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Deriabin PG. [Natural reservoirs of viruses of the genus Hepacivirus, Flaviviridae]. Vopr Virusol 2016; 61:101-106. [PMID: 36494942 DOI: 10.18821/0507-4088-2016-61-3-101-106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
HCV is a cause of acute and chronic liver diseases, including chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Under natural conditions, HCV is able to infect only humans, and only chimpanzees are sensitive to experimental infection. In recent years, viruses genetically related to HCV were discovered in wild mammals (rodents, bats, rabbits), as well as in domestic animals living in close contact with humans (dogs, horses, cows). The hepacivirus genus of the family Flaviviridae, previously represented only by HCV and, presumably, by GBV-B, now includes new related viruses of animals. The results of the study of molecular-genetic and biological properties of the hepaciviruses provide an opportunity to understand the history, evolution, and the origin of HCV. It also opens up the prospect of using HCV homologues of non-primates as a laboratory model for preclinical medical and prophylactic drugs against hepatitis c. It was found that the hepacivirus of horses is the most closely related to HCV among currently known HCV homologues.
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Affiliation(s)
- P G Deriabin
- D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology «Federal Research Centre of Epidemilogy and Microbiology named after the honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya»
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First Description of Hepacivirus and Pegivirus Infection in Domestic Horses in China: A Study in Guangdong Province, Heilongjiang Province and Hong Kong District. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155662. [PMID: 27182887 PMCID: PMC4868292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 2012, three viruses, known as equine hepacivirus (EqHV), equine pegivirus (EPgV) and Theiler’s disease-associated virus (TDAV), have been discovered in equines. Given that these viruses are the newest members of the Flaviviridae family, genomic information concerning circulating EqHV, EPgV and TDAV strains around the world is limited. To date, no genetic surveillance studies have been performed on these three viruses in the equine population of China. Here, a total of 177 serum samples were collected from equines across China between 2014 and 2015. Using PCR, we detected viral RNA in the serum samples, six of which were EqHV positive and two of which were EPgV positive. Co-infection with the two viruses was not observed among the Chinese equines studied, and TDAV RNA was not detected in the equine serum samples collected for this study. Phylogenetic analysis of partial NS5B open reading frame (ORF), NS3 ORF, and 5’ untranslated region nucleotide sequences from EqHV as well as partial NS3 ORF sequence from EPgV indicated that EqHV and EPgV have evolved into two main clades by themselves, both of which are circulating in China. Based on the partial NS5B and NS3 ORF sequences of EqHV, the sequences of one clade were also split into two subclades. This study enriches our knowledge of the geographic distribution of these three equine viruses.
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Ion Channel Function and Cross-Species Determinants in Viral Assembly of Nonprimate Hepacivirus p7. J Virol 2016; 90:5075-5089. [PMID: 26962224 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00132-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV), the closest homolog of hepatitis C virus (HCV) described to date, has recently been discovered in horses. Even though the two viruses share a similar genomic organization, conservation of the encoded hepaciviral proteins remains undetermined. The HCV p7 protein is localized within endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and is important for the production of infectious particles. In this study, we analyzed the structural and functional features of NPHV p7 in addition to its role during virus assembly. Three-dimensional homology models for NPHV p7 using various nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) structures were generated, highlighting the conserved residues important for ion channel function. By applying a liposome permeability assay, we observed that NPHV p7 exhibited liposome permeability features similar to those of HCV p7, indicative of similar ion channel activity. Next, we characterized the viral protein using a p7-based trans-complementation approach. A similar subcellular localization pattern at the ER membrane was observed, although production of infectious particles was likely hindered by genetic incompatibilities with HCV proteins. To further characterize these cross-species constraints, chimeric viruses were constructed by substituting different regions of HCV p7 with NPHV p7. The N terminus and transmembrane domains were nonexchangeable and therefore constitute a cross-species barrier in hepaciviral assembly. In contrast, the basic loop and the C terminus of NPHV p7 were readily exchangeable, allowing production of infectious trans-complemented viral particles. In conclusion, comparison of NPHV and HCV p7 revealed structural and functional homology of these proteins, including liposome permeability, and broadly acting determinants that modulate hepaciviral virion assembly and contribute to the host-species barrier were identified. IMPORTANCE The recent discovery of new relatives of hepatitis C virus (HCV) enables for the first time the study of cross-species determinants shaping hepaciviral pathogenesis. Nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV) was described to infect horses and represents so far the closest homolog of HCV. Both viruses encode the same viral proteins; however, NPHV protein functions remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to dissect NPHV p7 on a structural and functional level. By using various NMR structures of HCV p7 as templates, three-dimensional homology models for NPHV p7 were generated, highlighting conserved residues that are important for ion channel function. A p7-based trans-complementation approach and the construction of NPHV/HCV p7 chimeric viruses showed that the N terminus and transmembrane domains were nonexchangeable. In contrast, the basic loop and the C terminus of NPHV p7 were readily exchangeable, allowing production of infectious viral particles. These results identify species-specific constraints as well as exchangeable determinants in hepaciviral assembly.
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Abstract
Modern molecular technology, and particularly high-throughput sequencing (HTS), has revolutionized virus discovery and expanded the depth and breadth of the virome. Recent HTS was used to identify and discover a previously undescribed member of the family Flaviviridae that has genomic features characteristic of both hepaciviruses and pegiviruses. This virus, designated human hepegivirus-1 (HHpgV-1), may represent a previously undescribed new genus in the Flaviviridae family with implications for public health and blood supply safety. Detecting uncharacterized viruses such as HHpgV-1 in clinical samples requires an unbiased screening method that is as sensitive as PCR, while simultaneously detecting multiple rare viral sequences. The virome-capture-sequencing platform for vertebrate viruses (VirCapSeq-VERT) uses positive-selection oligonucleotide capture to sensitively detect sequences from every known vertebrate virus, even in high-background specimens with low-abundance viruses. VirCapSeq-VERT can also detect uncharacterized viruses with sequence homology to known viruses, enabling a new paradigm for virus detection.
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Pybus OG, Thézé J. Hepacivirus cross-species transmission and the origins of the hepatitis C virus. Curr Opin Virol 2015; 16:1-7. [PMID: 26517843 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Just 5 years ago the hepatitis C virus (HCV) - a major cause of liver disease infecting >3% of people worldwide - was the sole confirmed member of the Hepacivirus genus. Since then, genetically-diverse hepaciviruses have been isolated from bats, dogs, cows, horses, primates and rodents. Here we review current information on the hepaciviruses and speculate on the zoonotic origins of the viruses in humans, horses and dogs. Recent and direct cross-species transmission from horses to dogs appears plausible, but the zoonotic origins of HCV in humans remain opaque. Mechanical transmission by biting insects, notably tabanids, could, in theory, connect all three host species. Much further work is needed to understand the transmission and zoonotic potential of hepaciviruses in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver G Pybus
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
| | - Julien Thézé
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
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56
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Morgnanesi D, Heinrichs EJ, Mele AR, Wilkinson S, Zhou S, Kulp JL. A computational chemistry perspective on the current status and future direction of hepatitis B antiviral drug discovery. Antiviral Res 2015; 123:204-15. [PMID: 26477294 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Computational chemical biology, applied to research on hepatitis B virus (HBV), has two major branches: bioinformatics (statistical models) and first-principle methods (molecular physics). While bioinformatics focuses on statistical tools and biological databases, molecular physics uses mathematics and chemical theory to study the interactions of biomolecules. Three computational techniques most commonly used in HBV research are homology modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics. Homology modeling is a computational simulation to predict protein structure and has been used to construct conformers of the viral polymerase (reverse transcriptase domain and RNase H domain) and the HBV X protein. Molecular docking is used to predict the most likely orientation of a ligand when it is bound to a protein, as well as determining an energy score of the docked conformation. Molecular dynamics is a simulation that analyzes biomolecule motions and determines conformation and stability patterns. All of these modeling techniques have aided in the understanding of resistance mutations on HBV non-nucleos(t)ide reverse-transcriptase inhibitor binding. Finally, bioinformatics can be used to study the DNA and RNA protein sequences of viruses to both analyze drug resistance and to genotype the viral genomes. Overall, with these techniques, and others, computational chemical biology is becoming more and more necessary in hepatitis B research. This article forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "An unfinished story: from the discovery of the Australia antigen to the development of new curative therapies for hepatitis B."
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Morgnanesi
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Eric J Heinrichs
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Anthony R Mele
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Sean Wilkinson
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Suzanne Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - John L Kulp
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA.
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Thézé J, Lowes S, Parker J, Pybus OG. Evolutionary and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Hepaciviruses and Pegiviruses. Genome Biol Evol 2015; 7:2996-3008. [PMID: 26494702 PMCID: PMC5635594 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The known genetic diversity of the hepaciviruses and pegiviruses has increased greatly in recent years through the discovery of viruses related to hepatitis C virus and human pegivirus in bats, bovines, equines, primates, and rodents. Analysis of these new species is important for research into animal models of hepatitis C virus infection and into the zoonotic origins of human viruses. Here, we provide the first systematic phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis of these two genera at the whole-genome level. Phylogenies confirmed that hepatitis C virus is most closely related to viruses from horses whereas human pegiviruses clustered with viruses from African primates. Within each genus, several well-supported lineages were identified and viral diversity was structured by both host species and location of sampling. Recombination analyses provided evidence of interspecific recombination in hepaciviruses, but none in the pegiviruses. Putative mosaic genome structures were identified in NS5B gene region and were supported by multiple tests. The identification of interspecific recombination in the hepaciviruses represents an important evolutionary event that could be clarified by future sampling of novel viruses. We also identified parallel amino acid changes shared by distantly related lineages that infect similar types of host. Notable parallel changes were clustered in the NS3 and NS4B genes and provide a useful starting point for experimental studies of the evolution of Hepacivirus host-virus interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Thézé
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sophia Lowes
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Joe Parker
- Biodiversity Informatics and Spatial Analysis, The Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver G Pybus
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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Determinants Involved in Hepatitis C Virus and GB Virus B Primate Host Restriction. J Virol 2015; 89:12131-44. [PMID: 26401036 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01161-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hepatitis C virus (HCV) only infects humans and chimpanzees, while GB virus B (GBV-B), another hepatotropic hepacivirus, infects small New World primates (tamarins and marmosets). In an effort to develop an immunocompetent small primate model for HCV infection to study HCV pathogenesis and vaccine approaches, we investigated the HCV life cycle step(s) that may be restricted in small primate hepatocytes. First, we found that replication-competent, genome-length chimeric HCV RNAs encoding GBV-B structural proteins in place of equivalent HCV sequences designed to allow entry into simian hepatocytes failed to induce viremia in tamarins following intrahepatic inoculation, nor did they lead to progeny virus in permissive, transfected human Huh7.5 hepatoma cells upon serial passage. This likely reflected the disruption of interactions between distantly related structural and nonstructural proteins that are essential for virion production, whereas such cross talk could be restored in similarly designed HCV intergenotypic recombinants via adaptive mutations in NS3 protease or helicase domains. Next, HCV entry into small primate hepatocytes was examined directly using HCV-pseudotyped retroviral particles (HCV-pp). HCV-pp efficiently infected tamarin hepatic cell lines and primary marmoset hepatocyte cultures through the use of the simian CD81 ortholog as a coreceptor, indicating that HCV entry is not restricted in small New World primate hepatocytes. Furthermore, we observed genomic replication and modest virus secretion following infection of primary marmoset hepatocyte cultures with a highly cell culture-adapted HCV strain. Thus, HCV can successfully complete its life cycle in primary simian hepatocytes, suggesting the possibility of adapting some HCV strains to small primate hosts. IMPORTANCE Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important human pathogen that infects over 150 million individuals worldwide and leads to chronic liver disease. The lack of a small animal model for this infection impedes the development of a preventive vaccine and pathogenesis studies. In seeking to establish a small primate model for HCV, we first attempted to generate recombinants between HCV and GB virus B (GBV-B), a hepacivirus that infects small New World primates (tamarins and marmosets). This approach revealed that the genetic distance between these hepaciviruses likely prevented virus morphogenesis. We next showed that HCV pseudoparticles were able to infect tamarin or marmoset hepatocytes efficiently, demonstrating that there was no restriction in HCV entry into these simian cells. Furthermore, we found that a highly cell culture-adapted HCV strain was able to achieve a complete viral cycle in primary marmoset hepatocyte cultures, providing a promising basis for further HCV adaptation to small primate hosts.
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Virome Analysis of Transfusion Recipients Reveals a Novel Human Virus That Shares Genomic Features with Hepaciviruses and Pegiviruses. mBio 2015; 6:e01466-15. [PMID: 26396247 PMCID: PMC4600124 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01466-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the transmission of novel infectious agents by blood transfusion, we studied changes in the virome composition of blood transfusion recipients pre- and posttransfusion. Using this approach, we detected and genetically characterized a novel human virus, human hepegivirus 1 (HHpgV-1), that shares features with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human pegivirus (HPgV; formerly called GB virus C or hepatitis G virus). HCV and HPgV belong to the genera Hepacivirus and Pegivirus of the family Flaviviridae. HHpgV-1 was found in serum samples from two blood transfusion recipients and two hemophilia patients who had received plasma-derived clotting factor concentrates. In the former, the virus was detected only in the posttransfusion samples, indicating blood-borne transmission. Both hemophiliacs were persistently viremic over periods of at least 201 and 1,981 days. The 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of HHpgV-1 contained a type IV internal ribosome entry site (IRES), structurally similar to although highly divergent in sequence from that of HCV and other hepaciviruses. However, phylogenetic analysis of nonstructural genes (NS3 and NS5B) showed that HHpgV-1 forms a branch within the pegivirus clade distinct from HPgV and homologs infecting other mammalian species. In common with some pegivirus variants infecting rodents and bats, the HHpgV-1 genome encodes a short, highly basic protein upstream of E1, potentially possessing a core-like function in packaging RNA during assembly. Identification of this new human virus, HHpgV-1, expands our knowledge of the range of genome configurations of these viruses and may lead to a reevaluation of the original criteria by which the genera Hepacivirus and Pegivirus are defined. More than 30 million blood components are transfused annually in the United States alone. Surveillance for infectious agents in the blood supply is key to ensuring the safety of this critical resource for medicine and public health. Here, we report the identification of a new and highly diverse HCV/GB virus (GBV)-like virus from human serum samples. This new virus, human hepegivirus 1 (HHpgV-1), was found in serum samples from blood transfusion recipients, indicating its potential for transmission via transfusion products. We also found persistent long-term HHpgV-1 viremia in two hemophilia patients. HHpgV-1 is unique because it shares genetic similarity with both highly pathogenic HCV and the apparently nonpathogenic HPgV (GBV-C). Our results add to the list of human viruses and provide data to develop reagents to study virus transmission and disease association and for interrupting virus transmission and new human infections.
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60
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Vilibic-Cavlek T, Kucinar J, Kaic B, Vilibic M, Pandak N, Barbic L, Stevanovic V, Vranes J. Epidemiology of hepatitis C in Croatia in the European context. World J Gastroenterol 2015; 21:9476-93. [PMID: 26327756 PMCID: PMC4548109 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i32.9476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We analyzed prevalence, risk factors and hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype distribution in different population groups in Croatia in the context of HCV epidemiology in Europe, with the aim to gather all existing information on HCV infection in Croatia which will be used to advise upon preventive measures. It is estimated that 35000-45000 of the Croatian population is chronically infected with HCV. Like in other European countries, there have been changes in the HCV epidemiology in Croatia over the past few decades. In some risk groups (polytransfused and hemodialysis patients), a significant decrease in the HCV prevalence was observed after the introduction of routine HCV screening of blood/blood products in 1992. Injecting drug users (IDUs) still represent a group with the highest risk for HCV infection with prevalence ranging from 29% to 65%. Compared to the prevalence in the Croatian general population (0.9%), higher prevalence rates were found in prison populations (8.3%-44%), human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients (15%), persons with high-risk sexual behavior (4.6%) and alcohol abusers (2.4%). Low/very low prevalence was reported in children and adolescents (0.3%) as well as in blood donors (0%-0.009%). In addition, distribution of HCV genotypes has changed due to different routes of transmission. In the general population, genotypes 1 and 3 are most widely distributed (60.4%-79.8% and 12.9%-47.9%, respectively). The similar genotype distribution is found in groups with high-risk sexual behavior. Genotype 3 is predominant in Croatian IDUs (60.5%-83.9%) while in the prison population genotypes 3 and 1 are equally distributed (52.4% and 47.6%). Data on HCV prevalence and risk factors for transmission are useful for implementation of preventive measures and HCV screening.
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61
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Gemaque BS, Junior Souza de Souza A, do Carmo Pereira Soares M, Malheiros AP, Silva AL, Alves MM, Gomes-Gouvêa MS, Pinho JRR, Ferreira de Figueiredo H, Ribeiro DB, Souza da Silva J, Moraes LA, Ribeiro ASS, Pereira WLA. Hepacivirus infection in domestic horses, Brazil, 2011-2013. Emerg Infect Dis 2015; 20:2180-2. [PMID: 25420101 PMCID: PMC4257787 DOI: 10.3201/eid2012.140603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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62
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Pfaender S, Walter S, Todt D, Behrendt P, Doerrbecker J, Wölk B, Engelmann M, Gravemann U, Seltsam A, Steinmann J, Burbelo PD, Klawonn F, Feige K, Pietschmann T, Cavalleri JMV, Steinmann E. Assessment of cross-species transmission of hepatitis C virus-related non-primate hepacivirus in a population of humans at high risk of exposure. J Gen Virol 2015; 96:2636-2642. [PMID: 26041875 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.000208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related viruses in different animal species has raised new speculations regarding the origin of HCV and the possibility of a zoonotic source responsible for the endemic HCV transmission. As a consequence, these new findings prompt questions regarding the potential for cross-species transmissions of hepaciviruses. The closest relatives to HCV discovered to date are the non-primate hepaciviruses (NPHVs), which have been described to infect horses. To evaluate the risk of a potential zoonotic transmission, we analysed NPHV RNA and antibodies in humans with occupational exposure to horses in comparison with a low-risk group. Both groups were negative for NPHV RNA, even though low seroreactivities against various NPHV antigens could be detected irrespective of the group. In conclusion, we did not observe evidence of NPHV transmission between horses and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Pfaender
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore - Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Stephanie Walter
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore - Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Daniel Todt
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore - Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Patrick Behrendt
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore - Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Juliane Doerrbecker
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore - Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Benno Wölk
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,LADR Medical Laboratory Dr Kramer & Colleagues, Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Michael Engelmann
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore - Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ute Gravemann
- German Red Cross Blood Service NSTOB, Institute Springe, Springe, Germany
| | - Axel Seltsam
- German Red Cross Blood Service NSTOB, Institute Springe, Springe, Germany
| | - Joerg Steinmann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Peter D Burbelo
- Dental Clinical Research Core, National Institute of Dental Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Frank Klawonn
- Bioinformatics and Statistics Research Group, Department of Cellular Proteomics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig, Germany.,Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Department of Computer Science, Wolfenbuettel, Germany
| | - Karsten Feige
- Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Pietschmann
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore - Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Eike Steinmann
- Institute of Experimental Virology, Twincore - Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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63
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Paige SB, Malavé C, Mbabazi E, Mayer J, Goldberg TL. Uncovering zoonoses awareness in an emerging disease 'hotspot'. Soc Sci Med 2015; 129:78-86. [PMID: 25128439 PMCID: PMC4482355 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.07.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases from animals pose significant and increasing threats to human health; places of risk are simultaneously viewed as conservation and emerging disease 'hotspots'. The One World/One Health paradigm is an 'assemblage' discipline. Extensive research from the natural and social sciences, as well as public health have contributed to designing surveillance and response policy within the One World/One Health framework. However, little research has been undertaken that considers the lives of those who experience risk in hotspots on a daily basis. As a result, policymakers and practitioners are unable to fully comprehend the social and ecological processes that catalyze cross-species pathogen exchange. This study examined local populations' comprehension of zoonotic disease. From October 2008-May 2009 we collected data from people living on the periphery of Kibale National Park, in western Uganda. We administered a survey to 72 individuals and conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 14 individuals. Results from the survey showed respondents had statistically significant awareness that transmission of diseases from animals was possible compared to those who did not think such transmission was possible (x(2) = 30.68, df = 1, p < 0.05). However, individual characteristics such as gender, occupation, location, and age were not significantly predictive of awareness. Both quantitative and qualitative data show local people are aware of zoonoses and provided biomedically accurate examples of possible infections and corresponding animal sources (e.g., worm infection from pigs and Ebola from primates). Qualitative data also revealed expectations about the role of the State in managing the prevention of zoonoses from wildlife. As a result of this research, we recommend meaningful discourse with people living at the frontlines of animal contact in emerging disease and conservation hotspots in order to develop informed and relevant zoonoses prevention practices that take into account local knowledge and perceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Edith Mbabazi
- Makerere University Biological Field Station, Uganda
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64
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Scheel TKH, Simmonds P, Kapoor A. Surveying the global virome: identification and characterization of HCV-related animal hepaciviruses. Antiviral Res 2015; 115:83-93. [PMID: 25545071 PMCID: PMC5081135 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2014.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in sequencing technologies have greatly enhanced our abilities to identify novel microbial sequences. Thus, our understanding of the global virome and the virome of specific host species in particular is rapidly expanding. Identification of animal viruses is important for understanding animal disease, the origin and evolution of human viruses, as well as zoonotic reservoirs for emerging infections. Although the human hepacivirus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), was identified 25years ago, its origin has remained elusive. In 2011, the first HCV homolog was reported in dogs but subsequent studies showed the virus to be widely distributed in horses. This indicated a wider hepacivirus host range and paved the way for identification of rodent, bat and non-human primate hepaciviruses. The equine non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV) remains the closest relative of HCV and is so far the best characterized. Identification and characterization of novel hepaciviruses may in addition lead to development of tractable animal models to study HCV persistence, immune responses and pathogenesis. This could be particular important, given the current shortage of immunocompetent models for robust HCV infection. Much remains to be learned on the novel hepaciviruses, including their association with disease, and thereby how relevant they will become as HCV model systems and for studies of animal disease. This review discusses how virome analysis led to identification of novel hepaci- and pegiviruses, their genetic relationship and characterization and the potential use of animal hepaciviruses as models to study hepaciviral infection, immunity and pathogenesis. This article forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "Hepatitis C: Next steps toward global eradication."
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Affiliation(s)
- Troels K H Scheel
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States; Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark; Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Simmonds
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Amit Kapoor
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
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Characterization of nonprimate hepacivirus and construction of a functional molecular clone. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:2192-7. [PMID: 25646476 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1500265112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV) is the closest known relative of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its study could enrich our understanding of HCV evolution, immunity, and pathogenesis. High seropositivity is found in horses worldwide with ∼ 3% viremic. NPHV natural history and molecular virology remain largely unexplored, however. Here, we show that NPHV, like HCV, can cause persistent infection for over a decade, with high titers and negative strand RNA in the liver. NPHV is a near-universal contaminant of commercial horse sera for cell culture. The complete NPHV 3'-UTR was determined and consists of interspersed homopolymer tracts and an HCV-like 3'-terminal poly(U)-X-tail. NPHV translation is stimulated by miR-122 and the 3'-UTR and, similar to HCV, the NPHV NS3-4A protease can cleave mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein to inactivate the retinoic acid-inducible gene I pathway. Using an NPHV consensus cDNA clone, replication was not observed in primary equine fetal liver cultures or after electroporation of selectable replicons. However, intrahepatic RNA inoculation of a horse initiated infection, yielding high RNA titers in the serum and liver. Delayed seroconversion, slightly elevated circulating liver enzymes and mild hepatitis was observed, followed by viral clearance. This establishes the molecular components of a functional NPHV genome. Thus, NPHV appears to resemble HCV not only in genome structure but also in its ability to establish chronic infection with delayed seroconversion and hepatitis. This NPHV infectious clone and resulting acute phase sera will facilitate more detailed studies on the natural history, pathogenesis, and immunity of this novel hepacivirus in its natural host.
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66
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Sagan SM, Chahal J, Sarnow P. cis-Acting RNA elements in the hepatitis C virus RNA genome. Virus Res 2015; 206:90-8. [PMID: 25576644 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2014.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2014] [Revised: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a rapidly increasing global health problem with an estimated 170 million people infected worldwide. HCV is a hepatotropic, positive-sense RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae. As a positive-sense RNA virus, the HCV genome itself must serve as a template for translation, replication and packaging. The viral RNA must therefore be a dynamic structure that is able to readily accommodate structural changes to expose different regions of the genome to viral and cellular proteins to carry out the HCV life cycle. The ∼ 9600 nucleotide viral genome contains a single long open reading frame flanked by 5' and 3' non-coding regions that contain cis-acting RNA elements important for viral translation, replication and stability. Additional cis-acting RNA elements have also been identified in the coding sequences as well as in the 3' end of the negative-strand replicative intermediate. Herein, we provide an overview of the importance of these cis-acting RNA elements in the HCV life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selena M Sagan
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jasmin Chahal
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Peter Sarnow
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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67
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Ross-Thriepland D, Harris M. Hepatitis C virus NS5A: enigmatic but still promiscuous 10 years on! J Gen Virol 2014; 96:727-738. [PMID: 25481754 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Since one of us co-authored a review on NS5A a decade ago, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) field has changed dramatically, primarily due to the advent of the JFH-1 cell culture infectious clone, which allowed the study of all aspects of the virus life cycle from entry to exit. This review will describe advances in our understanding of NS5A biology over the past decade, highlighting how the JFH-1 system has allowed us to determine that NS5A is essential not only in genome replication but also in the assembly of infectious virions. We shall review the recent structural insights - NS5A is predicted to comprise three domains; X-ray crystallography has revealed the structure of domain I but there is a lack of detailed structural information about the other two domains, which are predicted to be largely unstructured. Recent insights into the phosphorylation of NS5A will be discussed, and we shall highlight a few pertinent examples from the ever-expanding list of NS5A-binding partners identified over the past decade. Lastly, we shall review the literature showing that NS5A is a potential target for a new class of highly potent small molecules that function to inhibit virus replication. These direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are now either licensed, or in the late stages of approval for clinical use both in the USA and in the UK/Europe. In combination with other DAAs targeting the viral protease (NS3) and polymerase (NS5B), they are revolutionizing treatment for HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Ross-Thriepland
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Mark Harris
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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68
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Paige SB, Frost SDW, Gibson MA, Jones JH, Shankar A, Switzer WM, Ting N, Goldberg TL. Beyond bushmeat: animal contact, injury, and zoonotic disease risk in Western Uganda. ECOHEALTH 2014; 11:534-43. [PMID: 24845574 PMCID: PMC4240769 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-014-0942-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Zoonotic pathogens cause an estimated 70% of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in humans. In sub-Saharan Africa, bushmeat hunting and butchering is considered the primary risk factor for human-wildlife contact and zoonotic disease transmission, particularly for the transmission of simian retroviruses. However, hunting is only one of many activities in sub-Saharan Africa that bring people and wildlife into contact. Here, we examine human-animal interaction in western Uganda, identifying patterns of injuries from animals and contact with nonhuman primates. Additionally, we identify individual-level risk factors associated with contact. Nearly 20% (246/1,240) of participants reported either being injured by an animal or having contact with a primate over their lifetimes. The majority (51.7%) of injuries were dog bites that healed with no long-term medical consequences. The majority (76.8%) of 125 total primate contacts involved touching a carcass; however, butchering (20%), hunting (10%), and touching a live primate (10%) were also reported. Red colobus (Piliocolobus rufomitratus tephrosceles) accounted for most primate contact events. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that men who live adjacent to forest fragments are at elevated risk of animal contact and specifically primate contact. Our results provide a useful comparison to West and Central Africa where "bushmeat hunting" is the predominant paradigm for human-wildlife contact and zoonotic disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Paige
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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69
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Gouttenoire J, Montserret R, Paul D, Castillo R, Meister S, Bartenschlager R, Penin F, Moradpour D. Aminoterminal amphipathic α-helix AH1 of hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 4B possesses a dual role in RNA replication and virus production. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004501. [PMID: 25392992 PMCID: PMC4231108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B) is a key organizer of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication complex formation. In concert with other nonstructural proteins, it induces a specific membrane rearrangement, designated as membranous web, which serves as a scaffold for the HCV replicase. The N-terminal part of NS4B comprises a predicted and a structurally resolved amphipathic α-helix, designated as AH1 and AH2, respectively. Here, we report a detailed structure-function analysis of NS4B AH1. Circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance structural analyses revealed that AH1 folds into an amphipathic α-helix extending from NS4B amino acid 4 to 32, with positively charged residues flanking the helix. These residues are conserved among hepaciviruses. Mutagenesis and selection of pseudorevertants revealed an important role of these residues in RNA replication by affecting the biogenesis of double-membrane vesicles making up the membranous web. Moreover, alanine substitution of conserved acidic residues on the hydrophilic side of the helix reduced infectivity without significantly affecting RNA replication, indicating that AH1 is also involved in virus production. Selective membrane permeabilization and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses of a functional replicon harboring an epitope tag between NS4B AH1 and AH2 revealed a dual membrane topology of the N-terminal part of NS4B during HCV RNA replication. Luminal translocation was unaffected by the mutations introduced into AH1, but was abrogated by mutations introduced into AH2. In conclusion, our study reports the three-dimensional structure of AH1 from HCV NS4B, and highlights the importance of positively charged amino acid residues flanking this amphipathic α-helix in membranous web formation and RNA replication. In addition, we demonstrate that AH1 possesses a dual role in RNA replication and virus production, potentially governed by different topologies of the N-terminal part of NS4B. With an estimated 180 million chronically infected individuals, hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. HCV is a positive-strand RNA virus that builds its replication complex on rearranged intracellular membranes, designated as membranous web. HCV nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B) is a key organizer of HCV membranous web and replication complex formation. Here, we provide a detailed structure-function analysis of an N-terminal amphipathic α-helix of NS4B, named AH1, and demonstrate that it plays key roles in shaping the membranous web as well as in virus production. We also show that the N-terminal part of NS4B adopts a dual membrane topology in a replicative context, possibly reflecting the different roles of this protein in the viral life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Gouttenoire
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roland Montserret
- Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, Bases Moléculaires et Structurales des Systèmes Infectieux, UMR 5086, CNRS, Labex Ecofect, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - David Paul
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rosa Castillo
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Simon Meister
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Bartenschlager
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - François Penin
- Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, Bases Moléculaires et Structurales des Systèmes Infectieux, UMR 5086, CNRS, Labex Ecofect, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Darius Moradpour
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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70
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Sibley SD, Lauck M, Bailey AL, Hyeroba D, Tumukunde A, Weny G, Chapman CA, O’Connor DH, Goldberg TL, Friedrich TC. Discovery and characterization of distinct simian pegiviruses in three wild African Old World monkey species. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98569. [PMID: 24918769 PMCID: PMC4053331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Within the Flaviviridae, the recently designated genus Pegivirus has expanded greatly due to new discoveries in bats, horses, and rodents. Here we report the discovery and characterization of three simian pegiviruses (SPgV) that resemble human pegivirus (HPgV) and infect red colobus monkeys (Procolobus tephrosceles), red-tailed guenons (Cercopithecus ascanius) and an olive baboon (Papio anubis). We have designated these viruses SPgVkrc, SPgVkrtg and SPgVkbab, reflecting their host species' common names, which include reference to their location of origin in Kibale National Park, Uganda. SPgVkrc and SPgVkrtg were detected in 47% (28/60) of red colobus and 42% (5/12) red-tailed guenons, respectively, while SPgVkbab infection was observed in 1 of 23 olive baboons tested. Infections were not associated with any apparent disease, despite the generally high viral loads observed for each variant. These viruses were monophyletic and equally divergent from HPgV and pegiviruses previously identified in chimpanzees (SPgVcpz). Overall, the high degree of conservation of genetic features among the novel SPgVs, HPgV and SPgVcpz suggests conservation of function among these closely related viruses. Our study describes the first primate pegiviruses detected in Old World monkeys, expanding the known genetic diversity and host range of pegiviruses and providing insight into the natural history of this genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel D. Sibley
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Michael Lauck
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Adam L. Bailey
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Colin A. Chapman
- Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Anthropology and McGill School of Environment, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David H. O’Connor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Tony L. Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Thomas C. Friedrich
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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71
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Reddy KD, DeForte S, Uversky VN. Digested disorder: Quarterly intrinsic disorder digest (July-August-September, 2013). INTRINSICALLY DISORDERED PROTEINS 2014; 2:e27833. [PMID: 28232877 PMCID: PMC5314876 DOI: 10.4161/idp.27833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The current literature on intrinsically disordered proteins grows fast. To keep interested readers up to speed with this literature, we continue a "Digested Disorder" project and represent a new issue of reader's digest of the research papers and reviews on intrinsically disordered proteins. The only 2 criteria for inclusion in this digest are the publication date (a paper should be published within the covered time frame) and topic (a paper should be dedicated to any aspect of protein intrinsic disorder). The current digest issue covers papers published during the third quarter of 2013; i.e., during the period of June, July, and September of 2013. Similar to previous issues, the papers are grouped hierarchically by topics they cover, and for each of the included paper a short description is given on its major findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna D Reddy
- Department of Molecular Medicine; Morsani College of Medicine; University of South Florida; Tampa, FL USA
| | - Shelly DeForte
- Department of Molecular Medicine; Morsani College of Medicine; University of South Florida; Tampa, FL USA
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine; Morsani College of Medicine; University of South Florida; Tampa, FL USA; USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute; Morsani College of Medicine; University of South Florida; Tampa, FL USA; Department of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Science; King Abdulaziz University; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Institute for Biological Instrumentation; Russian Academy of Sciences; Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
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72
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Lyons S, Kapoor A, Schneider BS, Wolfe ND, Culshaw G, Corcoran B, Durham AE, Burden F, McGorum BC, Simmonds P. Viraemic frequencies and seroprevalence of non-primate hepacivirus and equine pegiviruses in horses and other mammalian species. J Gen Virol 2014; 95:1701-1711. [PMID: 24814924 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.065094-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV), equine pegivirus (EPgV) and Theiler's disease associated virus (TDAV) are newly discovered members of two genera in the Flaviviridae family, Hepacivirus and Pegivirus respectively, that include human hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human pegivirus (HPgV). To investigate their epidemiology, persistence and clinical features of infection, large cohorts of horses and other mammalian species were screened for NPHV, EPgV and TDAV viraemia and for past exposure through serological assays for NPHV and EPgV-specific antibodies. NPHV antibodies were detected in 43% of 328 horses screened for antibodies to NS3 and core antibodies, of which three were viraemic by PCR. All five horses that were stablemates of a viraemic horse were seropositive, as was a dog on the same farm. With this single exception, all other species were negative for NPHV antibodies and viraemia: donkeys (n=100), dogs (n=112), cats (n=131), non-human primates (n=164) and humans (n=362). EPgV antibodies to NS3 were detected in 66.5% of horses, including 10 of the 12 horses that had EPgV viraemia. All donkey samples were negative for EPgV antibody and RNA. All horse and donkey samples were negative for TDAV RNA. By comparing viraemia frequencies in horses with and without liver disease, no evidence was obtained that supported an association between active NPHV and EPgV infections with hepatopathy. The study demonstrates that NPHV and EPgV infections are widespread and enzootic in the study horse population and confirms that NPHV and potentially EPgV have higher frequencies of viral clearance than HCV and HPgV infections in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad Lyons
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Amit Kapoor
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Nathan D Wolfe
- Metabiota, 1 Sutter Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA
| | - Geoff Culshaw
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Brendan Corcoran
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andy E Durham
- Liphook Equine Hospital, Forest Mere, Liphook, Hampshire, UK
| | | | - Bruce C McGorum
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Peter Simmonds
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK
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NS2 proteins of GB virus B and hepatitis C virus share common protease activities and membrane topologies. J Virol 2014; 88:7426-44. [PMID: 24741107 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00656-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED GB virus B (GBV-B), which is hepatotropic in experimentally infected small New World primates, is a member of the Hepacivirus genus but phylogenetically relatively distant from hepatitis C virus (HCV). To gain insights into the role and specificity of hepaciviral nonstructural protein 2 (NS2), which is required for HCV polyprotein processing and particle morphogenesis, we investigated whether NS2 structural and functional features are conserved between HCV and GBV-B. We found that GBV-B NS2, like HCV NS2, has cysteine protease activity responsible for cleavage at the NS2/NS3 junction, and we experimentally confirmed the location of this junction within the viral polyprotein. A model for GBV-B NS2 membrane topology was experimentally established by determining the membrane association properties of NS2 segments fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) and their nuclear magnetic resonance structures using synthetic peptides as well as by applying an N-glycosylation scanning approach. Similar glycosylation studies confirmed the HCV NS2 organization. Together, our data show that despite limited amino acid sequence similarity, GBV-B and HCV NS2 proteins share a membrane topology with 3 N-terminal transmembrane segments, which is also predicted to apply to other recently discovered hepaciviruses. Based on these data and using trans-complementation systems, we found that intragenotypic hybrid NS2 proteins with heterologous N-terminal membrane segments were able to efficiently trans-complement an assembly-deficient HCV mutant with a point mutation in the NS2 C-terminal domain, while GBV-B/HCV or intergenotypic NS2 chimeras were not. These studies indicate that virus- and genotype-specific intramolecular interactions between N- and C-terminal domains of NS2 are critically involved in HCV morphogenesis. IMPORTANCE Nonstructural protein 2 (NS2) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a multifunctional protein critically involved in polyprotein processing and virion morphogenesis. To gain insights into NS2 mechanisms of action, we investigated whether NS2 structural and functional features are conserved between HCV and GB virus B (GBV-B), a phylogenetically relatively distant primate hepacivirus. We showed that GBV-B NS2, like HCV NS2, carries cysteine protease activity. We experimentally established a model for GBV-B NS2 membrane topology and demonstrated that despite limited sequence similarity, GBV-B and HCV NS2 share an organization with three N-terminal transmembrane segments. We found that the role of HCV NS2 in particle assembly is genotype specific and relies on critical interactions between its N- and C-terminal domains. This first comparative analysis of NS2 proteins from two hepaciviruses and our structural predictions of NS2 from other newly identified mammal hepaciviruses highlight conserved key features of the hepaciviral life cycle.
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Pfaender S, Brown RJ, Pietschmann T, Steinmann E. Natural reservoirs for homologs of hepatitis C virus. Emerg Microbes Infect 2014; 3:e21. [PMID: 26038514 PMCID: PMC3974340 DOI: 10.1038/emi.2014.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus is considered a major public health problem, infecting 2%–3% of the human population. Hepatitis C virus infection causes acute and chronic liver disease, including chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In fact, hepatitis C virus infection is the most frequent indication for liver transplantation and a vaccine is not available. Hepatitis C virus displays a narrow host species tropism, naturally infecting only humans, although chimpanzees are also susceptible to experimental infection. To date, there is no evidence for an animal reservoir of viruses closely related to hepatitis C virus which may have crossed the species barrier to cause disease in humans and resulted in the current pandemic. In fact, due to this restricted host range, a robust immunocompetent small animal model is still lacking, hampering mechanistic analysis of virus pathogenesis, immune control and prophylactic vaccine development. Recently, several studies discovered new viruses related to hepatitis C virus, belonging to the hepaci- and pegivirus genera, in small wild mammals (rodents and bats) and domesticated animals which live in close contact with humans (dogs and horses). Genetic and biological characterization of these newly discovered hepatitis C virus-like viruses infecting different mammals will contribute to our understanding of the origins of hepatitis C virus in humans and enhance our ability to study pathogenesis and immune responses using tractable animal models. In this review article, we start with an introduction on the genetic diversity of hepatitis C virus and then focus on the newly discovered viruses closely related to hepatitis C virus. Finally, we discuss possible theories about the origin of this important viral human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Pfaender
- Institute for Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research , Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Richard Jp Brown
- Institute for Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research , Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Thomas Pietschmann
- Institute for Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research , Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Eike Steinmann
- Institute for Experimental Virology, Twincore Centre of Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research , Hannover 30625, Germany
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75
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Dinkel H, Van Roey K, Michael S, Davey NE, Weatheritt RJ, Born D, Speck T, Krüger D, Grebnev G, Kuban M, Strumillo M, Uyar B, Budd A, Altenberg B, Seiler M, Chemes LB, Glavina J, Sánchez IE, Diella F, Gibson TJ. The eukaryotic linear motif resource ELM: 10 years and counting. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 42:D259-66. [PMID: 24214962 PMCID: PMC3964949 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt1047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic linear motif (ELM http://elm.eu.org) resource is a hub for collecting, classifying and curating information about short linear motifs (SLiMs). For >10 years, this resource has provided the scientific community with a freely accessible guide to the biology and function of linear motifs. The current version of ELM contains ∼200 different motif classes with over 2400 experimentally validated instances manually curated from >2000 scientific publications. Furthermore, detailed information about motif-mediated interactions has been annotated and made available in standard exchange formats. Where appropriate, links are provided to resources such as switches.elm.eu.org and KEGG pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Dinkel
- Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany, Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA, Structural Studies Division, MRC, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, WK Roentgena 5, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland, Protein Structure-Function and Engineering Laboratory, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Avenida Patricias Argentinas 435 CP 1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina and Departamento de Química Biológica and IQUIBICEN-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Gúiraldes 2160 CP 1428, Argentina
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76
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Jackowiak P, Kuls K, Budzko L, Mania A, Figlerowicz M, Figlerowicz M. Phylogeny and molecular evolution of the hepatitis C virus. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2013; 21:67-82. [PMID: 24200590 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a globally prevalent human pathogen that causes persistent liver infections in most infected individuals. HCV is classified into seven phylogenetically distinct genotypes, which have different geographical distributions and levels of genetic diversity. Some of these genotypes are endemic and highly divergent, whereas others disseminate rapidly on an epidemic scale but display lower variability. HCV phylogeny has an important impact on disease epidemiology and clinical practice because the viral genotype may determine the pathogenesis and severity of the resultant chronic liver disease. In addition, there is a clear association between the HCV genotype and its susceptibility to antiviral treatment. Similarly to other RNA viruses, in a single host, HCV exists as a combination of related but genetically different variants. The whole formation is the actual target of selection exerted by a host organism and antiviral therapeutics. The genetic structure of the viral population is largely shaped by mutations that are constantly introduced during an error-prone replication. However, it appears that genetic recombination may also contribute to this process. This heterogeneous collection of variants has a significant ability to evolve towards the fitness optimum. Interestingly, negative selection, which restricts diversity, emerges as an essential force that drives HCV evolution. It is becoming clear that HCV evolves to become stably adapted to the host environment. In this article we review the HCV phylogeny and molecular evolution in the context of host-virus interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Jackowiak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Karolina Kuls
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Szpitalna 27/33, 60-572 Poznan, Poland
| | - Lucyna Budzko
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Anna Mania
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Szpitalna 27/33, 60-572 Poznan, Poland
| | - Magdalena Figlerowicz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Szpitalna 27/33, 60-572 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marek Figlerowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland; Institute of Computing Science, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3A, 60-965 Poznan, Poland.
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Lauck M, Switzer WM, Sibley SD, Hyeroba D, Tumukunde A, Weny G, Taylor B, Shankar A, Ting N, Chapman CA, Friedrich TC, Goldberg TL, O'Connor DH. Discovery and full genome characterization of two highly divergent simian immunodeficiency viruses infecting black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza) in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Retrovirology 2013; 10:107. [PMID: 24139306 PMCID: PMC4016034 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-10-107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background African non-human primates (NHPs) are natural hosts for simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV), the zoonotic transmission of which led to the emergence of HIV-1 and HIV-2. However, our understanding of SIV diversity and evolution is limited by incomplete taxonomic and geographic sampling of NHPs, particularly in East Africa. In this study, we screened blood specimens from nine black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza occidentalis) from Kibale National Park, Uganda, for novel SIVs using a combination of serology and “unbiased” deep-sequencing, a method that does not rely on genetic similarity to previously characterized viruses. Results We identified two novel and divergent SIVs, tentatively named SIVkcol-1 and SIVkcol-2, and assembled genomes covering the entire coding region for each virus. SIVkcol-1 and SIVkcol-2 were detected in three and four animals, respectively, but with no animals co-infected. Phylogenetic analyses showed that SIVkcol-1 and SIVkcol-2 form a lineage with SIVcol, previously discovered in black-and-white colobus from Cameroon. Although SIVkcol-1 and SIVkcol-2 were isolated from the same host population in Uganda, SIVkcol-1 is more closely related to SIVcol than to SIVkcol-2. Analysis of functional motifs in the extracellular envelope glycoprotein (gp120) revealed that SIVkcol-2 is unique among primate lentiviruses in containing only 16 conserved cysteine residues instead of the usual 18 or more. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the genetic diversity of SIVs infecting black-and-white colobus across equatorial Africa is greater than previously appreciated and that divergent SIVs can co-circulate in the same colobine population. We also show that the use of “unbiased” deep sequencing for the detection of SIV has great advantages over traditional serological approaches, especially for studies of unknown or poorly characterized viruses. Finally, the detection of the first SIV containing only 16 conserved cysteines in the extracellular envelope protein gp120 further expands the range of functional motifs observed among SIVs and highlights the complex evolutionary history of simian retroviruses.
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