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Transmissible gastroenteritis virus

I. General Information

1. NCBI Taxonomy ID:

2. Disease:

Porcine transmissible gastroenteritis

3. Introduction

Transmissible gastroenteritis is an acute enteric disease of swine, most often fatal to newborn piglets. Its causative agent (TGEV) belongs to the Coronaviridae, a family of enveloped viruses with a large, single-stranded RNA of positive polarity as a genome. The virions are constructed from three major structural proteins: a phosphoprotein (N), which encapsidates the genomic RNA, an integral membrane protein (M or E 1 ) and a large glycoprotein (S or E2), which forms the viral projections (Laude et al., 1990).

4. Microbial Pathogenesis

The pathology of TGEV is similar to that of other coronaviruses. Coronaviruses enter the host by first attaching to the host cell using the spike glycoprotein. The S protein interacts with the procine aminopeptidase N (pAPN), a cellular receptor, to aide in its entry. The same cell receptor is also a point of contact for Human Coronaviruses. A domain in the S spike protein is recognized by pAPN, and transfection of pAPN occurs to nonpermissive cells and infects them with TGEV. Once the virus infects the host, it multiplies in the cell lining of the small intestine resulting in the loss of absorptive cells that in turn leads to shortening of villi. The infected swine then has reduced capability for digesting food and die from dehydration (Wiki: Transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus).

5. Host Ranges and Animal Models

TGEV infects both pigs and humans. However, in young pigs, the mortality rate is close to 100% (Wiki: Transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus).

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