Classification of viral zoonosis through receptor pattern analysis

Abstract

BackgroundViral zoonosis, the transmission of a virus from its primary vertebrate reservoir species to humans, requires ubiquitous cellular proteins known as receptor proteins. Zoonosis can occur not only through direct transmission from vertebrates to humans, but also through intermediate reservoirs or other environmental factors. Viruses can be categorized according to genotype (ssDNA, dsDNA, ssRNA and dsRNA viruses). Among them, the RNA viruses exhibit particularly high mutation rates and are especially problematic for this reason. Most zoonotic viruses are RNA viruses that change their envelope proteins to facilitate binding to various receptors of host species. In this study, we sought to predict zoonotic propensity through the analysis of receptor characteristics. We hypothesized that the major barrier to interspecies virus transmission is that receptor sequences vary among species--in other words, that the specific amino acid sequence of the receptor determines the ability of the viral envelope protein to attach to the cell.ResultsWe analysed host-cell receptor sequences for their hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity characteristics. We then analysed these properties for similarities among receptors of different species and used a statistical discriminant analysis to predict the likelihood of transmission among species.ConclusionsThis study is an attempt to predict zoonosis through simple computational analysis of receptor sequence differences. Our method may be useful in predicting the zoonotic potential of newly discovered viral strains.

Protein Fold Classification with Backbone Torsional Characters Using Multi- Class Linear Discriminant Analysis

“…Secondary structure and fold class information also could be utilized in the prediction of diverse biological phenomena including epidemiological issues. Knowledge based anticipation of the possibility of zoonosis [17] based on the property of host cell receptors might utilize local and fold-wise secondary structure properties. Anticipation of pandemic outbreaks might also utilize the secondary structural properties of host cell receptor proteins.…”

Zoonotic Diseases: Etiology, Impact, and Control

“…It has been estimated that among the zoonotic pathogens originating from bovine origins, about 42% are of bacterial origin, 22% viral, 29% parasitic, 5% fungal, and 2% prion origin [ 9 ]. Similarly, both DNA and RNA viruses are known to be responsible for zoonoses; however, compared to DNA, the RNA viruses are more frequently linked with zoonoses [ 10 ].…”

“…Pathogens can be transmitted through direct contact or animal origin foods. Examples of zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted to humans from domestic animals include anthrax, rabies, tuberculosis, brucellosis, campylobacteriosis, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, balantidiasis, ancylostomiasis, toxocariasis, listeriosis, bovine pustular stomatitis, rotavirus infection, and Q fever [ 10 , 26 , 27 ].…”

“…In humans, brucellosis mainly causes influenza-like infections, pneumonia, and other complications including meningitis, endocarditis, septicemia, serious weakness, pain in muscle and joints, extreme headache, fever, and night sweats. In animals, brucellosis causes abortion, lameness, abscess, reduction in milk production, and decrease in survival chances of newborns [ 10 , 38 ]. Dairy farm workers, caretakers, abattoir workers, veterinarians, and village people are at high risk for brucellosis infection.…”

Prediction of cross-species infection propensities of viruses with receptor similarity

“…Recently, computational approaches, including bioinformatics, have also been used, such as genome sequencing, construction of databases and analysis systems, and development of models and software to predict emerging infections (Rappuoli, 2004;Haagmans et al, 2009;Pepin et al, 2010;Morse et al, 2012;Woolhouse et al, 2012). There have also been studies investigating genomic patterns of receptor proteins or receptor-binding domains that influence host susceptibility to viral infections, which have enabled the discrimination of infection propensities based on the primary structure of receptors without requiring complicated structural analysis (Rogers et al, 1983;Matrosovich et al, 2000;Graham and Baric, 2010;Bae and Son, 2011;Imai and Kawaoka, 2012). The cellsurface proteins used as receptors by viruses have been identified (Schneider-Schaulies, 2000;Dales, 1973;Grove and Marsh, 2011).…”