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Meyer M, Melville DW, Baldwin HJ, Wilhelm K, Nkrumah EE, Badu EK, Oppong SK, Schwensow N, Stow A, Vallo P, Corman VM, Tschapka M, Drosten C, Sommer S. Bat species assemblage predicts coronavirus prevalence. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2887. [PMID: 38575573 PMCID: PMC10994947 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46979-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbances and the subsequent loss of biodiversity are altering species abundances and communities. Since species vary in their pathogen competence, spatio-temporal changes in host assemblages may lead to changes in disease dynamics. We explore how longitudinal changes in bat species assemblages affect the disease dynamics of coronaviruses (CoVs) in more than 2300 cave-dwelling bats captured over two years from five caves in Ghana. This reveals uneven CoV infection patterns between closely related species, with the alpha-CoV 229E-like and SARS-related beta-CoV 2b emerging as multi-host pathogens. Prevalence and infection likelihood for both phylogenetically distinct CoVs is influenced by the abundance of competent species and naïve subadults. Broadly, bat species vary in CoV competence, and highly competent species are more common in less diverse communities, leading to increased CoV prevalence in less diverse bat assemblages. In line with the One Health framework, our work supports the notion that biodiversity conservation may be the most proactive measure to prevent the spread of pathogens with zoonotic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Meyer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Dominik W Melville
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Heather J Baldwin
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kerstin Wilhelm
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Evans Ewald Nkrumah
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Ebenezer K Badu
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Samuel Kingsley Oppong
- Department of Wildlife and Range Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Nina Schwensow
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Adam Stow
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Vallo
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Victor M Corman
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
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2
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Fleischer R, Eibner GJ, Schwensow NI, Pirzer F, Paraskevopoulou S, Mayer G, Corman VM, Drosten C, Wilhelm K, Heni AC, Sommer S, Schmid DW. Immunogenetic-pathogen networks shrink in Tome's spiny rat, a generalist rodent inhabiting disturbed landscapes. Commun Biol 2024; 7:169. [PMID: 38341501 PMCID: PMC10858909 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05870-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance may increase the emergence of zoonoses. Especially generalists that cope with disturbance and live in close contact with humans and livestock may become reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens. Yet, whether anthropogenic disturbance modifies host-pathogen co-evolutionary relationships in generalists is unknown. We assessed pathogen diversity, neutral genome-wide diversity (SNPs) and adaptive MHC class II diversity in a rodent generalist inhabiting three lowland rainforest landscapes with varying anthropogenic disturbance, and determined which MHC alleles co-occurred more frequently with 13 gastrointestinal nematodes, blood trypanosomes, and four viruses. Pathogen-specific selection pressures varied between landscapes. Genome-wide diversity declined with the degree of disturbance, while MHC diversity was only reduced in the most disturbed landscape. Furthermore, pristine forest landscapes had more functional important MHC-pathogen associations when compared to disturbed forests. We show co-evolutionary links between host and pathogens impoverished in human-disturbed landscapes. This underscores that parasite-mediated selection might change even in generalist species following human disturbance which in turn may facilitate host switching and the emergence of zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Fleischer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Georg Joachim Eibner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, República de Panamá
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Isabell Schwensow
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fabian Pirzer
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Gerd Mayer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Victor Max Corman
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wilhelm
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Christoph Heni
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Dominik Werner Schmid
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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3
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Li YQ, Ghafari M, Holbrook AJ, Boonen I, Amor N, Catalano S, Webster JP, Li YY, Li HT, Vergote V, Maes P, Chong YL, Laudisoit A, Baelo P, Ngoy S, Mbalitini SG, Gembu GC, Musaba AP, Goüy de Bellocq J, Leirs H, Verheyen E, Pybus OG, Katzourakis A, Alagaili AN, Gryseels S, Li YC, Suchard MA, Bletsa M, Lemey P. The evolutionary history of hepaciviruses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.30.547218. [PMID: 37425679 PMCID: PMC10327235 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.30.547218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
In the search for natural reservoirs of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a broad diversity of non-human viruses within the Hepacivirus genus has been uncovered. However, the evolutionary dynamics that shaped the diversity and timescale of hepaciviruses evolution remain elusive. To gain further insights into the origins and evolution of this genus, we screened a large dataset of wild mammal samples (n = 1,672) from Africa and Asia, and generated 34 full-length hepacivirus genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of these data together with publicly available genomes emphasizes the importance of rodents as hepacivirus hosts and we identify 13 rodent species and 3 rodent genera (in Cricetidae and Muridae families) as novel hosts of hepaciviruses. Through co-phylogenetic analyses, we demonstrate that hepacivirus diversity has been affected by cross-species transmission events against the backdrop of detectable signal of virus-host co-divergence in the deep evolutionary history. Using a Bayesian phylogenetic multidimensional scaling approach, we explore the extent to which host relatedness and geographic distances have structured present-day hepacivirus diversity. Our results provide evidence for a substantial structuring of mammalian hepacivirus diversity by host as well as geography, with a somewhat more irregular diffusion process in geographic space. Finally, using a mechanistic model that accounts for substitution saturation, we provide the first formal estimates of the timescale of hepacivirus evolution and estimate the origin of the genus to be about 22 million years ago. Our results offer a comprehensive overview of the micro- and macroevolutionary processes that have shaped hepacivirus diversity and enhance our understanding of the long-term evolution of the Hepacivirus genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- YQ Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - M Ghafari
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1, UK
| | - AJ Holbrook
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - I Boonen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - N Amor
- Laboratory of Biodiversity, Parasitology, and Ecology of Aquatic Ecosystems, Department of Biology - Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, 2092, Tunisia
| | - S Catalano
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - JP Webster
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - YY Li
- College of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi, 276000, China
- Marine College, Shandong University (Weihai), Weihai, 264209, China
| | - HT Li
- College of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252000, China
- Marine College, Shandong University (Weihai), Weihai, 264209, China
| | - V Vergote
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - P Maes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - YL Chong
- Animal Resource Science and Management Group, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), 94300, Malaysia
- Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - A Laudisoit
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, NY 10018, USA
- Evolutionary Ecology group (EVECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, 2020, Belgium
| | - P Baelo
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - S Ngoy
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - SG Mbalitini
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - GC Gembu
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Akawa P Musaba
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - J Goüy de Bellocq
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - H Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology group (EVECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, 2020, Belgium
| | - E Verheyen
- Evolutionary Ecology group (EVECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, 2020, Belgium
| | - OG Pybus
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1, UK
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Herts, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - A Katzourakis
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1, UK
| | - AN Alagaili
- Laboratory of Biodiversity, Parasitology, and Ecology of Aquatic Ecosystems, Department of Biology - Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, 2092, Tunisia
| | - S Gryseels
- Evolutionary Ecology group (EVECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, 2020, Belgium
| | - YC Li
- Marine College, Shandong University (Weihai), Weihai, 264209, China
| | - MA Suchard
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - M Bletsa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - P Lemey
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
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Heni AC, Fackelmann G, Eibner G, Kreinert S, Schmid J, Schwensow NI, Wiegand J, Wilhelm K, Sommer S. Wildlife gut microbiomes of sympatric generalist species respond differently to anthropogenic landscape disturbances. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:22. [PMID: 37024947 PMCID: PMC10080760 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00237-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human encroachment into nature and the accompanying environmental changes are a big concern for wildlife biodiversity and health. While changes on the macroecological scale, i.e. species community and abundance pattern, are well documented, impacts on the microecological scale, such as the host's microbial community, remain understudied. Particularly, it is unclear if impacts of anthropogenic landscape modification on wildlife gut microbiomes are species-specific. Of special interest are sympatric, generalist species, assumed to be more resilient to environmental changes and which often are well-known pathogen reservoirs and drivers of spill-over events. Here, we analyzed the gut microbiome of three such sympatric, generalist species, one rodent (Proechimys semispinosus) and two marsupials (Didelphis marsupialis and Philander opossum), captured in 28 study sites in four different landscapes in Panama characterized by different degrees of anthropogenic disturbance. RESULTS Our results show species-specific gut microbial responses to the same landscape disturbances. The gut microbiome of P. semispinosus was less diverse and more heterogeneous in landscapes with close contact with humans, where it contained bacterial taxa associated with humans, their domesticated animals, and potential pathogens. The gut microbiome of D. marsupialis showed similar patterns, but only in the most disturbed landscape. P. opossum, in contrast, showed little gut microbial changes, however, this species' absence in the most fragmented landscapes indicates its sensitivity to long-term isolation. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that wildlife gut microbiomes even in generalist species with a large ecological plasticity are impacted by human encroachment into nature, but differ in resilience which can have critical implications on conservation efforts and One Health strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Christoph Heni
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama.
| | - Gloria Fackelmann
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Georg Eibner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Swetlana Kreinert
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Julian Schmid
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
| | - Nina Isabell Schwensow
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jonas Wiegand
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wilhelm
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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5
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Schmid DW, Fackelmann G, Wasimuddin, Rakotondranary J, Ratovonamana YR, Montero BK, Ganzhorn JU, Sommer S. A framework for testing the impact of co-infections on host gut microbiomes. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:48. [PMID: 35945629 PMCID: PMC9361228 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00198-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic infections disturb gut microbial communities beyond their natural range of variation, possibly leading to dysbiosis. Yet it remains underappreciated that most infections are accompanied by one or more co-infections and their collective impact is largely unexplored. Here we developed a framework illustrating changes to the host gut microbiome following single infections, and build on it by describing the neutral, synergistic or antagonistic impacts on microbial α- and ß-diversity expected from co-infections. We tested the framework on microbiome data from a non-human primate population co-infected with helminths and Adenovirus, and matched patterns reported in published studies to the introduced framework. In this case study, α-diversity of co-infected Malagasy mouse lemurs (Microcebus griseorufus) did not differ in comparison with that of singly infected or uninfected individuals, even though community composition captured with ß-diversity metrices changed significantly. Explicitly, we record stochastic changes in dispersion, a sign of dysbiosis, following the Anna-Karenina principle rather than deterministic shifts in the microbial gut community. From the literature review and our case study, neutral and synergistic impacts emerged as common outcomes from co-infections, wherein both shifts and dispersion of microbial communities following co-infections were often more severe than after a single infection alone, but microbial α-diversity was not universally altered. Important functions of the microbiome may also suffer from such heavily altered, though no less species-rich microbial community. Lastly, we pose the hypothesis that the reshuffling of host-associated microbial communities due to the impact of various, often coinciding parasitic infections may become a source of novel or zoonotic diseases.
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Tirera S, de Thoisy B, Donato D, Bouchier C, Lacoste V, Franc A, Lavergne A. The Influence of Habitat on Viral Diversity in Neotropical Rodent Hosts. Viruses 2021; 13:v13091690. [PMID: 34578272 PMCID: PMC8472065 DOI: 10.3390/v13091690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents are important reservoirs of numerous viruses, some of which have significant impacts on public health. Ecosystem disturbances and decreased host species richness have been associated with the emergence of zoonotic diseases. In this study, we aimed at (a) characterizing the viral diversity in seven neotropical rodent species living in four types of habitats and (b) exploring how the extent of environmental disturbance influences this diversity. Through a metagenomic approach, we identified 77,767 viral sequences from spleen, kidney, and serum samples. These viral sequences were attributed to 27 viral families known to infect vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and amoeba. Viral diversities were greater in pristine habitats compared with disturbed ones, and lowest in peri-urban areas. High viral richness was observed in savannah areas. Differences in these diversities were explained by rare viruses that were generally more frequent in pristine forest and savannah habitats. Moreover, changes in the ecology and behavior of rodent hosts, in a given habitat, such as modifications to the diet in disturbed vs. pristine forests, are major determinants of viral composition. Lastly, the phylogenetic relationships of four vertebrate-related viral families (Polyomaviridae, Flaviviridae, Togaviridae, and Phenuiviridae) highlighted the wide diversity of these viral families, and in some cases, a potential risk of transmission to humans. All these findings provide significant insights into the diversity of rodent viruses in Amazonia, and emphasize that habitats and the host’s dietary ecology may drive viral diversity. Linking viral richness and abundance to the ecology of their hosts and their responses to habitat disturbance could be the starting point for a better understanding of viral emergence and for future management of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourakhata Tirera
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, BP 6010, 97306 Cayenne, France; (S.T.); (B.d.T.); (D.D.); (V.L.)
| | - Benoit de Thoisy
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, BP 6010, 97306 Cayenne, France; (S.T.); (B.d.T.); (D.D.); (V.L.)
| | - Damien Donato
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, BP 6010, 97306 Cayenne, France; (S.T.); (B.d.T.); (D.D.); (V.L.)
| | | | - Vincent Lacoste
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, BP 6010, 97306 Cayenne, France; (S.T.); (B.d.T.); (D.D.); (V.L.)
- Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
- Arbovirus & Emerging Viral Diseases Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Laos, Vientiane 3560, Laos
| | - Alain Franc
- UMR BIOGECO, INRAE, University Bordeaux, 33612 Cestas, France;
- Pleiade, EPC INRIA-INRAE-CNRS, University Bordeaux, 33405 Talence, France
| | - Anne Lavergne
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, BP 6010, 97306 Cayenne, France; (S.T.); (B.d.T.); (D.D.); (V.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
In the Anthropocene, humans, domesticated animals, wildlife, and their environments are interconnected, especially as humans advance further into wildlife habitats. Wildlife gut microbiomes play a vital role in host health. Changes to wildlife gut microbiomes due to anthropogenic disturbances, such as habitat fragmentation, can disrupt natural gut microbiota homeostasis and make animals vulnerable to infections that may become zoonotic. However, it remains unclear whether the disruption to wildlife gut microbiomes is caused by habitat fragmentation per se or the combination of habitat fragmentation with additional anthropogenic disturbances, such as contact with humans, domesticated animals, invasive species, and their pathogens. Here, we show that habitat fragmentation per se does not impact the gut microbiome of a generalist rodent species native to Central America, Tome's spiny rat Proechimys semispinosus, but additional anthropogenic disturbances do. Indeed, compared to protected continuous and fragmented forest landscapes that are largely untouched by other human activities, the gut microbiomes of spiny rats inhabiting human-disturbed fragmented landscapes revealed a reduced alpha diversity and a shifted and more dispersed beta diversity. Their microbiomes contained more taxa associated with domesticated animals and their potential pathogens, suggesting a shift in potential metagenome functions. On the one hand, the compositional shift could indicate a degree of gut microbial adaption known as metagenomic plasticity. On the other hand, the greater variation in community structure and reduced alpha diversity may signal a decline in beneficial microbial functions and illustrate that gut adaption may not catch up with anthropogenic disturbances, even in a generalist species with large phenotypic plasticity, with potentially harmful consequences to both wildlife and human health.
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Mammalian deltavirus without hepadnavirus coinfection in the neotropical rodent Proechimys semispinosus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:17977-17983. [PMID: 32651267 PMCID: PMC7395443 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006750117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a human hepatitis-causing RNA virus, unrelated to any other taxonomic group of RNA viruses. Its occurrence as a satellite virus of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a singular case in animal virology for which no consensus evolutionary explanation exists. Here we present a mammalian deltavirus that does not occur in humans, identified in the neotropical rodent species Proechimys semispinosus The rodent deltavirus is highly distinct, showing a common ancestor with a recently described deltavirus in snakes. Reverse genetics based on a tandem minus-strand complementary DNA genome copy under the control of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter confirms autonomous genome replication in transfected cells, with initiation of replication from the upstream genome copy. In contrast to HDV, a large delta antigen is not expressed and the farnesylation motif critical for HBV interaction is absent from a genome region that might correspond to a hypothetical rodent large delta antigen. Correspondingly, there is no evidence for coinfection with an HBV-related hepadnavirus based on virus detection and serology in any deltavirus-positive animal. No other coinfecting viruses were detected by RNA sequencing studies of 120 wild-caught animals that could serve as a potential helper virus. The presence of virus in blood and pronounced detection in reproductively active males suggest horizontal transmission linked to competitive behavior. Our study establishes a nonhuman, mammalian deltavirus that occurs as a horizontally transmitted infection, is potentially cleared by immune response, is not focused in the liver, and possibly does not require helper virus coinfection.
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9
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Pathogen-associated selection on innate immunity genes (TLR4, TLR7) in a neotropical rodent in landscapes differing in anthropogenic disturbance. Heredity (Edinb) 2020; 125:184-199. [PMID: 32616896 PMCID: PMC7490709 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-020-0331-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) form part of the innate immune system and can recognize structurally conserved pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) molecules. Their functional importance in the resistance to pathogens has been documented in laboratory experimental settings and in humans. TLR diversity, however, has been rarely investigated in wildlife species. How the genetic diversity of TLRs is associated with various pathogens and how it is shaped by habitat disturbance are understudied. Therefore, we investigated the role of genetic diversity in the functionally important parts of TLR4 and TLR7 genes in resistance towards gastrointestinal nematodes and Hepacivirus infection. We chose a generalist study species, the rodent Proechimys semispinosus, because it is highly abundant in three Panamanian landscapes that differ in their degree of anthropogenic modification. We detected only two TLR7 haplotypes that differed by one synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) position. The TLR4 variability was higher, and we detected four TLR4 haplotypes that differed at one synonymous SNP and at three amino acid positions within the leucine-rich repeat region. Only TLR4 haplotypes had different frequencies in each landscape. Using generalized linear models, we found evidence that nematode loads and virus prevalence were influenced by both specific TLR4 haplotypes and landscape. Here, the variable “landscape” served as a surrogate for the important influential ecological factors distinguishing landscapes in our study, i.e. species diversity and host population density. Individuals carrying the common TLR4_Ht1 haplotype were less intensely infected by the most abundant strongyle nematode. Individuals carrying the rare TLR4_Ht3 haplotype were all Hepacivirus-positive, where those carrying the rare haplotype TLR4_Ht4 were less often infected by Hepacivirus than individuals with other haplotypes. Our study highlights the role of TLR diversity in pathogen resistance and the importance of considering immune genetic as well as ecological factors in order to understand the effects of anthropogenic changes on wildlife health.
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10
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Qurkhuli T, Schwensow N, Brändel SD, Tschapka M, Sommer S. Can extreme MHC class I diversity be a feature of a wide geographic range? The example of Seba's short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata). Immunogenetics 2019; 71:575-587. [PMID: 31520134 PMCID: PMC7079943 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-019-01128-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is one of the most diverse genetic regions under pathogen-driven selection because of its central role in antigen binding and immunity. The highest MHC variability, both in terms of the number of individual alleles and gene copies, has so far been found in passerine birds; this is probably attributable to passerine adaptation to both a wide geographic range and a diverse array of habitats. If extraordinary high MHC variation and duplication rates are adaptive features under selection during the evolution of ecologically and taxonomically diverse species, then similarly diverse MHC architectures should be found in bats. Bats are an extremely species-rich mammalian group that is globally widely distributed. Many bat species roost in multitudinous groups and have high contact rates with pathogens, conspecifics, and allospecifics. We have characterized the MHC class I diversity in 116 Panamanian Seba's short-tailed bats (Carollia perspicillata), a widely distributed, generalist, neotropical species. We have detected a remarkable individual and population-level diversity of MHC class I genes, with between seven and 22 alleles and a unique genotype in each individual. This diversity is comparable with that reported in passerine birds and, in both taxonomic groups, further variability has evolved through length polymorphisms. Our findings support the hypothesis that, for species with a geographically broader range, high MHC class I variability is particularly adaptive. Investigation of the details of the underlying adaptive processes and the role of the high MHC diversity in pathogen resistance are important next steps for a better understanding of the role of bats in viral evolution and as carriers of several deadly zoonotic viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Qurkhuli
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Nina Schwensow
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan Dominik Brändel
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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Marklewitz M, Dutari LC, Paraskevopoulou S, Page RA, Loaiza JR, Junglen S. Diverse novel phleboviruses in sandflies from the Panama Canal area, Central Panama. J Gen Virol 2019; 100:938-949. [PMID: 31050631 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Phlebovirus (order Bunyavirales, family Phenuiviridae) comprises 57 viruses that are grouped into nine species-complexes. Sandfly-transmitted phleboviruses are found in Europe, Africa and the Americas and are responsible for febrile illness and infections of the nervous system in humans. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity of sandfly-transmitted phleboviruses in connected and isolated forest habitats throughout the Panama Canal area in Central Panama. In total, we collected 13 807 sandflies comprising eight phlebotomine species. We detected several strains pertaining to five previously unknown viruses showing maximum pairwise identities of 45-78 % to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase genes of phleboviruses. Entire coding regions were directly sequenced from infected sandflies as virus isolation in cell culture was not successful. The viruses were tentatively named La Gloria virus (LAGV), Mona Grita virus (MOGV), Peña Blanca virus (PEBV), Tico virus (TICV) and Tres Almendras virus (TRAV). Inferred phylogenies and p-distance-based analyses revealed that PEBV groups with the Bujaru phlebovirus species-complex, TRAV with the Candiru phlebovirus species-complex and MOGV belongs to the proposed Icoarci phlebovirus species-complex, whereas LAGV and TICV seem to be distant members of the Bujaru phlebovirus species-complex. No specific vector or habitat association was found for any of the five viruses. Relative abundance of sandflies was similar over habitat types. Our study shows that blood-feeding insects originating from remote and biodiverse habitats harbour multiple previously unknown phleboviruses. These viruses should be included in future surveillance studies to assess their geographic distribution and to elucidate if these viruses cause symptoms of disease in animals or humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Marklewitz
- 3 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama.,1 Institute of Virology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany
| | - Larissa C Dutari
- 4 Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT-AIP), Panama City, Republic of Panama.,5 Biotechnology Department, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, India.,6 Programa Centroamericano de Maestría en Entomología, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y, Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Sofia Paraskevopoulou
- 1 Institute of Virology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rachel A Page
- 3 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Jose R Loaiza
- 3 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama.,6 Programa Centroamericano de Maestría en Entomología, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y, Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá, Panama City, Republic of Panama.,4 Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT-AIP), Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Sandra Junglen
- 1 Institute of Virology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,2 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany
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12
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Rasche A, Sander AL, Corman VM, Drexler JF. Evolutionary biology of human hepatitis viruses. J Hepatol 2019; 70:501-520. [PMID: 30472320 PMCID: PMC7114834 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis viruses are major threats to human health. During the last decade, highly diverse viruses related to human hepatitis viruses were found in animals other than primates. Herein, we describe both surprising conservation and striking differences of the unique biological properties and infection patterns of human hepatitis viruses and their animal homologues, including transmission routes, liver tropism, oncogenesis, chronicity, pathogenesis and envelopment. We discuss the potential for translation of newly discovered hepatitis viruses into preclinical animal models for drug testing, studies on pathogenesis and vaccine development. Finally, we re-evaluate the evolutionary origins of human hepatitis viruses and discuss the past and present zoonotic potential of their animal homologues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Rasche
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, 10117 Berlin, Germany,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Germany
| | - Anna-Lena Sander
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Victor Max Corman
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, 10117 Berlin, Germany,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Germany
| | - Jan Felix Drexler
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Virology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Germany.
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