Disease relevance of Phlebovirus

• The role of the variable portion of the noncoding regions (NCRs) of the three Bunyaviridae RNA segments (L, M, S) in transcription, replication, and packaging was studied using the recently developed plasmid-driven RNA polymerase I minigenome system for Uukuniemi (UUK) virus, genus Phlebovirus (11), as a model [1].
• Ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) was markedly inhibitory in vitro to Adames and Balliet strains of Punta Toro virus (PTV), a Phlebovirus related to Rift Valley fever and sandfly fever viruses [2].
• Inspection of the sequences in the primers on nairovirus, bunyavirus and phlebovirus mRNAs suggests that in some cases polymerase slippage occurs shortly after initiation, resulting in a partial reiteration of the 5'-terminal nucleotides of the viral RNA [3].
• The phlebovirus glycoprotein cleavage site was similar to a region in the MStV and RStV proteins suggesting that the tenuivirus pvc2 may be processed analogous to the phlebovirus glycoproteins [4].
• Here we have studied the intracellular transport and targeting to the GC of G1 and G2 of Uukuniemi virus, a member of the Phlebovirus genus, and report on their expression from cloned cDNAs either together or separately by using a T7 RNA polymerase-driven vaccinia virus expression system [5].

High impact information on Phlebovirus

• Moreover, we showed that N(TOS), the N protein of the related Toscana phlebovirus, interacts with itself and forms heterodimers with N(RVF), suggesting that the dimeric form of N may be a conserved feature in phlebovirus RNPs [6].
• In vitro and in vivo Phlebovirus inhibition by ribavirin [2].
• Some BEL-like elements have captured an envelope gene, probably from other retroelements in some cases but from a phlebovirus in one case [7].
• In this study we have constructed a series of full length or truncated mutants of the G2 glycoprotein of Punta Toro virus (PTV), a member of the Phlebovirus genus of the Bunyaviridae, and investigated their transport properties [8].
• Molecular analyses indicate that Turlock virus (TUR, Turlock serogroup) and Boraceia virus (BOR, Anopheles B serogroup) have virion RNA species and polypeptides comparable in size to those of members of the Bunyavirus genus and unlike those of members of the newly defined Phlebovirus, Nairovirus, or Uukuvirus genera (Bunyaviridae) [9].

Chemical compound and disease context of Phlebovirus

• Effects of ribamidine, a 3-carboxamidine derivative of ribavirin, on experimentally induced Phlebovirus infections [10].
• Selectivity indices of human recombinant interferon-alpha (IFN alpha) (Roferon and Introna), iota-, kappa- and lambda- carrageenans, fucoidan and 6-azauridine were much higher than that of ribavirin, the only antiviral substance which has been previously investigated for its inhibitory effects on Phlebovirus infections [11].

Gene context of Phlebovirus

• Phlebotomus papatasi, a known vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis and phleboviruses and P. bergeroti, a newly colonized suspected vector, were clearly differentiated from each other by a fixed allomorph at the MPI locus [12].

References