Studies on rabies virus polymorphism.

Abstract

Rabies viruses have very simple genomes made up of single-stranded, negative sense, non-segmented ribonucleic acid (RNA). Most, if not all RNA virus populations may exist as complex mixtures of genetic and phenotypic variants often referred to as quasispecies populations. A quantitative relative fitness assay has previously been used to demonstrate loss of fitness in RNA virus populations due to Muller's Ratchet and to show gains of fitness by natural selection during virus passages. Due to their mutation rates, rapid replication, large population sizes and controlled (variable or constant) host cells, RNA viruses are useful for examining evolutionary processes. This study uses rabies virus as a model to examine virus evolution and virus population biology. The fate of two closely related rabies virus variants (the Western Skunk and Eastern Artic Fox viruses), cloned using end-point dilution techniques, passaged by themselves and in competition to each other in mouse neuroblastoma (MNA) cells was investigated. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)