NOVEL ARTERIVIRUS PROTEIN AND EXPRESSION MECHANISMS

摘要

The invention provides the discovery and characterization of a novel arterivirus protein (nsp2TF), whose expression is dependent on -2 ribosomal frameshifting at a site located in the nsp2 coding region. The coding region for the unique TF domain of nsp2TF overlaps the part of ORF1a that encodes the transmembrane region of nsp2 in arteriviruses, including PRRSV, LDV and SHFV. Mutations affecting the expression of nsp2TF impair PRRSV replication and result in a smaller plaque phenotype. Provided herein are arteriviruses that display reduced translation of nsp2TF and/or altered translation of one or more downstream products, arteriviruses in which nsp2TF function is reduced and/or absent, and vaccines comprising said arteriviruses.; Also provided herein are diagnostic methods, methods for identifying compounds that inhibit -2 frameshifting, and gene expression tools for eukaryotic systems utilizing -2 frameshifting