Infection of animals with a molecular viral clone is critical to study the genetic determinants of viral replication and virulence in the host. Type 2 porcine circovirus (PCV2) has been incriminated as the cause of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), an emerging disease in pigs. We report here for the first time the construction and use of an infectious molecular DNA clone of PCV2 to characterize the disease and pathologic lesions associated with PCV2 infection by direct in vivo transfection of pigs with the molecular clone. The PCV2 molecular clone was generated by ligating two copies of the complete PCV2 genome in tandem into the pBluescript SK (pSK) vector and was shown to be infectious in vitro when transfected into PK-15 cells. Forty specific-pathogen-free pigs at 4 weeks of age were randomly assigned to four groups of 10 each. Group 1 pigs served as uninoculated controls. Pigs in group 2 were each inoculated intranasally with about 1.9 ؋ 10 5 50% tissue culture infective doses of a homogeneous PCV2 live virus stock derived from the molecular clone. Pigs in group 3 were each injected intrahepatically with 200 g of the cloned PCV2 plasmid DNA, and pigs in group 4 were each injected into the superficial iliac lymph nodes with 200 g of the cloned PCV2 plasmid DNA. Animals injected with the cloned PCV2 plasmid DNA developed infection resembling that induced by intranasal inoculation with PCV2 live virus stock. Seroconversion to PCV2-specific antibody was detected in the majority of pigs from the three inoculated groups at 35 days postinoculation (DPI). Viremia, beginning at 14 DPI and lasting 2 to 4 weeks, was detected in the majority of the pigs from all three inoculated groups. There were no remarkable clinical signs of PMWS in control or any of the inoculated pigs. Gross lesions in pigs of the three inoculated groups were similar and were characterized by systemically enlarged, tan lymph nodes and lungs that failed to collapse. Histopathological lesions and PCV2-specific antigen were detected in numerous tissues and organs, including brain, lung, heart, kidney, tonsil, lymph nodes, spleen, ileum, and liver of infected pigs. This study more definitively characterizes the clinical course and pathologic lesions exclusively attributable to PCV2 infection. The data from this study indicate that the cloned PCV2 genomic DNA may replace infectious virus for future PCV2 pathogenesis and immunization studies. The data also suggest that PCV2, although essential for development of PMWS, may require other factors or agents to induce the full spectrum of clinical signs and lesions associated with advanced cases of PMWS.Porcine circovirus (PCV) was originally isolated as a cell culture contaminant of a porcine kidney cell line (PK-15) (56,60). PCV is a small, nonenveloped virus that contains a singlestranded circular DNA genome of about 1.76 kb. PCV is classified in the family of Circoviridae, which consists of three other animal circoviruses (chicken anemia virus [CAV], psittacine beak and feather disease v...

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is an emerging disease in swine. Increasing evidence indicates that a variant strain of porcine circovirus (PCV), designated type 2 PCV (PCV-2), is responsible for PMWS. To determine the extent of genetic heterogeneity of PCV-2 isolates, the complete genomes of six PCV-2 isolates from different regions of North America were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that two distinct genotypes of PCV exist: nonpathogenic genotype PCV-1 and PMWS-associated genotype PCV-2. However, within the PCV-2 genotype, several minor branches that have been identified appear to be associated with geographic origins. The genomic sequences of two French PCV-2 isolates diverge the most from those of other PCV-2 isolates and form a distinct branch. Other minor but distinguishable branches have also been identified for a Taiwan PCV-2 isolate and two of the Canadian PCV-2 isolates. All the U.S. PCV-2 isolates are closely related, but the Canadian isolates vary, to some extent, in their genomic sequences. The data from this study indicate that although the genome of PCV-2 is generally stable among different isolates, PCV-2 isolates from different geographic regions vary in their genomic sequences. This variation may have important implications for PCV-2 diagnosis and research. On the basis of genetic analyses of available PCV strains, a universal PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was developed to detect and differentiate between infections with PCV-1 and PCV-2. This PCR-RFLP assay should be useful for studying the pathogenesis of PCV-2, for detecting PCV-2 infection in pigs from different geographic regions, and for screening donor pigs for use in xenotransplantation.

Darier's disease is a rare autosomal dominant skin disorder in which there is abnormal adhesion between keratinocytes. It appears to be associated with an increased prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders including mental retardation and epilepsy. In addition we have previously reported a family in which major affective disorder cosegregates with Darier's disease. In the present study we have localized the gene for Darier's disease to chromosome 12q23-q24.1 by linkage analysis in five British pedigrees. We obtained a maximum two point lod score of 4.29 with marker D12S84 at zero recombination fraction. All five families showed evidence of linkage between the disease gene and markers in this region. Subsequent identification of the Darier's disease gene will provide insights into normal mechanisms of cell adhesion and may be of importance in the genetic investigation of neuropsychiatric disorders as well as elucidating the pathogenesis of Darier's disease itself.

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The colon of the brushtail possum does not have an electrogenic secretory response. Given the functional significance of electrogenic Cl(-) secretion in the intestine of eutherian mammals, we have investigated the secretory response in the small intestine of this marsupial. In the Ussing chamber cAMP-dependent secretagogues stimulated a sustained increase in ileal short-circuit current (Isc), whereas Ca(2+)-dependent secretagogues induced a transient increase. Both the responses were inhibited by mucosal addition of the anion channel blocker 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (100 mciromol l(-1)), consistent with an anion secretory response. However, the responses were not inhibited by serosal bumetanide (10 mciromol l(-1)) and were independent of bath Cl(-), indicating that the stimulated ileal Isc does not involve electrogenic Cl(-) secretion driven by the NaK2Cl cotransporter, NKCC1. Consistent with this, there were low levels of NKCC1 expression in the ileal epithelium. In particular, NKCC1 expression in the ileal crypt cells was comparable to that of the villous cells. This differs from eutherian mammals where high levels of NKCC1 expression in the ileal crypt cells are associated with their role in Cl(-) secretion. The cAMP- and Ca(2+)-dependent secretory responses were inhibited by the removal of HCO(3) (-) suggesting that these responses were due to electrogenic HCO(3) (-) secretion. We conclude that the ileum of the possum does not secrete Cl(-) due to low levels of NKCC1 expression. It does however appear to secrete HCO(3) (-). These results are further significant examples of differences in the transport function of the possum intestinal epithelium compared with eutherian mammals.

Significant but modest familial resemblance has been shown for some specific features of bipolar illness, particularly age at onset and degree of psychosis. Further research may establish the extent to which these findings are mediated by genetic and/or environmental factors.

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