3D polymerase gene of foot and mouth disease virus is a potential target for siRNA mediated inhibition of viral replication

Abstract

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of the cloven hoofed animals and is a constant threat to animal husbandry industry world over. Control of the disease is difficult in India since conventional vaccination is the only control measure available which sometimes leads to post vaccination outbreaks. Hence alternate therapeutics to control the spread of the disease is the need of the hour, to reduce the severity and loss to livestock industry. RNA interference (RNAi) an antiviral strategy is followed in the present study. We designed four pairs of siRNA oligonucleotides targeting FMDV 3D gene and systematically evaluated the effects of siRNA on FMDV polymerase 3D gene expression and FMDV replication in BHK-21 cells. The study showed that out of four siRNA’s, siRNA 2 delivered by pSIREN vector could inhibit FMDV 3D protein expression in BHK-21 cells and FMD Asia I virus replication was inhibited >80% <em>in vitro </em> cell culture. The results suggest that transient expression of FMDV hairpin RNA is competent to trigger an antiviral response to FMDV in BHK-21 cells.