1
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You Y, Kheimar AM, Vychodil T, Kossak L, Sabsabi MA, Conradie AM, Reddy SM, Bertzbach LD, Kaufer BB. Telomeric repeats in the commercial SB-1 vaccine facilitate viral integration and contribute to vaccine efficacy. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:154. [PMID: 39169010 PMCID: PMC11339279 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00945-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Marek's disease virus (MDV) integrates its genome into the telomeres of host chromosomes and causes fatal lymphomas in chickens. This integration is facilitated by telomeric repeat sequences (TMRs) at the ends of the viral genome, and is crucial for MDV-induced lymphomagenesis. The SB-1 vaccine virus is commonly used in commercial bivalent vaccines against MDV and also contains TMRs at its ends. Here, we demonstrate that SB-1 efficiently integrates its genome into the chromosomes of latently infected T cells. Deletion of the TMRs from the SB-1 genome did not affect virus replication, but severely impaired virus integration and genome maintenance in latently infected T cells and in chickens. Strikingly, the reduced integration and maintenance of latent SB-1 significantly impaired vaccine protection. Taken together, our data revealed that the TMRs facilitate SB-1 integration and that integration and/or maintenance of the latent viral genome is critical for vaccine protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu You
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Virology, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ahmed M Kheimar
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Virology, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, 82524, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Tereza Vychodil
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Virology, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa Kossak
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Virology, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Andelé M Conradie
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Virology, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sanjay M Reddy
- Texas A&M University, School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Luca D Bertzbach
- Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Department of Viral Transformation, 20251, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Benedikt B Kaufer
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Virology, 14163, Berlin, Germany.
- Freie Universität Berlin, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research (TZR), 14163, Berlin, Germany.
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2
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Denesvre C, You Y, Rémy S, Vychodil T, Courvoisier K, Penzes Z, Bertzbach LD, Kheimar A, Kaufer BB. Impact of viral telomeric repeat sequences on herpesvirus vector vaccine integration and persistence. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012261. [PMID: 38805555 PMCID: PMC11161090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Marek's disease virus (MDV) vaccines were the first vaccines that protected against cancer. The avirulent turkey herpesvirus (HVT) was widely employed and protected billions of chickens from a deadly MDV infection. It is also among the most common vaccine vectors providing protection against a plethora of pathogens. HVT establishes latency in T-cells, allowing the vaccine virus to persist in the host for life. Intriguingly, the HVT genome contains telomeric repeat arrays (TMRs) at both ends; however, their role in the HVT life cycle remains elusive. We have previously shown that similar TMRs in the MDV genome facilitate its integration into host telomeres, which ensures efficient maintenance of the virus genome during latency and tumorigenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of the TMRs in HVT genome integration, latency, and reactivation in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we examined HVT infection of feather follicles. We generated an HVT mutant lacking both TMRs (vΔTMR) that efficiently replicated in cell culture. We could demonstrate that wild type HVT integrates at the ends of chromosomes containing the telomeres in T-cells, while integration was severely impaired in the absence of the TMRs. To assess the role of TMRs in vivo, we infected one-day-old chickens with HVT or vΔTMR. vΔTMR loads were significantly reduced in the blood and hardly any virus was transported to the feather follicle epithelium where the virus is commonly shed. Strikingly, latency in the spleen and reactivation of the virus were severely impaired in the absence of the TMRs, indicating that the TMRs are crucial for the establishment of latency and reactivation of HVT. Our findings revealed that the TMRs facilitate integration of the HVT genome into host chromosomes, which ensures efficient persistence in the host, reactivation, and transport of the virus to the skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Denesvre
- INRAE, UMR1282 ISP, Equipe Biologie des Virus Aviaires, Nouzilly, France
| | - Yu You
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sylvie Rémy
- INRAE, UMR1282 ISP, Equipe Biologie des Virus Aviaires, Nouzilly, France
| | - Tereza Vychodil
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katia Courvoisier
- INRAE, UMR1282 ISP, Equipe Biologie des Virus Aviaires, Nouzilly, France
| | - Zoltán Penzes
- Ceva Santé Animale, Ceva-Phylaxia, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Luca D. Bertzbach
- Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Department of Viral Transformation, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ahmed Kheimar
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Benedikt B. Kaufer
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research (TZR), Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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3
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Ugochukwu IC, Luca I, Odigie AE, Njoga EO, Sani NA, Enam JS, Rhimi W, Muhammad ST, Abubakar A, Wakawa AM, Otuh P, Adebiyi T, Nwufoh OC, Udeani I, Oyeleye T, Jarikre TA, Idris SY, Bada A, Shehu Z, Tola A, Okonkwo C, Egwuogu CF, Njoku UN, Ocheja OB, Dzongor J, Grema B, Ibrahim NDG, Njoku COI, Sackey AKB, Emikpe BO, Yunusa A, Ihedioha JI, Jahun BM, Udegbunam SO, Shoyinka SVO. Survey of Animal Neoplastic Cases Diagnosed in Nigerian Veterinary Teaching Hospitals, 2000-2017. Vet Sci 2024; 11:175. [PMID: 38668442 PMCID: PMC11054526 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11040175] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Incidence data from 17-year veterinary neoplasm surveillance and registration were reviewed. Most of the neoplastic cases diagnosed in Nigerian veterinary teaching hospitals (VTHs) were in the avian (49%) and canine species (44%). Fewer cases were recorded in the equine (3.2%), bovine (2.4%), ovine (1.5%), caprine (0.3%) and porcine (0.15%) species. Marek's disease was the most prevalently diagnosed neoplastic disease of domestic animals in Nigerian VTHs from 2000-2017. Also, the Nigerian local breed had a higher mean distribution than any other dog breed and this was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Nearly all of the neoplastic cases diagnosed, were found in females (60.4%) and so the mean distribution of sex was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The digestive system, with 296 (46.25%) cases, was the anatomic location where the majority of the neoplastic cases were found. However, the mean distribution of different neoplastic anatomic sites was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In conclusion, little emphasis is given to the appropriate diagnosis and recording of neoplastic cases that are diagnosed. The study provides information regarding the prevalence and distribution of tumours in different animal species consulted in Nigeria veterinary teaching hospitals. To illustrate all of this, ArcGIS software was used. Veterinary clinicians, pathologists and epidemiologists from Nigeria may benefit from the results of this study by freely accessing some specific data regarding the breed, the age group or the gender of some animal species diagnosed with different tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iniobong Chukwuebuka Ugochukwu
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (I.C.U.); (J.I.I.); (S.V.O.S.)
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Universita degli Studi di Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy; (A.E.O.); (W.R.)
| | - Iasmina Luca
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I”, 300645 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Amienwanlen Eugene Odigie
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Universita degli Studi di Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy; (A.E.O.); (W.R.)
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Benin, Benin City 300238, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel Okechukwu Njoga
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria;
| | - Nuhu Abdulazeez Sani
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Abuja, Gwagwalada Federal Capital Territory, Abuja 900105, Nigeria;
| | - James Samson Enam
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (J.S.E.); (S.Y.I.); (N.D.G.I.); (C.O.I.N.)
| | - Wafa Rhimi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Universita degli Studi di Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy; (A.E.O.); (W.R.)
| | - Sa’idu Tanko Muhammad
- Zaria Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (S.T.M.); (A.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Abdussamad Abubakar
- Zaria Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (S.T.M.); (A.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Aliyu Mohammed Wakawa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (A.M.W.); (A.K.B.S.); (B.M.J.)
| | - Patricia Otuh
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike 440101, Nigeria;
| | - Taiwo Adebiyi
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200005, Nigeria;
| | | | - Ikechukwu Udeani
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (I.U.); (T.O.); (S.O.U.)
| | - Tosin Oyeleye
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (I.U.); (T.O.); (S.O.U.)
| | | | - Sheriff Yusuf Idris
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (J.S.E.); (S.Y.I.); (N.D.G.I.); (C.O.I.N.)
| | - Abdulaziz Bada
- Zaria Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (S.T.M.); (A.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Zaid Shehu
- Usmanu Dan Fodio University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Sokoto 840101, Nigeria; (Z.S.); (A.Y.)
| | - Ajadi Tola
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta 111101, Nigeria;
| | - Chidi Okonkwo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike 440101, Nigeria;
| | - Chioma Frances Egwuogu
- Veterinary Teaching Hospita, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike 440101, Nigeria;
| | - Uchechukwu Nnanna Njoku
- Department of Veterinary Surgery, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike 440101, Nigeria;
| | - Ohiemi Benjamin Ocheja
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Benin, Benin City 300238, Nigeria;
| | - Joel Dzongor
- Makurdi Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Joseph Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi 970212, Nigeria; (J.D.); (B.G.)
| | - Barka Grema
- Makurdi Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Joseph Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi 970212, Nigeria; (J.D.); (B.G.)
| | - Najume Dogowar G. Ibrahim
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (J.S.E.); (S.Y.I.); (N.D.G.I.); (C.O.I.N.)
| | - Celestine O. I. Njoku
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (J.S.E.); (S.Y.I.); (N.D.G.I.); (C.O.I.N.)
| | - Anthony Kojo B. Sackey
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (A.M.W.); (A.K.B.S.); (B.M.J.)
| | - Benjamin O. Emikpe
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200005, Nigeria; (T.A.J.); (B.O.E.)
| | - Adamu Yunusa
- Usmanu Dan Fodio University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Sokoto 840101, Nigeria; (Z.S.); (A.Y.)
| | - John Ikechukwu Ihedioha
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (I.C.U.); (J.I.I.); (S.V.O.S.)
| | - Balarabe Magaji Jahun
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria; (A.M.W.); (A.K.B.S.); (B.M.J.)
| | - Sunday O. Udegbunam
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (I.U.); (T.O.); (S.O.U.)
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Zhu X, Wang L, Gong L, Zhai Y, Wang R, Jin J, Lu W, Zhao X, Liao Y, Zhang G, Zhuang G, Sun A. LORF9 of Marek's disease virus is involved in the early cytolytic replication of B lymphocytes and can act as a target for gene deletion vaccine development. J Virol 2023; 97:e0157423. [PMID: 38014947 PMCID: PMC10734499 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01574-23] [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: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Marek's disease virus (MDV) is a highly infectious and oncogenic virus that can induce severe T cell lymphomas in chickens. MDV encodes more than 100 genes, most of which have unknown functions. This work indicated that the LORF9 gene is necessary for MDV early cytolytic replication in B lymphocytes. In addition, we have found that the LORF9 deletion mutant has a comparative immunological protective effect with CVI988/Rispens vaccine strain against very virulent MDV challenge. This is a significant discovery that LORF9 can be exploited as a possible target for the development of an MDV gene deletion vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lele Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lele Gong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yunyun Zhai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Rui Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jiaxin Jin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenlong Lu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xuyang Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yifei Liao
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gaiping Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Longhu Laboratory of Advanced Immunology, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guoqing Zhuang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Aijun Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
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5
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Kheimar A, Trapp-Fragnet L, Conradie AM, Bertzbach LD, You Y, Sabsabi MA, Kaufer BB. Viral and cellular telomerase RNAs possess host-specific anti-apoptotic functions. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0188723. [PMID: 37754662 PMCID: PMC10581129 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01887-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Human telomerase RNA (hTR) is overexpressed in many cancers and protects T cells from apoptosis in a telomerase-independent manner. The most prevalent cancer in the animal kingdom is caused by the highly oncogenic herpesvirus Marek's disease virus (MDV). MDV encodes a viral telomerase RNA (vTR) that plays a crucial role in MDV-induced tumorigenesis and shares all four conserved functional domains with hTR. In this study, we assessed whether hTR drives tumor formation in this natural model of herpesvirus-induced tumorigenesis. Therefore, we replaced vTR with hTR in the genome of a highly oncogenic MDV. Furthermore, we investigated the anti-apoptotic activity of vTR, hTR, and their counterpart in the chicken [chicken telomerase RNA (cTR)]. hTR was efficiently expressed and did not alter replication of the recombinant virus. Despite its conserved structure, hTR did not complement the loss of vTR in virus-induced tumorigenesis. Strikingly, hTR did not inhibit apoptosis in chicken cells, but efficiently inhibited apoptosis in human cells. Inverse host restriction has been observed for vTR and cTR in human cells. Our data revealed that vTR, cTR, and hTR possess conserved but host-specific anti-apoptotic functions that likely contribute to MDV-induced tumorigenesis. IMPORTANCE hTR is overexpressed in many cancers and used as a cancer biomarker. However, the contribution of hTR to tumorigenesis remains elusive. In this study, we assessed the tumor-promoting properties of hTR using a natural virus/host model of herpesvirus-induced tumorigenesis. This avian herpesvirus encodes a telomerase RNA subunit (vTR) that plays a crucial role in viral tumorigenesis and shares all conserved functional domains with hTR. Our data revealed that vTR and cellular TRs of humans and chickens possess host-specific anti-apoptotic functions. This provides important translational insights into therapeutic strategies, as inhibition of apoptosis is crucial for tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Kheimar
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Laetitia Trapp-Fragnet
- INRAE, UMR1282 Infectiologie et Santé Publique, Equipe Biologie des Virus Aviaires INRAE, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Luca D. Bertzbach
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Viral Transformation, Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yu You
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Benedikt B. Kaufer
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research (TZR), Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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6
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Lantier I, Mallet C, Souci L, Larcher T, Conradie AM, Courvoisier K, Trapp S, Pasdeloup D, Kaufer BB, Denesvre C. In vivo imaging reveals novel replication sites of a highly oncogenic avian herpesvirus in chickens. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010745. [PMID: 36037230 PMCID: PMC9462805 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In vivo bioluminescence imaging facilitates the non-invasive visualization of biological processes in living animals. This system has been used to track virus infections mostly in mice and ferrets; however, until now this approach has not been applied to pathogens in avian species. To visualize the infection of an important avian pathogen, we generated Marek’s disease virus (MDV) recombinants expressing firefly luciferase during lytic replication. Upon characterization of the recombinant viruses in vitro, chickens were infected and the infection visualized in live animals over the course of 14 days. The luminescence signal was consistent with the known spatiotemporal kinetics of infection and the life cycle of MDV, and correlated well with the viral load measured by qPCR. Intriguingly, this in vivo bioimaging approach revealed two novel sites of MDV replication, the beak and the skin of the feet covered in scales. Feet skin infection was confirmed using a complementary fluorescence bioimaging approach with MDV recombinants expressing mRFP or GFP. Infection was detected in the intermediate epidermal layers of the feet skin that was also shown to produce infectious virus, regardless of the animals’ age at and the route of infection. Taken together, this study highlights the value of in vivo whole body bioimaging in avian species by identifying previously overlooked sites of replication and shedding of MDV in the chicken host. In vivo bioluminescence imaging is a powerful tool to track virus infection in the whole body of living animals. This system has been successfully used in mice, ferrets, rats and even fishes, but until now never in birds. In this study, we performed the first in vivo imaging assessing the spread of an important avian pathogen, the highly oncogenic Marek’s disease virus (MDV). Using a recombinant virus expressing firefly luciferase, we visualized the course of MDV infection in chicks for 14 days. The bioluminescent signal was consistent with the known kinetics and sites of dissemination of MDV, notably in feathers. With this new approach, we also discovered two novels sites of early infection and replication that may contribute to persistent virus shedding. Both novel sites represent hard skin appendages like the feathers: the beak and the skin of the feet that are covered in scales. These results were confirmed with two recombinant viruses expressing fluorescent proteins. Fifty-five years after the discovery of MDV and thanks to in vivo imaging, we provide new insights in MDV life cycle in vivo, highlighting the importance of bioluminescence imaging of the entire body in living animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corentin Mallet
- INRAE, UMR1282 ISP, Centre INRAE Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
| | - Laurent Souci
- INRAE, UMR1282 ISP, Centre INRAE Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
| | | | | | | | - Sascha Trapp
- INRAE, UMR1282 ISP, Centre INRAE Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
| | - David Pasdeloup
- INRAE, UMR1282 ISP, Centre INRAE Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
| | - Benedikt B. Kaufer
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research (TZR), Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail: (BK); (CD)
| | - Caroline Denesvre
- INRAE, UMR1282 ISP, Centre INRAE Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
- * E-mail: (BK); (CD)
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7
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Bertzbach LD, Tregaskes CA, Martin RJ, Deumer US, Huynh L, Kheimar AM, Conradie AM, Trimpert J, Kaufman J, Kaufer BB. The Diverse Major Histocompatibility Complex Haplotypes of a Common Commercial Chicken Line and Their Effect on Marek's Disease Virus Pathogenesis and Tumorigenesis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:908305. [PMID: 35693787 PMCID: PMC9186122 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.908305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is crucial for appropriate immune responses against invading pathogens. Chickens possess a single predominantly-expressed class I molecule with strong associations between disease resistance and MHC haplotype. For Marek's disease virus (MDV) infections of chickens, the MHC haplotype is one of the major determinants of genetic resistance and susceptibility. VALO specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens are widely used in biomedical research and vaccine production. While valuable findings originate from MDV infections of VALO SPF chickens, their MHC haplotypes and associated disease resistance remained elusive. In this study, we used several typing systems to show that VALO SPF chickens possess MHC haplotypes that include B9, B9:02, B15, B19 and B21 at various frequencies. Moreover, we associate the MHC haplotypes to MDV-induced disease and lymphoma formation and found that B15 homozygotes had the lowest tumor incidence while B21 homozygotes had the lowest number of organs with tumors. Finally, we found transmission at variable levels to all contact birds except B15/B21 heterozygotes. These data have immediate implications for the use of VALO SPF chickens and eggs in the life sciences and add another piece to the puzzle of the chicken MHC complex and its role in infections with this oncogenic herpesvirus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clive A. Tregaskes
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca J. Martin
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lan Huynh
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ahmed M. Kheimar
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | | | - Jakob Trimpert
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jim Kaufman
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Benedikt B. Kaufer
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research (TZR), Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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8
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Zhu Z, Ge S, Cai Z, Wu Y, Lu C, Zhang Z, Fu P, Mao L, Wu X, Peng Y. Systematic identification and characterization of repeat sequences in African swine fever virus genomes. Vet Res 2022; 53:101. [PMID: 36461107 PMCID: PMC9717548 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-022-01119-9] [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: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large DNA virus that infects domestic pigs with high morbidity and mortality rates. Repeat sequences, which are DNA sequence elements that are repeated more than twice in the genome, play an important role in the ASFV genome. The majority of repeat sequences, however, have not been identified and characterized in a systematic manner. In this study, three types of repeat sequences, including microsatellites, minisatellites and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), were identified in the ASFV genome, and their distribution, structure, function, and evolutionary history were investigated. Most repeat sequences were observed in noncoding regions and at the 5' end of the genome. Noncoding repeat sequences tended to form enhancers, whereas coding repeat sequences had a lower ratio of alpha-helix and beta-sheet and a higher ratio of loop structure and surface amino acids than nonrepeat sequences. In addition, the repeat sequences tended to encode penetrating and antimicrobial peptides. Further analysis of the evolution of repeat sequences revealed that the pan-repeat sequences presented an open state, showing the diversity of repeat sequences. Finally, CpG islands were observed to be negatively correlated with repeat sequence occurrences, suggesting that they may affect the generation of repeat sequences. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of repeat sequences in ASFVs, and these results can aid in understanding the virus's function and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaozhong Zhu
- grid.67293.39Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 China
| | - Shengqiang Ge
- grid.414245.20000 0004 6063 681XChina Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao, 266032 China ,grid.418524.e0000 0004 0369 6250Key Laboratory of Animal Biosafety Risk Prevention and Control (South), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao, China
| | - Zena Cai
- grid.67293.39Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 China
| | - Yifan Wu
- grid.67293.39Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 China
| | - Congyu Lu
- grid.67293.39Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- grid.67293.39Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 China
| | - Ping Fu
- grid.67293.39Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 China
| | - Longfei Mao
- grid.67293.39Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 China
| | - Xiaodong Wu
- grid.414245.20000 0004 6063 681XChina Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao, 266032 China ,grid.418524.e0000 0004 0369 6250Key Laboratory of Animal Biosafety Risk Prevention and Control (South), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Qingdao, China
| | - Yousong Peng
- grid.67293.39Bioinformatics Center, College of Biology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082 China
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9
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Yin C, Yau SST. Inverted repeats in coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 genome manifest the evolution events. J Theor Biol 2021; 530:110885. [PMID: 34478743 PMCID: PMC8406619 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The world faces a great unforeseen challenge through the COVID-19 pandemic caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The virus genome structure and evolution are positioned front and center for further understanding insights on vaccine development, monitoring of transmission trajectories, and prevention of zoonotic infections of new coronaviruses. Of particular interest are genomic elements Inverse Repeats (IRs), which maintain genome stability, regulate gene expressions, and are the targets of mutations. However, little research attention is given to the IR content analysis in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. In this study, we propose a geometric analysis method and using the method to investigate the distributions of IRs in SARS-CoV-2 and its related coronavirus genomes. The method represents each genomic IR sequence pair as a single point and constructs the geometric shape of the genome using the IRs. Thus, the IR shape can be considered as the signature of the genome. The genomes of different coronaviruses are then compared using the constructed IR shapes. The results demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 genome, specifically, has an abundance of IRs, and the IRs in coronavirus genomes show an increase during evolution events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changchuan Yin
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607-7045, USA.
| | - Stephen S-T Yau
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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10
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You Y, Vychodil T, Aimola G, Previdelli RL, Göbel TW, Bertzbach LD, Kaufer BB. A Cell Culture System to Investigate Marek's Disease Virus Integration into Host Chromosomes. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9122489. [PMID: 34946091 PMCID: PMC8706938 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is a highly oncogenic alphaherpesvirus that causes a devastating neoplastic disease in chickens. MDV has been shown to integrate its genome into the telomeres of latently infected and tumor cells, which is crucial for efficient tumor formation. Telomeric repeat arrays present at the ends of the MDV genome facilitate this integration into host telomeres; however, the integration mechanism remains poorly understood. Until now, MDV integration could only be investigated qualitatively upon infection of chickens. To shed further light on the integration mechanism, we established a quantitative integration assay using chicken T cell lines, the target cells for MDV latency and transformation. We optimized the infection conditions and assessed the establishment of latency in these T cells. The MDV genome was efficiently maintained over time, and integration was confirmed in these cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). To assess the role of the two distinct viral telomeric repeat arrays in the integration process, we tested various knockout mutants in our in vitro integration assay. Efficient genome maintenance and integration was thereby dependent on the presence of the telomeric repeat arrays in the virus genome. Taken together, we developed and validated a novel in vitro integration assay that will shed light on the integration mechanism of this highly oncogenic virus into host telomeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu You
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (T.V.); (G.A.); (R.L.P.)
| | - Tereza Vychodil
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (T.V.); (G.A.); (R.L.P.)
| | - Giulia Aimola
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (T.V.); (G.A.); (R.L.P.)
| | - Renato L. Previdelli
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (T.V.); (G.A.); (R.L.P.)
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London NW1 0TU, UK
| | - Thomas W. Göbel
- Institute for Animal Physiology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany;
| | - Luca D. Bertzbach
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (T.V.); (G.A.); (R.L.P.)
- Department of Viral Transformation, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology (HPI), 20251 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (L.D.B.); (B.B.K.)
| | - Benedikt B. Kaufer
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (T.V.); (G.A.); (R.L.P.)
- Correspondence: (L.D.B.); (B.B.K.)
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11
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The Marek's Disease Virus Unique Gene MDV082 Is Dispensable for Virus Replication but Contributes to a Rapid Disease Onset. J Virol 2021; 95:e0013121. [PMID: 34011541 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00131-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Marek's disease virus (MDV) is a highly oncogenic alphaherpesvirus of chickens that causes lymphomas in various organs. Most MDV genes are conserved among herpesviruses, while others are unique to MDV and may contribute to pathogenesis and/or tumor formation. High transcript levels of the MDV-specific genes MDV082, RLORF11, and SORF6 were recently detected in lytically infected cells; however, it remained elusive if the respective proteins are expressed and if they play a role in MDV pathogenesis. In this study, we first addressed if these proteins are expressed by inserting FLAG tags at their N or C termini. We could demonstrate that among the three genes tested, MDV082 is the only gene that encodes a protein and is expressed very late in MDV plaques in vitro. To investigate the role of this novel MDV082 protein in MDV pathogenesis, we generated a recombinant virus that lacks expression of the MDV082 protein. Our data revealed that the MDV082 protein contributes to the rapid onset of Marek's disease but is not essential for virus replication, spread, and tumor formation. Taken together, this study sheds light on the expression of MDV-specific genes and unravels the role of the late protein MDV082 in MDV pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE MDV is a highly oncogenic alphaherpesvirus that causes Marek's disease in chickens. The virus causes immense economic losses in the poultry industry due to the high morbidity and mortality, but also the cost of the vaccination. MDV encodes over 100 genes that are involved in various processes of the viral life cycle. Functional characterization of MDV genes is an essential step toward understanding the complex virus life cycle and MDV pathogenesis. Here, we have identified a novel protein encoded by MDV082 and two potential noncoding RNAs (RLORF11 and SORF6). The novel MDV082 protein is not needed for efficient MDV replication and tumor formation. However, our data demonstrate that the MDV082 protein is involved in the rapid onset of Marek's disease.
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12
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You Y, Hagag IT, Kheimar A, Bertzbach LD, Kaufer BB. Characterization of a Novel Viral Interleukin 8 (vIL-8) Splice Variant Encoded by Marek's Disease Virus. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9071475. [PMID: 34361910 PMCID: PMC8303658 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is a highly cell-associated oncogenic alphaherpesvirus that causes lymphomas in various organs in chickens. Like other herpesviruses, MDV has a large and complex double-stranded DNA genome. A number of viral transcripts are generated by alternative splicing, a process that drastically extends the coding capacity of the MDV genome. One of the spliced genes encoded by MDV is the viral interleukin 8 (vIL-8), a CXC chemokine that facilitates the recruitment of MDV target cells and thereby plays an important role in MDV pathogenesis and tumorigenesis. We recently identified a novel vIL-8 exon (vIL-8-E3′) by RNA-seq; however, it remained elusive whether the protein containing the vIL-8-E3′ is expressed and what role it may play in MDV replication and/or pathogenesis. To address these questions, we first generated recombinant MDV harboring a tag that allows identification of the spliced vIL-8-E3′ protein, revealing that it is indeed expressed. We subsequently generated knockout viruses and could demonstrate that the vIL-8-E3′ protein is dispensable for MDV replication as well as secretion of the functional vIL-8 chemokine. Finally, infection of chickens with this vIL-8-E3′ knockout virus revealed that the protein is not important for MDV replication and pathogenesis in vivo. Taken together, our study provides novel insights into the splice forms of the CXC chemokine of this highly oncogenic alphaherpesvirus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu You
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (I.T.H.); (A.K.)
| | - Ibrahim T. Hagag
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (I.T.H.); (A.K.)
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Kheimar
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (I.T.H.); (A.K.)
- Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag 82424, Egypt
| | - Luca D. Bertzbach
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (I.T.H.); (A.K.)
- Department of Viral Transformation, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology (HPI), 20251 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (L.D.B.); (B.B.K.)
| | - Benedikt B. Kaufer
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany; (Y.Y.); (I.T.H.); (A.K.)
- Correspondence: (L.D.B.); (B.B.K.)
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13
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Latest Insights into Unique Open Reading Frames Encoded by Unique Long (UL) and Short (US) Regions of Marek's Disease Virus. Viruses 2021; 13:v13060974. [PMID: 34070255 PMCID: PMC8225041 DOI: 10.3390/v13060974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is an oncogenic avian alphaherpesvirus whose genome consists of unique long (UL) and short (US) regions that are flanked by inverted repeat regions. More than 100 open reading frames (ORFs) have been annotated in the MDV genome, and are involved in various aspects of MDV biology and pathogenesis. Within UL and US regions of MDV, there are several unique ORFs, some of which have recently been shown to be important for MDV replication and pathogenesis. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge on these ORFs and compare their location in different MDV strains.
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