Open AccessGenetic Composition and Virulence of Influenza Virus: Differences in Facets of Virulence in Ferrets between Two Pairs of Recombinants with RNA Segments of the Same Parental Origin
Author(s) -
D. J. Campbell,
C. Sweet,
Alan Hay,
A. R. Douglas,
J.J. Skehel,
Thomas J. Mason,
H. Smith
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of general virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1465-2099
pISSN - 0022-1317
DOI - 10.1099/0022-1317-58-2-387
Subject(s) - virulence , biology , virology , recombinant dna , virus , gene , rna , antigen , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology
Facets of virulence for ferrets of 16 recombinant clones of two parent viruses A/Finland/4/74 (H3N2) and A/Okuda/57 (H2N2) were determined and viewed in relation to their genetic composition. Of the five pairs of recombinant clones with RNA segments of the same parental origin, differences in facets of virulence were detected between members of two of the pairs. One pair differed in ability to produce fever, and another pair in ability to infect the lower respiratory tract. Subsequent analyses indicated slight differences in two genes of the first pair of viruses. Of all the recombinant clones examined the three that derived their surface antigens from the attenuated parent (A/Okuda) were less virulent than the 13 which possessed the surface antigens of the virulent parent (A/Finland). The virulence of the latter clones tended to decrease as the number of RNA segments that were derived from A/Okuda increased.