Development and application of rotavirus reverse genetics system

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24590561
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Virology
• Research Institution: Fujita Health University
• Principal Investigator: KOMOTO Satoshi 藤田保健衛生大学, 医学部, 講師 (60367711)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ロタウイルス / リバースジェネティクス / ヘルパーウイルス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Rotavirus VP4 possesses three conserved mono-basic residues at its trypsin cleavage site (R231, R241, and R247). Although only R247 is assumed to be required for the activation of infectivity with conventional techniques, the strict conservation of the three residues suggests that the presence of these residues may play an important role during infection. This possibility was evaluated by generating recombinant rotaviruses with trypsin cleavage site mutations using reverse genetics.
We isolated and characterized a rotavirus variant possessing a rearranged segment 11 with small sequence (3-bp)deletion within the open reading frame. Our results indicate that a rotavirus genomic rearrangement impairs packaging efficiency into the progeny viruses despite does not confer growth disadvantage to viruses.
We developed a plasmid-based reverse genetics system for reovirus driven by a plasmid-encoded T7 RNA polymerase, which could increase the flexibility of such reverse genetics systems.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学