Genetic basis of influenza virus virulence: gene composition and virulence of reassortants between mouse-adapted and nonadapted strains from different subtypes
Rudneva, I.A.; Finskaia, N.N.; Smirnov, I.A.; Kaverin, N.V.
Molekuliarnaia Genetika Mikrobiologiia i Virusologiia 9: 32-36
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0208-0613 PMID: 3211186 Document Number: 310172
Reassortment analysis of the pneumovirulence for mice marker of influenza virus has been performed. The original A/USSR/90/77 (H1H1) influenza virus strain or its mouse-adapted variant were crossed with a variant of A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) influenza virus highly virulent for mice. The reassortant having HA gene of the original A/USSR/90/77 virus and the other genes of the highly virulent A/Aichi/2/68 strain was avirulent for mice, whereas a similar reassortant possessing HA gene of the mouse-adapted A/USSR/90/77 strain was as virulent as A/Aichi/2/68 parent virus. The reasortant having HA and M genes of A/Aichi/2/68 and other genes of the mouse-adapted A/USSR/90/77 was moderately virulent, resembling in this respect the latter parent. The data indicates that changes in the different genes in course of viral adaptation to mice result in a differential acquisition of virulence for mice.