Award details

Development of RT-PCR and phylogenetic sequence analyses for bluetongue virus serotype and strain identification

Reference	BBS/E/I/00000999
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Peter Mertens
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	32,952
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/07/2003
End date	31/10/2006
Duration	40 months

Abstract

These assays will generate epidemiological data that will provide a more accurate picture of the movement and persistence of BTV strains. The project will also evaluate the frequency and significance of genome segment reassortment in the field, and the role of genome segment 10 in recruitment of a novel European vector species. The major aim of this research is to develop rapid nucleotide sequence based methods that can be used to conclusively identify individual bluetongue virus (BTV) isolates. RT-PCR and sequencing methods will be established within our laboratory and used to generate a database of BTV genome segment 2 sequences (encoding the serotype specific outer capsid protein, VP2) for different BTV strains and serotypes. This will provide a resource that will allow us to analyse and identify new virus isolates by comparison to the nucleotide sequences of reference virus strains. This will specifically allow us to identify the serotype of new virus isolates (essential for design of vaccination strategies), more rapidly and reliably than before. By analysing the electrophoretic migration patterns of individual BTV genome segments, using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and sequencing, we anticipate that it will be possible to identify genome segments derived either from vaccine strains or from different wild type viruses. Using these methods the project will examine the transmission and survival of BTV vaccine strains and the ability of such viruses to reassort (exchange genome segments) with wild type viruses in the field. The project will explore the hypothesis that variations in genome segment 10 (encoding NS3) are involved in the utilisation of a novel BTV vector species in Europe and attempt to identify the nature of these changes.

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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