BACKGROUND: Usutu virus belongs to the Flaviviridae viral family and constitutes 
an important pathogen. The viral helicase is an ideal target for inhibitor 
design, since this enzyme is essential for the survival, proliferation and 
transmission of the virus.
RESULTS: Towards a drug-design approach, the 3D model of the Usutu virus 
helicase structure has been designed, using conventional homology modelling 
techniques and the known 3D-structure of the Murray Valley Encephalitis virus 
helicase, of the same viral family, as template. The model was then subjected to 
extended molecular dynamics simulations in a periodic box, filled with explicit 
water molecules for 10 nanoseconds. The reliability of the model was confirmed 
by obtaining acceptable scores from a variety of in silico scoring tools, 
including Procheck and Verify3D.
CONCLUSION: [corrected] The 3D model of the Usutu virus helicase exhibits in 
silico all known structural characteristics of the Flaviviridae viral family 
helicase enzymes and could provide the platform for further de novo 
structure-based design of novel anti-Usutu agents.