Molecular virology

Research projects

Chikungunya Infection:

Chikungunya virus (CHIK V) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes a disease syndrome characterized by fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, myalgia and arthralgia. According to the posture developed as a result of the arthritic symptoms of the disease the name is derived from the Makonde word meaning "that which bends up". The disease was first described in 1952 in Tanzania, Africa and is geographically distributed from Africa through Southeast Asia and South America. After a gap of 32 years, re-emergence of Chikungunya virus caused recent outbreaks in India during 2005-2006 affecting 1.3 million people in 13 states. Due to recent extension around the Indian Ocean, including Comoros, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Madagascar and now in Italy, Chikungunya is regarded as a potential worldwide public health problem with no preventive or therapeutic means available. This establishes the need to improve disease surveillance, study the pathogenesis and biology of the virus. The alpha viruses are enveloped particles and their genome consists of a linear, single- stranded, positive sense RNA molecule of approximately 11.8 kb. CHIK V genome encodes four non-structural proteins (NSP1-4) and three structural proteins (C, E1, and E2). The non-structural proteins which are generally required for viral replication are encoded in the 5’ two-third of the genome. These proteins might have some role in modulating the host protein synthesis for the advantage of the viral infection as well as for pathogenesis or virulence. Due to lack of research on the viral biology the precise role of the non-structural proteins and the host factors are not yet understood. The knowledge about viral replication and host cell factors will be useful to understand the process of disease progression and find out ways to develop an effective antiviral therapy.
Thus, the research interest of my lab will be:

• Define the functions of the non-structural proteins of Chikungunya virus during replication.

• Understand the structure-function relationship of important viral enzymes which can be target for antiviral drugs.

• Identify the cellular proteins required for viral life cycle.

• Understand the molecular mechanism of disease progression and identify the pathogenic marker.