Jacobson E R, Orós J, Tucker S J, Pollock D P, Kelley K L, Munn R J, Lock B A, Mergia A, Yamamoto J K
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610, USA.
Am J Vet Res. 2001 Feb;62(2):217-24. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.2001.62.217.
To characterize retroviruses isolated from boid snakes with inclusion body disease (IBD).
2 boa constrictors with IBD and 1 boa exposed to an affected snake.
Snakes were euthanatized, and tissue specimens and blood samples were submitted for virus isolation. Tissue specimens were cultured with or without commercially available viper heart cells and examined by use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for evidence of viral replication. Reverse transcriptase activ ty was determined in sucrose gradient-purified virus. Western blotting was performed, using polyclonal antibodies against 1 of the isolated viruses. Specificity of the rabbit anti-virus antibody was evaluated, using an immunogold-labeling TEM technique.
3 viruses (RV-1, RV-2, and RV-3) were isolated. The isolates were morphologically comparable to members of the Retroviridae family. Reverse transcriptase activity was high in sucrose gradient fractions that were rich in virus. Polyclonal antibody against RV-1 reacted with proteins of similar relative mobility in RV-1 and RV-2. By use of immunogold labeling, this antibody also recognized virions of both RV-1 and RV-2.
A retrovirus was isolated from boid snakes with IBD or exposed to IBD. Western blot analysis of viral proteins indicated that viruses isolated from the different snakes were similar. Whether this virus represents the causative agent of IBD is yet to be determined. The isolation of retroviruses from boid snakes with IBD is an important step n the process of identifying the causative agent of this disease.
鉴定从患有包涵体病（IBD）的蚺科蛇类中分离出的逆转录病毒。
2条患有IBD的蟒蛇和1条接触过患病蛇的蟒蛇。
对蛇实施安乐死，提交组织标本和血液样本用于病毒分离。组织标本在有或没有市售蝰蛇心脏细胞的情况下进行培养，并通过透射电子显微镜（TEM）检查病毒复制的证据。在蔗糖梯度纯化的病毒中测定逆转录酶活性。使用针对其中一种分离病毒的多克隆抗体进行蛋白质印迹分析。采用免疫金标记TEM技术评估兔抗病毒抗体的特异性。
分离出3种病毒（RV - 1、RV - 2和RV - 3）。这些分离株在形态上与逆转录病毒科的成员相似。在富含病毒的蔗糖梯度级分中逆转录酶活性很高。针对RV - 1的多克隆抗体与RV - 1和RV - 2中具有相似相对迁移率的蛋白质发生反应。通过免疫金标记，该抗体也识别RV - 1和RV - 2的病毒粒子。
从患有IBD或接触过IBD的蚺科蛇类中分离出一种逆转录病毒。对病毒蛋白的蛋白质印迹分析表明，从不同蛇类中分离出的病毒相似。这种病毒是否代表IBD的病原体尚待确定。从患有IBD的蚺科蛇类中分离出逆转录病毒是确定该疾病病原体过程中的重要一步。
