Sequence analysis of the S gene of recombinant MHV-2/A59 coronaviruses reveals three candidate mutations associated with demyelination and hepatitis

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2001

Abstract

Coronaviruses, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) strains, exhibit various degrees of neurotropism and hepatotropism following intracerebral (IC) infection of 4-week-old C57Bl/6 mice. Whereas MHV-A59 produces acute meningitis, encephalitis, hepatitis, and chronic demyelination, a closely related strain, MHV-2, produces only acute meningitis and hepatitis. We previously reported that the spike glycoprotein gene of MHV contains determinants of demyelination and hepatitis. To further investigate the site of demyelination and hepatitis determinants within the S gene, we sequenced the S gene of several nondemyelinating recombinant viruses. We found that three encephalitis-positive, demyelination-negative, hepatitis-negative recombinant viruses have an MHV-A59-derived S gene, which contains three identical point mutations (I375M, L652I, and T1087N). One or more of the sites of these mutations in the MHV-A59 genome are likely to contribute to demyelination and hepatitis.

Publication Title

Journal of neurovirology

Volume

7

Issue

5

First Page

432

Last Page

436

Comments

This article was published in Journal of neurovirology, Volume 7, Issue 5, Pages 432-436.

The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/135502801753170282.

Copyright © 2001 Springer.

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