Molecular biology of bovine viral diarrhea virus and its interactions with the host.

The contributions of pestivirus molecular biology research to our understanding of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) biology and disease have been remarkable. Completion of nucleotide sequence information for genomes of NCP and CP-BVDV isolates was an important milestone. Subsequent work on the protein map of BVDV and polyprotein processing pathways paved the way for the interpretation of many other virologic and immunologic studies. Discovery of a correlation between genotype II and virulence (hemorrhagic syndrome) will help to clarify previously controversial data and to improve disease control. Description of multiple pathways of p80 expression in CP-BVDV offered insight into the pathogenesis of mucosal disease. Identification of gp53/ E2 as the target of neutralizing antibodies and source of antigenic hypervariability helped us to understand immunity to BVDV. Collectively, the advances described contribute to the implementation of improved diagnostic and control strategies to reduce losses inflicted by the bovine pestivirus.