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Zinzula L, Scholz J, Nagy I, Di Guardo G, Orsini M. Biophysical characterization of the cetacean morbillivirus haemagglutinin glycoprotein. Virus Res 2023; 336:199231. [PMID: 37769814 PMCID: PMC10550842 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199231] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is an enveloped, non-segmented, negative-stranded RNA virus that infects marine mammals, spreading across species and causing lethal disease outbreaks worldwide. Among the eight proteins encoded by the CeMV genome, the haemagglutinin (H) glycoprotein is responsible for the virus attachment to host cell receptors. CeMV H represents an attractive target for antiviral and diagnostic research, yet the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying its role in infection and inter-species transmission was hampered thus far due to the unavailability of recombinant versions of the protein. Here we present the cloning, expression and purification of a recombinant CeMV H ectodomain (rH-ecto), providing an initial characterization of its biophysical and structural properties. Sodium dodecyl sulphate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) combined to Western blot analysis and periodic acid Schiff assay showed that CeMV rH-ecto is purifiable at homogeneity from insect cells as a secreted, soluble and glycosylated protein. Miniaturized differential scanning fluorimetry, Blue Native PAGE and size exclusion chromatography coupled to multiangle light scattering revealed that CeMV rH-ecto is globularly folded, thermally stable and exists in solution in the oligomeric states of dimer and multiple of dimers. Furthermore, negative stain electron microscopy single particle analysis allowed us to delineate a low-resolution molecular architecture of the CeMV rH-ecto dimer, which recapitulates native assemblies from other morbilliviral H proteins, such as those from measles virus and canine distemper virus. This set of experiments by orthogonal techniques validates the CeMV rH-ecto as an experimental model for future biochemical studies on its structure and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Zinzula
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany; Centro di Educazione Ambientale e alla Sostenibilità (CEAS) Laguna di Nora, Pula, Italy.
| | - Judith Scholz
- Core Facility, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - István Nagy
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany; Center of Research and Development, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary
| | - Giovanni Di Guardo
- Retired Professor of General Pathology and Veterinary Pathophysiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Orsini
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
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Vargas-Castro I, Peletto S, Mattioda V, Goria M, Serracca L, Varello K, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM, Puleio R, Nocera FD, Lucifora G, Acutis P, Casalone C, Grattarola C, Giorda F. Epidemiological and genetic analysis of Cetacean Morbillivirus circulating on the Italian coast between 2018 and 2021. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1216838. [PMID: 37583469 PMCID: PMC10424449 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1216838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused several outbreaks, unusual mortality events, and interepidemic single-lethal disease episodes in the Mediterranean Sea. Since 2012, a new strain with a northeast (NE) Atlantic origin has been circulating among Mediterranean cetaceans, causing numerous deaths. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of CeMV in cetaceans stranded in Italy between 2018 and 2021 and characterize the strain of CeMV circulating. Out of the 354 stranded cetaceans along the Italian coastlines, 113 were CeMV-positive. This prevalence (31.9%) is one of the highest reported without an associated outbreak. All marine sectors along the Italian coastlines, except for the northern Adriatic coast, reported a positive molecular diagnosis of CeMV. In one-third of the CeMV-positive cetaceans submitted to a histological evaluation, a chronic form of the infection (detectable viral antigen, the absence of associated lesions, and concomitant coinfections) was suspected. Tissues from 24 animals were used to characterize the strain, obtaining 57 sequences from phosphoprotein, nucleocapsid, and fusion protein genes, which were submitted to GenBank. Our sequences showed the highest identity with NE-Atlantic strain sequences, and in the phylogenetic study, they clustered together with them. Regarding age and species, most of these individuals were adults (17/24, 70.83%) and striped dolphins (19/24, 79.16%). This study improves our understanding on the NE-Atlantic CeMV strain in the Italian waters, supporting the hypothesis of an endemic circulation of the virus in this area; however, additional studies are necessary to deeply comprehend the epidemiology of this strain in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Vargas-Castro
- VISAVET Center and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Simone Peletto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Virginia Mattioda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Maria Goria
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Serracca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Katia Varello
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Puleio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Nocera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lucifora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Acutis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Casalone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Carla Grattarola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Giorda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
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Costa-Silva S, Sacristán C, Soares RM, Carvalho VL, Castilho PV, Cremer MJ, Ewbank AC, Duarte-Benvenuto A, Faita T, Navas-Suárez PE, Vieira JV, Pereira LG, Alves CF, Souza GC, Lemos GG, Silvestre-Perez N, Catão-Dias JL, Keid LB. Short-Finned Pilot Whale Strandings Associated with Pilot Whale Morbillivirus, Brazil. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:214-217. [PMID: 36573734 PMCID: PMC9796215 DOI: 10.3201/eid2901.221549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) causes illness and death in cetaceans worldwide; the CeMV strains circulating in the Southern Hemisphere are poorly known. We detected a pilot whale CeMV strain in 3 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) stranded in Brazil during July-October 2020. Our results confirm this virus circulates in this species.
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Seki F, Takeda M. Novel and classical morbilliviruses: Current knowledge of three divergent morbillivirus groups. Microbiol Immunol 2022; 66:552-563. [PMID: 36151905 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.13030] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Currently, seven species of morbillivirus have been classified. Six of these species (Measles morbillivirus, Rinderpest morbillivirus, Small ruminant morbillivirus, Canine morbillivirus, Phocine morbillivirus, and Cetacean morbillivirus) are highly infectious and cause serious systemic diseases in humans, livestock, domestic dogs, and wild animals. These species commonly use the host proteins signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) and nectin-4 as receptors, and this usage contributes to their virulence. The seventh species (Feline morbillivirus: FeMV) is phylogenetically divergent from the six SLAM-using species. FeMV differs from the SLAM-using morbillivirus group in pathogenicity and infectivity, and is speculated to use non-SLAM receptors. Recently, novel species of morbilliviruses have been discovered in bats, rodents, and domestic pigs. Because the ability to use SLAM and nectin-4 is closely related to the infectivity and pathogenicity of morbilliviruses, investigation of the potential usage of these receptors is useful for estimating infectivity and pathogenicity. The SLAM-binding sites in the receptor-binding protein show high similarity among the SLAM-using morbilliviruses. This feature may help to estimate whether novel morbillivirus species can use SLAM as a receptor. A novel morbillivirus species isolated from wild mice diverged from the classified morbilliviruses in the phylogenetic tree, forming a third group separate from the SLAM-using morbillivirus group and FeMV. This suggests that the novel rodent morbillivirus may exhibit a different risk from the SLAM-using morbillivirus group, and analyses of its viral pathogenicity and infectivity toward humans are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumio Seki
- Department of Virology 3, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Takeda
- Department of Virology 3, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
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Landrau-Giovannetti N, Waltzek TB, López-Orozco N, Su C, Rotstein D, Levine G, Rodrigues TCS, Silva-Krott I, Humann C, West K. Prevalence and genotype of Toxoplasma gondii in stranded Hawaiian cetaceans. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2022; 152:27-36. [PMID: 36394138 DOI: 10.3354/dao03699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a significant threat to endangered Hawaiian wildlife including birds and marine mammals. To estimate the prevalence of T. gondii in stranded cetaceans from 1997 to 2021 in Hawai'i, we tested tissues from 37 stranded spinner dolphins Stenella longirostris and 51 stranded individuals that represented 18 other cetacean species. DNA from cetacean tissue extracts were screened using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the Toxoplasmatinae internal transcribed spacer 1 of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. A positive result was obtained in 9 tissues examined for each of 2 spinner dolphins out of 525 tissue samples analyzed by PCR. The PCR-positive spinner dolphins had disseminated acute toxoplasmosis with necrosis, inflammation, and intralesional protozoal cysts and tachyzoites in multiple organs. Discrete positive immunostaining for T. gondii was observed in all tissues tested including the adrenal gland, brain, liver, and lung. Both positive spinner dolphins were negative for cetacean morbillivirus. The T. gondii genotyping was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) based on 10 genetic markers. The PCR-RFLP analysis revealed the T. gondii belonged to PCR-RFLP-ToxoDB genotype #24, previously detected in wild pig Sus scrofa in O'ahu, bobcats Lynx rufus from Mississippi, USA, and chickens Gallus gallus from Costa Rica and Brazil. These cases represent the first report of this genotype in aquatic mammals and the second and third reports of fatal disseminated T. gondii infection in stranded spinner dolphins from Hawai'i. Nearshore species, like spinner dolphins, may be at increased risk of mortality from this parasite in marine coastal waterways via sewage systems, storm water drainage, and freshwater runoff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelmarie Landrau-Giovannetti
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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Felipe-Jiménez I, Fernández A, Arbelo M, Segura-Göthlin S, Colom-Rivero A, Suárez-Santana CM, De La Fuente J, Sierra E. Molecular Diagnosis of Cetacean Morbillivirus in Beaked Whales Stranded in the Canary Islands (1999–2017). Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9030121. [PMID: 35324849 PMCID: PMC8950905 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9030121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A retrospective survey for detecting the cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) was carried out in beaked whales (BWs) stranded in the Canary Islands (1999–2017). CeMV is responsible for causing worldwide epizootic events with the highest mass die-offs in cetaceans, although the epidemic status of the Canarian Archipelago seems to be that of an endemic situation. A total of 319 tissue samples from 55 BWs (35 Cuvier’s BWs and 20 specimens belonging to the Mesoplodon genus) were subjected to the amplification of a fragment of the fusion protein (F) and/or phosphoprotein (P) genes of CeMV by means of one or more of three polymerase chain reactions (PCR). RNA integrity could not be demonstrated in samples from 11 animals. Positivity (dolphin morbillivirus strain (DMV)) was detected in the skin sample of only a subadult male Cuvier’s BW stranded in 2002, being the earliest confirmed occurrence of DMV in the Cuvier’s BW species. The obtained P gene sequence showed the closest relationship with other DMVs detected in a striped dolphin stranded in the Canary Islands in the same year. A phylogenetic analysis supports a previous hypothesis of a cross-species infection and the existence of the circulation of endemic DMV strains in the Atlantic Ocean similar to those later detected in the North-East Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the South-West Pacific.
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Giorda F, Crociara P, Iulini B, Gazzuola P, Favole A, Goria M, Serracca L, Dondo A, Crescio MI, Audino T, Peletto S, Di Francesco CE, Caramelli M, Sierra E, Di Nocera F, Lucifora G, Petrella A, Puleio R, Mazzariol S, Di Guardo G, Casalone C, Grattarola C. Neuropathological Characterization of Dolphin Morbillivirus Infection in Cetaceans Stranded in Italy. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12040452. [PMID: 35203160 PMCID: PMC8868427 DOI: 10.3390/ani12040452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary There is abundant literature reporting demyelination in dogs and pinnipeds affected by morbillivirus infection, but myelinopathy is poorly investigated in stranded cetaceans affected with the virus. Also, the neuropathogenesis of cetacean morbillivirus infection has not been fully clarified, leaving questions on cell tropism unanswered. A novel dolphin morbillivirus lineage of Atlantic origin circulating in Italian waters replaced the previous Mediterranean strain in late 2015; however, differences in virulence and pathogenesis between the two strains have not yet been documented. The aims of the present study were to: describe histopathological changes and immunohistochemical findings in the central nervous system of 31 cetaceans which tested positive on molecular investigations for the two dolphin morbillivirus strains; characterize by double indirect immunofluorescence staining the areas of myelin damage. The most frequently observed morbillivirus-associated lesions were astro-microgliosis, neuronal necrosis, spongiosis, malacia, and non-suppurative meningoencephalitis. Demyelination was detected by means of a specific myelin biomarker. Inside and around the demyelinated areas there were morbillivirus antigen-bearing cells of mainly neuronal and microglial origin, associated with marked astro and microglia reactivity. Molecular and immunohistochemical analysis suggested a higher neurotropic affinity of the novel circulating strain. Abstract Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is responsible for epidemic and endemic fatalities in free-ranging cetaceans. Neuro-inflammation sustained by CeMV is a leading cause of death in stranded cetaceans. A novel dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) strain of Atlantic origin circulating in Italian waters since early 2016 has caused acute/subacute lesions associated with positive immunolabelling of the virus. To date, myelin damage has not been fully documented and investigated in cetaceans. This study describes neuropathological findings in the brain tissue of 31 cetaceans found stranded along the Italian coastline and positive for DMV infection on molecular testing. Cell changes in the areas of myelinopathy were revealed by double indirect immunofluorescence. The most frequent DMV-associated lesions were astro-microgliosis, neuronal necrosis, spongiosis, malacia, and non-suppurative meningoencephalitis. Myelin reduction and areas of demyelination were revealed by means of a specific myelin biomarker. Morbilliviral antigen immunolabelling was mainly observed in neurons and microglial cells, in association with a marked activation of microglia and astrocytes. These findings extend our knowledge of DMV-associated brain lesions and shed light on their pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Giorda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
- Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416 Canary Islands, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Paola Crociara
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
- Department of Prevention, Local Veterinary Services (ASLTO4), SS Sanità Animale, Piazza Gino Viano Bellandi, Cuorgnè, 10082 Torino, Italy
| | - Barbara Iulini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Paola Gazzuola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Alessandra Favole
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Maria Goria
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Laura Serracca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Alessandro Dondo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Maria Ines Crescio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Tania Audino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Simone Peletto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | | | - Maria Caramelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Eva Sierra
- Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416 Canary Islands, Spain;
| | - Fabio Di Nocera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via della Salute, 2, Portici, 80055 Napoli, Italy; (F.D.N.); (G.L.)
| | - Giuseppe Lucifora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via della Salute, 2, Portici, 80055 Napoli, Italy; (F.D.N.); (G.L.)
| | - Antonio Petrella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy;
| | - Roberto Puleio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi, 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro, 35020 Padua, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Di Guardo
- Retired Professor of General Pathology and Veterinary Pathophysiology, Veterinary Medical Faculty, University of Teramo, Localita’ Piano d’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy;
| | - Cristina Casalone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
| | - Carla Grattarola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (P.C.); (B.I.); (P.G.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (L.S.); (A.D.); (M.I.C.); (T.A.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (C.C.); (C.G.)
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Zinzula L, Mazzariol S, Di Guardo G. Molecular signatures in cetacean morbillivirus and host species proteomes: Unveiling the evolutionary dynamics of an enigmatic pathogen? Microbiol Immunol 2021; 66:52-58. [PMID: 34779039 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) infects marine mammals often causing a fatal respiratory and neurological disease. Recently, CeMV has expanded its geographic and host species range, with cases being reported worldwide among dolphins, whales, seals, and other aquatic mammalian species, and therefore has emerged as the most threatening nonanthropogenic factor affecting marine mammal's health and conservation. Extensive research efforts have aimed to understand CeMV epidemiology and ecology, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its transmission and pathogenesis are still poorly understood. In particular, the field suffers from a knowledge gap on the structural and functional properties of CeMV proteins and their host interactors. Nevertheless, the body of scientific literature produced in recent years has inaugurated new investigational trends, driving future directions in CeMV molecular research. In this mini-review, the most recent literature has been summarized in the context of such research trends, and categorized into four priority research topics, such as (1) the interaction between CeMV glycoprotein and its host cell receptors across several species; (2) the CeMV molecular determinants responsible for different disease phenotype; (3) the host molecular determinants responsible for differential susceptibility to CeMV infection; (4) the CeMV molecular determinants responsible for difference virulence among circulating CeMV strains. Arguably, these are the most urgent topics that need to be investigated and that most promisingly will help to shed light on the details of CeMV evolutionary dynamics in the immediate future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Zinzula
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro (Padova), Italy
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