IIT Guwahati Researchers Discover RNA-Destroying Function Of p30 Protein in African Swine Fever Virus
A research team at IIT Guwahati investigated the biochemistry of the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) protein and discovered an RNA-destroying function of the p30 protein of the virus. The study focused on the understanding of the biochemical processes of infection for effective control strategies.
The research team led by Prof. Saching Kumar includes Satyendu Nandy, Nilave Ranjan Bora, and Shubham Gaurav. They studied the proteins found in the outer membrane (capsule) of ASFV, with a particular focus on the p30 protein. The research results are published in the prestigious journal Virology.
The p30 protein helps in attaching the virus to the host cells by binding it to specific receptors on the cell surface and facilitating the merging of viral and cell membranes. The Membrane proteins also help viruses to evade the host cell’s immune system. The study will help enhance the knowledge of infection of viruses and can guide the development of treatments and vaccines to target these points of entry.
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Prof. Sachin Kumar, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, said that the ongoing research ASFV virus aims to understand the functional roles of proteins like p30 in viral infection and in evading the host’s immune response.
The research group also completed a technology transfer to roll out the first recombinant vaccine against Swine Fever Virus. They also identified the specific regions on the p30 protein known as epitopic domains, which activate the immune system of the host.
Now, the IIT Guwahati research team studied the p30 protein in greater detail to understand its functionalities such as RNase-like activity. Notably, RNase (ribonuclease) is an enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of RNA into smaller components and helps in evading the host’s immune system.
Prof Sachin Kumar also said that the team exposed the RNA extracted from the mammalian cells and exposed it to the p30 protein to analyze the RNase activity. Methods such as electrophoresis and fluorimetry were used to quantify the extent of RNA degradation by p30.
Key Findings of the Research
The researchers found that the degradation of host cell RNA depends on the concentration and duration of exposure by the p30 protein. The protein is released in a soluble form in ASFV-infected cells and its RNA degrading ability assists the virus in altering host cell functions. The researchers also found that altering the amino acid from cysteine to alanine in p30 resulted in the loss of its RNA-degrading activity.
The functioning of the p30 protein in ASFV helps in understanding the survival capacity of the virus by manipulating the cellular functions of the host cell. This research can help in combating ASFV infections in the future.
However, the research remained unable to answer the precise role of p30 in ASFV infection in pigs and whether its RNase activity targets specific host RNA molecules.
