Non-random reassortment between the tripartite RNA genomes of La Crosse and snowshoe hare viruses.

The process of reassortment between the tripartite RNA genomes (segments designated L, M and S) of snowshoe hare and La Crosse bunyaviruses (Bunyaviridae) has been investigated by polymerase chain reaction analysis of greater than 250 progeny recovered at 72 h post-infection from dual wild-type virus infections involving high multiplicities (approximately 5) of each virus in a BHK-21 cell line. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that RNA segment reassortment was not random, and for these two viruses the data appeared to fit the hypothesis that there was a preference for homologous L-M and M-S associations among the progeny formed.