A vesiculovirus showing a steepened transcription gradient and dominant trans-repression of virus transcription.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a prototype nonsegmented, negative-sense virus used to examine viral functions of a broad family of viruses, including human pathogens. Here we demonstrate that S(2) VSV, an isolate with a small plaque phenotype compared to other Indiana strain viruses, has a transcription defect resulting in an altered pattern and rapid decline of transcription. The S(2) VSV transcription gradient is dominant over the wild-type transcription in a coinfection. This is the first characterization of an altered gradient of transcription not dependent on RNA template sequence or host response and may provide insight into new approaches to viral attenuation.