Major breakthrough: WBSU identifies proteins facilitating entry of JE virus inside brain cells

Kolkata: The Microbiology department of West Bengal State University played a significant role in a new study conducted by National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), where it has identified proteins which facilitate the entry of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus inside brain cells.

The study points out that JE, a leading form of viral encephalitis is caused by mosquito-borne JE virus, which belongs to the same genus as dengue and yellow fever.

The research team of NBRC has identified two brain cell proteins — PLVAP (Plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein) and GKN3 (Gastrokine3) that facilitate the entry of the virus into brain cells. It may be mentioned that JE infection occurs when viral attachment proteins interact with cellular membrane proteins of host cells.

"There were around six such proteins that were under consideration on part of the research team. However, analysis of these proteins would have been time consuming and an expensive affair. In this context, NBRC research group collaborated with our research team," said Sibani Chakraborty of WBSU's Micro biology department.

She further said the department's bioinformatics section identified two brain cell proteins — PLVAP and GKN3 those are present on neuronal cell surface. "These findings helped in identifying their role in the viral entry into the neurons," added Chakraborty.

The experimental work performed by NBRC has been carried out in laboratory mice.

The identification of host proteins, important for viral entry into neurons, provided the researcher team with candidates, whose targeting may be useful to block viral infection thus reducing

disease severity.

Researchers have found that reducing PLVAP receptor in neurons decreased JEV entry and upregulating (increasing) them increased the viral entry on the other hand. "We are planning to collaborate with some pharmaceutical companies to identify potential drug/drugs which may be able to block this receptor proteins," Chakraborty maintained.

The research team included Dr Anirban Basu, Sriparna Mukherjee, Nabonita Sengupta, Irshad Akbar, Noopur Singh of NRBC Manesar, Ankur Chaudhuri and Sibani Chakraborty of WBSU and Arindam Bhattacharyya of Calcutta University and Amol Ratnakar Suryawanshi (Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar).

The study has been published in the journal — 'Scientific Reports'.