An African swine fever virus ORF with similarity to C-type lectins is non-essential for growth in swine macrophages in vitro and for virus virulence in domestic swine
Jg. Neilan et al., An African swine fever virus ORF with similarity to C-type lectins is non-essential for growth in swine macrophages in vitro and for virus virulence in domestic swine, J GEN VIROL, 80, 1999, pp. 2693-2697
An African swine fever virus (ASFV) ORF, 8CR, with similarity to the C-type
lectin family of adhesion proteins has been described in the pathogenic is
olate Malawi Lil-20/1. The similarity of 8CR to cellular and poxvirus genes
associated with cell adhesion, cell recognition and virus infectivity sugg
ested that 8CR may be of significance to ASFV-host cell interactions, Seque
nce analysis of the 8CR ORF from additional pathogenic ASFV isolates demons
trated conservation among isolates from both pig and tick sources. Northern
blot analysis demonstrated 8CR mRNA transcription late in the virus replic
ation cycle. A Malawi Lil-20/1 8CR deletion mutant (Delta 8CR) was construc
ted to analyse 8CR function further. The growth characteristics in vitro of
Delta 8CR in porcine macrophage cell cultures were identical to those obse
rved for parental virus. In domestic swine, Delta 8CR exhibited an unaltere
d parental Malawi Lil-20/1 disease and virulence phenotype. Thus, although
well conserved among pathogenic ASFV field isolates, 8CR is non-essential f
or growth in porcine macrophages in vitro and for virus virulence in domest
ic swine.