Synthetic genomics-based generation of the tick-borne encephalitis virus Siberian subtype prototype strain and E51K-attenuated variant for vaccine development and antiviral screening.

ABSTRACT: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a re-emerging pathogen in Kazakhstan, where the increasing risk of its spread underscores the need for improved healthcare preparedness, including the development of local vaccines. However, the absence of reference TBEV strains in the country presented a major challenge. To address this, we generated a prototype strain (Vasilchenko) of the Siberian TBEV genotype, predominant in Kazakhstan, using synthetic genome and molecular infectious clone technology. A DNA-launched TBEV molecular clone was assembled from DNA fragments, enabling virus rescue upon plasmid transfection. During the propagation of the post-transfection virus in cell culture, a single amino acid substitution (E51K) in the envelope protein emerged, resulting in a 100-fold increase in t

SUBMITTER: Kulatay T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12665415 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature