Alteration of BHK-21 cells proteome after foot-and-mouth disease virus infection

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral illness of wild and domestic cloven-hoofed animals. The complex relationship of FMDV and with the host cells leads to its replication and spread. BHK-21 cell line is an in vitro model for FMDV infection and is commonly used for viral seed preparation. In order to better understand the molecular basis of this relationship, a proteomics study on baby hamster kidney cells infected with FMDV was performed. The differential proteomes of BHK-21 cells, with and without BHK-21 infection, were analyzed with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by MALDI-TOF/TOF identification. Mass spectrometry identified 30 altered protein spots (19 up-regulated, 9 down-regulated and 2 viral protein spots), which included metabolic processes proteins, cytoskeletal proteins, microfilament-associated proteins, stress response proteins and FMD viral proteins. Western blot analysis further confirmed the differential expression of protein NME-2 in the proteomic profiles. Subcellular location demonstrated NME2 protein was distributed in BHK-21 cell cytoplasm and nucleolus. Thus, this work provides useful proteinrelated informations to further understand the underlying pathogenesis of FMDV infection.