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Introduction
Rajak K K currently works at the Division of Biological Products, Indian Veterinary Research Institute. Rajak does research in Microbiology, Immunology and Virology. Their most recent publication is 'Comparative sequence analysis of morbillivirus receptors and its implication in host range expansion'.
Publications
Publications (112)
Vaccines signify one of the economical and reasonable means to prevent and eradicate the important infectious diseases. Conventional vaccines like live attenuated and inactivated vaccines comprise of whole pathogen either in attenuated or killed form. While, new generation vaccines have been designed to elicit immune response by genetically modifyi...
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute, highly contagious viral disease of goats and sheep, caused by the Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). Earlier studies suggest the involvement of diverse regulatory mechanisms in PPRV infection. Methylation at N6 of Adenosine called m6A is a type RNA modification that influences various physiologica...
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a major RNA epigenetic regulatory mechanism. The dynamics of m6A levels in viral genomic RNA and their mRNAs have been shown to have either pro- or antiviral functions, and therefore, m6A modifications influence virus-host interactions. Currently, no reports are available on the effect of m6A modifications i...
Canine distemper is an emerging disease, caused by the Canine morbillivirus (CDV) of the Paramyxoviridae family. The virus has evolved as a multi-host pathogen as it affects many wildlife animal species. The development of specific and sensitive diagnostic tests is the need for a control program. Several diagnostic tests are available for the detec...
Canine morbillivirus is a highly contagious multi-host pathogen with high morbidity and mortality. Timely diagnosis is of utmost importance to effectively control such a dreadful disease. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) serve as a high throughput diagnostics and applied tools for research and development (R&D). In the present study, a total of six mou...
The increasing host range of canine morbillivirus (CDV) affecting important wildlife species such as Lions, Leopard, and Red Pandas has raised the concern. Canine distemper is a pathogen of dogs affecting the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. Seventeen lineages of CDV are reported, and the eighteenth lineage was proposed in 2019 f...
Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants (PPR) or goat plague is an important viral disease of sheep and goats caused by the small ruminant morbilli virus or PPR virus (PPRV). Long non coding RNAs (lncRNA) and circular RNAs (circRNA) play a pivotal role in several biological processes including regulation of virus-host interactions. The present study explored th...
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute, highly contagious viral disease of goats and sheep, caused by the Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). Earlier studies suggest the involvement of diverse regulatory mechanisms in PPRV infection. Methylation at N6 of Adenosine called m6A is one such RNA modification that influences various physiologi...
The present investigation was conducted to rule out canine distemper (CD) diseases in Indian wild felids (Asiatic lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, leopard cats, jungle cats, civet cats, fishing cat, and jaguar). The collected samples were screened for CD virus (CDV) by histopathology (HP), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and rev...
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) characterized by fever, sore mouth, conjunctivitis, gastroenteritis, and pneumonia, is an acute, highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats. The role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in PPRV infection has not been explored to date. In this study, the transcriptome profiles of virulent Peste des petits rumin...
Pigs are an important livestock species raised for meat, and their products play a significant role in the livelihood of people in the country’s north-eastern states. Detection of diseased porcine in the field is critical for disease treatment and control. Pigs, such as other livestock, were subjected to a slew of contagious existing, emerging, and...
Antibodies are an important tool in the field of diagnostics and therapeutics owing to their affinity to bind with specific antigen. These can be of two types: polyclonal antibodies that are produced by a mixture of various B lymphocyte clones, and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which are secreted by a single clone of B lymphocytes. mAbs have a highe...
Cell culture is an integral part of virology as the viruses are the obligate intracellular parasites that require replication inside a living cell to produce copies of themselves. Since the introduction of cell culture, a number of cell culture systems have been developed which are in use to isolate, propagate, and study growth kinetics vis-à-vis h...
Western blotting is an important analytical technique used in cell and molecular biology for last four decades. It involves separation of proteins in SDS-PAGE and then transfer of proteins to a membrane followed by detection. By using a western blot, one can identify specific protein from a complex mixture of proteins. Along with its use as a diagn...
Virus quantification is widely practised in both commercial and academic laboratories involved in research or production of viral vaccines, recombinant proteins, viral antigens, or antiviral agents. For this, the cell culture-based endpoint dilution assays are the most widely used methods. However, these infectivity assays are laborious, time consu...
Canine distemper (CD) is a highly contagious and invariably fatal disease of domestic dogs and other carnivores having the second highest mortality rate in dogs, after rabies. The number of CDV outbreaks in vaccinated dogs and wildlife has increased in past, which demands the effective disease control strategy. The present study was designed to ass...
In the present study, healthy goats and sheep (n = 5) that were confirmed negative for peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) antibodies by monoclonal antibody-based competitive ELISA and by serum neutralization test and for PPRV antigen by s-ELISA were vaccinated with Sungri/96. A quantitative study was carried out to compare the proteome of peri...
Neuraminidase (NA) is a viral glycoprotein present in the surface of viruses belonging to paramyxoviridae and orthomyxoviridae. It helps in viral attachment and movement in the airways. It is also essential for release of viral progeny from the infected cells. Thus, anti-neuraminic agents have the potential to obstruct infection well before the vir...
Canine adenoviruses (CAVs) are of two types: canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1), which causes infectious canine hepatitis, and canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), which is mainly associated with the respiratory type of disease in dogs. Due to the widespread use of modified live vaccines to control canine adenoviral infections and subsequently reduced d...
Cellular receptors play an important role in entry and cell to cell spread of morbillivirus infections. The cells expressing SLAM and Nectin-4 have been used for successful and efficient isolation of canine distemper virus (CDV) in high titre. There are several methods for generation of cells expressing receptor molecules. Here, we have used a comp...
Background: Quantification of economic losses due animal diseases like peste-des-petits ruminants (PPR) helps in visualizing the impact of the disease in relational context as well as assist in prioritizing the disease control/eradication options. This study aimed to estimate the farm-level economic losses due to the disease in the state of Himacha...
Immune response is a highly coordinated cascade involving all the subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of PBMC subsets was done to delineate the systems biology behind immune protection of the vaccine in sheep and goats. The PBMC subsets studied were CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD14⁺, CD21⁺, and CD...
Rotaviruses A (RVA) are leading causes of diarrhea and dehydration in piglets and imply great economic loss to the pig farming community. In this study, the porcine RVA genotypes circulating in western and northern parts of India were determined by screening 214 fecal samples from diarrheic (n = 144) and non-diarrheic (n = 70) pigs. Subsequently, t...
Rapid and reliable diagnosis for diarrhoeal disease is critically important for the differentiation of etiological agents and subsequent suitable treatment modalities. The objective of the study is to reveal the seasonal pattern in the occurrence of rotavirus in diarrheic children , calves and piglets from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of...
Immune response is a highly coordinated cascade involving all the subsets of PBMCs. In this study, RNA-Seq analysis of PBMC subsets - CD4+, CD8+, CD14+, CD21+ and CD335+ cells from day 0 and day 5 of Sungri/96 Peste des Petits Ruminants vaccinated sheep and goats was done to delineate the systems biology behind immune - protection of the vaccine in...
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are the most conserved molecules in the process of evolution. These molecules are present from prokaryotic bacteria to multicellular organism. They are produced against adverse environmental conditions. They are involved in protein folding and misfolding, protein translocation, protein assembly and disassembly, stimulatio...
Vaccination is the most effective means of preventing Peste-des-petits-ruminants (PPR), an important disease of small ruminant population. The thermolabile nature of PPR vaccine poses a major constraint in shipping, storage and its successful application. In view of limited thermotolerance of PPR virus and ongoing global PPR control and eradication...
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus has a surface glycoprotein, hemagglutinin neuraminidase (HN) with functional sites for cell attachment and neuraminidase (NA) activity. The neuraminidase activity of PPR virus (Sungri/96) was biochemically characterized with fluorometric assay, enzyme linked lectin assay (ELLA) and electrochemical impedance sp...
Background & objectives: Mouse is a preferred animal model for studying pathogenesis of Japanese
encephalitis virus (JEV) infections, and different routes of inoculation have been tried. Some neurotropic
viruses can reach the brain following infection through ocular route. This study was undertaken to
establish JEV-induced clinical disease in mouse...
The present investigation deals with the characterization of defective interfering (DI) particles of Peste-des-petits ruminants (PPR) vaccine Sungri/96 strain generated as a result of high MOI in Vero cells. During the serial 10 passages, infectivity titres drastically reduced from 6.5 to 2.25 log10TCID50/ml at high MOI. Further, attenuation of CPE...
SLAM/CD150 and Nectin-4 are the major morbillivirus receptors responsible for virus pathogenesis and host range expansion. Recently morbillivirus infections have been reported in unnatural hosts including the endangered species posing a conservation threat. To understand the host range expansion of morbilliviruses, we have generated the full-length...
Peste-des-petits ruminants is a transboundary viral disease of small ruminants caused by small ruminant morbillivirus (SRMV). In the present study, the full-length V gene of SRMV was constructed through site-directed mutagenesis from the P gene transcripts of the vaccine virus (Sungri/96 India) and expressed in a prokaryotic expression system. In a...
In this study, transcriptome analysis of PPRV infected PBMC subsets—T helper cells, T cytotoxic cells, monocytes, and B lymphocytes was done to delineate their role in host response. PPRV was found to infect lymphocytes and not monocytes. The established receptor for PPRV—SLAM was found downregulated in lymphocytes and non-differentially expressed...
SLAM/CD150 and Nectin-4 are the major morbillivirus receptors responsible for virus pathogenesis and host range expansion. Recently morbillivirus infections have been reported in unnatural hosts including the endangered species posing a conservation threat. To understand the host range expansion of morbilliviruses, we have generated the full-length...
Canine distemper (CD) is one of the highly contagious and invariably fatal viral diseases of dogs and other carnivores. Despite the widespread use of modified live vaccines to control CD, the prevalence of the disease has increased at an alarming rate in recent years. Although a number of factors may be ascribed for vaccine failure, antigenic diffe...
In this study, the miRNAome and proteome of virulent Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infected goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were analyzed. The identified differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were found to govern genes that modulate immune response based on the proteome data. The top 10 significantly enriched immune r...
Gene Symbol of proteins identified in GO terms pertinent to immune response.
Comaprsion of DEmiRNA from PPRV infected PBMCs with DEmiRNA from PPRV infected lung and spleen.
Summary of miRNA sequencing data.
Total immune response genes governed by various upregulated miRNAs.
Total immune response genes governed by various downregulated miRNAs.
DEmiRNAs that regulates the expression of TGFBR2.
Identification of suitable candidate reference genes is an important prerequisite for validating the gene expression data obtained from downstream analysis of RNA sequencing using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Though existence of a universal reference gene is myth, commonly used reference genes can be assessed for expression stability to co...
The available vaccines for control of Peste des petits ruminants do not favour differentiation of infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA). Hence, the present study was aimed to isolate and characterize monoclonal antibody resistant mutant of an Indian strain of vaccine virus “PPRV-Sungri/96” under selection pressure of virus neutralizing monoclonal...
Classical swine fever (CSF) is a globally significant disease of swine caused by classical swine fever virus. The virus affects the wild boars and pigs of all age groups, leading to acute, chronic, late-onset or in-apparent course of the disease. The disease causes great economic loss to the piggery industry due to mortality, stunted growth, poor r...
In this study, post vaccination seroconversion to Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus in small ruminants was assessed since annual mass vaccination campaign (MVC) implementation in Chhattisgarh. Random serum samples (n = 14235) over a period of six years (2010–2016) and stratified random serum samples (n = 269) along with epidemiological paramet...
Here, we studied the in vivo expression of Th1 (IL2 and IFN gamma) and Th2 (IL4 and IL10) - cytokines and antiviral molecules - IRF3 and ISG15 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in relation to antigen and antibody dynamics under Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) vaccination, infection and challenge in both sheep and goats. Vaccinated goats...
The study was undertaken in middle of Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Bluetongue (BT) is endemic throughout
the country. However, Caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAE) is sporadically reported from India. The study
was undertaken to evaluate the burden of these viral diseases of goat due to unavailability of systemic study in the
region. Commer...
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is one of the highly contagious viral disease, characterized by fever, sore mouth, conjunctivitis, gastroenteritis, and pneumonia, primarily affecting sheep and goats. Reports suggested variable host response in goats and sheep and this host response vis-a-vis the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has not been invest...
Confirmation of PPRV infection in spleen and lung tissues of sheep and goats. Amplification of 351 bp N gene by RT-PCR. Lane M, 100 bp ladder; lane 1, NTC; lane 2, sheep spleen; lane 3, goats spleen; lane 4, goats lung; lane 5, sheep lung; lane 6, PPRV positive control.
Peste des petits ruminants is an important transboundary disease infecting small ruminants. Genome or gene sequence analysis enriches our knowledge about the evolution and transboundary nature of the causative agent of this disease, peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). Although analysis using whole genome sequences of pathogens leads to more pr...
Classical swine fever (CSF) is one of the most important viral diseases of pigs with high economic impact. The causative agent, Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a member of genus Pestivirus in family Flaviviredae and is structurally and antigenically related to other members of the genus. The identification of virus strains and genotypes can c...
Detection of Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) nucleic acid in archival formalin fixed tissue samples and their use for phylogenetic analysis was investigated. Ten samples were examined for the presence of CSFV nucleic acid by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of 5′UTR and E2 gene. RT-PCR was found positive for...
We report here the first complete genome of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) genotype III strain JEV/SW/IVRI/395A/2014, isolated from stillborn piglets in India. It shares 99% identity with strain JaOArS982 and a few other strains from Japan.
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), which literally means " Plague of small ruminants " is an economically important disease of sheep and goats that is highly contagious with morbidity and mortality rates being as high as 100 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively. The present study was undertaken as a part of PhD research work to identify Peste-des-...
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an economically important viral disease of small ruminants, endemic in India. The present study reports on socio-epidemiological aspect of an outbreak of PPR in goats of Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh in Northern part of India. During a visit to the affected villages and also from animals brought to a local c...
Peste des petits ruminanats virus (PPRV), a morbillivirus causes an acute, highly contagious disease - peste des petits ruminants (PPR), affecting goats and sheep. Sungri/96 vaccine strain is widely used for mass vaccination programs in India against PPR and is considered the most potent vaccine providing long-term immunity. However, occurrence of...
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), is an acute transboundary viral disease of economic importance, affecting goats and sheep. Mass vaccination programs around the world resulted in the decline of PPR outbreaks. Sungri 96 is a live attenuated vaccine, widely used in Northern India against PPR. This vaccine virus, isolated from goat works efficiently...
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is an acute and highly contagious viral disease of sheep, goats and wild ruminants. The disease is controlled by the use of live-attenuated vaccines that give a lifelong immunity. Currently, several PPR vaccines are available for use in the field that are based on the tissue culture passage attenuation of wild-type...
Aim:
This study was undertaken with the aim to compare and establish the genetic relatedness between classical swine fever virus (CSFV) genogroup 2.2 isolate and pestivirus reference strains.
Materials and methods:
The available complete genome sequences of CSFV/IND/UK/LAL-290 strain and other pestivirus reference strains were retrieved from Gen...
Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), the cau-sative agent of classical swine fever, belongs to the family Flaviviridae and genus Pestivirus. Some pestiviruses exhibit cytopathic effect in cell culture but exact phenomenon is unknown. Over expression of NS2-3 gene, presence of defective interfering particle and exaltation of Newcastle disease virus (...
Classical swine fever (CSF) is an economically important contagious viral disease, re-
sponsible for high mortality in young swine population. Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), the
causative agent of CSF, belongs to genus Pestivirus under family Flaviviridae. Early detection of vi-
rus /genome is important for employing the disease containment m...
Peste-des-petits-ruminants and bluetongue are two of the most important viral diseases of small ruminants. In the present study, a combined indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CI-ELISA) was developed, which can be run parallelly on the same plate for simultaneous detection of antibodies against peste-des-petits-ruminants virus and bluetongu...
Peste-des-petits-ruminants (PPR) is an acute or subacute, highly contagious viral disease of small rumi- nants, characterized by fever, oculonasal discharges, stomatitis, diarrhoea and pneumonia with high morbidity and mortality. Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus (PPRV), the etiological agent of PPR, is antigenically related to another rinderpest vi...
India's livestock sector is one of the largest in the world and plays an important role in economy of India. The major problem in health sector is diseases and the lack of rapid detection systems for their diagnosis. Treatment of a disease condition is based on the diagnosis of the etiology /cause; hence diagnosis plays a pivotal role in devising a...
The present study was aimed to evaluate three RNA isolation strategies specifically TRIzol® reagent (Sigma-Aldrich) method, RNeasy® mini kit (Qiagen) and High pure RNA tissue kit (Roche) for detection of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) from different tissues of domestic pig origin stored in different conditions namely, fresh, frozen, lyophilised...