Dengue type 3 infectious clone construction: E protein gene analysis

• Grant number: 05/04178-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2006
• End date: February 29, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Victor Hugo Aquino Quintana
• Grantee: Alberto Anastacio Amarilla Ortiz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Infections of humans with dengue viruses (DENV), which belong to the genus Flavivirus (family, Flaviviridae), can be subclinical or cause illnesses ranging from a mild, flu-like syndrome with rash (dengue fever [DF]) to a severe and some times fatal disease, characterized by capillary leakage, thrombocytopenia, and sometimes hypovolemic shock (hemorrhagic dengue fever [DHF/DSS]). DENV are classified in four immunological distinct sorotypes: DENV1-4. Epidemiological studies have identified the re-infection with a second serotype and the presence of pre-existing antibodies against DENV as risk factors for the development of DHF/DSS. It has been also observed that distinct genotypes within the same serotype show different levels of virulence. The difference in virulence could be related to the presence of different secondary structures in the non-coding regions and in the structural proteins. Recently the number of DHF/DSS has augmented in Brazil due principally to the introduction of DENV3. The objective of this study is the construction of an infectious clone of DENV3 isolated in Brasil, which will serve as a useful tool for the study of viral pathogenesis. The infectious clone will be subjected to mutations in the E protein coding region, and the effect of these mutations will be evaluated indirectly by in vivo and in vitro test.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

AMARILLA, ALBERTO A.; DE ALMEIDA, FLAVIA T.; JORGE, DANIEL M.; ALFONSO, HELDA L.; DE CASTRO-JORGE, LUIZA A.; NOGUEIRA, NADIA A.; FIGUEIREDO, LUIZ T.; AQUINO, VICTOR H.. Genetic diversity of the E Protein of Dengue Type 3 Virus. VIROLOGY JOURNAL, v. 6, p. 113, 2009. (05/04178-2)