Estudo in silico para a utilização do HTLV-2 atenuado como vetor vacinal contra a infecção pelo HTLV-1 (original) (raw)

The HTLV-1 was first described retroviruses associated with human diseases, such as leukemia adult T cell (ATLL), tropical spastic paraparesis / HTLV-associated myelopathy (TSP / HAM), infective dermatitis, among others. This retrovirus has a genome of single-stranded RNA, with the genes gag (group antigen), env (envelope), pol (polymerase), and a region near the 3 'end known as pX. At each end of the genome are sequences of long terminal repeat (LTR) that are essential for the integration of the proviral DNA in the host DNA and also for the transcriptional regulation of the virus genome. It is estimated that about 5-10 million people are infected with HTLV-1 worldwide. In Brazil, it is assumed that 2.5 million people are infected. Despite the HTLV-1 is endemic in different geographic regions of the world still remains without an effective method of prophylaxis. Research conducted in squirrel monkeys at the Pasteur Institute in France and the National Cancer Institute in the USA evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of a vaccine containing the env gene or env and gag of HTLV-1. After vaccination and transfusion of infected cells with HTLV-1 all animals were shown to be protected. Prior to this study, researchers from the National Cancer Institute, NIH, USA, evaluated the efficacy of a vector vaccine derived from attenuated smallpox virus containing the env gene of HTLV-1 (R-ALVAC) and after challenge all animals were shown to be protected. However, the protection of these two studies was not permanent. At the same time, these results suggest that a vaccine anti-HTLV-1 may be feasible and we believe that the production of this vaccine as a vector having one persistent virus as HTLV-2 can protect against HTLV-1 infection. Thus, we developed in collaboration with the NIH, a vector vaccine containing the two LTR of HTLV-2, that will be inserted the env and gag genes of HTLV-1. To use this recombinant vector is necessary characterize the promoter region of HTLV-2, evaluating nucleotide signatures present in different subtypes, as well as the presence of motifs important for the expression vector vaccine. For these reasons, the aim of this study was to evaluate in silico the ability of recombinant vector of HTLV-2 be able to be used as a vector vaccine anti-HTLV-1. Our results reveal that there are small differences in the promoter region of HTLV-2a, HTLV-2b, HTLV-2c and HTLV-2d. Some changes results in loss or gain of motifs important for regulation of gene transcription, such as the E box motif present in the sequences of the different subtypes of HTLV-2 and absent in the promoter region of the vector. However, studies suggest that this motif can be responsible for the repression of gene transcription, and therefore this difference found between the recombinant vector of HTLV-2 and different sequences suggested that the analyzed gene transcription vector vaccine without this motif can be more efficient. Therefore, the recombinant vector HTLV-2 can be used in preclinical trials as a vaccine vector for HTLV-1.