Hemoglobin subunit beta interacts with the capsid, RdRp and VPg proteins, and antagonizes the replication of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) causes a highly contagious disease in rabbits that is associated with high mortality. Because of the lack of a suitable cell culture system for RHDV, its pathogenic mechanism and replication remain unclear. This study found that the expression level of host protein rabbit hemoglobin subunit beta (HBB) was significantly downregulated in RHDV-infected cells.

Extensive characterization of a lentiviral-derived stable cell line expressing rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus VPg protein.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is an important member of the caliciviridae family. Currently, no suitable tissue culture system is available for proliferating RHDV, which limits the study of its pathogenesis. To bypass this obstacle, we established a cell line, RK13-VPg, stably expressing the VPg gene with a lentivirus packaging system in this study.

Self-assembly of virus-like particles of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus capsid protein expressed in Escherichia coli and their immunogenicity in rabbits.

In this study, virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) were evaluated for the development of a vaccine against RHDV infection. The VP60 gene was cloned and inserted into a pSMK expression vector containing a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) tag that can promote the soluble expression of heterologous proteins in Escherichia coli cells. After expression and purification of His-SUMO-VP60 and cleavage of the SUMO tag, we found that the RHDV VP60 protein had self-assembled into VLPs with a similar shape and smaller size compared with authentic RHDV capsid.

Viral Genome-Linked Protein (VPg) Is Essential for Translation Initiation of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV).

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), the causative agent of rabbit hemorrhagic disease, is an important member of the caliciviridae family. Currently, no suitable tissue culture system is available for proliferating RHDV, limiting the study of the pathogenesis of RHDV. In addition, the mechanisms underlying RHDV translation and replication are largely unknown compared with other caliciviridae viruses.