The Role Of 76 AA Duplication Motif In A Naturally-Mutated Chikungunya Virus Non-Structural Protein 3 Hypervariable Domain (NSP3-HVD) In Virus-Host Interactions, Replication And Infectivity

The 76 aa duplicate motifs are possibly mutations involve in the adaptation strategy to coexist with DENV in a human host. The CHIKV strain having the 76aa duplicate motifs has a significantly slower and lower infectivity level in monkey Vero and Ae. albopictus C6/36 cells compared to other circulating CHIKV strains. These motifs also provide additional phosphorylation sites in the nsP3 HVD involved in replicase activity and virions productions. The CHIKVs nsP3 seemed to co-localize with human cellular proteins, the G3BP and CPB1, and with whole DENV2.