The phosphoprotein of attenuated measles AIK-C vaccine strain contributes to its temperature-sensitive phenotype

Measles AIK-C vaccine strain exhibits temperature-sensitivity (ts). To identify the structural proteins, which contribute to the ts property of AIK-C virus, reverse genetics was used. MV-minigenome RNA was replicated at 32.5, 37, and 39 °C when the plasmids expressing N, P, and L proteins of the Edmonston strain (the parental strain of AIK-C) were used, whereas the minigenome RNA replicated only at 32.5 °C but did not at 37 °C and higher temperature when N, P, and L protein expression plasmids of the AIK-C strain were used. A series of minigenome experiments revealed that the amino acid substitution of leucine at position 439 of the P protein by proline (P439-Pro) contributes to the ts phenotype of AIK-C. Four recombinant viruses having various P genes were rescued from the modified AIK-C genome cDNA and ts-characteristics were compared in Vero cells by plaque formation assay. The results showed that the P439-Pro of AIK-C virus played a key role in the ts phenotype, but the other substitutions in the P gene might have an accessory function in the expression of the phenotype.