By using cryo-electron microscopy, CIC bioGUNE researchers have succeeded in unravelling the three-dimensional structure of the African swine fever virus (ASFV), a prerequisite not only for understanding the virus assembly, but also for controlling and, ultimately, eliminating it.

The research, published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, has revealed the architecture of the virus, i.e. its spatial arrangement. Dr. Nicola G. Abrescia, Ikerbasque researcher at CIC bioGUNE who has conducted the work in collaboration with the group of Dr. Germán Andrés at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Centre in Madrid, explains: “The virus structure comprises two concentric icosahedral capsids and two membranes that enclose the viral genome; in other words, the viral genome is highly protected”.

In addition, for the assembly of the outer capsid assembly, ASFV uses a major capsid protein that exhibits a fold similar to that found in other viruses, members of the PRD1-adenovirus viral lineage. These viruses are capable of infecting a multitude of organisms, ranging from bacteria to humans.

This scientific breakthrough provides the necessary framework for designing new molecules capable of interfering with the capsid assembly, preventing the formation of the infectious structure and, therefore, fighting off viral infection. It also represents a further step forward in the quest for a vaccine against this viral pathogen.

The ASFV infects both domestic and wild pigs, and has major implications for animal health and a substantial economic impact on the output and sustainability of the sector. In Europe, the disease was first detected in Moldova in September 2016. In June 2017, reports arose of its appearance in the Czech Republic, from where it spread to Romania and subsequently to Hungary and Bulgaria.

In August 2018, the disease was detected in Asia, specifically in China, causing devastating animal losses. Over the course of 2019 it has spread to Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong and, most recently, to the Philippines, which has been the last country to be infected by ASFV. Economical losses to the hog industry in this country are estimated at around $20 million per month.

ASFV exhibits a high environmental resistance and can be spread through contact with live or dead pigs and also through the use of products of swine origin and objects such as shoes, clothing, equipment, etc.

The threat of the African swine fever virus has kept the jamon industry in Spain on alert for decades. At the end of the 50s of the last century the virus entered Spain from Portugal, which caused the ban on exporting live animals and pig products until 1995, when Spain was finally declared free of the virus. This ban caused serious losses to the Spanish economy.

A good year for research into the swine fever virus

The article published by the researchers at the CIC bioGUNE, coincides in time with studies on the same virus carried out by research groups from the People's Republic of China, which have been published in the journals Cell Research and Science. This fact demostrates the determination of the scientific community worldwide to find definitive solutions to eradicate the ASFV and thus ease the social and economic burden on animal health and society.

About CIC bioGUNE

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies. CIC bioGUNE has been accredited as a “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence”, the highest level of recognition for centres of excellence in Spain. CIC bioGUNE is a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), a public consortium formed in collaboration between the Basque Government, the SPRI Group, the Provincial Governments and the Cooperative Research Centres and Technology Centres of the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network. The aim of the BRTA is to ensure a "dynamic of cooperation" which enables the community to meet the future technological and industrial challenges of the Basque Country and improve its international standing and impact.

Caption: On the left, representation of the outermost capsid of the African swine fever virus and on the right the virus cut in front and back showing the inner layers colored by radial distance (outer capsid, in blue; icosahedral internal membrane, in yellow; internal capsid, in red; nucleoid with genome, in pink; the outermost pleomorphic membrane is not represented). The color scale with the numbers indicates the radii and is in Angstroms.

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