TITLE:
Prediction of Interaction Sites of PcRab7-VP28
AUTHORS:
Xiaofeng Ji, Yuan Zheng, Jun Sheng
KEYWORDS:
White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), Interaction Sites, Penaeus
JOURNAL NAME:
Computational Molecular Bioscience,
Vol.11 No.2,
May
19,
2021
ABSTRACT: White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is one of the most important pathogens in the world. Since its outbreak in 1993, the virus has caused huge economic losses. Studies have confirmed that in the early stage of infection, VP28, the main envelope protein of WSSV, as a viral adhesion protein, binds to PcRab7 of Penaeus chinensis to help the virus enter the host cells. Understanding the mechanism of PcRab7-VP28 interaction is of great significance to understand the mechanism of WSSV infection and the development of antiviral drugs. In this research, the interaction interface and interaction sites were predicted by using the methods of molecular simulations. Results showed that VP28 binds to the second β-sheet (L73-D86) of PcRab7, which is consistent with the region detected in previous studies. Furthermore, we speculated the possible interaction sites in PcRab7 are E81, F77 and D76. These results may contribute to a deep understanding of the infection mechanism of WSSV on the host.