STUDIES ON THE ALPHA-LIKE PREFOLDIN GIM2: FROM FOLDING TO SIGNALING OXIDATIVE STIMULI INTO TRANSCRIPTION

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Molecular characterization and functional analysis of ORF P1192R from African swine fever virus

Publication . Coelho, João Nuno Santos; Leitão, José Alexandre da Costa Perdigão e Cameira; Ferreira, Fernando António da Costa

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a nucleo-cytoplasmic large DNA arbovirus and the single member of the family Asfarviridae. It infects soft ticks of the genus Ornithodoros as well as all members of the family Suidae, representing a global threat for pig husbandry for which there is currently no effective vaccine or treatment. Since the ASFV viral cycle is mainly cytoplasmic, it has been found/predicted to code for many components of the replicative and transcriptional machineries. Of these, and based in sequence homologies, a putative type II DNA topoisomerase-coding ORF (P1192R) was identified in the ASFV genome. DNA topoisomerases are enzymes that modulate the topological state of DNA molecules. They are ubiquitous and essential, participating in processes such as DNA replication, recombination and repair and also in transcription. Since ASFV has a large linear genome, with 170 to 190 kbp depending on the isolate, containing terminal inverted repeats and covalently closed ends, a type II topoisomerase may be indispensable for viral replication and/or transcriptional events. The main objectives of this work were to deepen the study on ORF P1192R and determine if it indeed codes for a type II DNA topoisomerase and, if so, to characterize its activity. Bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses showed that ORF P1192R is highly conserved among the fourteen ASFV isolates analyzed and, although its amino acid sequence clearly diverges from other type II topoisomerases, the structural organization is preserved and conserved motifs and domains essential for activity are present. Transient expression of GFP-pP1192R in COS-7 cells revealed an exclusively cytoplasmic distribution of the protein, which remained unaltered by treatment with leptomycin B. Using Vero cells or swine macrophages infected with ASFV isolate Ba71V or L60, respectively, expression of pP1192R was observed in the late phase of infection, co-localizing with the viral factories, where the bulk of viral replication and transcription occurs. Heterologous expression of pP1192R in Saccharomyces cerevisiae demonstrated that it functionally complements a top2 thermo-sensitive mutation and that it exhibits ATP-dependent decatenation activity. The purified recombinant pP1192R was found to efficiently decatenate kDNA and to processively relax supercoiled plasmid DNA, which are characteristics of a type II topoisomerase. The optimal requirements in terms of pH, temperature and salt, divalent ions and ATP concentrations for pP1192R activity in vitro were determined and its sensitivity to a panel of topoisomerase poisons and inhibitors was tested. Our results indicate that P1192R may be a target for studying, and possibly controlling, ASFV transcription and replication.

2016-01-11Tese de doutoramento

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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

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PIDDAC

Número da atribuição

SFRH/BD/48654/2008