Expression of Human Rotavirus Nonstructural Protein NSP4 and Its Activity of Diarrhea Induction in New Borne Mouse
Abstract: To investigate the function of human rotavirus nonstructrual protein NSP4 in the pathogenesis of rotavirus, the cDNA of NSP4 gene of a human rotavirus strain 97SZ8 was cloned and its 86-175 amino acid at the C terminal fused with GST was expressed in E.coli BL-21, the recombinant protein was then purified with Glutathione Sepharose~(TM) 4B affinity chromatography. Purified NSP4 protein was administered to young (6d) inbred Balb/C mice by the intraperitoneal (IP) route (0.4nmol or 1.5nmol). IP administration of 0.4nmol recombinant protein induced diarrhea in just 1 of the 6 pups, while diarrhea was observed in all of the 12 pups when inoculated with 1.5nmol GST-NSP4_T and resulted in reduced weight gain (P0.05). In this study, a mouse model of diarrhea induced by human rotavirus NSP4 was successfully developed, and can be used widely in the highlights on mechanisms of diarrhea, treatment and prevention of human rotaviruses.