Stress Associated Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein 2 (SERP2)

A Serp2 mutant myxoma virus was constructed by disruption of the single-copy serp2 gene and insertion of the Escherichia coli gpt gene serving as the selectable marker. A revertant virus was obtained by replacing the E. coli gpt gene by the intact serp2 open reading frame. The Serp2 mutant virus replicated with wild-type kinetics both in rabbit fibroblasts and a rabbit CD4 T-cell line (RL5). Moderate reduction of cell surface levels of major histocompatibility complex I was observed after infection with wild-type or Serp2 mutant myxoma virus, and both produced white pocks on the chorioallantoic membrane of the chick embryo. After the infection of European rabbits, the Serp2 mutant virus proved to be highly attenuated compared to wild-type myxoma virus, as demonstrated by the clinical course of myxomatosis and the survival rates of infected animals.