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Garambois C, Boulesteix M, Fablet M. Effects of Arboviral Infections on Transposable Element Transcript Levels in Aedes aegypti. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae092. [PMID: 38695057 PMCID: PMC11110940 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae092] [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] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements are mobile repeated sequences found in all genomes. Transposable elements are controlled by RNA interference pathways in most organisms, and this control involves the PIWI-interacting RNA pathway and the small interfering RNA pathway, which is also known to be the first line of antiviral defense in invertebrates. Using Drosophila, we recently showed that viral infections result in the modulation of transposable element transcript levels through modulation of the small RNA repertoire. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is of particular interest because almost half of its genome is made of transposable elements, and it is described as a major vector of viruses (such as the dengue [DENV], Zika [ZIKV], and chikungunya [CHIKV] arboviruses). Moreover, Aedes mosquitoes are unique among insects in that the PIWI-interacting RNA pathway is also involved in the somatic antiviral response, in addition to the transposable element control and PIWI-interacting RNA pathway genes expanded in the mosquito genome. For these reasons, we studied the impacts of viral infections on transposable element transcript levels in A. aegypti samples. We retrieved public datasets corresponding to RNA-seq data obtained from viral infections by DENV, ZIKV, and CHIKV in various tissues. We found that transposable element transcripts are moderately modulated following viral infection and that the direction of the modulation varies greatly across tissues and viruses. These results highlight the need for an in-depth investigation of the tightly intertwined interactions between transposable elements and viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Garambois
- Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive (LBBE), UMR 5558, CNRS, VAS, Villeurbanne 69622, France
| | - Matthieu Boulesteix
- Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive (LBBE), UMR 5558, CNRS, VAS, Villeurbanne 69622, France
| | - Marie Fablet
- Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive (LBBE), UMR 5558, CNRS, VAS, Villeurbanne 69622, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
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2
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Chen X, Li RT, Chen RY, Shi PD, Liu ZX, Lou YN, Wu M, Zhang RR, Tang W, Li XF, Qin CF. The subgenomic flaviviral RNA suppresses RNA interference through competing with siRNAs for binding RISC components. J Virol 2024; 98:e0195423. [PMID: 38289102 PMCID: PMC10878275 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01954-23] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
During the life cycle of mosquito-borne flaviviruses, substantial subgenomic flaviviral RNA (sfRNA) is produced via incomplete degradation of viral genomic RNA by host XRN1. Zika virus (ZIKV) sfRNA has been detected in mosquito and mammalian somatic cells. Human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) in the developing brain are the major target cells of ZIKV, and antiviral RNA interference (RNAi) plays a critical role in hNPCs. However, whether ZIKV sfRNA was produced in ZIKV-infected hNPCs as well as its function remains not known. In this study, we demonstrate that abundant sfRNA was produced in ZIKV-infected hNPCs. RNA pulldown and mass spectrum assays showed ZIKV sfRNA interacted with host proteins RHA and PACT, both of which are RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) components. Functionally, ZIKV sfRNA can antagonize RNAi by outcompeting small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in binding to RHA and PACT. Furthermore, the 3' stem loop (3'SL) of sfRNA was responsible for RISC components binding and RNAi inhibition, and 3'SL can enhance the replication of a viral suppressor of RNAi (VSR)-deficient virus in a RHA- and PACT-dependent manner. More importantly, the ability of binding to RISC components is conversed among multiple flaviviral 3'SLs. Together, our results identified flavivirus 3'SL as a potent VSR in RNA format, highlighting the complexity in virus-host interaction during flavivirus infection.IMPORTANCEZika virus (ZIKV) infection mainly targets human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and induces cell death and dysregulated cell-cycle progression, leading to microcephaly and other central nervous system abnormalities. RNA interference (RNAi) plays critical roles during ZIKV infections in hNPCs, and ZIKV has evolved to encode specific viral proteins to antagonize RNAi. Herein, we first show that abundant sfRNA was produced in ZIKV-infected hNPCs in a similar pattern to that in other cells. Importantly, ZIKV sfRNA acts as a potent viral suppressor of RNAi (VSR) by competing with siRNAs for binding RISC components, RHA and PACT. The 3'SL of sfRNA is responsible for binding RISC components, which is a conserved feature among mosquito-borne flaviviruses. As most known VSRs are viral proteins, our findings highlight the importance of viral non-coding RNAs during the antagonism of host RNAi-based antiviral innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Chen
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Rui-Ting Li
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ru-Yi Chen
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Pan-Deng Shi
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Zi-Xin Liu
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Nan Lou
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Wu
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Rong-Rong Zhang
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Tang
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Li
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng-Feng Qin
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- Research Unit of Discovery and Tracing of Natural Focus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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3
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Zhang X, Li Y, Cao Y, Wu Y, Cheng G. The Role of Noncoding RNA in the Transmission and Pathogenicity of Flaviviruses. Viruses 2024; 16:242. [PMID: 38400018 PMCID: PMC10892091 DOI: 10.3390/v16020242] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute a class of RNA molecules that lack protein-coding capacity. ncRNAs frequently modulate gene expression through specific interactions with target proteins or messenger RNAs, thereby playing integral roles in a wide array of cellular processes. The Flavivirus genus comprises several significant members, such as dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and yellow fever virus (YFV), which have caused global outbreaks, resulting in high morbidity and mortality in human populations. The life cycle of arthropod-borne flaviviruses encompasses their transmission between hematophagous insect vectors and mammalian hosts. During this process, a complex three-way interplay occurs among the pathogen, vector, and host, with ncRNAs exerting a critical regulatory influence. ncRNAs not only constitute a crucial regulatory mechanism that has emerged from the coevolution of viruses and their hosts but also hold potential as antiviral targets for controlling flavivirus epidemics. This review introduces the biogenesis of flavivirus-derived ncRNAs and summarizes the regulatory roles of ncRNAs in viral replication, vector-mediated viral transmission, antiviral innate immunity, and viral pathogenicity. A profound comprehension of the interplay between ncRNAs and flaviviruses will help formulate efficacious prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against flavivirus-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwen Zhang
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Yuhan Li
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; (Y.L.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yingyi Cao
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; (Y.L.); (Y.C.)
| | - Ying Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Institute of Medical Virology, TaiKang Medical School, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Gong Cheng
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; (Y.L.); (Y.C.)
- Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming 650092, China
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Gemmill DL, Nelson CR, Badmalia MD, Pereira HS, Kerr L, Wolfinger MT, Patel TR. The 3' terminal region of Zika virus RNA contains a conserved G-quadruplex and is unfolded by human DDX17. Biochem Cell Biol 2024; 102:96-105. [PMID: 37774422 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2023-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection remains a worldwide concern, and currently no effective treatments or vaccines are available. Novel therapeutics are an avenue of interest that could probe viral RNA-human protein communication to stop viral replication. One specific RNA structure, G-quadruplexes (G4s), possess various roles in viruses and all domains of life, including transcription and translation regulation and genome stability, and serves as nucleation points for RNA liquid-liquid phase separation. Previous G4 studies on ZIKV using a quadruplex forming G-rich sequences Mapper located a potential G-quadruplex sequence in the 3' terminal region (TR) and was validated structurally using a 25-mer oligo. It is currently unknown if this structure is conserved and maintained in a large ZIKV RNA transcript and its specific roles in viral replication. Using bioinformatic analysis and biochemical assays, we demonstrate that the ZIKV 3' TR G4 is conserved across all ZIKV isolates and maintains its structure in a 3' TR full-length transcript. We further established the G4 formation using pyridostatin and the BG4 G4-recognizing antibody binding assays. Our study also demonstrates that the human DEAD-box helicases, DDX3X132-607 and DDX17135-555, bind to the 3' TR and that DDX17135-555 unfolds the G4 present in the 3' TR. These findings provide a path forward in potential therapeutic targeting of DDX3X or DDX17's binding to the 3' TR G4 region for novel treatments against ZIKV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dannielle L Gemmill
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Corey R Nelson
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Maulik D Badmalia
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Higor S Pereira
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Liam Kerr
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Michael T Wolfinger
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 29, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- RNA Forecast e.U., 1140 Vienna, Austria
| | - Trushar R Patel
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute & Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology and Discovery Lab, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
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Nemes K, Gil JF, Liebe S, Mansi M, Poimenopoulou E, Lennefors BL, Varrelmann M, Savenkov EI. Intermolecular base-pairing interactions, a unique topology and exoribonuclease-resistant noncoding RNAs drive formation of viral chimeric RNAs in plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:861-877. [PMID: 37897070 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
In plants, exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs) are produced by many viruses. Whereas xrRNAs contribute to the pathogenicity of these viruses, the role of xrRNAs in the virus infectious cycle remains elusive. Here, we show that xrRNAs produced by a benyvirus (a multipartite RNA virus with four genomic segments) in plants are involved in the formation of monocistronic coat protein (CP)-encoding chimeric RNAs. Naturally occurring chimeric RNAs, we discovered, are composed of 5'-end of RNA 2 and 3'-end of either RNA 3 or RNA 4 bearing conservative exoribonuclease-resistant 'coremin' region. Using computational tools and site-directed mutagenesis, we show that de novo formation of chimeric RNAs requires intermolecular base-pairing interaction between 'coremin' and 3'-proximal part of the CP gene of RNA 2 as well as a stem-loop structure immediately adjacent to the CP gene. Moreover, knockdown of the expression of the XRN4 gene, encoding 5'→3' exoribonuclease, inhibits biogenesis of both xrRNAs and chimeric RNAs. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism involving a unique tropology of the intermolecular base-pairing complex between xrRNAs and RNA2 to promote formation of chimeric RNAs in plants. XrRNAs, essential for chimeric RNA biogenesis, are generated through the action of cytoplasmic Xrn 4 5'→3' exoribonuclease conserved in all plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin Nemes
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Jose F Gil
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
- VEDAS Corporación de Investigación e Innovación (VEDAS CII), Medellín, 050024, Colombia
| | - Sebastian Liebe
- Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Sugar Beet Research, Göttingen, 37079, Germany
| | - Mansi Mansi
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Efstratia Poimenopoulou
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | | | - Mark Varrelmann
- Department of Phytopathology, Institute of Sugar Beet Research, Göttingen, 37079, Germany
| | - Eugene I Savenkov
- Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
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Liu Y, Guan W, Liu H. Subgenomic Flaviviral RNAs of Dengue Viruses. Viruses 2023; 15:2306. [PMID: 38140548 PMCID: PMC10747610 DOI: 10.3390/v15122306] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Subgenomic flaviviral RNAs (sfRNAs) are produced during flavivirus infections in both arthropod and vertebrate cells. They are undegraded products originating from the viral 3' untranslated region (3' UTR), a result of the action of the host 5'-3' exoribonuclease, Xrn1, when it encounters specific RNA structures known as Xrn1-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs) within the viral 3' UTR. Dengue viruses generate three to four distinct species of sfRNAs through the presence of two xrRNAs and two dumbbell structures (DBs). The tertiary structures of xrRNAs have been characterized to form a ringlike structure around the 5' end of the viral RNA, effectively inhibiting the activity of Xrn1. The most important role of DENV sfRNAs is to inhibit host antiviral responses by interacting with viral and host proteins, thereby influencing viral pathogenicity, replicative fitness, epidemiological fitness, and transmission. In this review, we aimed to summarize the biogenesis, structures, and functions of DENV sfRNAs, exploring their implications for viral interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Wuxiang Guan
- Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan 430200, China
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430207, China
| | - Haibin Liu
- Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan 430200, China
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430207, China
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7
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Hu H, Feng Y, He ML. Targeting Type I Interferon Induction and Signaling: How Zika Virus Escapes from Host Innate Immunity. Int J Biol Sci 2023; 19:3015-3028. [PMID: 37416780 PMCID: PMC10321277 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.83056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection causes neurological disorders and draws great attention. ZIKV infection can elicit a wide range of immune response. Type I interferons (IFNs) as well as its signaling cascade play crucial role in innate immunity against ZIKV infection and in turn ZIKV can antagonize them. ZIKV genome are mainly recognized by Toll-like receptors 3 (TLR3), TLR7/8 and RIG-I-like receptor 1 (RIG-1), which induces the expression of Type I IFNs and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). ISGs exert antiviral activity at different stages of the ZIKV life cycle. On the other hand, ZIKV takes multiple strategies to antagonize the Type Ⅰ IFN induction and its signaling pathway to establish a pathogenic infection, especially by using the viral nonstructural (NS) proteins. Most of the NS proteins can directly interact with the factors in the pathways to escape the innate immunity. In addition, structural proteins also participate in the innate immune evasion and activation of antibody-binding of blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2) or inflammasome also be used to enhance ZIKV replication. In this review, we summarize the recent findings about the interaction between ZIKV infection and type I IFNs pathways and suggest potential strategies for antiviral drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Hu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yaxiu Feng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ming-Liang He
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
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8
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Xu Y, Xu J, Liu T, Liu P, Chen XG. Metagenomic analysis reveals the virome profiles of Aedes albopictus in Guangzhou, China. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1133120. [PMID: 37333852 PMCID: PMC10272843 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1133120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aedes albopictus is an aggressive invasive mosquito species widely distributed around the world, and it is also a known vector of arboviruses. Virus metagenomics and RNA interference (RNAi) are important in studying the biology and antiviral defense of Ae. albopictus. However, the virome and potential transmission of plant viruses by Ae. albopictus remain understudied. Methods Mosquito samples of Ae. albopictus were collected from Guangzhou, China, and small RNA sequencing was performed. Raw data were filtered, and virus-associated contigs were generated using VirusDetect. The small RNA profiles were analyzed, and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed. Results The small RNA sequencing of pooled Ae. albopictus revealed the presence of five known viruses, including Wenzhou sobemo-like virus 4, mosquito nodavirus, Aedes flavivirus, Hubei chryso-like virus 1, and Tobacco rattle virus RNA1. Additionally, 21 new viruses that had not been previously reported were identified. The mapping of reads and contig assembly provided insights into the viral diversity and genomic characteristics of these viruses. Field survey confirmed the detection of the identified viruses in Ae. albopictus collected from Guangzhou. Discussion The comprehensive analysis of the virus metagenomics of Ae. albopictus in this study sheds light on the diversity and prevalence of viruses in mosquito populations. The presence of known and novel viruses highlights the need for continued surveillance and investigation into their potential impact on public health. The findings also emphasize the importance of understanding the virome and potential transmission of plant viruses by Ae. albopictus. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the virome of Ae. albopictus and its potential role as a vector for both known and novel viruses. Further research is needed to expand the sample size, explore additional viruses, and investigate the implications for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Xu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiabao Xu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tong Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peiwen Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Guang Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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9
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Körsten C, Al-Hosary AA, Holicki CM, Schäfer M, Tews BA, Vasić A, Ziegler U, Groschup MH, Silaghi C. Simultaneous Coinfections with West Nile Virus and Usutu Virus in Culex pipiens and Aedes vexans Mosquitoes. Transbound Emerg Dis 2023. [DOI: 10.1155/2023/6305484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
The mosquito-borne zoonotic flaviviruses West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are endemic in many European countries and emerged in Germany in recent years. Due to the increasing overlap of their distribution areas and their similar epidemiology, coinfections of WNV and USUV are possible. Indeed, coinfections in vertebrate hosts as a rare event have already been reported from some countries including Germany. However, it is largely unknown whether and to what extent coinfections could affect the vector competence of mosquitoes for WNV and USUV. For this purpose, the mosquito species Culex pipiens biotype pipiens, Culex pipiens biotype molestus, and Aedes vexans were orally infected in mono- and simultaneous coinfections with German strains of WNV and USUV. Mosquitoes were incubated for 14 days at 26°C, 85% relative humidity, and a 16 : 8 light-dark photocycle, before they were dissected and forced to salivate. The results showed a decrease in USUV susceptibility in Culex pipiens biotype pipiens, an increase in USUV susceptibility in Aedes vexans, and no obvious interaction between both viruses in Culex pipiens biotype molestus. Vector competence for WNV appeared to be unaffected by a simultaneous occurrence of USUV in all tested mosquito species. Coinfections with both viruses were only found in Culex mosquitoes, and cotransmission of WNV and USUV was observed in Culex pipiens biotype molestus. Overall, our results show that viral interactions between WNV and USUV vary between mosquito species, and that the interaction mainly occurs during infection and replication in the mosquito midgut. The results of this study confirm that to fully understand the interaction between WNV and USUV, studies with various mosquito species are necessary. In addition, we found that even mosquito species with a low susceptibility to both viruses, such as Ae. vexans, can play a role in their transmission in areas with cocirculation.
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10
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Blair CD. A Brief History of the Discovery of RNA-Mediated Antiviral Immune Defenses in Vector Mosquitos. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0019121. [PMID: 36511720 PMCID: PMC10029339 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00191-21] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) persist in a natural cycle that includes infections of humans or other vertebrates and transmission between vertebrates by infected arthropods, most commonly mosquitos. Arboviruses can cause serious, sometimes fatal diseases in humans and other vertebrates but cause little pathology in their mosquito vectors. Knowledge of the interactions between mosquito vectors and the arboviruses that they transmit is an important facet of developing schemes to control transmission. Mosquito innate immune responses to virus infection modulate virus replication in the vector, and understanding the components and mechanisms of the immune response could lead to improved methods for interrupting the transmission cycle. The most important aspect of mosquito antiviral defense is the exogenous small interfering RNA (exo-siRNA) pathway, one arm of the RNA interference (RNAi) silencing response. Our research as well as that of many other groups over the past 25 years to define this pathway are reviewed here. A more recently recognized but less well-understood RNA-mediated mosquito defense against arbovirus infections, the PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway, is also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol D Blair
- Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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11
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Hardin LT, Xiao N. miRNAs: The Key Regulator of COVID-19 Disease. Int J Cell Biol 2022; 2022:1645366. [PMID: 36345541 PMCID: PMC9637033 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1645366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
As many parts of the world continue to fight the innumerable waves of COVID-19 infection, SARS-CoV-2 continues to sculpt its antigenic determinants to enhance its virulence and evolvability. Several vaccines were developed and used around the world, and oral antiviral medications are being developed against SARS-CoV-2. However, studies showed that the virus is mutating in line with the antibody's neutralization escape; thus, new therapeutic alternatives are solicited. We hereby review the key role that miRNAs can play as epigenetic mediators of the cross-talk between SARS-CoV-2 and the host cells. The limitations resulting from the "virus intelligence" to escape and antagonize the host miRNAs as well as the possible mechanisms that could be used in the viral evasion strategies are discussed. Lastly, we suggest new therapeutic approaches based on viral miRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Tahrani Hardin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, 94103 CA, USA
| | - Nan Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, 94103 CA, USA
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12
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Avila-Bonilla RG, Salas-Benito JS. Interactions of host miRNAs in the flavivirus 3´UTR genome: From bioinformatics predictions to practical approaches. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:976843. [PMID: 36310869 PMCID: PMC9606609 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.976843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Flavivirus of the Flaviviridae family includes important viruses, such as Dengue, Zika, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, Murray Valley encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, Yellow fever, Saint Louis encephalitis, and Usutu viruses. They are transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks, and they can infect humans, causing fever, encephalitis, or haemorrhagic fever. The treatment resources for these diseases and the number of vaccines available are limited. It has been discovered that eukaryotic cells synthesize small RNA molecules that can bind specifically to sequences present in messenger RNAs to inhibit the translation process, thus regulating gene expression. These small RNAs have been named microRNAs, and they have an important impact on viral infections. In this review, we compiled the available information on miRNAs that can interact with the 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of the flavivirus genome, a conserved region that is important for viral replication and translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Gamaliel Avila-Bonilla
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Rodolfo Gamaliel Avila-Bonilla, ; Juan Santiago Salas-Benito,
| | - Juan Santiago Salas-Benito
- Laboratorio de Biomedicina Moleculart 3, Maestría en Ciencias en Biomedicina Molecular, Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Rodolfo Gamaliel Avila-Bonilla, ; Juan Santiago Salas-Benito,
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13
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Lin S, Zhang SL, Yin HT, Zhao ZM, Chen ZK, Shen MM, Zhang ZD, Guo XJ, Wu P. Cellular Lnc_209997 suppresses Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus replication by targeting miR-275-5p in B. mori. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 31:308-316. [PMID: 35060217 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA molecule, which exceeds 200 nucleotides in length and participates in the regulation of a variety of life activities. Recent studies showed that lncRNAs play important roles in viral infection and host immunity. At present, the researches on insect lncRNAs are relatively few. In this study, we found the expression of Lnc_209997 was significantly down-regulated in silkworm fat body infected with Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrosis virus (BmNPV). Inhibition of Lnc_209997 promoted BmNPV replication. Enhancing the expression of Lnc_209997 inhibited the proliferation of BmNPV. miR-275-5p was up-regulated in silkworm fat body infected with BmNPV. Dual luciferase reporter gene system confirmed the interaction between Lnc_209997 and miR-275-5p. Over-expression of Lnc_209997 inhibited the expression of miR-275-5p, while inhibition of Lnc_209997 enhanced the expression of miR-275-5p. Further, over-expression of miR-275-5p can facilitate the replication of BmNPV. These results suggested that BmNPV could increase the expression of miR-275-5p by inhibiting cellular Lnc_209997 expression to promote their own proliferation. Our results are helpful for better understanding the role of lncRNAs in BmNPV infection, and provide insights into elucidating the molecular mechanism of interaction between Bombyx mori and virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Lin
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shao Lun Zhang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hao Tong Yin
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhi Meng Zhao
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zi Kang Chen
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Man Man Shen
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zheng Dong Zhang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xi Jie Guo
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ping Wu
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
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14
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Wang Q, Wang J, Xu Y, Li Z, Wang B, Li Y. The Interaction of Influenza A NS1 and Cellular TRBP Protein Modulates the Function of RNA Interference Machinery. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:859420. [PMID: 35558132 PMCID: PMC9087287 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.859420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV), one of the most prevalent respiratory diseases, causes pandemics around the world. The multifunctional non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of IAV is a viral antagonist that suppresses host antiviral response. However, the mechanism by which NS1 modulates the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway remains unclear. Here, we identified interactions between NS1 proteins of Influenza A/PR8/34 (H1N1; IAV-PR8) and Influenza A/WSN/1/33 (H1N1; IAV-WSN) and Dicer’s cofactor TAR-RNA binding protein (TRBP). We found that the N-terminal RNA binding domain (RBD) of NS1 and the first two domains of TRBP protein mediated this interaction. Furthermore, two amino acid residues (Arg at position 38 and Lys at position 41) in NS1 were essential for the interaction. We generated TRBP knockout cells and found that NS1 instead of NS1 mutants (two-point mutations within NS1, R38A/K41A) inhibited the process of microRNA (miRNA) maturation by binding with TRBP. PR8-infected cells showed masking of short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated RNAi, which was not observed after mutant virus-containing NS1 mutation (R38A/K41A, termed PR8/3841) infection. Moreover, abundant viral small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) were detected in vitro and in vivo upon PR8/3841 infection. We identify, for the first time, the interaction between NS1 and TRBP that affects host RNAi machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Binbin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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15
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Krishnamoorthy P, Raj AS, Kumar P, Das N, Kumar H. Host and viral non-coding RNAs in dengue pathogenesis. Rev Med Virol 2022; 32:e2360. [PMID: 35510480 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2360] [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: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes frequent outbreaks in tropical countries. Due to the four different serotypes and ever-mutating RNA genome, it is challenging to develop efficient therapeutics. Early diagnosis is crucial to prevent the severe form of dengue, leading to mortality. In the past decade, rapid advancement in the high throughput sequencing technologies has shed light on the crucial regulating role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), also known as the "dark matter" of the genome, in various pathological processes. In addition to the human host ncRNAs like microRNAs and circular RNAs, DENV also produces ncRNAs such as subgenomic flaviviral RNAs that can modulate the virus life cycle and regulate disease outcomes. This review outlines the advances in understanding the interplay between the human host and DENV ncRNAs, their regulation of the innate immune system of the host, and the prospects of the ncRNAs in clinical applications such as dengue diagnosis and promising therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pandikannan Krishnamoorthy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Athira S Raj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Pramod Kumar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Nilanjana Das
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Himanshu Kumar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.,Laboratory of Host Defense, WPI Immunology, Frontier Research Centre, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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16
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Loquacious modulates flaviviral RNA replication in mosquito cells. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010163. [PMID: 35482886 PMCID: PMC9089905 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod-borne viruses infect both mosquito and mammalian hosts. While much is known about virus-host interactions that modulate viral gene expression in their mammalian host, much less is known about the interactions that involve inhibition, subversion or avoidance strategies in the mosquito host. A novel RNA-Protein interaction detection assay was used to detect proteins that directly or indirectly bind to dengue viral genomes in infected mosquito cells. Membrane-associated mosquito proteins Sec61A1 and Loquacious (Loqs) were found to be in complex with the viral RNA. Depletion analysis demonstrated that both Sec61A1 and Loqs have pro-viral functions in the dengue viral infectious cycle. Co-localization and pull-down assays showed that Loqs interacts with viral protein NS3 and both full-length and subgenomic viral RNAs. While Loqs coats the entire positive-stranded viral RNA, it binds selectively to the 3’ end of the negative-strand of the viral genome. In-depth analyses showed that the absence of Loqs did not affect translation or turnover of the viral RNA but modulated viral replication. Loqs also displayed pro-viral functions for several flaviviruses in infected mosquito cells, suggesting a conserved role for Loqs in flavivirus-infected mosquito cells. There is a wealth of information that dictates virus-host interactions in flavivirus-infected mammalian cells, yet there is only sparse information on the mechanisms that modulate viral gene expression in the mosquito host. Using a novel RNA-protein detection assay, the interactions of Sec61A1 and Loqs with the dengue viral genome were found to have pro-viral functions in infected mosquito cells. In particular, Loqs forms complexes with the positive-strand of the viral RNA and the very 3’ end of the negative-strand viral RNA. Further analyses showed that Loqs modulates viral RNA replication of dengue virus and gene amplification of several other flaviviral genomes. These findings argue that Loqs is an essential pro-viral host factor in mosquitos.
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17
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Gestuveo RJ, Parry R, Dickson LB, Lequime S, Sreenu VB, Arnold MJ, Khromykh AA, Schnettler E, Lambrechts L, Varjak M, Kohl A. Mutational analysis of Aedes aegypti Dicer 2 provides insights into the biogenesis of antiviral exogenous small interfering RNAs. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010202. [PMID: 34990484 PMCID: PMC8769306 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The exogenous small interfering RNA (exo-siRNA) pathway is a key antiviral mechanism in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a widely distributed vector of human-pathogenic arboviruses. This pathway is induced by virus-derived double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) that are cleaved by the ribonuclease Dicer 2 (Dcr2) into predominantly 21 nucleotide (nt) virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs). These vsiRNAs are used by the effector protein Argonaute 2 within the RNA-induced silencing complex to cleave target viral RNA. Dcr2 contains several domains crucial for its activities, including helicase and RNase III domains. In Drosophila melanogaster Dcr2, the helicase domain has been associated with binding to dsRNA with blunt-ended termini and a processive siRNA production mechanism, while the platform-PAZ domains bind dsRNA with 3’ overhangs and subsequent distributive siRNA production. Here we analyzed the contributions of the helicase and RNase III domains in Ae. aegypti Dcr2 to antiviral activity and to the exo-siRNA pathway. Conserved amino acids in the helicase and RNase III domains were identified to investigate Dcr2 antiviral activity in an Ae. aegypti-derived Dcr2 knockout cell line by reporter assays and infection with mosquito-borne Semliki Forest virus (Togaviridae, Alphavirus). Functionally relevant amino acids were found to be conserved in haplotype Dcr2 sequences from field-derived Ae. aegypti across different continents. The helicase and RNase III domains were critical for silencing activity and 21 nt vsiRNA production, with RNase III domain activity alone determined to be insufficient for antiviral activity. Analysis of 21 nt vsiRNA sequences (produced by functional Dcr2) to assess the distribution and phasing along the viral genome revealed diverse yet highly consistent vsiRNA pools, with predominantly short or long sequence overlaps including 19 nt overlaps (the latter representing most likely true Dcr2 cleavage products). Combined with the importance of the Dcr2 helicase domain, this suggests that the majority of 21 nt vsiRNAs originate by processive cleavage. This study sheds new light on Ae. aegypti Dcr2 functions and properties in this important arbovirus vector species. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit human-pathogenic viruses rely on the exogenous small interfering RNA (exo-siRNA) pathway as part of antiviral responses. This pathway is triggered by virus-derived double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) produced during viral replication that is then cleaved by Dicer 2 (Dcr2) into virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs). These vsiRNAs target viral RNA, leading to suppression of viral replication. The importance of Dcr2 in this pathway has been intensely studied in the Drosophila melanogaster model but is largely lacking in mosquitoes. Here, we have identified conserved and functionally relevant amino acids in the helicase and RNase III domains of Ae. aegypti Dcr2 that are important in its silencing activity and antiviral responses against Semliki Forest virus (SFV). Small RNA sequencing of SFV-infected mosquito cells with functional or mutated Dcr2 gave new insights into the nature and origin of vsiRNAs. The findings of this study, together with the different molecular tools we have previously developed to investigate the exo-siRNA pathway of mosquito cells, have started to uncover important properties of Dcr2 that could be valuable in understanding mosquito-arbovirus interactions and potentially in developing or assisting vector control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rommel J. Gestuveo
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines
- * E-mail: (R.J.G.); (M.V.); (A.K.)
| | - Rhys Parry
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Laura B. Dickson
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sebastian Lequime
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France
- Cluster of Microbial Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Matthew J. Arnold
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander A. Khromykh
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Global Virus Network Centre of Excellence, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Esther Schnettler
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, University Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louis Lambrechts
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Margus Varjak
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- * E-mail: (R.J.G.); (M.V.); (A.K.)
| | - Alain Kohl
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (R.J.G.); (M.V.); (A.K.)
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18
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Effects of the noncoding subgenomic RNA of red clover necrotic mosaic virus in virus infection. J Virol 2021; 96:e0181521. [PMID: 34851690 PMCID: PMC8826918 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01815-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a new class of viral noncoding subgenomic RNA (ncsgRNA) has been identified. This RNA is generated as a stable degradation product via an exoribonuclease-resistant RNA (xrRNA) structure, which blocks the progression of 5′→3′ exoribonuclease on viral RNAs in infected cells. Here, we assess the effects of the ncsgRNA of red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV), called SR1f, in infected plants. We demonstrate the following: (i) the absence of SR1f reduces symptoms and decreases viral RNA accumulation in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana plants; (ii) SR1f has an essential function other than suppression of RNA silencing; and (iii) the cytoplasmic exoribonuclease involved in mRNA turnover, XRN4, is not required for SR1f production or virus infection. A comparative transcriptomic analysis in N. benthamiana infected with wild-type RCNMV or an SR1f-deficient mutant RCNMV revealed that wild-type RCNMV infection, which produces SR1f and much higher levels of virus, has a greater and more significant impact on cellular gene expression than the SR1f-deficient mutant. Upregulated pathways include plant hormone signaling, plant-pathogen interaction, MAPK signaling, and several metabolic pathways, while photosynthesis-related genes were downregulated. We compare this to host genes known to participate in infection by other tombusvirids. Viral reads revealed a 10- to 100-fold ratio of positive to negative strand, and the abundance of reads of both strands mapping to the 3′ region of RCNMV RNA1 support the premature transcription termination mechanism of synthesis for the coding sgRNA. These results provide a framework for future studies of the interactions and functions of noncoding RNAs of plant viruses. IMPORTANCE Knowledge of how RNA viruses manipulate host and viral gene expression is crucial to our understanding of infection and disease. Unlike viral protein-host interactions, little is known about the control of gene expression by viral RNA. Here, we begin to address this question by investigating the noncoding subgenomic RNA (ncsgRNA) of red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV), called SR1f. Similar exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs of flaviviruses are well studied, but the roles of plant viral ncsgRNAs, and how they arise, are poorly understood. Surprisingly, we find the likely exonuclease candidate, XRN4, is not required to generate SR1f, and we assess the effects of SR1f on virus accumulation and symptom development. Finally, we compare the effects of infection by wild-type RCNMV versus an SR1f-deficient mutant on host gene expression in Nicotiana benthamiana, which reveals that ncsgRNAs such as SR1f are key players in virus-host interactions to facilitate productive infection.
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19
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Elrefaey AME, Hollinghurst P, Reitmayer CM, Alphey L, Maringer K. Innate Immune Antagonism of Mosquito-Borne Flaviviruses in Humans and Mosquitoes. Viruses 2021; 13:2116. [PMID: 34834923 PMCID: PMC8624719 DOI: 10.3390/v13112116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne viruses of the Flavivirus genus (Flaviviridae family) pose an ongoing threat to global public health. For example, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika viruses are transmitted by infected mosquitoes and cause severe and fatal diseases in humans. The means by which mosquito-borne flaviviruses establish persistent infection in mosquitoes and cause disease in humans are complex and depend upon a myriad of virus-host interactions, such as those of the innate immune system, which are the main focus of our review. This review also covers the different strategies utilized by mosquito-borne flaviviruses to antagonize the innate immune response in humans and mosquitoes. Given the lack of antiviral therapeutics for mosquito-borne flaviviruses, improving our understanding of these virus-immune interactions could lead to new antiviral therapies and strategies for developing refractory vectors incapable of transmitting these viruses, and can also provide insights into determinants of viral tropism that influence virus emergence into new species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M. E. Elrefaey
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking GU24 0NF, UK; (P.H.); (C.M.R.); (L.A.)
| | - Philippa Hollinghurst
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking GU24 0NF, UK; (P.H.); (C.M.R.); (L.A.)
- Department of Microbial Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | | | - Luke Alphey
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking GU24 0NF, UK; (P.H.); (C.M.R.); (L.A.)
| | - Kevin Maringer
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking GU24 0NF, UK; (P.H.); (C.M.R.); (L.A.)
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20
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Pashler AL, Towler BP, Jones CI, Haime HJ, Burgess T, Newbury SF. Genome-wide analyses of XRN1-sensitive targets in osteosarcoma cells identify disease-relevant transcripts containing G-rich motifs. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 27:1265-1280. [PMID: 34266995 PMCID: PMC8457002 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078872.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
XRN1 is a highly conserved exoribonuclease which degrades uncapped RNAs in a 5'-3' direction. Degradation of RNAs by XRN1 is important in many cellular and developmental processes and is relevant to human disease. Studies in D. melanogaster demonstrate that XRN1 can target specific RNAs, which have important consequences for developmental pathways. Osteosarcoma is a malignancy of the bone and accounts for 2% of all pediatric cancers worldwide. Five-year survival of patients has remained static since the 1970s and therefore furthering our molecular understanding of this disease is crucial. Previous work has shown a down-regulation of XRN1 in osteosarcoma cells; however, the transcripts regulated by XRN1 which might promote osteosarcoma remain elusive. Here, we confirm reduced levels of XRN1 in osteosarcoma cell lines and patient samples and identify XRN1-sensitive transcripts in human osteosarcoma cells. Using RNA-seq in XRN1-knockdown SAOS-2 cells, we show that 1178 genes are differentially regulated. Using a novel bioinformatic approach, we demonstrate that 134 transcripts show characteristics of direct post-transcriptional regulation by XRN1. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are enriched in this group, suggesting that XRN1 normally plays an important role in controlling lncRNA expression in these cells. Among potential lncRNAs targeted by XRN1 is HOTAIR, which is known to be up-regulated in osteosarcoma and contributes to disease progression. We have also identified G-rich and GU motifs in post-transcriptionally regulated transcripts which appear to sensitize them to XRN1 degradation. Our results therefore provide significant insights into the specificity of XRN1 in human cells which are relevant to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Pashler
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin P Towler
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher I Jones
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS, United Kingdom
| | - Hope J Haime
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Burgess
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah F Newbury
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS, United Kingdom
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21
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Aviner R, Li KH, Frydman J, Andino R. Cotranslational prolyl hydroxylation is essential for flavivirus biogenesis. Nature 2021; 596:558-564. [PMID: 34408324 PMCID: PMC8789550 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03851-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Viral pathogens are an ongoing threat to public health worldwide. Analysing their dependence on host biosynthetic pathways could lead to effective antiviral therapies1. Here we integrate proteomic analyses of polysomes with functional genomics and pharmacological interventions to define how enteroviruses and flaviviruses remodel host polysomes to synthesize viral proteins and disable host protein production. We find that infection with polio, dengue or Zika virus markedly modifies polysome composition, without major changes to core ribosome stoichiometry. These viruses use different strategies to evict a common set of translation initiation and RNA surveillance factors from polysomes while recruiting host machineries that are specifically required for viral biogenesis. Targeting these specialized viral polysomes could provide a new approach for antiviral interventions. For example, we find that both Zika and dengue use the collagen proline hydroxylation machinery to mediate cotranslational modification of conserved proline residues in the viral polyprotein. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of proline hydroxylation impairs nascent viral polyprotein folding and induces its aggregation and degradation. Notably, such interventions prevent viral polysome remodelling and lower virus production. Our findings delineate the modular nature of polysome specialization at the virus-host interface and establish a powerful strategy to identify targets for selective antiviral interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranen Aviner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kathy H Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Judith Frydman
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Raul Andino
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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22
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Ahmad W, Gull B, Baby J, Mustafa F. A Comprehensive Analysis of Northern versus Liquid Hybridization Assays for mRNAs, Small RNAs, and miRNAs Using a Non-Radiolabeled Approach. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2021; 43:457-484. [PMID: 34206608 PMCID: PMC8929067 DOI: 10.3390/cimb43020036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Northern blotting (NB), a gold standard for RNA detection, has lost its charm due to its hands-on nature, need for good quality RNA, and radioactivity. With the emergence of the field of microRNAs (miRNAs), the necessity for sensitive and quantitative NBs has again emerged. Here, we developed highly sensitive yet non-radiolabeled, fast, economical NB, and liquid hybridization (LH) assays without radioactivity or specialized reagents like locked nucleic acid (LNA)- or digoxigenin-labeled probes for mRNAs/small RNAs, especially miRNAs using biotinylated probes. An improvised means of hybridizing oligo probes along with efficient transfer, cross-linking, and signal enhancement techniques was employed. Important caveats of each assay were elaborated upon, especially issues related to probe biotinylation, use of exonuclease, and bioimagers not reported earlier. We demonstrate that, while the NBs were sensitive for mRNAs and small RNAs, our LH protocol could efficiently detect these and miRNAs using less than 10-100 times the total amount of RNA, a sensitivity comparable to radiolabeled probes. Compared to NBs, LH was a faster, more sensitive, and specific approach for mRNA/small RNA/miRNA detection. A comparison of present work with six seminal studies is presented along with detailed protocols for easy reproducibility. Overall, our study provides effective platforms to study large and small RNAs in a sensitive, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
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23
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Zammit A, Helwerda L, Olsthoorn RCL, Verbeek FJ, Gultyaev AP. A database of flavivirus RNA structures with a search algorithm for pseudoknots and triple base interactions. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:956-962. [PMID: 32866223 PMCID: PMC8128465 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation The Flavivirus genus includes several important pathogens, such as Zika, dengue and yellow fever virus. Flavivirus RNA genomes contain a number of functionally important structures in their 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs). Due to the diversity of sequences and topologies of these structures, their identification is often difficult. In contrast, predictions of such structures are important for understanding of flavivirus replication cycles and development of antiviral strategies. Results We have developed an algorithm for structured pattern search in RNA sequences, including secondary structures, pseudoknots and triple base interactions. Using the data on known conserved flavivirus 3′UTR structures, we constructed structural descriptors which covered the diversity of patterns in these motifs. The descriptors and the search algorithm were used for the construction of a database of flavivirus 3′UTR structures. Validating this approach, we identified a number of domains matching a general pattern of exoribonuclease Xrn1-resistant RNAs in the growing group of insect-specific flaviviruses. Availability and implementation The Leiden Flavivirus RNA Structure Database is available at https://rna.liacs.nl. The search algorithm is available at https://github.com/LeidenRNA/SRHS. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Zammit
- Group Imaging & Bioinformatics, Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Leon Helwerda
- Group Imaging & Bioinformatics, Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - René C L Olsthoorn
- Group Supramolecular & Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Fons J Verbeek
- Group Imaging & Bioinformatics, Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander P Gultyaev
- Group Imaging & Bioinformatics, Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3000 CA, The Netherlands
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24
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White AV, Fan M, Mazzara JM, Roper RL, Richards SL. Mosquito-infecting virus Espirito Santo virus inhibits replication and spread of dengue virus. J Med Virol 2021; 93:3362-3373. [PMID: 33219544 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The primary vector of dengue virus (DENV) is Aedes aegypti. The mosquito-infecting virus, Espirito Santo virus (ESV), does not infect Vero (mammalian) cells and grows in mosquito (C6/36) cells without cytopathic effects. Effects of ESV infection on replication of DENV were explored in vitro and in vivo, analyzing protein, RNA genome expression, and plaque formation. ESV and DENV simultaneous coinfection did not block protein synthesis from either virus but did result in inhibition of DENV replication in mosquito cells. Furthermore, ESV superinfected with DENV resulted in inhibition of DENV replication and spread in A. aegypti, thus reducing vector competence. Tissue culture experiments on viral kinetics of ESV and DENV coinfection showed that neither virus significantly affects the replication of the other in Vero, HeLa, or HEK cells. Hence, ESV blocks DENV replication in insect cells, but not the mammalian cells evaluated here. Our study provides new insights into ESV-induced suppression of DENV, a globally important pathogen impacting public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avian V White
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, Environmental Health Sciences Program, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ming Fan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jordan M Mazzara
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, Environmental Health Sciences Program, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rachel L Roper
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephanie L Richards
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, Environmental Health Sciences Program, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
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25
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Dilweg IW, Bouabda A, Dalebout T, Gultyaev AP, Bredenbeek PJ, Olsthoorn RCL. Xrn1-resistant RNA structures are well-conserved within the genus flavivirus. RNA Biol 2021; 18:709-717. [PMID: 33064973 PMCID: PMC8078501 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1830238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Subgenomic RNAs are produced by several RNA viruses through incomplete degradation of their genomic RNA by the exoribonuclease Xrn1, and have been shown to be essential for viral growth and pathogenicity. Within the flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family, two distinct classes of Xrn1-resistant RNA motifs have been proposed; one for mosquito-borne and insect-specific flaviviruses, and one for tick-borne flaviviruses and no-known-vector flaviviruses. We investigated tick-borne and no-known-vector flavivirus Xrn1-resistant RNA motifs through systematic in vitro mutational analysis and showed that both classes actually possess very similar structural configurations, including a double pseudoknot and a base-triple at identical, conserved locations. For the no-known-vector flavivirus Modoc virus, we show that in vivo generation of subgenomic flaviviral RNA was affected by mutations targeted at nucleotides involved in the structural features of flaviviral Xrn1-resistant RNA motifs that were defined in this work. Our results suggest that throughout the genus flavivirus Xrn1-resistant RNA motifs adopt the same topologically conserved structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivar W. Dilweg
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Assia Bouabda
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Dalebout
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander P. Gultyaev
- Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J. Bredenbeek
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - R. C. L. Olsthoorn
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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26
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Ahmed W, Neelakanta G, Sultana H. Tetraspanins as Potential Therapeutic Candidates for Targeting Flaviviruses. Front Immunol 2021; 12:630571. [PMID: 33968023 PMCID: PMC8097176 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.630571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tetraspanin family of proteins participates in numerous fundamental signaling pathways involved in viral transmission, virus-specific immunity, and virus-mediated vesicular trafficking. Studies in the identification of novel therapeutic candidates and strategies to target West Nile virus, dengue and Zika viruses are highly warranted due to the failure in development of vaccines. Recent evidences have shown that the widely distributed tetraspanin proteins may provide a platform for the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In this review, we discuss the diversified and important functions of tetraspanins in exosome/extracellular vesicle biology, virus-host interactions, virus-mediated vesicular trafficking, modulation of immune mechanism(s), and their possible role(s) in host antiviral defense mechanism(s) through interactions with noncoding RNAs. We also highlight the role of tetraspanins in the development of novel therapeutics to target arthropod-borne flaviviral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waqas Ahmed
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
| | - Girish Neelakanta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
| | - Hameeda Sultana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States.,Center for Molecular Medicine, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
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27
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Dilweg IW, Savina A, Köthe S, Gultyaev AP, Bredenbeek PJ, Olsthoorn RCL. All genera of Flaviviridae host a conserved Xrn1-resistant RNA motif. RNA Biol 2021; 18:2321-2329. [PMID: 33858294 PMCID: PMC8632102 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1907044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
After infection by flaviviruses like Zika and West Nile virus, eukaryotic hosts employ the well-conserved endoribonuclease Xrn1 to degrade the viral genomic RNA. Within the 3' untranslated regions, this enzyme encounters intricate Xrn1-resistant structures. This results in the accumulation of subgenomic flaviviral RNAs, an event that improves viral growth and aggravates viral pathogenicity. Xrn1-resistant RNAs have been established throughout the flaviviral genus, but not yet throughout the entire Flaviviridae family. In this work, we use previously determined characteristics of these structures to identify homologous sequences in many members of the genera pegivirus, hepacivirus and pestivirus. We used structural alignment and mutational analyses to establish that these sequences indeed represent Xrn1-resistant RNA and that they employ the general features of the flaviviral xrRNAs, consisting of a double pseudoknot formed by five base-paired regions stitched together by a crucial triple base interaction. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the pestivirus Bungowannah virus produces subgenomic RNA in vivo. Altogether, these results indicate that viruses make use of a universal Xrn1-resistant RNA throughout the Flaviviridae family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivar W Dilweg
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anya Savina
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Köthe
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alexander P Gultyaev
- Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science, Leiden University, RA, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Bredenbeek
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - René C L Olsthoorn
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
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28
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Ramos-Lorente S, Romero-López C, Berzal-Herranz A. Information Encoded by the Flavivirus Genomes beyond the Nucleotide Sequence. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3738. [PMID: 33916729 PMCID: PMC8038387 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Flavivirus comprises numerous, small, single positive-stranded RNA viruses, many of which are important human pathogens. To store all the information required for their successful propagation, flaviviruses use discrete structural genomic RNA elements to code for functional information by the establishment of dynamic networks of long-range RNA-RNA interactions that promote specific folding. These structural elements behave as true cis-acting, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and have essential regulatory roles in the viral cycle. These include the control of the formation of subgenomic RNAs, known as sfRNAs, via the prevention of the complete degradation of the RNA genome. These sfRNAs are important in ensuring viral fitness. This work summarizes our current knowledge of the functions performed by the genome conformations and the role of RNA-RNA interactions in these functions. It also reviews the role of RNA structure in the production of sfRNAs across the genus Flavivirus, and their existence in related viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Romero-López
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN-CSIC), Av. Conocimiento 17, Armilla, 18016 Granada, Spain;
| | - Alfredo Berzal-Herranz
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN-CSIC), Av. Conocimiento 17, Armilla, 18016 Granada, Spain;
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29
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Abstract
Viral infections lead to the death of more than a million people each year around the world, both directly and indirectly. Viruses interfere with many cell functions, particularly critical pathways for cell death, by affecting various intracellular mediators. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a major example of these mediators because they are involved in many (if not most) cellular mechanisms. Virus-regulated miRNAs have been implicated in three cell death pathways, namely, apoptosis, autophagy, and anoikis. Several molecules (e.g., BECN1 and B cell lymphoma 2 [BCL2] family members) are involved in both apoptosis and autophagy, while activation of anoikis leads to cell death similar to apoptosis. These mechanistic similarities suggest that common regulators, including some miRNAs (e.g., miR-21 and miR-192), are involved in different cell death pathways. Because the balance between cell proliferation and cell death is pivotal to the homeostasis of the human body, miRNAs that regulate cell death pathways have drawn much attention from researchers. miR-21 is regulated by several viruses and can affect both apoptosis and anoikis via modulating various targets, such as PDCD4, PTEN, interleukin (IL)-12, Maspin, and Fas-L. miR-34 can be downregulated by viral infection and has different effects on apoptosis, depending on the type of virus and/or host cell. The present review summarizes the existing knowledge on virus-regulated miRNAs involved in the modulation of cell death pathways. Understanding the mechanisms for virus-mediated regulation of cell death pathways could provide valuable information to improve the diagnosis and treatment of many viral diseases.
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30
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Ma Q, Srivastav SP, Gamez S, Dayama G, Feitosa-Suntheimer F, Patterson EI, Johnson RM, Matson EM, Gold AS, Brackney DE, Connor JH, Colpitts TM, Hughes GL, Rasgon JL, Nolan T, Akbari OS, Lau NC. A mosquito small RNA genomics resource reveals dynamic evolution and host responses to viruses and transposons. Genome Res 2021; 31:512-528. [PMID: 33419731 PMCID: PMC7919454 DOI: 10.1101/gr.265157.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Although mosquitoes are major transmission vectors for pathogenic arboviruses, viral infection has little impact on mosquito health. This immunity is caused in part by mosquito RNA interference (RNAi) pathways that generate antiviral small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). RNAi also maintains genome integrity by potently repressing mosquito transposon activity in the germline and soma. However, viral and transposon small RNA regulatory pathways have not been systematically examined together in mosquitoes. Therefore, we developed an integrated mosquito small RNA genomics (MSRG) resource that analyzes the transposon and virus small RNA profiles in mosquito cell cultures and somatic and gonadal tissues across four medically important mosquito species. Our resource captures both somatic and gonadal small RNA expression profiles within mosquito cell cultures, and we report the evolutionary dynamics of a novel Mosquito-Conserved piRNA Cluster Locus (MCpiRCL) made up of satellite DNA repeats. In the larger culicine mosquito genomes we detected highly regular periodicity in piRNA biogenesis patterns coinciding with the expansion of Piwi pathway genes. Finally, our resource enables detection of cross talk between piRNA and siRNA populations in mosquito cells during a response to virus infection. The MSRG resource will aid efforts to dissect and combat the capacity of mosquitoes to tolerate and spread arboviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qicheng Ma
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Satyam P Srivastav
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Stephanie Gamez
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Gargi Dayama
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Fabiana Feitosa-Suntheimer
- Department of Microbiology and the National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Edward I Patterson
- Departments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca M Johnson
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Erik M Matson
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Alexander S Gold
- Department of Microbiology and the National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Douglas E Brackney
- Department of Environmental Sciences, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - John H Connor
- Department of Microbiology and the National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Tonya M Colpitts
- Department of Microbiology and the National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
| | - Grant L Hughes
- Departments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Tony Nolan
- Departments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Nelson C Lau
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
- Boston University Genome Science Institute and the National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA
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31
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Torres MC, Lima de Mendonça MC, Damasceno dos Santos Rodrigues C, Fonseca V, Ribeiro MS, Brandão AP, Venâncio da Cunha R, Dias AI, Santos Vilas Boas L, Felix AC, Alves Pereira M, de Oliveira Pinto LM, Sakuntabhai A, Bispo de Filippis AM. Dengue Virus Serotype 2 Intrahost Diversity in Patients with Different Clinical Outcomes. Viruses 2021; 13:v13020349. [PMID: 33672226 PMCID: PMC7926750 DOI: 10.3390/v13020349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrahost genetic diversity is thought to facilitate arbovirus adaptation to changing environments and hosts, and it might also be linked to viral pathogenesis. Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) has circulated in Brazil since 1990 and is associated with severe disease and explosive outbreaks. Intending to shed light on the viral determinants for severe dengue pathogenesis, we sought to analyze the DENV-2 intrahost genetic diversity in 68 patient cases clinically classified as dengue fever (n = 31), dengue with warning signs (n = 19), and severe dengue (n = 18). Unlike previous DENV intrahost diversity studies whose approaches employed PCR, here we performed viral whole-genome deep sequencing from clinical samples with an amplicon-free approach, representing the real intrahost diversity scenario. Striking differences were detected in the viral population structure between the three clinical categories, which appear to be driven mainly by different infection times and selection pressures, rather than being linked with the clinical outcome itself. Diversity in the NS2B gene, however, showed to be constrained, irrespective of clinical outcome and infection time. Finally, 385 non-synonymous intrahost single-nucleotide variants located along the viral polyprotein, plus variants located in the untranslated regions, were consistently identified among the samples. Of them, 124 were exclusively or highly detected among cases with warning signs and among severe cases. However, there was no variant that by itself appeared to characterize the cases of greater severity, either due to its low intrahost frequency or the conservative effect on amino acid substitution. Although further studies are necessary to determine their real effect on viral proteins, this heightens the possibility of epistatic interactions. The present analysis represents an initial effort to correlate DENV-2 genetic diversity to its pathogenic potential and thus contribute to understanding the virus’s dynamics within its human host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Celeste Torres
- Laboratório de Flavivírus, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (M.C.L.d.M.); (C.D.d.S.R.); (A.M.B.d.F.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Marcos Cesar Lima de Mendonça
- Laboratório de Flavivírus, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (M.C.L.d.M.); (C.D.d.S.R.); (A.M.B.d.F.)
| | | | - Vagner Fonseca
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 4041 Durban, South Africa;
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Coordenação Geral dos Laboratórios de Saúde Pública/Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, (CGLAB/SVS-MS) Brasília, 70719-040 Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Mario Sergio Ribeiro
- Superintendência Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 20031-142 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
| | - Ana Paula Brandão
- Laboratório Central Noel Nutels/LACEN, 20231-092 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
| | - Rivaldo Venâncio da Cunha
- Coordenação de Vigilância em Saúde e Laboratórios de Referência da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
| | - Ana Isabel Dias
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, 05403-000 São Paulo, Brazil; (A.I.D.); (L.S.V.B.); (A.C.F.)
| | - Lucy Santos Vilas Boas
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, 05403-000 São Paulo, Brazil; (A.I.D.); (L.S.V.B.); (A.C.F.)
| | - Alvina Clara Felix
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, 05403-000 São Paulo, Brazil; (A.I.D.); (L.S.V.B.); (A.C.F.)
| | | | | | - Anavaj Sakuntabhai
- Functional Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Department of Global Health, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France;
| | - Ana Maria Bispo de Filippis
- Laboratório de Flavivírus, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (M.C.L.d.M.); (C.D.d.S.R.); (A.M.B.d.F.)
| | - on behalf of ZikAction Consortium
- Laboratório de Flavivírus, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (M.C.L.d.M.); (C.D.d.S.R.); (A.M.B.d.F.)
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32
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Mwaliko C, Nyaruaba R, Zhao L, Atoni E, Karungu S, Mwau M, Lavillette D, Xia H, Yuan Z. Zika virus pathogenesis and current therapeutic advances. Pathog Glob Health 2021; 115:21-39. [PMID: 33191867 PMCID: PMC7850325 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2020.1845005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging arthropod-borne flavivirus that, upon infection, results in teratogenic effects and neurological disorders. ZIKV infections pose serious global public health concerns, prompting scientists to increase research on antivirals and vaccines against the virus. These efforts are still ongoing as the pathogenesis and immune evasion mechanisms of ZIKV have not yet been fully elaborated. Currently, no specific vaccines or drugs have been approved for ZIKV; however, some are undergoing clinical trials. Notably, several strategies have been used to develop antivirals, including drugs that target viral and host proteins. Additionally, drug repurposing is preferred since it is less costly and takes less time than other strategies because the drugs used have already been approved for human use. Likewise, different platforms have been evaluated for the design of vaccines, including DNA, mRNA, peptide, protein, viral vectors, virus-like particles (VLPSs), inactivated-virus, and live-attenuated virus vaccines. These vaccines have been shown to induce specific humoral and cellular immune responses and reduce viremia and viral RNA both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, most of these vaccines have entered clinical trials. Understanding the viral disease mechanism will provide better strategies for developing therapeutic agents against ZIKV. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the viral pathogenesis of ZIKV and current advancements in the development of vaccines and drugs against this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Mwaliko
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,Microbiology, Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Raphael Nyaruaba
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,Microbiology, Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Evans Atoni
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,Microbiology, Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Samuel Karungu
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China,International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,Microbiology, Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Matilu Mwau
- Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Control Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Dimitri Lavillette
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Xia
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China,CONTACT Han Xia ; Zhiming Yuan Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiming Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Jones RA, Steckelberg AL, Vicens Q, Szucs MJ, Akiyama BM, Kieft JS. Different tertiary interactions create the same important 3D features in a distinct flavivirus xrRNA. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 27:54-65. [PMID: 33004436 PMCID: PMC7749634 DOI: 10.1261/rna.077065.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
During infection by a flavivirus (FV), cells accumulate noncoding subgenomic flavivirus RNAs (sfRNAs) that interfere with several antiviral pathways. These sfRNAs are formed by structured RNA elements in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the viral genomic RNA, which block the progression of host cell exoribonucleases that have targeted the viral RNA. Previous work on these exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs) from mosquito-borne FVs revealed a specific three-dimensional fold with a unique topology in which a ring-like structure protectively encircles the 5' end of the xrRNA. Conserved nucleotides make specific tertiary interactions that support this fold. Examination of more divergent FVs reveals differences in their 3' UTR sequences, raising the question of whether they contain xrRNAs and if so, how they fold. To answer this, we demonstrated the presence of an authentic xrRNA in the 3' UTR of the Tamana bat virus (TABV) and solved its structure by X-ray crystallography. The structure reveals conserved features from previously characterized xrRNAs, but in the TABV version these features are created through a novel set of tertiary interactions not previously seen in xrRNAs. This includes two important A-C interactions, four distinct backbone kinks, several ordered Mg2+ ions, and a C+-G-C base triple. The discovery that the same overall architecture can be achieved by very different sequences and interactions in distantly related flaviviruses provides insight into the diversity of this type of RNA and will inform searches for undiscovered xrRNAs in viruses and beyond.
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MESH Headings
- 3' Untranslated Regions
- Animals
- Base Pairing
- Base Sequence
- Cations, Divalent
- Crystallography, X-Ray
- Encephalitis Virus, Murray Valley/genetics
- Encephalitis Virus, Murray Valley/metabolism
- Encephalitis Virus, Murray Valley/ultrastructure
- Exoribonucleases/chemistry
- Exoribonucleases/metabolism
- Flaviviridae/genetics
- Flaviviridae/metabolism
- Flaviviridae/ultrastructure
- Host-Pathogen Interactions/genetics
- Magnesium/chemistry
- Magnesium/metabolism
- RNA Folding
- RNA, Untranslated/chemistry
- RNA, Untranslated/genetics
- RNA, Untranslated/metabolism
- RNA, Viral/chemistry
- RNA, Viral/genetics
- RNA, Viral/metabolism
- Viruses, Unclassified/genetics
- Viruses, Unclassified/metabolism
- Viruses, Unclassified/ultrastructure
- Zika Virus/genetics
- Zika Virus/metabolism
- Zika Virus/ultrastructure
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Anna-Lena Steckelberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Quentin Vicens
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Matthew J Szucs
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Benjamin M Akiyama
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Kieft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
- RNA BioScience Initiative, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
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Bellone R, Lequime S, Jupille H, Göertz GP, Aubry F, Mousson L, Piorkowski G, Yen PS, Gabiane G, Vazeille M, Sakuntabhai A, Pijlman GP, de Lamballerie X, Lambrechts L, Failloux AB. Experimental adaptation of dengue virus 1 to Aedes albopictus mosquitoes by in vivo selection. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18404. [PMID: 33110109 PMCID: PMC7591890 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75042-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In most of the world, Dengue virus (DENV) is mainly transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti while in Europe, Aedes albopictus is responsible for human DENV cases since 2010. Identifying mutations that make DENV more competent for transmission by Ae. albopictus will help to predict emergence of epidemic strains. Ten serial passages in vivo in Ae. albopictus led to select DENV-1 strains with greater infectivity for this vector in vivo and in cultured mosquito cells. These changes were mediated by multiple adaptive mutations in the virus genome, including a mutation at position 10,418 in the DENV 3′UTR within an RNA stem-loop structure involved in subgenomic flavivirus RNA production. Using reverse genetics, we showed that the 10,418 mutation alone does not confer a detectable increase in transmission efficiency in vivo. These results reveal the complex adaptive landscape of DENV transmission by mosquitoes and emphasize the role of epistasis in shaping evolutionary trajectories of DENV variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Bellone
- Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Université, Collège doctoral, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Sebastian Lequime
- Sorbonne Université, Collège doctoral, 75005, Paris, France.,Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France.,Cluster of Microbial Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henri Jupille
- Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Giel P Göertz
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Fabien Aubry
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Mousson
- Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Géraldine Piorkowski
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207-IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - Pei-Shi Yen
- Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Gaelle Gabiane
- Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Marie Vazeille
- Arboviruses and Insect Vectors Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Anavaj Sakuntabhai
- Functional Genetics of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Gorben P Pijlman
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier de Lamballerie
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207-IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France
| | - Louis Lambrechts
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France
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Evaluation in Swine of a Recombinant African Swine Fever Virus Lacking the MGF-360-1L Gene. Viruses 2020; 12:v12101193. [PMID: 33092258 PMCID: PMC7589680 DOI: 10.3390/v12101193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The African swine fever (ASF) pandemic is currently affecting pigs throughout Eurasia, resulting in significant swine production losses. The causative agent, ASF virus (ASFV), is a large, structurally complex virus with a genome encoding more than 160 genes. The function of most of those genes remains unknown. Here, we presented the previously uncharacterized ASFV gene MGF360-1L, the first gene in the genome. The kinetic studies of virus RNA transcription demonstrated that the MGF360-1L gene was transcribed as a late virus protein. The essentiality of MGF360-1L to virus replication was evaluated by developing a recombinant ASFV lacking the gene (ASFV-G-ΔMGF360-1L). In primary swine macrophage cell cultures, ASFV-G-ΔMGF360-1L showed similar replication kinetics as the parental highly virulent field isolate Georgia2007 (ASFV-G). Domestic pigs experimentally infected with ASFV-G-ΔMGF360-1L presented with a clinical disease indistinguishable from that caused by ASFV-G, demonstrating that MGF360-1L was not involved in virulence in swine, the natural host of ASFV.
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36
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Sparks H, Monogue B, Akiyama B, Kieft J, Beckham JD. Disruption of Zika Virus xrRNA1-Dependent sfRNA1 Production Results in Tissue-Specific Attenuated Viral Replication. Viruses 2020; 12:v12101177. [PMID: 33080971 PMCID: PMC7589627 DOI: 10.3390/v12101177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZIKV), like other flaviviruses, produces several species of sub-genomic RNAs (sfRNAs) during infection, corresponding to noncoding RNA fragments of different lengths that result from the exonuclease degradation of the viral 3′ untranslated region (UTR). Over the course of infection, these sfRNAs accumulate in the cell as a result of an incomplete viral genome degradation of the 3′ UTR by the host 5′ to 3′ exoribonuclease, Xrn1. The halting of Xrn1 in the 3′ UTR is due to two RNA pseudoknot structures in the 3′ UTR, termed exoribonuclease-resistant RNA1 and 2 (xrRNA1&2). Studies with related flaviviruses have shown that sfRNAs are important for pathogenicity and inhibiting both mosquito and mammalian host defense mechanisms. However, these investigations have not included ZIKV and there is very limited data addressing how sfRNAs impact infection in a whole animal model or specific tissues. In this study, we generate a sfRNA1-deficient ZIKV (X1) by targeted mutation in the xrRNA1 3′ UTR structure. We find that the X1 virus lacks the production of the largest ZIKV sfRNA species, sfRNA1. Using the X1 virus to infect adult Ifnar1−/− mice, we find that while the lack of sfRNA1 does not alter ZIKV replication in the spleen, there is a significant reduction of ZIKV genome replication in the brain and placenta compared to wild-type ZIKV infection. Despite the attenuated phenotype of the X1 ZIKV, mice develop a robust neutralizing antibody response. We conclude that the targeted disruption of xrRNA1 results in tissue-specific attenuation while still supporting robust neutralizing antibody responses. Future studies will need to investigate the tissue-specific mechanisms by which ZIKV sfRNAs influence infection and may utilize targeted xrRNA mutations to develop novel attenuated flavivirus vaccine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadrian Sparks
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (H.S.); (B.M.)
| | - Brendan Monogue
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (H.S.); (B.M.)
| | - Benjamin Akiyama
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and 4RNA BioScience Initiative, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (B.A.); (J.K.)
| | - Jeffrey Kieft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and 4RNA BioScience Initiative, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (B.A.); (J.K.)
| | - J. David Beckham
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (H.S.); (B.M.)
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Correspondence:
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Shivaprasad S, Sarnow P. The tale of two flaviviruses: subversion of host pathways by RNA shapes in dengue and hepatitis C viral RNA genomes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 59:79-85. [PMID: 33070015 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic RNA viruses continue to emerge owing to their rapid evolutionary rates. The family of the Flaviviridae contains enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that include mosquito borne viruses such as dengue virus and the blood-borne hepatitis C virus. Upon infection, the genomic viral RNA needs to first compete with a sea of host mRNAs for host ribosomes that synthesize the viral proteins. Then, the positive-sense template needs to be amplified and packaged into newly assembled virions. To accomplish these tasks, the virus subverts several biochemical machineries from the host. The participation of specific structures in the viral RNA mediates specific RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions that dictate many viral subversion strategies. In this review, we shall focus on the various mechanisms by which RNA elements in the dengue virus and hepatitis C virus untranslated regions aid the viral infectious cycle and contribute to viral fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shwetha Shivaprasad
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Peter Sarnow
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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38
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McDonald EM, Anderson J, Wilusz J, Ebel GD, Brault AC. Zika Virus Replication in Myeloid Cells during Acute Infection Is Vital to Viral Dissemination and Pathogenesis in a Mouse Model. J Virol 2020; 94:e00838-20. [PMID: 32847848 PMCID: PMC7565634 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00838-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) can establish infection in immune privileged sites such as the testes, eye, and placenta. Whether ZIKV infection of white blood cells is required for dissemination of the virus to immune privileged sites has not been definitively shown. To assess whether initial ZIKV replication in myeloid cell populations is critical for dissemination during acute infection, recombinant ZIKVs were generated that could not replicate in these specific cells. ZIKV was cell restricted by insertion of a complementary sequence to a myeloid-specific microRNA in the 3' untranslated region. Following inoculation of a highly sensitive immunodeficient mouse model, crucial immune parameters, such as quantification of leukocyte cell subsets, cytokine and chemokine secretion, and viremia, were assessed. Decreased neutrophil numbers in the spleen were observed during acute infection with myeloid-restricted ZIKV that precluded the generation of viremia and viral dissemination to peripheral organs. Mice inoculated with a nontarget microRNA control ZIKV demonstrated increased expression of key cytokines and chemokines critical for neutrophil and monocyte recruitment and increased neutrophil influx in the spleen. In addition, ZIKV-infected Ly6Chi monocytes were identified in vivo in the spleen. Mice inoculated with myeloid-restricted ZIKV had a decrease in Ly6Chi ZIKV RNA-positive monocytes and a lack of inflammatory cytokine production compared to mice inoculated with control ZIKV.IMPORTANCE Myeloid cells, including monocytes, play a crucial role in immune responses to pathogens. Monocytes have also been implicated as "Trojan horses" during viral infections, carrying infectious virus particles to immune privileged sites and/or to sites protected by physical blood-tissue barriers, such as the blood-testis barrier and the blood-brain barrier. In this study, we found that myeloid cells are crucial to Zika virus (ZIKV) pathogenesis. By engineering ZIKV clones to encode myeloid-specific microRNA target sequences, viral replication was inhibited in myeloid cells by harnessing the RNA interference pathway. Severely immunodeficient mice inoculated with myeloid-restricted ZIKV did not demonstrate clinical signs of disease and survived infection. Furthermore, viral dissemination to peripheral organs was not observed in these mice. Lastly, we identified Ly6Cmid/hi murine monocytes as the major myeloid cell population that disseminates ZIKV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M McDonald
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - John Anderson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jeff Wilusz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Gregory D Ebel
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Aaron C Brault
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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39
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Szucs MJ, Nichols PJ, Jones RA, Vicens Q, Kieft JS. A New Subclass of Exoribonuclease-Resistant RNA Found in Multiple Genera of Flaviviridae. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02352-20. [PMID: 32994331 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.26.172668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses have developed innovative strategies to exploit the cellular machinery and overcome the antiviral defenses of the host, often using specifically structured RNA elements. Examples are found in the Flavivirus genus (in the family Flaviviridae), where during flaviviral infection, pathogenic subgenomic flaviviral RNAs (sfRNAs) accumulate in the cell. These sfRNAs are formed when a host cell 5' to 3' exoribonuclease degrades the viral genomic RNA but is blocked by an exoribonuclease-resistant RNA structure (xrRNA) located in the viral genome's 3' untranslated region (UTR). Although known to exist in several Flaviviridae genera, the full distribution and diversity of xrRNAs in this family were unknown. Using the recently solved high-resolution structure of an xrRNA from the divergent flavivirus Tamana bat virus (TABV) as a reference, we used bioinformatic searches to identify xrRNAs in the remaining three genera of Flaviviridae: Pegivirus, Pestivirus, and Hepacivirus We biochemically and structurally characterized several examples, determining that they are genuine xrRNAs with a conserved fold. These new xrRNAs look superficially similar to the previously described xrRNAs but possess structural differences making them distinct from previous classes of xrRNAs. Overall, we have identified the presence of xrRNA in all four genera of Flaviviridae, but not in all species. Our findings thus require adjustments of previous xrRNA classification schemes and expand the previously known distribution of xrRNA in Flaviviridae.IMPORTANCE The members of the Flaviviridae comprise one of the largest families of positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) and are divided into the Flavivirus, Pestivirus, Pegivirus, and Hepacivirus genera. The genus Flavivirus contains many medically relevant viruses such as Zika virus, dengue virus, and Powassan virus. In these, a part of the RNA of the virus twists up into a distinct three-dimensional shape called an exoribonuclease-resistant RNA (xrRNA) that blocks the ability of the cell to "chew up" the viral RNA. Hence, part of the RNA of the virus remains intact, and this protected part is important for viral infection. These xrRNAs were known to occur in flaviviruses, but whether they existed in the other members of the family was not known. In this study, we identified a new subclass of xrRNA found not only in flaviviruses but also in the remaining three genera. The fact that these structured viral RNAs exist throughout the Flaviviridae family suggests they are important parts of the infection strategy of diverse pathogens, which could lead to new avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Szucs
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Parker J Nichols
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Rachel A Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Quentin Vicens
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Kieft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- RNA BioScience Initiative, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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40
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Abstract
The members of the Flaviviridae comprise one of the largest families of positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) and are divided into the Flavivirus, Pestivirus, Pegivirus, and Hepacivirus genera. The genus Flavivirus contains many medically relevant viruses such as Zika virus, dengue virus, and Powassan virus. In these, a part of the RNA of the virus twists up into a distinct three-dimensional shape called an exoribonuclease-resistant RNA (xrRNA) that blocks the ability of the cell to “chew up” the viral RNA. Hence, part of the RNA of the virus remains intact, and this protected part is important for viral infection. These xrRNAs were known to occur in flaviviruses, but whether they existed in the other members of the family was not known. In this study, we identified a new subclass of xrRNA found not only in flaviviruses but also in the remaining three genera. The fact that these structured viral RNAs exist throughout the Flaviviridae family suggests they are important parts of the infection strategy of diverse pathogens, which could lead to new avenues of research. Viruses have developed innovative strategies to exploit the cellular machinery and overcome the antiviral defenses of the host, often using specifically structured RNA elements. Examples are found in the Flavivirus genus (in the family Flaviviridae), where during flaviviral infection, pathogenic subgenomic flaviviral RNAs (sfRNAs) accumulate in the cell. These sfRNAs are formed when a host cell 5′ to 3′ exoribonuclease degrades the viral genomic RNA but is blocked by an exoribonuclease-resistant RNA structure (xrRNA) located in the viral genome’s 3′ untranslated region (UTR). Although known to exist in several Flaviviridae genera, the full distribution and diversity of xrRNAs in this family were unknown. Using the recently solved high-resolution structure of an xrRNA from the divergent flavivirus Tamana bat virus (TABV) as a reference, we used bioinformatic searches to identify xrRNAs in the remaining three genera of Flaviviridae: Pegivirus, Pestivirus, and Hepacivirus. We biochemically and structurally characterized several examples, determining that they are genuine xrRNAs with a conserved fold. These new xrRNAs look superficially similar to the previously described xrRNAs but possess structural differences making them distinct from previous classes of xrRNAs. Overall, we have identified the presence of xrRNA in all four genera of Flaviviridae, but not in all species. Our findings thus require adjustments of previous xrRNA classification schemes and expand the previously known distribution of xrRNA in Flaviviridae.
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41
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Insulin Potentiates JAK/STAT Signaling to Broadly Inhibit Flavivirus Replication in Insect Vectors. Cell Rep 2020; 29:1946-1960.e5. [PMID: 31722209 PMCID: PMC6871768 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization estimates that more than half of the world’s population is at risk for vector-borne diseases, including arboviruses. Because many arboviruses are mosquito borne, investigation of the insect immune response will help identify targets to reduce the spread of arboviruses. Here, we use a genetic screening approach to identify an insulin-like receptor as a component of the immune response to arboviral infection. We determine that vertebrate insulin reduces West Nile virus (WNV) replication in Drosophila melanogaster as well as WNV, Zika, and dengue virus titers in mosquito cells. Mechanistically, we show that insulin signaling activates the JAK/STAT, but not RNAi, pathway via ERK to control infection in Drosophila cells and Culex mosquitoes through an integrated immune response. Finally, we validate that insulin priming of adult female Culex mosquitoes through a blood meal reduces WNV infection, demonstrating an essential role for insulin signaling in insect antiviral responses to human pathogens. The world’s population is at risk for infection with several flaviviruses. Ahlers et al. use a living library of insects to determine that an insulin-like receptor controls West Nile virus infection. Insulin signaling is antiviral via the JAK/STAT pathway in both fly and mosquito models and against a range of flaviviruses.
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42
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Degradation of MicroRNA miR-466d-3p by Japanese Encephalitis Virus NS3 Facilitates Viral Replication and Interleukin-1β Expression. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.00294-20. [PMID: 32461319 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00294-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection alters microRNA (miRNA) expression in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the mechanism contributing to miRNA regulation in the CNS is not known. We discovered global degradation of mature miRNA in mouse brains and neuroblastoma (NA) cells after JEV infection. Integrative analysis of miRNAs and mRNAs suggested that several significantly downregulated miRNAs and their targeted mRNAs were clustered into an inflammation pathway. Transfection with miRNA 466d-3p (miR-466d-3p) decreased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression and inhibited JEV replication in NA cells. However, miR-466d-3p expression increased after JEV infection in the presence of cycloheximide, indicating that viral protein expression reduced miR-466d-3p expression. We generated all the JEV coding proteins and demonstrated NS3 helicase protein to be a potent miRNA suppressor. The NS3 proteins of Zika virus, West Nile virus, and dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1) and DENV-2 also decreased miR-466d-3p expression. Results from helicase-blocking assays and in vitro unwinding assays demonstrated that NS3 could unwind pre-miR-466d and induce miRNA dysfunction. Computational models and an RNA immunoprecipitation assay revealed arginine-rich domains of NS3 to be crucial for pre-miRNA binding and degradation of host miRNAs. Importantly, site-directed mutagenesis of conserved residues in NS3 revealed that R226G and R202W reduced the binding affinity and degradation of pre-miR-466d. These results expand the function of flavivirus helicases beyond unwinding duplex RNA to degrade pre-miRNAs. Hence, we revealed a new mechanism for NS3 in regulating miRNA pathways and promoting neuroinflammation.IMPORTANCE Host miRNAs have been reported to regulate JEV-induced inflammation in the CNS. We found that JEV infection could reduce expression of host miRNA. The helicase region of the NS3 protein bound specifically to miRNA precursors and could lead to incorrect unwinding of miRNA precursors, thereby reducing the expression of mature miRNAs. This observation led to two major findings. First, our results suggested that JEV NS3 protein induced miR-466d-3p degradation, which promoted IL-1β expression and JEV replication. Second, arginine molecules on NS3 were the main miRNA-binding sites, because we demonstrated that miRNA degradation was abolished if arginines at R226 and R202 were mutated. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of JEV and reveals several amino acid sites that could be mutated for a JEV vaccine.
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43
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Filomatori CV, Merwaiss F, Bardossy ES, Alvarez DE. Impact of alphavirus 3'UTR plasticity on mosquito transmission. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 111:148-155. [PMID: 32665176 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alphaviruses such as chikungunya and western equine encephalitis viruses are important human pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes that have recently caused large epidemic and epizootic outbreaks. The epidemic potential of alphaviruses is often related to enhanced mosquito transmission. Tissue barriers and antiviral responses impose bottlenecks to viral populations in mosquitoes. Substitutions in the envelope proteins and the presence of repeated sequence elements (RSEs) in the 3'UTR of epidemic viruses were proposed to be specifically associated to efficient replication in mosquito vectors. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that originated RSEs, the evolutionary forces that shape the 3'UTR of alphaviruses, and the significance of RSEs for mosquito transmission. Finally, the presence of RSEs in the 3'UTR of viral genomes appears as evolutionary trait associated to mosquito adaptation and emerges as a common feature among viruses from the alphavirus and flavivirus genera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia V Filomatori
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Fernando Merwaiss
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Eugenia S Bardossy
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Argentina
| | - Diego E Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Argentina.
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Kanodia P, Prasanth KR, Roa-Linares VC, Bradrick SS, Garcia-Blanco MA, Miller WA. A rapid and simple quantitative method for specific detection of smaller coterminal RNA by PCR (DeSCo-PCR): application to the detection of viral subgenomic RNAs. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:888-901. [PMID: 32238481 PMCID: PMC7297113 DOI: 10.1261/rna.074963.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
RNAs that are 5'-truncated versions of a longer RNA but share the same 3' terminus can be generated by alternative promoters in transcription of cellular mRNAs or by replicating RNA viruses. These truncated RNAs cannot be distinguished from the longer RNA by a simple two-primer RT-PCR because primers that anneal to the cDNA from the smaller RNA also anneal to-and amplify-the longer RNA-derived cDNA. Thus, laborious methods, such as northern blot hybridization, are used to distinguish shorter from longer RNAs. For rapid, low-cost, and specific detection of these truncated RNAs, we report detection of smaller coterminal RNA by PCR (DeSCo-PCR). DeSCo-PCR uses a nonextendable blocking primer (BP), which outcompetes a forward primer (FP) for annealing to longer RNA-derived cDNA, while FP outcompetes BP for annealing to shorter RNA-derived cDNA. In the presence of BP, FP, and the reverse primer, only cDNA from the shorter RNA is amplified in a single-tube reaction containing both RNAs. Many positive strand RNA viruses generate 5'-truncated forms of the genomic RNA (gRNA) called subgenomic RNAs (sgRNA), which play key roles in viral gene expression and pathogenicity. We demonstrate that DeSCo-PCR is easily optimized to selectively detect relative quantities of sgRNAs of red clover necrotic mosaic virus from plants and Zika virus from human cells, each infected with viral strains that generate different amounts of sgRNA. This technique should be readily adaptable to other sgRNA-producing viruses, and for quantitative detection of any truncated or alternatively spliced RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pulkit Kanodia
- Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
- Plant Pathology and Microbiology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - K Reddisiva Prasanth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
| | - Vicky C Roa-Linares
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
- Molecular and Translational Medicine Group, Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine University of Antioquia, Medellin 050010, Colombia
| | - Shelton S Bradrick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
| | - Mariano A Garcia-Blanco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
- Programme of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, USA
| | - W Allen Miller
- Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
- Plant Pathology and Microbiology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
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Martin MF, Nisole S. West Nile Virus Restriction in Mosquito and Human Cells: A Virus under Confinement. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E256. [PMID: 32485916 PMCID: PMC7350012 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging neurotropic flavivirus that naturally circulates between mosquitoes and birds. However, WNV has a broad host range and can be transmitted from mosquitoes to several mammalian species, including humans, through infected saliva during a blood meal. Although WNV infections are mostly asymptomatic, 20% to 30% of cases are symptomatic and can occasionally lead to severe symptoms, including fatal meningitis or encephalitis. Over the past decades, WNV-carrying mosquitoes have become increasingly widespread across new regions, including North America and Europe, which constitutes a public health concern. Nevertheless, mosquito and human innate immune defenses can detect WNV infection and induce the expression of antiviral effectors, so-called viral restriction factors, to control viral propagation. Conversely, WNV has developed countermeasures to escape these host defenses, thus establishing a constant arms race between the virus and its hosts. Our review intends to cover most of the current knowledge on viral restriction factors as well as WNV evasion strategies in mosquito and human cells in order to bring an updated overview on WNV-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sébastien Nisole
- Viral Trafficking, Restriction and Innate Signaling Team, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), CNRS, 34090 Montpellier, France;
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Differential Small RNA Responses against Co-Infecting Insect-Specific Viruses in Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes. Viruses 2020; 12:v12040468. [PMID: 32326240 PMCID: PMC7232154 DOI: 10.3390/v12040468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The mosquito antiviral response has mainly been studied in the context of arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) infection in female mosquitoes. However, in nature, both female and male mosquitoes are frequently infected with insect-specific viruses (ISVs). ISVs are capable of infecting the reproductive organs of both sexes and are primarily maintained by vertical transmission. Since the RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated antiviral response plays an important antiviral role in mosquitoes, ISVs constitute a relevant model to study sex-dependent antiviral responses. Using a naturally generated viral stock containing three distinct ISVs, Aedes flavivirus (AEFV), Menghai rhabdovirus (MERV), and Shinobi tetra virus (SHTV), we infected adult Aedes albopictus females and males and generated small RNA libraries from ovaries, testes, and the remainder of the body. Overall, both female and male mosquitoes showed unique small RNA profiles to each co-infecting ISV regardless of the sex or tissue tested. While all three ISVs generated virus-derived siRNAs, only MERV generated virus-derived piRNAs. We also studied the expression of PIWI genes in reproductive tissues and carcasses. In contrast to Piwi5-9, Piwi1-4 were abundantly expressed in ovaries and testes, suggesting that Piwi5-9 are involved in exogenous viral piRNA production. Together, our results show that ISV-infected Aedes albopictus produce viral small RNAs in a virus-specific manner and that male mosquitoes mount a similar small RNA-mediated antiviral response to that of females.
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Liu ZY, Qin CF. Structure and function of cis-acting RNA elements of flavivirus. Rev Med Virol 2019; 30:e2092. [PMID: 31777997 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The genus Flavivirus is a group of single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that includes numerous human pathogens with global impact, such as dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus (YFV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Zika virus (ZIKV). The approximately 11-kilobase genome is flanked by highly structured untranslated regions (UTRs), which contain various cis-acting RNA elements with unique structures and functions. Moreover, local RNA elements circularize the genome non-covalently through long-range interactions. Interestingly, many flavivirus cis-acting RNA elements contain group-specific motifs or are specific for the given phylogenetic groups, suggesting their potential association with flavivirus evolution and diversification. In this review, we summarize recent advances about the structure and function of cis-acting RNA elements in flavivirus genomes and highlight the potential implications for flavivirus evolution. Finally, the scientific questions remained to be answered in the field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Yu Liu
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Medicine Shenzhen, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,The No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng-Feng Qin
- Department of Virology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,The No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Nelson BR, Roby JA, Dobyns WB, Rajagopal L, Gale M, Adams Waldorf KM. Immune Evasion Strategies Used by Zika Virus to Infect the Fetal Eye and Brain. Viral Immunol 2019; 33:22-37. [PMID: 31687902 PMCID: PMC6978768 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2019.0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that caused a public health emergency in the Americas when an outbreak in Brazil became linked to congenital microcephaly. Understanding how ZIKV could evade the innate immune defenses of the mother, placenta, and fetus has become central to determining how the virus can traffic into the fetal brain. ZIKV, like other flaviviruses, evades host innate immune responses by leveraging viral proteins and other processes that occur during viral replication to allow spread to the placenta. Within the placenta, there are diverse cell types with coreceptors for ZIKV entry, creating an opportunity for the virus to establish a reservoir for replication and infect the fetus. The fetal brain is vulnerable to ZIKV, particularly during the first trimester, when it is beginning a dynamic process, to form highly complex and specialized regions orchestrated by neuroprogenitor cells. In this review, we provide a conceptual framework to understand the different routes for viral trafficking into the fetal brain and the eye, which are most likely to occur early and later in pregnancy. Based on the injury profile in human and nonhuman primates, ZIKV entry into the fetal brain likely occurs across both the blood/cerebrospinal fluid barrier in the choroid plexus and the blood/brain barrier. ZIKV can also enter the eye by trafficking across the blood/retinal barrier. Ultimately, the efficient escape of innate immune defenses by ZIKV is a key factor leading to viral infection. However, the host immune response against ZIKV can lead to injury and perturbations in developmental programs that drive cellular division, migration, and brain growth. The combined effect of innate immune evasion to facilitate viral propagation and the maternal/placental/fetal immune response to control the infection will determine the extent to which ZIKV can injure the fetal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branden R. Nelson
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Justin A. Roby
- Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - William B. Dobyns
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Lakshmi Rajagopal
- Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Michael Gale
- Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kristina M. Adams Waldorf
- Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
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The Interplay between Dengue Virus and the Human Innate Immune System: A Game of Hide and Seek. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7040145. [PMID: 31658677 PMCID: PMC6963221 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
With 40% of the world population at risk, infections with dengue virus (DENV) constitute a serious threat to public health. While there is no antiviral therapy available against this potentially lethal disease, the efficacy of the only approved vaccine is not optimal and its safety has been recently questioned. In order to develop better vaccines based on attenuated and/or chimeric viruses, one must consider how the human immune system is engaged during DENV infection. The activation of the innate immunity through the detection of viruses by cellular sensors is the first line of defence against those pathogens. This triggers a cascade of events which establishes an antiviral state at the cell level and leads to a global immunological response. However, DENV has evolved to interfere with the innate immune signalling at multiple levels, hence dampening antiviral responses and favouring viral replication and dissemination. This review elaborates on the interplay between DENV and the innate immune system. A special focus is given on the viral countermeasure mechanisms reported over the last decade which should be taken into consideration during vaccine development.
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Withers JB, Mondol V, Pawlica P, Rosa-Mercado NA, Tycowski KT, Ghasempur S, Torabi SF, Steitz JA. Idiosyncrasies of Viral Noncoding RNAs Provide Insights into Host Cell Biology. Annu Rev Virol 2019; 6:297-317. [PMID: 31039329 PMCID: PMC6768742 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-092818-015811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Like their host cells, many viruses express noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). Despite the technical challenge of ascribing function to ncRNAs, diverse biological roles for virally expressed ncRNAs have been described, including regulation of viral replication, modulation of host gene expression, host immune evasion, cellular survival, and cellular transformation. Insights into conserved interactions between viral ncRNAs and host cell machinery frequently lead to novel findings concerning host cell biology. In this review, we discuss the functions and biogenesis of ncRNAs produced by animal viruses. Specifically, we describe noncanonical pathways of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis and novel mechanisms used by viruses to manipulate miRNA and messenger RNA stability. We also highlight recent advances in understanding the function of viral long ncRNAs and circular RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna B Withers
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA; , , , , , , ,
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA
| | - Vanessa Mondol
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA; , , , , , , ,
| | - Paulina Pawlica
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA; , , , , , , ,
| | - Nicolle A Rosa-Mercado
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA; , , , , , , ,
| | - Kazimierz T Tycowski
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA; , , , , , , ,
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA
| | - Salehe Ghasempur
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA; , , , , , , ,
| | - Seyed F Torabi
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA; , , , , , , ,
| | - Joan A Steitz
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA; , , , , , , ,
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA
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