Role of PCV2b Cap protein structural stability in immune response assembly and experimental production of recombinant protein

• Grant number: 22/02608-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: João Pessoa Araújo Junior
• Grantee: Gabryel Lucas Cossolino
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biotecnologia (IBTEC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Porcine Circovirus is a single-stranded, non-enveloped, circular DNA virus belonging to the Circoviridae family and the Circovirus genus. Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), the most pathogenic viral type, has been extensively associated with several clinical manifestations, which result in several damage to swine farming. This virus has significant resistance against variations in the environment and disinfectants, in addition to having considerable distribution, being more prevalent in Europe, North America and Brazil. The Cap protein, which structurally constitutes the viral capsid and is encoded by the open reading frame called ORF2, is constantly associated in the literature as a determinant of viral pathogenicity, thus being important for the study of the virus and a target for the prophylactic development. Through computational assays previously carried out by the team participating in the project, the intermolecular interactions present between the copies of the Cap protein that seem to be related to the stability and assembly of the viral capsid were identified, aiming to understand these key contacts for their subsequent modulation. Sequences containing alterations in the ORF2 region will be synthetically produced with the aim of modulating the intermolecular interactions between the capsid proteins and producing structurally more stable viral particles and recombinant proteins. The production of more stable viral particles and recombinant proteins, as well as the knowledge of the importance of these interactions, may be able to promote an increase in the current vicinal efficacy and assist in the development of future antiviral drugs, directly impacting the viability, production, and quality of swine farming.(AU)