| Background | Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) encodes a structural polyprotein, often referred to as p130, which is cleaved post-translationally into the capsid (C), E3, E2, 6K, and E1 proteins. This polyprotein is essential for virion assembly and maturation. The p130 precursor is translated from the subgenomic RNA and undergoes proteolytic processing by viral and host enzymes to yield functional structural components. These proteins form the viral nucleocapsid and envelope spikes, facilitating genome packaging, host cell recognition, and membrane fusion. Due to its central role in the viral life cycle, the CHIKV p130 polyprotein is a valuable tool for studies on virus assembly, entry mechanisms, and vaccine target identification. |
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