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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2013

The X proteins of bornaviruses interfere with type I interferon signalling

Wensman, J; Wensman, J; Munir, M; Blomström, A; Briese, T; Lipkin, W; Berg, M

Abstract

Borna disease virus (BDV) is a neurotropic, negative-stranded RNA virus causing persistent infection and progressive neurological disorders in a wide range of warm-blooded animals. The role of the small non-structural X protein in viral pathogenesis is not completely understood. Here we investigated whether the X protein of BDV and avian bornavirus (ABV) interferes with the type I interferon (IFN) system, similar to other non-structural proteins of negative-stranded RNA viruses. In luciferase reporter assays, we found that the X protein of various bornaviruses interfered with the type I IFN system at all checkpoints investigated, in contrast to previously reported findings, resulting in reduced type I IFN secretion.

Published in

Journal of General Virology
2013, Volume: 94, number: pt 2, pages: 263-269