Two new genes identified in infectious bronchitis virus
Two genes recently discovered in infectious bronchitis virus, the cause of a highly contagious poultry disease, demonstrate the complexities of coronaviruses, scientists said.
Researchers at the Pirbright Institute in the United Kingdom said this discovery, and similar ones, will help scientists as they develop future vaccines and treatments for the viruses.
IBV causes avian infectious bronchitis, a highly infectious disease that affects the respiratory tract, gut, kidney and reproductive systems in chickens. It causes respiratory symptoms like coughing and nasal discharge, as well as a drop in egg production and poor quality eggs, according to Pirbright.
Scientists used genome analysis technology to identify fragments in the virus genome, two of which, they said, are new. They named those genes 2* and 7. According to the announcement, these genes have been identified by researchers at other institutions. But the Pirbright scientists found that gene 2* is specific to the Beaudette strain of IBV, a weakened form of the virus, while gene 7 was found in several different IBV strains, but not Beaudette.
They noted that they still have to determine the implications of the new findings for wild or vaccine strains of IBV.
“The identification of these new genes, and the potential that there are more to be found, shows there is still much to learn about coronavirus biology,” said Dr. Erica Bickerton, head of Pirbright’s coronaviruses group. “Coronaviruses use a common mechanism for replication, so it is likely there are also undiscovered genes in other coronaviruses.
“Funding for this kind of fundamental, basic research is important,” Bickerton said, “as it can lead to insights into virus structure, function and replication that have potential application for vaccines and antiviral therapies in the future.”