Deciphering the host-pathogen protein interface in chikungunya virus-mediated sickness

Successful infection with chikungunya virus (CHIKV) depends largely on the ability of this virus to manipulate cellular processes in its favour through specific interactions with several host factors. The knowledge of virus-host interactions is of particular value for understanding the interface through which therapeutic strategies could be applied. In the current study, the authors have employed a computational method to study the protein interactions between CHIKV and both its human host and its mosquito vector. In this structure-based study, 2028 human and 86 mosquito proteins were predicted to interact with those of CHIKV through 3918 and 112 unique interactions, respectively. This approach could predict 40 % of the experimentally confirmed CHIKV-host interactions along with several novel interactions, suggesting the involvement of CHIKV in intracellular cell signaling, programmed cell death, and transcriptional and translational regulation. The data corresponded to those obtained in earlier studies for HIV and dengue viruses using the same methodology. This study provides a conservative set of potential interactions that can be employed for future experimental studies with a view to understanding CHIKV biology.