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Journal of Virology, June 2000, p. 5556-5561, Vol. 74, No. 12
Department of Biochemistry, Kanazawa
University School of Medicine, Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
920-8640, Japan
Received 22 October 1999/Accepted 18 March 2000
We have developed a novel helper-virus-free reverse genetic system
to genetically manipulate influenza A viruses. The RNPs, which were
purified from the influenza A/WSN/33 (WSN) virus, were treated with
RNase H in the presence of NS (nonstructural) cDNA fragments. This
specifically digested the NS RNP. The NS-digested RNPs thus
obtained were transfected into cells together with the in
vitro-reconstituted NS RNP. The NS-digested RNPs alone did not rescue
viruses; however, cotransfection with the NS RNP did. This protocol was
also used to rescue the NP transfectant. We obtained two NS1 mutants,
dl12 and N110, using this protocol. The dl12 NS
gene contains a deletion of 12 amino acids at positions 66 to 77 near
the N terminus. This virus was temperature sensitive in Madin-Darby
bovine kidney (MDBK) cells as well as in Vero cells. The translation of
all viral proteins as well as cellular proteins was significantly
disrupted during a later time of infection at the nonpermissive
temperature of 39°C. The N110 mutant consists of 110 amino acids
which are the N-terminal 48% of the WSN virus NS1 protein. Growth of
this virus was significantly reduced at any temperature. In the
virus-infected cells, translation of the M1 protein was reduced to 10 to 20% of that of the wild-type virus; however, the translation of
neither the nucleoprotein nor NS1 was significantly interfered with,
indicating the important role of NS1 in translational stimulation of
the M1 protein.
0022-538X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Characterization of Influenza Virus NS1 Protein by
Using a Novel Helper-Virus-Free Reverse Genetic System
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Biochemistry, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Takaramachi,
Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan. Phone: 81-76-265-2176. Fax:
81-76-234-4225. E-mail: menami{at}med.kanazawa-u.ac.jp.
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