IIT Guwahati's new study to advance treatment for African Swine Fever Virus

New Delhi: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati on Friday shared a study on the biochemistry of the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) protein, focusing on understanding the biochemical mechanisms of infection to develop efficient management techniques.

Swine fever is a highly contagious disease among pigs and poses a severe threat with a very high mortality rate. It, however, does not affect humans.

The team investigated the proteins identified in the virus's outer membrane (capsule), with a special emphasis on the p30 protein.

This protein is essential for the virus's attachment to host cells because it binds to specific receptors on the cell surface and allows the viral and cell membranes to fuse. Membrane proteins also assist viruses avoid detection by the host cell's immune system.

Understanding the biochemistry underlying these processes improves our understanding of how viruses infect cells and can aid in the development of therapies and vaccinations that target specific ports of entry.

"In our study, RNA extracted from mammalian cells was exposed to the p30 protein to analyse its RNase activity. We employed methods such as electrophoresis and fluorimetry to quantify the extent of RNA degradation by p30," said Sachin Kumar, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati.

Researchers found that the p30 protein in ASFV degrades host cell RNA based on its concentration and exposure duration, aiding virus survival by altering host functions.

Soluble p30 in ASFV-infected cells loses RNA-degrading activity when cysteine is replaced with alanine.

Understanding p30's impact on host RNA reveals how ASFV manipulates cells to spread, informing potential therapies. However, questions remain about p30's exact role in pig infection and specific RNA targets, which researchers plan to investigate further.