Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
Virology. 2021 Feb;554:28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2020.12.004. Epub 2020 Dec 14.
Usutu virus (USUV; genus Flavivirus; family Flaviviridae) is a mosquito-borne, positive-sense RNA virus that is currently causing significant die-offs in numerous bird species throughout Europe and has caused infections in humans. Currently, there are no molecular clones for USUV, hence, hindering studies on the pathogenesis and transmission of USUV. Here, we demonstrate the development and characterization of infectious clones for two modern strains of USUV isolated from Europe and Africa. We show that the infectious clone-derived viruses replicated similarly to the parental strains in mammalian and insect cells. Additionally, we observed similar levels of replication and disease in two mouse models. These clones will aid the study of USUV infection, transmission, diagnostics, and vaccines.
乌苏图病毒（USUV；黄病毒属；黄病毒科）是一种由蚊子传播的正链 RNA 病毒，目前正在导致欧洲许多鸟类物种大量死亡，并导致人类感染。目前，还没有 USUV 的分子克隆，因此阻碍了对 USUV 的发病机制和传播的研究。在这里，我们展示了从欧洲和非洲分离的两种现代 USUV 株系的传染性克隆的开发和特性。我们表明，从传染性克隆衍生的病毒在哺乳动物和昆虫细胞中的复制与亲本株相似。此外，我们在两种小鼠模型中观察到了相似的复制和疾病水平。这些克隆将有助于 USUV 感染、传播、诊断和疫苗的研究。
