Temperature-sensitive mutants of mouse hepatitis virus produce a high incidence of demyelination.

Mutagenesis of mouse hepatitis virus with 5-azacytidine or 5-fluorouracil yielded several temperature-sensitive mutants. Mutants have been isolated that dramatically enhance the production of demyelinating disease over that previously noted with the wild-type virus. This reproducible model should now make possible the precise elucidation of the pathogenic mechanism and molecular basis of this virus-induced demyelination.