The DNA repair enzyme, CPD-photolyase restores the infectivity of UV-damaged fowlpox virus isolated from infected scabs of chickens

Fowlpox virus (FWPV), an important pathogen of poultry, replicates very efficiently in the featherless areas of skin, and persists in dried and desiccated scabs for prolonged periods. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the stability of the virus are not completely known, we recently identified the presence of a virus-encoded novel DNA repair enzyme, CPD-photolyase, in FWPV. This enzyme repairs the ultraviolet (UV)-induced pyrimidine dimers, converting them to monomers using photons from white light as a renewable source of energy. In this study, we examined the role of photolyase in the pathogenesis of fowlpox. A comparison of pathogenesis of fowlpox in chickens infected with parental FWPV with that in chickens infected with photolyase-deficient FWPV (Phr− FWPV) found no significant differences in terms of replication of virus or formation of secondary lesions. When the virions isolated from infected scabs were exposed to UV light, UV-damaged parental FWPV, unlike Phr− FWPV, were rescued through the CPD-photolyase-mediated photoreactivation pathway by at least 48%. However, the mutant virus triggered host's immune response and conferred complete protection against subsequent challenge with virus similar to that conferred by the parental virus. Since the mutant virus is less stable than the parental virus in the infected scabs but is as immunogenic, Phr− FWPV might be less persistent in the environment. Furthermore, this particular genetic locus can also be used to insert foreign genes for the development of FWPV recombinant vaccines.