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The survival strategy of persistent foot-and-mouth disease virus in bovines

Reference	BBS/E/I/00000848
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Zhidong Zhang
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Graham Belsham, Professor Tom Wileman
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	310,776
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	05/07/2001
End date	01/10/2005
Duration	51 months

Abstract

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) causes both an acute and persistent infection in ruminants. We argue that persistence arises from the high mutation rate of FMDV which produces mutations able to attenuate the lytic phenotype of the virus. We have detected persistent virus in the pharyngeal epithelium where it can be isolated easily, even from animals with high levels of neutralising antibody. The genome of the persistent virus will be cloned and sequenced and examined for mutations which modify specific protein functions that may explain how virus persists in cells, and evades immune surveillance. Interestingly, FMDV was only found in the basal cells of the epithelium, thus persistence may affect the replication and differentiation of epithelial cells.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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