Construction of an EGFP-embedded porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infectious clone and antiviral drug screening

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a significant pathogen posed a serious threat to the global swine industry. In this study, a BAC-based reverse genetics platform was established using a highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) strain. Three recombinant reporter viruses were c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rongxiao Liu, Shi Fu, Yukun Chai, Nian Liu, Benjin Liu, Lingzhi Luo, Wei Yang, Xiumei Dong, Jin Cui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1653170/full
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Summary:Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a significant pathogen posed a serious threat to the global swine industry. In this study, a BAC-based reverse genetics platform was established using a highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) strain. Three recombinant reporter viruses were constructed by inserting the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene into three different intergenic regions of the complete PRRSV-L251 genome. Immunofluorescence assays combined with viral growth kinetics and reporter gene stability assessments indicated that rL251-ORF4-5a-EGFP maintained relatively stable expression during serial passage, and viral titers at 72 hours post-infection (hpi) were comparable to the parental virus. Subsequently, we identified four candidate compounds with potential anti-PRRSV activity using rPRRSV-L251-ORF4-5a-EGFP, indicating that this platform can be used as a visual assessment tool for antiviral drug screening. This study demonstrated that the ORF4-5a interval region is a feasible and promising site for exogenous gene insertion, and provided a robust technical platform for PRRSV vaccine development and pathogenesis studies.
ISSN:2235-2988