MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY OF BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS AND ITS INTERACTIONSWITH THE HOST

The contributions of pestivirus molecular biology research to our unde rstanding of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) biology and disease ha ve been remarkable. Completion of nucleotide sequence information for genomes of NCP and CP-BVDV isolates was an important milestone. Subseq uent work on the protein map of BVDV and polyprotein processing pathwa ys paved the way for the interpretation of many other virologic and im munologic studies. Discovery of a correlation between genotype II and virulence (hemorrhagic syndrome) will help to clarify previously contr oversial data and to improve disease control. Description of multiple pathways of p80 expression in CP-BVDV offered insight into the pathoge nesis of mucosal disease. Identification of gp53/E2 as the target of n eutralizing antibodies and source of antigenic hypervariability helped us to understand immunity to BVDV. Collectively, the advances describ ed contribute to the implementation of improved diagnostic and control strategies to reduce losses inflicted by the bovine pestivirus.