ARS | Publication request: DEVELOPMENT OF A MAMMALIAN CELL EXPRESSION SYSTEM TO STUDY THE BIOLOGY OF THE STRUCTURAL PROTEINS OF BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 11, 1997
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: BVDV is a ubiquitous viral pathogen of cattle. There are two genogroups of BVDV currently recognized, BVDV 1 and BVDV 2, differentiation being based primarily on the nucleotide sequence of the 5' untranslated region and the gp53 envelope glycoprotein. The gp53 protein is one of the most divergent polypeptides encoded by these viruses and the biology and role of this protein in virus assembly and pathogenesis is poorly understood. We have expressed the gp53 protein in several stable cell lines as well as bovine primary cell cultures using the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3. The protein is expressed at high levels and is recognized by our gp53 monoclonal antibody panel. Expression of the gp53 protein appears to affect division of the expressing cells. Mutagenesis studies are underway to examine the role of specific amino acid residues in antibody recognition as well as pathogenic effects at the cellular level.