Open AccessNucleic acid sequence of the region of the genome encoding capsid protein VP1 of neurovirulent and attenuated type 3 polioviruses
Author(s) -
STANWAY Glyn,
CANN Alan J.,
HAUPTMANN Rudi,
MOUNTFORD Roger C.,
CLARKE Lindsay D.,
REEVE Peter,
MINOR Philip D.,
SCHILD Geoffrey C.,
ALMOND Jeffrey W.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1983.tb07684.x
Subject(s) - capsid , virology , biology , poliovirus , genome , nucleic acid , complementary dna , virulence , virus , attenuated vaccine , serotype , nucleic acid sequence , gene , rna , genetics
Three closeiy related strains of poliovirus type 3 have been used to study the molecular basis of attenuation in the currently used Sabin vaccine of this serotype. Plaque‐purified derivatives of these strains possess closely similar serological and biochemical properties yet differ markedly in neurovirulence for monkeys. Molecular cloning via an RNA cDNA method has facilitated comparative nucleotide sequencing. Initial efforts have concentrated on the region of the genome encoding VP1. Only minor structural differences between neurovirulent and attenuated type 3 strains were detected, in contrast to the major differences observed between the vaccine strains of poliovirus type 1 and its virulent precursor P1/Mahoney. These observations suggest that the molecular basis of attenuation of type 3 Sabin vaccine virus does not involve the VP1 polypeptide and, therefore, that mutations conferring the attenuated phenotype probably lie elsewhere in the genome.