Age- and Sex-Associated Pathogenesis of Cell Culture-Passaged Kemerovo Virus in IFNAR Mice.

Kemerovo virus (KEMV) is a tick-borne orbivirus transmitted by ticks of the genus . Previous animal experimentation studies with orbiviruses, in particular the interferon receptor double knock-out (IFNAR) mouse model, did not indicate bias that is related to age or sex. We endeavoured to assess the effect of serial and alternated passages of KEMV in mammalian or cells on virus replication and potential virulence in male or female IFNAR mice, with important age differences: younger males (4-5 months old), older males (14-15 months old), and old females (14-15 months old).

Vaccinia Virus Defective Particles Lacking the F17 Protein Do Not Inhibit Protein Synthesis: F17, a Double-Edged Sword for Protein Synthesis?

Vaccinia virus () F17 protein is a major virion structural phosphoprotein having a molecular weight of 11 kDa. Recently, it was shown that F17 synthesised in infected cells interacts with mTOR subunits to evade cell immunity and stimulate late viral protein synthesis. Several years back, we purified an 11 kDa protein that inhibited protein synthesis in reticulocyte lysate from virions, and that possesses all physico-chemical properties of F17 protein.

Orbivirus NS4 Proteins Play Multiple Roles to Dampen Cellular Responses.

Non-structural protein 4 (NS4) of insect-borne and tick-borne orbiviruses is encoded by genome segment 9, from a secondary open reading frame. Though a protein dispensable for bluetongue virus (BTV) replication, it has been shown to counter the interferon response in cells infected with BTV or African horse sickness virus. We further explored the functional role(s) of NS4 proteins of BTV and the tick-borne Great Island virus (GIV).

Uncovering the Underlying Mechanisms Blocking Replication of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 (BTV-26) in Cells.

At least 12 serotypes of 'atypical' bluetongue virus (BTV-25 to BTV-36) have been identified to date. These atypical serotypes fail to infect/replicate in -derived cell lines and/or adult vectors and hence can no longer be transmitted by these vectors. They appear to be horizontally transmitted from infected to in-contact ruminants, although the route(s) of infection remain to be identified.