Identification of EV71 virulence diterminants using mouse model

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08514
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Virology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: FUJII Ken 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, ゲノム医科学研究分野, 主席研究員 (10580201)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: エンテロウイルス71 / 神経病原性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease and sometimes causes severe or fatal neurological complications. The amino acid at VP1-145 determines virological characteristics of EV71. Viruses with glutamic acid (E) at VP1-145 (VP1-145E) are virulent in neonatal mice and transgenic mice expressing human scavenger receptor B2, whereas those with glutamine (Q) or glycine (G) are not. However, the contribution of this variation to pathogenesis in humans is not fully understood. We compared the virulence of VP1-145E and VP1-145G viruses of Isehara and C7/Osaka backgrounds in cynomolgus monkeys. VP1-145E, but not VP1-145G, viruses induced neurological symptoms. VP1-145E viruses were frequently detected in the tissues of infected monkeys. VP1-145G viruses were detected less frequently and disappeared quickly. Instead, mutants that had a G to E mutation at VP1-145 emerged, suggesting that VP1-145E viruses have a replication advantage in the monkeys.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学