Antiviral effect of the viroporin inhibitors against Taiwan isolates of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV).

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are significant animal and human pathogens, characterized by being enveloped RNA viruses with positive-sense single-stranded RNA. The Coronaviridae family encompasses four genera, among which gammacoronaviruses pose a major threat to the poultry industry, which infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) being the most prominent of these threats. Particularly, IBV adversely affects broiler growth and egg production, causing substantial losses.

Characterization of novel cell-penetrating peptides derived from the capsid protein of beak and feather disease virus.

Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is a 17-20 nm icosahedral virus belonging to the Circoviridae family. Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) is caused by BFDV and its common symptoms include abnormal feather, beak, and claw development, as well as immunosuppression in various bird species. In this study, novel cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) in the capsid protein (Cap) of BFDV were identified through bioinformatic analyses, after which they were experimentally characterized.

Characterization of a novel reporter system for beak and feather disease virus.

Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) belongs to the Circoviridae family, which has a relatively simple replication mechanism. As BFDV lacks a mature cell culture system, a novel mini-replicon system based on the reporter plasmid that contains the origin of replication, which can bind to the Rep protein expressed from another plasmid and thus trigger its replication and induce/increase luminescence was developed. The dual-luciferase assay was used in this system to measure replicative efficiency by comparing relative light units (RLU) of firefly luciferase.