新发现的鸭瘟病毒立即早期基因UL48的功能及其对DPV生命周期的影响

隶属于α疱疹病毒亚科的鸭瘟病毒(DPV)感染所致的高发病和死亡率是严重危害水禽（鸭、鹅等）及雁形目其他禽类健康的重要病原，其基因组编码的许多蛋白功能仍未清楚。我们前期研究发现，DPV的UL48基因具有疱疹病毒立即早期(IE)基因的特征并在DPV潜伏感染鸭的三叉神经结中可检测到其转录，这与已报道的其它疱疹病毒UL48为晚期(L)基因根本不同。为解析DPV- UL48基因功能及探究其对DPV复制周期的影响，项目拟采用定量RT-PCR、免疫组化等检测具有IE属性的DPV- UL48基因在发病及潜伏感染鸭体内表达时空；用基因敲出、瞬时表达等对该基因的各功能域进行定位；用酵母双杂交、荧光素酶报告系统等筛选其互作蛋白，以探究其是如何自调控、如何对DPV其它基因及对宿主基因进行调控。结果将能够解释UL48基因是怎样对DPV的复制进行调控的原理，为阐明DPV致病机制提供科学数据，具重要科学价值和理论意义。

Duck plague virus (DPV), a highly contagious alphaherpesvirus, can cause high morbidity and mortality, which is one of the major acute and fatal pathogens of waterfowl (duck, goose, ect). However, the function of many proteins encoded by viral genes remains unclear. Our previously research found that the DPV UL48 gene had the characteristics of the immediate early (IE) gene of the herpesvirus and the transcription of it can be detected in the trigeminus of the DPV latent infection ducks. It is hugely different from other herpesvirus UL48 gene which is belong to late genes. The general objective of this project is to analyze DPV-UL48 gene function and explore how it affect the viral lifecycle. More specifically, we will carry out the following experiments: a) the DPV-UL48 gene expression pattern will be detected by using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in the symptomatic and latently infected ducks; b) the functional domains of DPV-UL48 gene will be located by gene knockout and transient expression; c) the proteins interacting with UL48 will be screened by yeast two-Hybrid and luciferase report system, and then we will investigate how the UL48 regulates itself, other viral genes and host genes. Our study will provide evidences for novel and unidentified mechanism(s) by how UL48 mediate the viral replication and lifecycle. These finding can provide scientific data to illustrate the DPV pathogenesis, which has great scientific value and theoretical significance.