STUDY OF THE ACTION OF ROTAVIRUS NSP4 ON CELLULAR PERMEABILITY IN VITRO AND INTESTINAL FLUID ACCUMULATION IN RATS (MODEL IN VIVO)

• Grant number: 11/23865-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Silvia Viccari Gatti
• Grantee: Jéssica Wildgrube Bertol
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Rotaviruses (RV) are the main agents of gastroenteritis in children worldwide, resulting in high morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries. Since the 1980s, has been intensive research to develop effective vaccines against RV. In Brazil, at the year 2006, occurred the licensing of Rotarix vaccine containing attenuated RV with genotype G1P [8], which is the most prevalent genotype of rotavirus in the world. However, studies performed after the introduction of the vaccine reported a higher prevalence of genotype G2P[4], emphasizing the need for constant vigilance about the global circulation of the RV to obtain effective vaccines. Researchers have reported the important role of the nonstructural protein NSP4 in pathogenesis of RV diarrhea, acting as a cytotoxin and leading to increased paracellular permeability during infection. These studies support the concept that the current vaccines (anti-VP4 and VP7) may not be sufficiently correlated to an effective anti-rotavirus condition due to the potential role of the NSP4 in diarrhea. Therefore, studies are needed to demonstrate with more details the characteristics and mode of action of this protein and its role in developing protection against severe cases of diarrhea associated with RV. Thus, the main objective of this project is to investigate if different genotypes of RV NSP4 cause distinct changes in paracellular permeability in human epithelial cells (Caco-2) and its mechanism of action in vivo models, concluding if different genotype of NSP4 proteins aggravates the watery diarrhea.

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)

BERTOL, JESSICA WILDGRUBE; VICCARI GATTI, MARIA SILVIA. Rapid detection of infectious rotavirus group A using a molecular beacon assay. Journal of Virological Methods, v. 234, p. 156-159, AUG 2016. (11/23865-1)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

BERTOL, Jéssica Wildgrube. The action of the nonstructural protein 4 (NSP4) from rotavirus on in vitro cellular permeability and in intestinal fluids of mice (in vivo model). 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia Campinas, SP.