Bovine viral diarrhea virus induced apoptosis correlates with increased intracellular viral RNA accumulation

Non-cytopathic (NCP) and cytopathic (CP) parent–daughter pairs are often isolated from cattle with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) induced mucosal disease. Alignment of these pair genomes revealed that genetic changes in CP BVDV involve the NS2-3 coding region and correlate with expression of NS3. However, additional mutations are present elsewhere in the genomes of these natural pairs, precluding unambiguous mapping of this function to the NS2-3 region. To evaluate this phenomenon in identical genetic backgrounds, we have constructed an NCP isogenic pair of the NADL by deletion of the cIns from NS2 region. The levels of viral protein synthesis in infected cells revealed no marked difference between the CP and the isogenic NCP BVDV mutant. In contrast, RNA accumulation in cells infected with CP virus was up to 25 times higher than that in cells infected with NCP BVDV. No significant difference in growth kinetics and viral yields were observed between the CP BVDV and the isogenic NCP pair. Analyses of additional NCP/CP parent–daughter field BVDV isolates revealed a similar pattern of macromolecular synthesis, suggesting the generality of this phenomenon. These results implicate increased levels of RNA accumulation in CP BVDV infected cells, along with the production of NS3 as potential contributors to viral cytopathogenicity.