Characterization of RNA Synthesis and Translation of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV)

Full length and replicon genomes of various strains of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) have been characterized. Analysis of growth kinetics for a pair of cytopathogenic (cp) and noncytopathogenic (ncp) strains revealed that ncp strain synthesized viral RNA at much reduced level compared to the cp strain. Kinetics of translation and replication, the effects of bi-cistronic versus mono-cistronic genomes, and cis requirements for viral replication were also examined in a BVDV replicon DI9c. Importantly, our results suggest a tight regulation and a switch from translation to replication, and demonstrated the cis requirements of NS4B and NS5A in replication.