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Virol J. 2008; 5: 86.
Published online 2008 July 25. doi: 10.1186/1743-422X-5-86.
PMCID: PMC2515107
Inhibition of foot-and-mouth disease virus replication in vitro and in vivo by small interfering RNA
Wang Pengyan,1 Ren Yan,1 Guo Zhiru,corresponding author1 and Chen Chuangfucorresponding author1
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003, PR China
corresponding authorCorresponding author.
Wang Pengyan: wwwpy_322/at/163.com; Ren Yan: rycb1225/at/163.com; Guo Zhiru: guozhiru/at/yahoo.com; Chen Chuangfu: ccf-xb/at/163.com
Received April 23, 2008; Accepted July 25, 2008.
Abstract
By using bioinformatics computer programs, all foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) genome sequences in public-domain databases were analyzed. Based on the results of homology analysis, 2 specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting homogenous 3D and 2B1 regions of 7 serotypes of FMDV were prepared and 2 siRNA-expression vectors, pSi-FMD2 and pSi-FMD3, were constructed. The siRNA-expressing vectors were used to test the ability of siRNAs to inhibit virus replication in baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells and suckling mice, a commonly used small animal model. The results demonstrated that transfection of BHK-21 cells with siRNA-expressing plasmids significantly weakened the cytopathic effect (CPE). Moreover, BHK-21 cells transiently transfected with short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-expressing plasmids were specifically resistant to the infection of the FMDV serotypes A, O, and Asia I and this the antiviral effects persisted for almost 48 hours. We measured the viral titers, the 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) in cells transfected with anti-FMDV siRNAs was found to be lower than that of the control cells. Furthermore, subcutaneous injection of siRNA-expressing plasmids in the neck of the suckling mice made them less susceptible to infection with O, and Asia I serotypes of FMDV.