Molecular Characterization of Helicase and Nuclease Domains in PPV5 NS1 from Mexican Full-Length Sequence

PPV5 NS1 is a nonstructural and multifunctional protein comprising helicase and nuclease domains. The helicase domain contains conserved motifs from superfamily 3 helicases, including Walker A, Walker B, Motif B', Motif C, and Box VII, whereas the nuclease domain consists of glutamate, a HUH motif, lysine, and tyrosine. In Mexico, the reported prevalence of PPV5 is higher than in other countries, with notable amino acid differences compared with pathogenic PPVs. This study compares the helicase and nuclease domains from a full-length PPV5 NS1 sequence with porcine parvovirus 1 (PPV1) and canine parvovirus (CPV) to characterize the protein further and perform three-dimensional (3D) modeling using bioinformatic tools, including solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) and electrostatic potential assessments. The main findings highlight the ATP-binding pocket, showing electrostatic values in PPV5 that contrast with PPV1 and CPV. The electrostatic potential 3D models suggest those differences involve non-conserved regions. In particular, the PPV5 Box VII surface is predominantly negative due to a glutamate substitution at position 7. In the nuclease domain, the interaction with Mg²⁺ differs between PPV5 and pathogenic PPV. The electrostatic findings suggest that these differences may have functional implications for both domains, but confirmation must be completed with functional assays.