The structural protein VP3 of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) plays a critical role in viral assembly, replication, immune escape, and anti-apoptosis. Interaction between VP3 and host protein factors can affect stages in the viral replication cycle. In this study, 137 host proteins interacting with VP3 protein were screened through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteomics approach. The functions and relevance of the proteins were obtained through bioinformatics analysis. Most VP3-interacting proteins were linked to binding, catalytic activity, and structural molecular activity, and performed functions in cell parts and cells. Biological functions of VP3-interacting proteins were mainly relevant to "Cytoskeleton", "Translation", and "Signal transduction mechanisms", involving ribosomes, "Tight junction", regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and other pathways. Six potential VP3-interacting proteins in host cells were knocked down, and vimentin, myosin-9, and annexin A2 were found to be related to IBDV replication. This study would help explore regulatory pathways and cellular mechanisms in IBDV-infected cells, and also provided clues for the in-depth study of VP3 biological functions and IBDV replication or pathogenesis.
Keywords: Host protein factor; Immunoprecipitation technique; Infectious bursal disease virus; Mass spectrometry; VP3 protein.