The nucleotide sequence of the VP1 (1D) and partial 3D polymerase (3Dpol) coding regions of the foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) vaccine strain A/Iran87, a highly passaged isolate (~150 passages), was determined and aligned with previously published FMDV serotype A sequences. Overall analysis of the amino acid substitutions revealed that the partial 3Dpol coding region contained four amino acid alterations. Amino acid sequence comparison of the VP1 coding region of the field isolates revealed deletions in the highly passaged Iranian isolate (A/Iran87). The prominent G-H loop of the FMDV VP1 protein contains the conserved arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) tripeptide, which is a well-known ligand for a specific cell surface integrin. Despite losing the RGD sequence of the VP1 protein and an Asp26-->Glu substitution in a beta sheet located within a small groove of the 3Dpol protein, the virus grew in BHK 21 suspension cell cultures. Since this strain has been used as a vaccine strain, it may be inferred that the RGD deletion has no critical role in virus attachment to the cell during the initiation of infection. It is probable that this FMDV subtype can utilize other pathways for cell attachment.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Antigens, Viral/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; Capsid Proteins/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; Cloning, Molecular ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus/classification/*genetics/*metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism

After sequencing the Asia 1 foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) (As01 strain), we amplified the two fragments covering the whole genome by overlapping PCR and long PCR. The 5' fragment was 1.8 kb in length including 15Cs, and the 3' fragment was 6.7 kb in length. The two fragments were cloned into the pBluescript SK vector to construct recombinant plasmid pBSAs carrying the full-length cDNA of FMDV As01 strain. The RNA transcript was synthesized in vitro using T7 polymerase and transfected into BHK-21 cells. We observed the typical CPE caused by rescued FMDV. The harvested virus was confirmed to be Asia 1 FMDV by RT-PCR, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and electron microscope observation. The rescued virus showed a similar pathogenicity in suckling mouse (LD50) compared to its wild-type virus. The infectious cDNA clone of the FMDV As01 strain laid a new ground for further investigation of FMDV virulence determinants and development of novel vaccines against FMD.
3' Untranslated Regions ; 5' Untranslated Regions ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cattle ; Cell Line ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease ; metabolism ; virology ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus ; classification ; genetics ; growth & development ; Genome, Viral ; Mice ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plasmids ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Transfection ; Virulence ; Virus Replication