Al rates of the mice infected with the DMTV isolate were similar to those of GP2V-infected mice (C). Plaque phenotype assay on BSC-40, an epithelial kidney cell line. The results of the DMTV-2005, GP1V-(Group 2 control) and GP2V-infected (Group 1 control) samples are highlighted. DMTV-2005 exhibited small cytopathic effects similar to those of GP2V; GP1V showed larger plaques in the cell culture similar to those formed by the Group 2 Brazilian VACV. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050413.gC23L Gene as a Brazilian Vaccinia virus Marker(The animal 23977191 experiments were performed before 1/12/2009.)Cells and VirusesAfrican green monkey cells (BSC-40 cells; ATCC, USA) were grown at 37uC in Eagle’s Minimum Essential 60940-34-3 supplier Medium (MEM) (GibcoBRL, Invitrogen, Carlsbad, California, USA), which was supplemented with 5 fetal calf serum (FCS) (Cultilab, Brazil), 25 mg/mL fungizone (Amphotericin B) (Cristalia, Sao Paulo, ? Brazil), 500 U/mL penicillin and 50 mg/mL gentamicin (Schering-Plough, Sao Paulo, Brazil) and used for viral isolation [12]. VACV Western Reserve (VACV-WR) strain was kindly provided by Dr C. Jungwirth (Universitat Wurzburg, Germany) and used as a viral control in the biological assays. The VACV GuaraniP1 (GP1V) and GuaraniP2 (GP2V) strains were isolated by our team during an outbreak in 2001 [23] and are part of our biological collection. These and other Brazilian VACV strains were used 26001275 as controls in the biological and molecular assays.The VACV Outbreak and Viral IsolationIn 2005, a bovine VACV outbreak was reported by IMA (Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuaria ?IMA), a Brazilian veterinary ?surveillance institution, in the rural region of Resplendor County, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (Figure 1A). This region is characterized by the presence of several small rural properties, where cattle are kept for milk and meat production. During this outbreak, several animals and farm workers from neighboring properties presented exanthematous lesions similar to those reported during other Brazilian bovine VACV outbreaks (Figure 1B). The origin of this outbreak is unknown, but workers were most likely infected while milking infected animals and spread the virus by direct contact with healthy animals at the other properties. Clinicalsupport was given to the infected workers, who took several days off to recover without the need of hospitalization. A farm that was affected during the outbreak was visited, and an epithelial sample (dried scab) from an infected dairy cow was HIF-2��-IN-1 chemical information collected with tweezers, kept under refrigeration and sent to our lab for etiological agent identification. All the collection procedures were performed by veterinarians of IMA, following institutional recommendations (http://www.ima.mg.gov.br). The scab was macerated using a homogenizer (Politron, Littau, Switzerland) in PBS, which contained 200 U/mL penicillin, 4 mg/mL amphotericin B and 100 mg/mL gentamicin (0.1 g scab/0.9 mL PBS), and clarified by centrifugation at 20006g for 3 min. The resulting supernatant was used for diagnostic purposes, viral isolation and molecular and biological assays [20]. To confirm if the etiological agent of the outbreak was an OPV, the sample supernatants were diluted 1:100 in PBS and used as templates for a nested-PCR that targeted a partial region of C11R (viral growth factor – vgf). This gene is widely used as an OPV diagnostic tool in Brazil [24]. The reactions were carried out by adding 2 mL of the template to 18 mL of the PCR reaction mixture that con.Al rates of the mice infected with the DMTV isolate were similar to those of GP2V-infected mice (C). Plaque phenotype assay on BSC-40, an epithelial kidney cell line. The results of the DMTV-2005, GP1V-(Group 2 control) and GP2V-infected (Group 1 control) samples are highlighted. DMTV-2005 exhibited small cytopathic effects similar to those of GP2V; GP1V showed larger plaques in the cell culture similar to those formed by the Group 2 Brazilian VACV. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050413.gC23L Gene as a Brazilian Vaccinia virus Marker(The animal 23977191 experiments were performed before 1/12/2009.)Cells and VirusesAfrican green monkey cells (BSC-40 cells; ATCC, USA) were grown at 37uC in Eagle’s Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) (GibcoBRL, Invitrogen, Carlsbad, California, USA), which was supplemented with 5 fetal calf serum (FCS) (Cultilab, Brazil), 25 mg/mL fungizone (Amphotericin B) (Cristalia, Sao Paulo, ? Brazil), 500 U/mL penicillin and 50 mg/mL gentamicin (Schering-Plough, Sao Paulo, Brazil) and used for viral isolation [12]. VACV Western Reserve (VACV-WR) strain was kindly provided by Dr C. Jungwirth (Universitat Wurzburg, Germany) and used as a viral control in the biological assays. The VACV GuaraniP1 (GP1V) and GuaraniP2 (GP2V) strains were isolated by our team during an outbreak in 2001 [23] and are part of our biological collection. These and other Brazilian VACV strains were used 26001275 as controls in the biological and molecular assays.The VACV Outbreak and Viral IsolationIn 2005, a bovine VACV outbreak was reported by IMA (Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuaria ?IMA), a Brazilian veterinary ?surveillance institution, in the rural region of Resplendor County, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (Figure 1A). This region is characterized by the presence of several small rural properties, where cattle are kept for milk and meat production. During this outbreak, several animals and farm workers from neighboring properties presented exanthematous lesions similar to those reported during other Brazilian bovine VACV outbreaks (Figure 1B). The origin of this outbreak is unknown, but workers were most likely infected while milking infected animals and spread the virus by direct contact with healthy animals at the other properties. Clinicalsupport was given to the infected workers, who took several days off to recover without the need of hospitalization. A farm that was affected during the outbreak was visited, and an epithelial sample (dried scab) from an infected dairy cow was collected with tweezers, kept under refrigeration and sent to our lab for etiological agent identification. All the collection procedures were performed by veterinarians of IMA, following institutional recommendations (http://www.ima.mg.gov.br). The scab was macerated using a homogenizer (Politron, Littau, Switzerland) in PBS, which contained 200 U/mL penicillin, 4 mg/mL amphotericin B and 100 mg/mL gentamicin (0.1 g scab/0.9 mL PBS), and clarified by centrifugation at 20006g for 3 min. The resulting supernatant was used for diagnostic purposes, viral isolation and molecular and biological assays [20]. To confirm if the etiological agent of the outbreak was an OPV, the sample supernatants were diluted 1:100 in PBS and used as templates for a nested-PCR that targeted a partial region of C11R (viral growth factor – vgf). This gene is widely used as an OPV diagnostic tool in Brazil [24]. The reactions were carried out by adding 2 mL of the template to 18 mL of the PCR reaction mixture that con.