, it would suggest that this region of the TGEV genome is involved in regulating viral virulence.