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Pilot project: Production of a fully defined mutant bank of cow pox viruses to study in vitro host specificity

Cow pox viruses (CPXV) have a broad host spectrum in vivo and in vitro and belong to the zoonotic representatives of orthopox viruses (OPV). Using the example of CPXV, which has the most complete OPV genome, this project used a total length BAC clone (BAC = bacterial artificial chromosome) to search for new viral factors that are important for the host spectrum. The technique of targeted mutagenesis was applied. With this mutagenesis method, a universal and complete bank of defined insertion mutants in each CPXV gene could be produced in this pilot project.

 

Results:

  1. Reporter gene expression cassette, for the easy detection of the early and late replication phase of the virus
  2. Primary bank to knock-out mutants 
  3. Final Mutant Bank 

 

Additional value: The mutant bank established within the framework of this project is available to all zoonoses researchers. The data sheets for the individual mutants are posted on the portal of the National Research Platform for Zoonoses.

Outlook: The pilot project was able to create the basis for DFG projects that are already building on it.  

 

Coordinator: Dr. Tischer (Free University of Berlin), Prof. Dr. Klaus Osterrieder (Free University of Berlin)

Project start: 01.01.2012

Duration of scheme: 12 months (plus cost-neutral extension by 5 months)