NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL MUTAGENESIS ON THE ADAPTIVE-BEHAVIOR OF VESICULAR STOMATITIS-VIRUS

Changes in adaptability of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) upon treat ment with chemical mutagens have been investigated. Results showed no improvement in virus viability or adaptability at any given level of m utagenesis. In fact, increasing inhibition of virus production and ada ptability was observed with increasing levels of mutagenesis. This was true for all tested VSV variants replicating either in changing or co nstant host cell environments. Results also showed that mutagen-treate d RNA virus populations which had undergone severe fitness declines we re able to recover lost fitness completely after several large-populat ion passages in BHK21 cells. The present findings illustrate the highl y optimized states of RNA viruses and their potential to adapt readily . These results are significant for the possible development of specif ic antiviral agents designed to be mutagenic.