Designing a RNAi- based treatment for Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis virus (IPN)

Background and Aim : : Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN) is a fish disease caused by an unenveloped icosahedral birnavirus. The IPN virus is the type species of the genus Aquabirnavirus. It is highly contagious and mainly affects intensively reared salmonid species although it has a wide host range. The virulence of IPNV isolates varies widely; while most are isolated from subclinical cases, some isolates can produce very high fish mortality. This disease is not zoonotic. In recent years, gene therapy has become a powerful strategy against viruses. Therefore, in the present study, the possibility of using and designing shRNA against Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis virus was investigated.Methods : Oligonucleotides encoded shRNA molecules were designed against RNA polymerase (vp) gene of IPN virus using the www.invivogen.com/sirna-wizard site and the most effective molecules were selected using background information. For this purpose, standard search method selected and siRNA motifs with the desired size and thermodynamic properties were designed. Then, in order to design hairpin, the proposed vector and loop sequences submitted, so the most effective shRNAs with desired restriction enzyme sites were designed. Results : Two potentially effective shRNA molecules were designed. Their start target positions included respectively start positions of ۶۹ and ۴۵۱ of IPN virus RNA polymerase (vp) gene.Conclusion : The results showed that there are potentially effective shRNA molecules against RNA polymerase gene (vp) of IPN virus that can suppress its proliferation.

کلیدواژه ها:

shRNA ، IPN virus ، polymerase gene (vp) ، gene therapy.