Fish Rhabdovirus--Model of RNA Virus Evolution

人类RNA病毒的特征在于分离株之间的大的遗传变异、快速的突变率和对变化的环境的有效适应性。本研究的目的和长期目标是利用鱼类弹状病毒作为模型系统，以更好地了解影响RNA病毒遗传变异和进化的机制。由于鱼类宿主，鱼类病毒提供了一个独特的研究系统。水媒传播，以及对鱼类和活体鱼类的较低温度要求，在样本量和成本方面可能比其他脊椎动物更可行。该项目的具体目标是：1）通过对糖蛋白、基质和聚合酶基因内的可变区进行序列分析，表征整个分布区（东欧）的一种温水鱼弹状病毒，鲤鱼春季病毒血症（SVCV）分离株的遗传多样性。结果将确定该病毒的遗传多样性是否遵循先前研究中发现的模式，包括传染性造血细胞坏死病毒（IHNV）和病毒性出血性败血症病毒（VHSV），这两种冷水鱼弹状病毒的遗传变异比哺乳动物弹状病毒少，或者SVCV是否具有更大的遗传多样性，可能是因为它是温水鱼弹状病毒。2)检查温度（病毒复制速率和碱基替换速率）对SVCV遗传多样性和进化的影响。遗传多样性和进化将通过序列分析和适应性测量来测量。从长远来看，将有可能比较SVCV和IHNV在细胞培养和体内系统中的进化，并确定温度对鱼类弹状病毒遗传变异和进化的影响。一旦细胞和确定温度对鱼类弹状病毒遗传变异和进化的影响。一旦建立了细胞培养和鱼类模型系统，就可以研究影响鱼类弹状病毒进化的其他参数，如免疫选择的影响和毒力的进化。 这些关于人类疾病的实验的意义在于揭示一类病原体的种群结构和进化，这些病原体具有独特的宿主和生态特征，以前没有详细研究过。研究结果为进一步阐明RNA病毒的多样性、进化和毒力机制提供了理论依据。

Human RNA viruses are characterized by large genetic variation among isolates, rapid mutation rates and efficient adaptability to changing environments. The objective of this proposal and long-term goal of this research is to use fish rhabdoviruses as a model systems to better understand the mechanisms affecting the genetic variation and evolution of RNA viruses. Fish viruses offer a unique system to study because of the fish host., waterborne transmission, and lower temperature requirement for fish and in vivo fish may be more feasible than other vertebrates in terms of sample size and cost. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) Characterize the genetic diversity of a warm water fish rhabdovirus, spring viremia of carp (SVCV) isolates throughout its range (Eastern Europe) by conducting sequence analysis on variable regions within glycoprotein, matrix and polymerase genes. The results will determine if the genetic diversity of this virus follow the patterns found in previous studies involving infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), two cold water fish rhabdoviruses that have less genetic variation than mammalian rhabdoviruses or whether SVCV has grater genetic diversity perhaps because it is a warm water fish rhabdovirus. 2) Examine the effect of temperature (rate of virus replication and rate of base substitution) on the genetic diversity and evolution of SVCV. Genetic diversity and evolution will be measured by sequence analysis and measurements of fitness. Long-term it will be possible to compare the evolution of SVCV and IHNV in cell culture and in vivo systems and determine the influence of temperatures on genetic variation and evolution of fish rhabdoviruses. Once the cell and determine the influence of temperature on genetic variation and evolution of fish rhabdoviruses. Once the cell culture and fish model systems are established, studies examining other parameters affecting the evolution of fish rhabdoviruses can be done such as the impact of immune selection and the evolution of virulence. The significance of these experiments on human diseases will be to cast light on the population structure and evolution of a class of these experiments on human diseases will be to cast light on the population structure and evolution of a class of pathogen that have unique host and ecological characteristics that has not been investigated before in detail. The results can shed further light on the mechanisms effecting the diversity, evolution and virulence of RNA viruses.