The pathogenesis of Newcastle disease: a comparison of selected Newcastle disease virus wild-type strains and their infectious clones

Abstract

The effect of mutations of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) fusion (F) gene, hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene, and phosphoprotein (P) gene and HN chimeras between the virulent Beaudette C and low virulence LaSota strains on pathogenesis and pathogenicity was examined in fully susceptible chickens. A virulent F cleavage site motif within a LaSota backbone increased pathogenicity and severity of clinical disease. A LaSota HN within a Beaudette C backbone decreased pathogenicity indices and disease severity. A Beaudette C HN within a LaSota backbone did not change either pathogenicity indices or severity of disease in chickens. Loss of glycosylation at site 4 of the HN or modified P gene of Beaudette C decreased pathogenicity indices and caused no overt clinicopathologic disease in chickens. Both pathogenicity indices and clinicopathologic examination demonstrated that the F, HN, and P genes of NDV collectively or individually can contribute to viral virulence.