Therapeutic inhibition of yellow head virus multiplication in infected shrimps by YHV-protease dsRNA

• Published in: Antiviral research 2007-05, Vol.74 (2), p.150-155
• Main Authors: Tirasophon, Witoon, Yodmuang, Supansa, Chinnirunvong, Wanlop, Plongthongkum, Nongluk, Panyim, Sakol
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; antiviral; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Disease Models, Animal; dsRNA-protease; Medical sciences; Penaeidae - virology; Penaeus monodon; Peptide Hydrolases - biosynthesis; Peptide Hydrolases - genetics; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; RNA Interference; RNA, Double-Stranded - genetics; RNA, Double-Stranded - pharmacology; RNA, Viral - antagonists & inhibitors; RNA, Viral - genetics; RNAi; Roniviridae - drug effects; Roniviridae - genetics; Roniviridae - physiology; Viral Proteins - biosynthesis; Viral Proteins - genetics; Virus Replication - drug effects; Yellow head virus; Yellow head virus (YHV)
• ISSN: 0166-3542; 1872-9096
• DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2006.11.002

Yellow head virus (YHV) is an invertebrate nidovirus which causes a severe mortality in cultured Penaeus monodon. The mortality may be prevented by prior treatment of shrimps with YHV-protease dsRNA. Whether the YHV infected shrimp might be cured by the dsRNA remains to be investigated. P. monodon injected with 10 −6 YHV showed a high virus replication and mortality within 2 days. Injection of 25 μg YHV-protease dsRNA at 3, 6, 12 or 24 h post YHV infection showed a strong inhibition of YHV replication up to 12 h. Unrelated dsRNA-GFP showed no inhibition, indicating that the inhibition was nucleic acid sequence specific through RNAi pathway. Shrimp mortality could be prevented at 3 h post YHV infection by the dsRNA, but not at 24 h. These results demonstrate that YHV-protease dsRNA gives therapeutic effect and pave the way to develop a cure for YHV-infected shrimps.