Project description:Purpose: This goal of this study was to explore the host transcriptomic responses in African swine fever virus experimentally infected pigs using RNA-Sequencing. Methods: RNAs acquired from ten different organ tissue samples were sequenced. Sequencing reads were preprocessed, aligned with the reference genome, assembled and expressions were estimated through bioinformatics approaches. Result: Several uprugulated DEGs were identified. Conclusion: We found important candidate genes and pathways for further testing in African swine fever virus infection in pig.
Project description:African swine fever virus is highly contagious and causes a fatal infectious disease in pigs, resulting in a significant global impact on pork supply. The African swine fever virus RNA polymerase serves as a crucial multifunctional protein complex responsible for genome transcription and regulation. Therefore, it is essential to investigate its structural and functional characteristics for the prevention and control of African swine fever. Here, we determine the structures of endogenous African swine fever virus RNA polymerase in both nucleic acid-free and elongation states. The African swine fever virus RNA polymerase shares similarities with the core of typical RNA polymerases, but possesses a distinct subunit M1249L. Notably, the dynamic binding mode of M1249L with RNA polymerase, along with the C-terminal tail insertion of M1249L in the active center of DNA-RNA scaffold binding, suggests the potential of M1249L to regulate RNA polymerase activity within cells. These results are important for understanding the transcription cycle of African swine fever virus and for developing antiviral strategies.
Project description:African swine fever is a viral disease of swine caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV). Currently, ASFV is a serious threat to the global pig industry. A viral strategy to undermine host cell response is to establish a global shutoff of host protein synthesis (virus-induced shutoff, vhs). Here, we characterize ASFV-induced shutoff in primary porcine macrophages by measurement of relative protein synthesis rates based on stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC). The impact of ASFV infection on the synthesis of >2000 individual host proteins showed a high degree of variability ranging from complete shutoff to a strong induction of proteins that are absent from naïve cells. By GO-term enrichment analysis the cellular pathways that were most efficiently impacted by vhs were identified. The experimental setup is suitable to quantify vhs after infections with different viruses.
Project description:In this project we would like to study immune responses to African swine fever virus in pigs. We have realized a large animal experiment using two different viruses and pigs with different immune status. We have collected paxgene blood RNA tubes in order to investigate transcriptional changes at different stages of the early immune response.
