Project Number: 3625-32000-065-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Feb 01, 2002
End Date: Jan 04, 2007

Objective:
The goals of this project are to improve the industry's ability to detect and control viral infections of ruminants (principally cattle), with an emphasis of bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV). Detection will be improved by the generation of robust field-ready tests that both detect and differentiate viral pathogens. Limiting and controlling viral infections will require research efforts to generate a more thorough understanding of viral/host interactions and identifying the mechanism(s) behind viral pathogenesis. This project has three objectives: 1. Develop rapid, automated, high throughput, antibody-based diagnostic platforms with high sensitivity and specificity with application for detection of pathogen proteins. 2. Identify changes in host gene expression following BVDV infections. 3. Identify genotypic and phenotypic viral virulence markers in BVDV strains.

Approach:
1. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies directed against BVDV and viral pathogens that may be mistaken for BVDV will be developed and/or characterized. These reagents will then be used to generate rapid, sensitive, and robust antibody-based diagnostics using selective binding concepts, microchip scale strategies, atomic force microscopy, and surface enhanced Ramen spectroscopy. 2. Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) will be used to examine changes in host cell functions following infection with virulent and avirulent strains of BVDV. There will be an emphasis on changes that occur in lymphoid tissue in order to develop tests to measure and evaluate immune response to infection. 3. Naturally occurring BVDV strains with varying levels of virulence will be identified and sequenced. Virulent and avirulent strains will be evaluated for growth characteristics and effects on lymphocyte subsets, platelets, cell proliferation, and endocrine function in vivo. Canceled; 7/9/02; IBC#s 0015, 0217 Canceled; 10/15/03; IBC# 0170 BSL-2N; Recertified 10/17/06 IBC# 0131 BSL-2; Recertified 10/20/06 IBC# 0188 BSL-Exempt; Recertified 10/16/06 IBC# 0182 BSL-Exempt; Recertified 10/17/06 IBC# 0225 BSL-Exempt; Recertified 10/17/06 IBC# 0226