A RIBOZYME TARGETED TO CLEAVE THE POLYMERASE GENE-SEQUENCES OF DIFFERENT FOOT-AND-MOUTH-DISEASE VIRUS (FMDV) SEROTYPES

Vaccinations against foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) has dramatica lly reduced the number of disease outbreaks. Nevertheless, there are s till many outbreaks in different regions around the world. In an effor t to find new ways to control the disease, ribozymes able to cleave FM DV were designed and tested. In this work we tested the ability of FRZ 4, a ribozyme targeted to the viral polymerase gene, to cleave polymer ase sequences of several FMDV. Homology analysis was used to choose ta rget sequences which consist of two conserved GUC which lie 15 bases a part and, their flanking sequences. These were the basis for the FRZ4 ribozyme gene sequence that contains two catalytic domains. We show th at polymerase sequences from A, Asia 1, C and two different O1 Israeli isolates could be specifically cleaved by FRZ4. It is suggested that FRZ4 can cleave polymerase gene sequences from any FMDV serotype.