A novel system for identification of inhibitors of rift valley Fever virus replication

Mary E Piper; Sonja R Gerrard

doi:10.3390/v2030731

A novel system for identification of inhibitors of rift valley Fever virus replication

Viruses. 2010 Mar;2(3):731-747. doi: 10.3390/v2030731. Epub 2010 Mar 18.

Authors

Mary E Piper¹, Sonja R Gerrard^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
² Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Abstract

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a human and livestock pathogen endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. We have developed a T7-dependent system for the efficient production of RVFV-like particles (RVF-VLPs) based on the virulent ZH-501 strain of RVFV. The RVF-VLPs are capable of performing a single round of infection, allowing for the study of viral replication, assembly, and infectivity. We demonstrate that these RVF-VLPs are antigenically indistinguishable from authentic RVFV and respond similarly to a wide array of known and previously unknown chemical inhibitors. This system should be useful for screening for small molecule inhibitors of RVFV replication.

Keywords: Bunyaviridae; Phlebovirus; RNA virus; Rift Valley fever; antivirals; minigenome; virus-like particle.

Abstract

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