Borna disease virus
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Borna disease virus | ||||||
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Virus classification | ||||||
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Classification:
Description and significance:
A neurotropic, noncytolytic, negative, and single-stranded enveloped RNA virus. It has a wide geographic distribution and host range,[1] including horses, sheep, and humans. In humans, it causes a range of neurological disorders ranging from encephalitis[2] to manic-depressive symptoms. Some studies have demonstrated a therapeutic effect of the antiviral agent amantadine in BDV-infected, depressed patients.
Natural Host:
When was your organism discovered?
How and where was it isolated:
Genome structure:
BDV has a ca. 8.9 kb genome size of encapsulated, non-segmented, single-stranded RNA[1][3] with five open reading frames (ORFs).[4] ORFs I, II, and III correspond to 40-kDa p40, 24-kDa p24, and 14.5-kDa p14.5 BDV proteins, respectively.[3] ORF IV and V are capable of encoding 56-kDa and 180-kDa proteins, respectively, but these have not yet been identified.[3] The five ORFs are flanked by 53 nt of noncoding sequence at the 3' terminus and 91 nt of noncoding sequence at the 5' terminus.[4]
The BDV genome is homologous to Filoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, and Rhabdoviridae in both cistronic and extracistronic regions.[4]
Interesting features:
Unlike other non-segmented negative-strand RNA animal viruses, BDV replicates and transcribes in the nuclei of its hosts.[4]
How does this organism cause disease?
What makes it biologically interesting?
Its application to Biotechnology... its medical importance... major research findings made with it... what's cool about borna disease virus as an organism:
Current Research:
References:
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 Richt, J.A., Pfeuffer, I., Christ, M., Frese, K., Bechter, K., Herzog, S. Borna disease virus infection in animals and humans. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 3(3). 1997: 343-352.
- ↑ Bode, L., Ludwig, H. Clinical similarities and close genetic relationship of human and animal Borna disease virus. Archives of Virology Supplement, 13. 1997: 167-82
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 3.2 de la Torre, J.C. Molecular biology of Borna Disease Virus: Prototype of a new group of animal viruses. Journal of Virology, 68(12). 1994: 7669-75.
- ↑ Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Briese, T., Schneemann, A., Lewis, A., Park, Y., Kim, H., Ludwig, H., and Lipkin, I. Genomic organization of Borna disease virus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 91(10). 1994: 4362-66.