Camel Biotechnology Center, Presidential Camels & Camel Racing Affairs Centre, Department of the President's Affairs, PO Box 17292, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Camel Biotechnology Center, Presidential Camels & Camel Racing Affairs Centre, Department of the President's Affairs, PO Box 17292, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Dev Comp Immunol. 2023 Oct;147:104754. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.104754. Epub 2023 Jun 7.
Viral infections activate pattern recognition receptors in the host, triggering an innate immune response that involves the production of interferons, which, in turn, stimulates the expression of antiviral effector genes. Viperin is one of the most highly induced interferon-stimulated genes and displays broad antiviral activity, especially against tick-borne viruses. Of late, camelid-borne zoonotic viruses have been on the rise in the Arabian Peninsula, but research into camelid antiviral effector genes has been limited. This is the first report of an interferon-responsive gene from the mammalian suborder Tylopoda to which modern camels belong. From camel kidney cells treated with dsRNA mimetic, we cloned viperin cDNA encoding 361 amino acid protein. Sequence analysis of camel viperin reveals high levels of amino acid conservation, particularly within the RSAD domain. Compared to kidney, the relative mRNA expression of viperin was higher in blood, lung, spleen, lymph nodes, and intestines. The in-vitro expression of viperin was induced by poly(I:C) and interferon treatment in camel kidney cell lines. Viperin expression was subdued in camel kidney cells infected with the camelpox virus during the early stages of infection, suggesting possible suppression by the virus. Overexpression of camel viperin through transient transfection significantly enhanced the resistance of cultured camel kidney cell lines to infection with camelpox virus. Research into the role of viperin in host immunity against emerging viral pathogens of camels will provide insight into novel mechanisms of antiviral activity of the protein, viral immune evasion strategies, and enable the development of better antivirals.
病毒感染激活宿主中的模式识别受体，触发先天免疫反应，包括干扰素的产生，进而刺激抗病毒效应基因的表达。Viperin 是最受诱导的干扰素刺激基因之一，具有广泛的抗病毒活性，特别是针对蜱传病毒。最近，阿拉伯半岛上的骆驼源性人畜共患病病毒不断增加，但对骆驼抗病毒效应基因的研究有限。这是第一个关于哺乳动物次目有蹄类动物干扰素反应基因的报告，现代骆驼属于该类动物。我们从用 dsRNA 模拟物处理的骆驼肾脏细胞中克隆了编码 361 个氨基酸蛋白的 Viperin cDNA。骆驼 Viperin 的序列分析显示氨基酸高度保守，特别是在 RSAD 结构域内。与肾脏相比，Viperin 的相对 mRNA 表达在血液、肺、脾、淋巴结和肠道中更高。在骆驼肾细胞系中，聚肌胞和干扰素处理诱导 Viperin 的体外表达。在骆驼肾细胞感染骆驼痘病毒的早期阶段，Viperin 的表达被抑制，表明病毒可能受到抑制。通过瞬时转染过表达骆驼 Viperin 可显著增强骆驼肾细胞系对骆驼痘病毒感染的抵抗力。研究 Viperin 在宿主对骆驼新兴病毒病原体的免疫中的作用将深入了解该蛋白的抗病毒活性的新机制、病毒免疫逃逸策略，并能够开发更好的抗病毒药物。
