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Hashizume M, Takashima A, Iwasaki M. An mRNA-LNP-based Lassa virus vaccine induces protective immunity in mice. J Virol 2024; 98:e0057824. [PMID: 38767352 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00578-24] [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: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The mammarenavirus Lassa virus (LASV) causes the life-threatening hemorrhagic fever disease, Lassa fever. The lack of licensed medical countermeasures against LASV underscores the urgent need for the development of novel LASV vaccines, which has been hampered by the requirement for a biosafety level 4 facility to handle live LASV. Here, we investigated the efficacy of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP)-based vaccines expressing the LASV glycoprotein precursor (LASgpc) or nucleoprotein (LCMnp) of the prototypic mammarenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), in mice. Two doses of LASgpc- or LCMnp-mRNA-LNP administered intravenously (i.v.) protected C57BL/6 mice from a lethal challenge with a recombinant (r) LCMV expressing a modified LASgpc (rLCMV/LASgpc2m) inoculated intracranially. Intramuscular (i.m.) immunization with two doses of LASgpc- or LCMnp-mRNA-LNP significantly reduced the viral load in C57BL/6 mice inoculated i.v. with rLCMV/LASgpc2m. High levels of viremia and lethality were observed in CBA mice inoculated i.v. with rLCMV/LASgpc2m, which were abrogated by i.m. immunization with two doses of LASgpc-mRNA-LNP. The protective efficacy of two i.m. doses of LCMnp-mRNA-LNP was confirmed in a lethal hemorrhagic disease model of FVB mice i.v. inoculated with wild-type rLCMV. In all conditions tested, negligible and high levels of LASgpc- and LCMnp-specific antibodies were detected in mRNA-LNP-immunized mice, respectively, but robust LASgpc- and LCMnp-specific CD8+ T cell responses were induced. Accordingly, plasma from LASgpc-mRNA-LNP-immunized mice did not exhibit neutralizing activity. Our findings and surrogate mouse models of LASV infection, which can be studied at a reduced biocontainment level, provide a critical foundation for the rapid development of mRNA-LNP-based LASV vaccines.IMPORTANCELassa virus (LASV) is a highly pathogenic mammarenavirus responsible for several hundred thousand infections annually in West African countries, causing a high number of lethal Lassa fever (LF) cases. Despite its significant impact on human health, clinically approved, safe, and effective medical countermeasures against LF are not available. The requirement of a biosafety level 4 facility to handle live LASV has been one of the main obstacles to the research and development of LASV countermeasures. Here, we report that two doses of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle-based vaccines expressing the LASV glycoprotein precursor (LASgpc) or nucleoprotein (LCMnp) of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a mammarenavirus genetically closely related to LASV, conferred protection to recombinant LCMV-based surrogate mouse models of lethal LASV infection. Notably, robust LASgpc- and LCMnp-specific CD8+ T cell responses were detected in mRNA-LNP-immunized mice, whereas no virus-neutralizing activity was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Hashizume
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ayako Takashima
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaharu Iwasaki
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Center for Advanced Modalities and Drug Delivery System, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- RNA Frontier Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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2
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Nakandakari-Higa S, Walker S, Canesso MCC, van der Heide V, Chudnovskiy A, Kim DY, Jacobsen JT, Parsa R, Bilanovic J, Parigi SM, Fiedorczuk K, Fuchs E, Bilate AM, Pasqual G, Mucida D, Kamphorst AO, Pritykin Y, Victora GD. Universal recording of immune cell interactions in vivo. Nature 2024; 627:399-406. [PMID: 38448581 PMCID: PMC11078586 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07134-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Immune cells rely on transient physical interactions with other immune and non-immune populations to regulate their function1. To study these 'kiss-and-run' interactions directly in vivo, we previously developed LIPSTIC (labelling immune partnerships by SorTagging intercellular contacts)2, an approach that uses enzymatic transfer of a labelled substrate between the molecular partners CD40L and CD40 to label interacting cells. Reliance on this pathway limited the use of LIPSTIC to measuring interactions between CD4+ T helper cells and antigen-presenting cells, however. Here we report the development of a universal version of LIPSTIC (uLIPSTIC), which can record physical interactions both among immune cells and between immune and non-immune populations irrespective of the receptors and ligands involved. We show that uLIPSTIC can be used, among other things, to monitor the priming of CD8+ T cells by dendritic cells, reveal the steady-state cellular partners of regulatory T cells and identify germinal centre-resident T follicular helper cells on the basis of their ability to interact cognately with germinal centre B cells. By coupling uLIPSTIC with single-cell transcriptomics, we build a catalogue of the immune populations that physically interact with intestinal epithelial cells at the steady state and profile the evolution of the interactome of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-specific CD8+ T cells in multiple organs following systemic infection. Thus, uLIPSTIC provides a broadly useful technology for measuring and understanding cell-cell interactions across multiple biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Walker
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Maria C C Canesso
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Verena van der Heide
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aleksey Chudnovskiy
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dong-Yoon Kim
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Johanne T Jacobsen
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Rikshospitalet, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Roham Parsa
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jana Bilanovic
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - S Martina Parigi
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karol Fiedorczuk
- Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elaine Fuchs
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angelina M Bilate
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giulia Pasqual
- Laboratory of Synthetic Immunology, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Daniel Mucida
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alice O Kamphorst
- Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yuri Pritykin
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Gabriel D Victora
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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van der Heide V, Davenport B, Cubitt B, Roudko V, Choo D, Humblin E, Jhun K, Angeliadis K, Dawson T, Furtado G, Kamphorst A, Ahmed R, de la Torre JC, Homann D. Functional impairment of "helpless" CD8 + memory T cells is transient and driven by prolonged but finite cognate antigen presentation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.22.576725. [PMID: 38328184 PMCID: PMC10849538 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.22.576725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Generation of functional CD8 + T cell memory typically requires engagement of CD4 + T cells. However, in certain scenarios, such as acutely-resolving viral infections, effector (T E ) and subsequent memory (T M ) CD8 + T cell formation appear impervious to a lack of CD4 + T cell help during priming. Nonetheless, such "helpless" CD8 + T M respond poorly to pathogen rechallenge. At present, the origin and long-term evolution of helpless CD8 + T cell memory remain incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that helpless CD8 + T E differentiation is largely normal but a multiplicity of helpless CD8 T M defects, consistent with impaired memory maturation, emerge as a consequence of prolonged yet finite exposure to cognate antigen. Importantly, these defects resolve over time leading to full restoration of CD8 + T M potential and recall capacity. Our findings provide a unified explanation for helpless CD8 + T cell memory and emphasize an unexpected CD8 + T M plasticity with implications for vaccination strategies and beyond.
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Molecular Engineering of a Mammarenavirus with Unbreachable Attenuation. J Virol 2023; 97:e0138522. [PMID: 36533953 PMCID: PMC9888291 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01385-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Several mammarenaviruses cause severe hemorrhagic fever (HF) disease in humans and pose important public health problems in their regions of endemicity. There are no United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved mammarenavirus vaccines, and current anti-mammarenavirus therapy is limited to an off-label use of ribavirin that has limited efficacy. Mammarenaviruses are enveloped viruses with a bi-segmented negative-strand RNA genome. Each genome segment contains two open reading frames (ORF) separated by a noncoding intergenic region (IGR). The large (L) segment encodes the RNA dependent RNA polymerase, L protein, and the Z matrix protein, whereas the small (S) segment encodes the surface glycoprotein precursor (GPC) and nucleoprotein (NP). In the present study, we document the generation of a recombinant form of the prototypic mammarenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) expressing a codon deoptimized (CD) GPC and containing the IGR of the S segment in both the S and L segments (rLCMV/IGR-CD). We show that rLCMV/IGR-CD is fully attenuated in C57BL/6 (B6) mice but able to provide complete protection upon a single administration against a lethal challenge with LCMV. Importantly, rLCMV/IGR-CD exhibited an unbreachable attenuation for its safe implementation as a live-attenuated vaccine (LAV). IMPORTANCE Several mammarenaviruses cause severe disease in humans and pose important public health problems in their regions of endemicity. Currently, no FDA-licensed mammarenavirus vaccines are available, and anti-mammarenaviral therapy is limited to an off-label use of ribavirin whose efficacy is controversial. Here, we describe the generation of recombinant version of the prototypic mammarenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (rLCMV) combining the features of a codon deoptimized (CD) GPC and the noncoding intergenic region (IGR) of the S segment in both S and L genome segments, called rLCMV/IGR-CD. We present evidence that rLCMV/IGR-CD has excellent safety and protective efficacy features as live-attenuated vaccine (LAV). Importantly, rLCMV/IGR-CD prevents, in coinfected mice, the generation of LCMV reassortants with increased virulence. Our findings document a well-defined molecular strategy for the generation of mammarenavirus LAV candidates able to trigger long-term protective immunity, upon a single immunization, while exhibiting unique enhanced safety features, including unbreachable attenuation.
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5
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The Pan-ErbB tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib inhibits multiple steps of the mammarenavirus life cycle. Virology 2022; 576:83-95. [PMID: 36183499 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.09.005] [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: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The mammarenavirus Lassa virus (LASV) causes a life-threatening acute febrile disease, Lassa fever (LF). To date, no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-licensed medical countermeasures against LASV are available. This underscores the need for the development of novel anti-LASV drugs. Here, we screen an FDA-approved drug library to identify novel anti-LASV drug candidates using an infectious-free cell line expressing a functional LASV ribonucleoprotein (vRNP), where levels of vRNP-directed reporter gene expression serve as a surrogate for vRNP activity. Our screen identified the pan-ErbB tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib as a potent inhibitor of LASV vRNP activity. Afatinib inhibited multiplication of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) a mammarenavirus closely related to LASV. Cell-based assays revealed that afatinib inhibited multiple steps of the LASV and LCMV life cycles. Afatinib also inhibited multiplication of Junín virus vaccine strain Candid#1, indicating that afatinib can have antiviral activity against a broad range of human pathogenic mammarenaviruses.
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Hashizume M, Takashima A, Iwasaki M. A small stem-loop-forming region within the 3'-UTR of a non-polyadenylated LCMV mRNA promotes translation. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101576. [PMID: 35026225 PMCID: PMC8888456 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian arenavirus (mammarenavirus) mRNAs are characterized by 5′-capped and 3′-nonpolyadenylated untranslated regions (UTRs). We previously reported that the nonpolyadenylated 3′-UTR of viral mRNA (vmRNA), which is derived from the noncoding intergenic region (IGR), regulates viral protein levels at the posttranscriptional level. This finding provided the basis for the development of novel live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) against human pathogenic mammarenaviruses. Detailed information about the roles of specific vmRNA 3′-UTR sequences in controlling translation efficiency will help in understanding the mechanism underlying attenuation by IGR manipulations. Here, we characterize the roles of cis-acting mRNA regulatory sequences of a prototypic mammarenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), in modulating translational efficiency. Using in vitro transcribed RNA mimics encoding a reporter gene, we demonstrate that the 3′-UTR of nucleoprotein (NP) mRNA without a poly(A) tail promotes translation in a poly(A)-binding protein-independent manner. Comparison with the 3′-UTR of glycoprotein precursor mRNA, which is translated less efficiently, revealed that a 10-nucleotide sequence proximal to the NP open reading frame is essential for promoting translation. Modification of this 10-nucleotide sequence also impacted reporter gene expression in recombinant LCMV. Our findings will enable rational design of the 10-nucleotide sequence to further improve our mammarenavirus LAV candidates and to develop a novel LCMV vector capable of controlling foreign gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Hashizume
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ayako Takashima
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masaharu Iwasaki
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, 2-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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7
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Iwasaki M. [Molecular basis for the multiplication of negative-strand RNA viruses: basic research and potential applications in vaccine development]. Uirusu 2022; 72:67-78. [PMID: 37899232 DOI: 10.2222/jsv.72.67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Viruses achieve their efficient reproduction by utilizing their limited components (nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins) and host cell machineries. A detailed understanding of virus-virus and virus-host interactions will lead to the elucidation of mechanisms underlying viral pathogenesis and the development of novel medical countermeasures. We elucidated the details of several such interactions and their roles in the multiplication of negative-strand RNA viruses, measles virus, and Lassa virus. These discoveries were harnessed to develop a novel genetic approach for the generation of live-attenuated vaccine candidates with a well-defined molecular mechanism of attenuation. This article describes our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaharu Iwasaki
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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8
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Ren F, Shen S, Wang Q, Wei G, Huang C, Wang H, Ning YJ, Zhang DY, Deng F. Recent Advances in Bunyavirus Reverse Genetics Research: Systems Development, Applications, and Future Perspectives. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:771934. [PMID: 34950119 PMCID: PMC8689132 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.771934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bunyaviruses are members of the Bunyavirales order, which is the largest group of RNA viruses, comprising 12 families, including a large group of emerging and re-emerging viruses. These viruses can infect a wide variety of species worldwide, such as arthropods, protozoans, plants, animals, and humans, and pose substantial threats to the public. In view of the fact that a better understanding of the life cycle of a highly pathogenic virus is often a precondition for developing vaccines and antivirals, it is urgent to develop powerful tools to unravel the molecular basis of the pathogenesis. However, biosafety level −3 or even −4 containment laboratory is considered as a necessary condition for working with a number of bunyaviruses, which has hampered various studies. Reverse genetics systems, including minigenome (MG), infectious virus-like particle (iVLP), and infectious full-length clone (IFLC) systems, are capable of recapitulating some or all steps of the viral replication cycle; among these, the MG and iVLP systems have been very convenient and effective tools, allowing researchers to manipulate the genome segments of pathogenic viruses at lower biocontainment to investigate the viral genome transcription, replication, virus entry, and budding. The IFLC system is generally developed based on the MG or iVLP systems, which have facilitated the generation of recombinant infectious viruses. The MG, iVLP, and IFLC systems have been successfully developed for some important bunyaviruses and have been widely employed as powerful tools to investigate the viral replication cycle, virus–host interactions, virus pathogenesis, and virus evolutionary process. The majority of bunyaviruses is generally enveloped negative-strand RNA viruses with two to six genome segments, of which the viruses with bipartite and tripartite genome segments have mostly been characterized. This review aimed to summarize current knowledge on reverse genetic studies of representative bunyaviruses causing severe diseases in humans and animals, which will contribute to the better understanding of the bunyavirus replication cycle and provide some hints for developing designed antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuli Ren
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,National Virus Resource Center, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Shu Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,National Virus Resource Center, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiongya Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Gang Wei
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Chaolin Huang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Hualin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,National Virus Resource Center, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yun-Jia Ning
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,National Virus Resource Center, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Ding-Yu Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Fei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,National Virus Resource Center, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Special Issue "Arenaviruses 2020". Viruses 2021; 13:v13040703. [PMID: 33919632 PMCID: PMC8074128 DOI: 10.3390/v13040703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent-borne arenaviruses have been traditionally predominantly associated with certain muroid species from Mastomys/Praomys genera (African arenaviruses) or with species that belong to murid subfamily Cricetidae (New World arenaviruses) [...].
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Abstract
Recent studies have renewed interest in developing novel antiviral therapeutics and vaccines based on defective interfering particles (DIPs)—a subset of viral deletion mutants that conditionally replicate. Identifying and engineering DIPs require that viral cis- and trans-acting elements be accurately mapped. It has long been known that noncoding genomic regions can be obligate cis elements acted upon in trans by gene products. In viruses, cis elements regulate gene expression, encapsidation, and other maturation processes, but mapping these elements relies on targeted iterative deletion or laborious prospecting for rare spontaneously occurring mutants. Here, we introduce a method to comprehensively map viral cis and trans elements at single-nucleotide resolution by high-throughput random deletion. Variable-size deletions are randomly generated by transposon integration, excision, and exonuclease chewback and then barcoded for tracking via sequencing (i.e., random deletion library sequencing [RanDeL-seq]). Using RanDeL-seq, we generated and screened >23,000 HIV-1 variants to generate a single-base resolution map of HIV-1’s cis and trans elements. The resulting landscape recapitulated HIV-1’s known cis-acting elements (i.e., long terminal repeat [LTR], Ψ, and Rev response element [RRE]) and, surprisingly, indicated that HIV-1’s central DNA flap (i.e., central polypurine tract [cPPT] to central termination sequence [CTS]) is as critical as the LTR, Ψ, and RRE for long-term passage. Strikingly, RanDeL-seq identified a previously unreported ∼300-bp region downstream of RRE extending to splice acceptor 7 that is equally critical for sustained viral passage. RanDeL-seq was also used to construct and screen a library of >90,000 variants of Zika virus (ZIKV). Unexpectedly, RanDeL-seq indicated that ZIKV’s cis-acting regions are larger than the untranscribed (UTR) termini, encompassing a large fraction of the nonstructural genes. Collectively, RanDeL-seq provides a versatile framework for generating viral deletion mutants, enabling discovery of replication mechanisms and development of novel antiviral therapeutics, particularly for emerging viral infections.
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Foscaldi S, Loureiro ME, Sepúlveda C, Palacios C, Forlenza MB, López N. Development of a Reverse Genetic System to Generate Recombinant Chimeric Tacaribe Virus that Expresses Junín Virus Glycoproteins. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9110948. [PMID: 33203040 PMCID: PMC7696886 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9110948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammarenaviruses are enveloped and segmented negative-stranded RNA viruses that comprise several pathogenic members associated with severe human hemorrhagic fevers. Tacaribe virus (TCRV) is the prototype for the New World group of mammarenaviruses and is not only naturally attenuated but also phylogenetically and antigenically related to all South American pathogenic mammarenaviruses, particularly the Junín virus (JUNV), which is the etiological agent of Argentinian hemorrhagic fever (AHF). Moreover, since TCRV protects guinea pigs and non-human primates from lethal challenges with pathogenic strains of JUNV, it has already been considered as a potential live-attenuated virus vaccine candidate against AHF. Here, we report the development of a reverse genetic system that relies on T7 polymerase-driven intracellular expression of the complementary copy (antigenome) of both viral S and L RNA segments. Using this approach, we successfully recovered recombinant TCRV (rTCRV) that displayed growth properties resembling those of authentic TCRV. We also generated a chimeric recombinant TCRV expressing the JUNV glycoproteins, which propagated similarly to wild-type rTCRV. Moreover, a controlled modification within the S RNA 5′ non-coding terminal sequence diminished rTCRV propagation in a cell-type dependent manner, giving rise to new perspectives where the incorporation of additional attenuation markers could contribute to develop safe rTCRV-based vaccines against pathogenic mammarenaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Foscaldi
- Centro de Virología Animal (CEVAN), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina; (S.F.); (M.E.L.); (M.B.F.)
| | - María Eugenia Loureiro
- Centro de Virología Animal (CEVAN), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina; (S.F.); (M.E.L.); (M.B.F.)
| | - Claudia Sepúlveda
- Laboratorio de Virología, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina;
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Carlos Palacios
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Dr. César Milstein (CONICET-Fundación Pablo Cassará), Buenos Aires C1440FFX, Argentina;
| | - María Belén Forlenza
- Centro de Virología Animal (CEVAN), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina; (S.F.); (M.E.L.); (M.B.F.)
| | - Nora López
- Centro de Virología Animal (CEVAN), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina; (S.F.); (M.E.L.); (M.B.F.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Ye C, de la Torre JC, Martinez-Sobrido L. Reverse genetics approaches for the development of mammarenavirus live-attenuated vaccines. Curr Opin Virol 2020; 44:66-72. [PMID: 32721864 PMCID: PMC7755828 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Several mammarenaviruses can cause severe hemorrhagic fever disease with a very high case fatality rate, representing important threats to human health within the viruses' endemic regions. To date, there are no United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-licensed vaccines available to combat mammarenavirus infections in humans, and current anti-mammarenavirus therapy is limited to off-label use of the guanosine analog ribavirin, which has limited efficacy and has been associated with significant side effects. Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent viral diseases, and live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) have been shown to often provide long-term protection against a subsequent natural infection by the corresponding virulent form of the virus. The development of mammarenavirus reverse genetics systems has provided investigators with a powerful approach for the investigation of the molecular and cell biology of mammarenaviruses and also for the generation of recombinant viruses containing predetermined mutations in their genome for their implementation as LAVs for the treatment of mammarenavirus infections. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the mammarenavirus molecular and cell biology, and the use of reverse genetic approaches for the generation of recombinant mammarenaviruses. Moreover, we briefly discus some novel LAV approaches for the treatment of mammarenavirus infections based on the use of reverse genetics approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengjin Ye
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Juan C de la Torre
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Development of Reverse Genetics for the Prototype New World Mammarenavirus Tacaribe Virus. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.01014-20. [PMID: 32669332 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01014-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The New World mammarenavirus Tacaribe virus (TCRV) has been isolated from fruit bats, mosquitoes, and ticks, whereas all other known New World mammarenaviruses are maintained in rodents. TCRV has not been linked to human disease, but it has been shown to protect against Argentine hemorrhagic fever-like disease in marmosets infected with the New World mammarenavirus Junín virus (JUNV), indicating the potential of TCRV as a live-attenuated vaccine for the treatment of Argentine hemorrhagic fever. Implementation of TCRV as a live-attenuated vaccine or a vaccine vector would be facilitated by the establishment of reverse genetics systems for the genetic manipulation of the TCRV genome. In this study, we developed, for the first time, reverse genetics approaches for the generation of recombinant TCRV (rTCRV). We successfully rescued a wild-type (WT) rTCRV (a trisegmented form of TCRV expressing two reporter genes [r3TCRV]) and a bisegmented TCRV expressing a single reporter gene from a bicistronic viral mRNA (rTCRV/GFP). These reverse genetics approaches represent an excellent tool to investigate the biology of TCRV and to explore its potential use as a live-attenuated vaccine or a vaccine vector for the treatment of other viral infections. Notably, we identified a 39-nucleotide (nt) deletion (Δ39) in the noncoding intergenic region (IGR) of the viral large (L) segment that is required for optimal virus multiplication. Accordingly, an rTCRV containing this 39-nt deletion in the L-IGR (rTCRV/Δ39) exhibited decreased viral fitness in cultured cells, suggesting the feasibility of using this deletion in the L-IGR as an approach to attenuate TCRV, and potentially other mammarenaviruses, for their implementation as live-attenuated vaccines or vaccine vectors.IMPORTANCE To date, no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccines are available to combat hemorrhagic fever caused by mammarenavirus infections in humans. Treatment of mammarenavirus infections is limited to the off-label use of ribavirin, which is partially effective and associated with significant side effects. Tacaribe virus (TCRV), the prototype member of the New World mammarenaviruses, is nonpathogenic in humans but able to provide protection against Junín virus (JUNV), the causative agent of Argentine hemorrhagic fever, demonstrating the feasibility of using TCRV as a live-attenuated vaccine vector for the treatment of JUNV and potentially other viral infections. Here, we describe for the first time the feasibility of generating recombinant TCRV (rTCRV) using reverse genetics approaches, which paves the way to study the biology of TCRV and also its potential use as a live-attenuated vaccine or a vaccine vector for the treatment of mammarenavirus and/or other viral infections in humans.
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14
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Analysis of the Function of the Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus S Segment Untranslated Region on Growth Capacity In Vitro and on Virulence In Vivo. Viruses 2020; 12:v12080896. [PMID: 32824338 PMCID: PMC7474432 DOI: 10.3390/v12080896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a prototypic arenavirus. The function of untranslated regions (UTRs) of the LCMV genome has not been well studied except for the extreme 19 nucleotide residues of both the 5′ and 3′ termini. There are internal UTRs composed of 58 and 41 nucleotide residues in the 5′ and 3′ UTRs, respectively, in the LCMV S segment. Their functional roles have yet to be elucidated. In this study, reverse genetics and minigenome systems were established for LCMV strain WE and the function of these regions were analyzed. It was revealed that nucleotides 20–40 and 20–38 located downstream of the 19 nucleotides in the 5′ and 3′ termini, respectively, were involved in viral genome replication and transcription. Furthermore, it was revealed that the other internal UTRs (nucleotides 41–77 and 39–60 in the 5′ and 3′ termini, respectively) in the S segment were involved in virulence in vivo, even though these regions did not affect viral growth capacity in Vero cells. The introduction of LCMV with mutations in these regions attenuates the virus and may enable the production of LCMV vaccine candidates.
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15
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Kainulainen MH, Spengler JR, Welch SR, Coleman-McCray JD, Harmon JR, Scholte FEM, Goldsmith CS, Nichol ST, Albariño CG, Spiropoulou CF. Protection From Lethal Lassa Disease Can Be Achieved Both Before and After Virus Exposure by Administration of Single-Cycle Replicating Lassa Virus Replicon Particles. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:1281-1289. [PMID: 31152662 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa fever is a frequently severe human disease that is endemic to several countries in West Africa. To date, no licensed vaccines are available to prevent Lassa virus (LASV) infection, even though Lassa fever is thought to be an important disease contributing to mortality and both acute and chronic morbidity. We have previously described a vaccine candidate composed of single-cycle LASV replicon particles (VRPs) and a stable cell line for their production. Here, we refine the genetic composition of the VRPs and demonstrate the ability to reproducibly purify them with high yields. Studies in the guinea pig model confirm efficacy of the vaccine candidate, demonstrate that single-cycle replication is necessary for complete protection by the VRP vaccine, and show that postexposure vaccination can confer protection from lethal outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Cynthia S Goldsmith
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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16
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Cai Y, Iwasaki M, Motooka D, Liu DX, Yu S, Cooper K, Hart R, Adams R, Burdette T, Postnikova EN, Kurtz J, St Claire M, Ye C, Kuhn JH, Martínez-Sobrido L, de la Torre JC. A Lassa Virus Live-Attenuated Vaccine Candidate Based on Rearrangement of the Intergenic Region. mBio 2020; 11:e00186-20. [PMID: 32209677 PMCID: PMC7157513 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00186-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV) poses a significant public health problem within the regions of Lassa fever endemicity in Western Africa. LASV infects several hundred thousand individuals yearly, and a considerable number of Lassa fever cases are associated with high morbidity and lethality. No approved LASV vaccine is available, and current therapy is limited to an off-label usage of ribavirin that is only partially effective and associated with significant side effects. The impact of Lassa fever on human health, together with the limited existing countermeasures, highlights the importance of developing effective vaccines against LASV. Here, we present the development and characterization of a recombinant LASV (rLASV) vaccine candidate [rLASV(IGR/S-S)], which is based on the presence of the noncoding intergenic region (IGR) of the small (S) genome segment (S-IGR) in both large (L) and S LASV segments. In cultured cells, rLASV(IGR/S-S) was modestly less fit than wild-type rLASV (rLASV-WT). rLASV(IGR/S-S) was highly attenuated in guinea pigs, and a single subcutaneous low dose of the virus completely protected against otherwise lethal infection with LASV-WT. Moreover, rLASV(IGR/S-S) was genetically stable during serial passages in cultured cells. These findings indicate that rLASV(IGR/S-S) can be developed into a LASV live-attenuated vaccine (LAV) that has the same antigenic composition as LASV-WT and a well-defined mechanism of attenuation that overcomes concerns about increased virulence that could be caused by genetic changes in the LAV during multiple rounds of multiplication.IMPORTANCE Lassa virus (LASV), the causative agent of Lassa fever, infects several hundred thousand people in Western Africa, resulting in many lethal Lassa fever cases. No U.S. Food and Drug Administration-licensed countermeasures are available to prevent or treat LASV infection. We describe the generation of a novel LASV live-attenuated vaccine candidate rLASV(IGR/S-S), which is based on the replacement of the large genomic segment noncoding intergenic region (IGR) with that of the small genome segment. rLASV(IGR/S-S) is less fit in cell culture than wild-type virus and does not cause clinical signs in inoculated guinea pigs. Importantly, rLASV(IGR/S-S) protects immunized guinea pigs against an otherwise lethal exposure to LASV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingyun Cai
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Masaharu Iwasaki
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Diseases, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daisuke Motooka
- Laboratory of Pathogen Detection and Identification, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - David X Liu
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Shuiqing Yu
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Kurt Cooper
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Randy Hart
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Ricky Adams
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Tracey Burdette
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Elena N Postnikova
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan Kurtz
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Marisa St Claire
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jens H Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Luis Martínez-Sobrido
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Juan Carlos de la Torre
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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17
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Takamatsu Y, Kajikawa J, Muramoto Y, Nakano M, Noda T. Microtubule-dependent transport of arenavirus matrix protein demonstrated using live-cell imaging microscopy. Microscopy (Oxf) 2019; 68:450-456. [PMID: 31722015 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfz034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV), belonging to the family Arenaviridae, causes severe haemorrhagic manifestations and is associated with a high mortality rate in humans. Thus, it is classified as a biosafety level (BSL)-4 agent. Since countermeasures for LASV diseases are yet to be developed, it is important to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the life cycle of the virus, including its viral and host cellular protein interactions. These underlying molecular mechanisms may serve as the key for developing novel therapeutic options. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a close relative of LASV, is usually asymptomatic and is categorized as a BSL-2 agent. In the present study, we visualized the transport of viral matrix Z protein in LCMV-infected cells using live-cell imaging microscopy. We demonstrated that the transport of Z protein is mediated by polymerized microtubules. Interestingly, the transport of LASV Z protein showed characteristics similar to those of Z protein in LCMV-infected cells. The live-cell imaging system using LCMV provides an attractive surrogate measure for studying arenavirus matrix protein transport in BSL-2 laboratories. In addition, it could be also utilized to analyze the interactions between viral matrix proteins and the cellular cytoskeleton, as well as to evaluate the antiviral compounds that target the transport of viral matrix proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Takamatsu
- Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan.,Institut für Virologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
| | - Junichi Kajikawa
- Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Yukiko Muramoto
- Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nakano
- Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Takeshi Noda
- Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan
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18
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Cubitt B, Ortiz-Riano E, Cheng BY, Kim YJ, Yeh CD, Chen CZ, Southall NOE, Zheng W, Martinez-Sobrido L, de la Torre JC. A cell-based, infectious-free, platform to identify inhibitors of lassa virus ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) activity. Antiviral Res 2019; 173:104667. [PMID: 31786250 PMCID: PMC6954049 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The mammarenavirus Lassa (LASV) is highly prevalent in West Africa where it infects several hundred thousand individuals annually resulting in a high number of Lassa fever (LF) cases, a febrile disease associated with high morbidity and significant mortality. Mounting evidence indicates that the worldwide-distributed prototypic mammarenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a neglected human pathogen of clinical significance. There are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed vaccines and current anti-mammarenavirus therapy is limited to an off-label use of ribavirin that is only partially effective and can cause significant side effects. Therefore, there is an unmet need for novel antiviral drugs to combat LASV. This task would be facilitated by the implementation of high throughput screens (HTS) to identify inhibitors of the activity of the virus ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) responsible for directing virus RNA genome replication and gene transcription. The use of live LASV for this purpose is jeopardized by the requirement of biosafety level 4 (BSL4) containment. We have developed a virus-free cell platform, where expression levels of reporter genes serve as accurate surrogates of vRNP activity, to develop cell-based assays compatible with HTS to identify inhibitors of LASV and LCMV mammarenavirus vRNP activities. Generation of cell lines harboring functional viral ribonucleoprotein complexes (vRNP) of LCMV and LASV. LASV and LCMV vRNP-expressing cell-based screening assays for inhibitors of LASV and LCMV RNA replication and gene transcription. Ionophore antibiotics narasin and valinomycin are potent inhibitors of LCMV and LASV vRNPs. Inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport complex (mETC) I and III are potent inhibitors of LCMV and LASV vRNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Cubitt
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Emilio Ortiz-Riano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Benson Yh Cheng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Yu-Jin Kim
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Charles D Yeh
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Catherine Z Chen
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - N O E Southall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Wei Zheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Luis Martinez-Sobrido
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Juan C de la Torre
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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19
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Brisse ME, Ly H. Hemorrhagic Fever-Causing Arenaviruses: Lethal Pathogens and Potent Immune Suppressors. Front Immunol 2019; 10:372. [PMID: 30918506 PMCID: PMC6424867 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemorrhagic fevers (HF) resulting from pathogenic arenaviral infections have traditionally been neglected as tropical diseases primarily affecting African and South American regions. There are currently no FDA-approved vaccines for arenaviruses, and treatments have been limited to supportive therapy and use of non-specific nucleoside analogs, such as Ribavirin. Outbreaks of arenaviral infections have been limited to certain geographic areas that are endemic but known cases of exportation of arenaviruses from endemic regions and socioeconomic challenges for local control of rodent reservoirs raise serious concerns about the potential for larger outbreaks in the future. This review synthesizes current knowledge about arenaviral evolution, ecology, transmission patterns, life cycle, modulation of host immunity, disease pathogenesis, as well as discusses recent development of preventative and therapeutic pursuits against this group of deadly viral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E Brisse
- Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States.,Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Hinh Ly
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
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20
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Carnec X, Mateo M, Page A, Reynard S, Hortion J, Picard C, Yekwa E, Barrot L, Barron S, Vallve A, Raoul H, Carbonnelle C, Ferron F, Baize S. A Vaccine Platform against Arenaviruses Based on a Recombinant Hyperattenuated Mopeia Virus Expressing Heterologous Glycoproteins. J Virol 2018; 92:e02230-17. [PMID: 29593043 PMCID: PMC5974477 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02230-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Several Old World and New World arenaviruses are responsible for severe endemic and epidemic hemorrhagic fevers, whereas other members of the Arenaviridae family are nonpathogenic. To date, no approved vaccines, antivirals, or specific treatments are available, except for Junín virus. However, protection of nonhuman primates against Lassa fever virus (LASV) is possible through the inoculation of the closely related but nonpathogenic Mopeia virus (MOPV) before challenge with LASV. We reasoned that this virus, modified by using reverse genetics, would represent the basis for the generation of a vaccine platform against LASV and other pathogenic arenaviruses. After showing evidence of exoribonuclease (ExoN) activity in NP of MOPV, we found that this activity was essential for multiplication in antigen-presenting cells. The introduction of multiple mutations in the ExoN site of MOPV NP generated a hyperattenuated strain (MOPVExoN6b) that is (i) genetically stable over passages, (ii) has increased immunogenic properties compared to those of MOPV, and (iii) still promotes a strong type I interferon (IFN) response. MOPVExoN6b was further modified to harbor the envelope glycoproteins of heterologous pathogenic arenaviruses, such as LASV or Lujo, Machupo, Guanarito, Chapare, or Sabia virus in order to broaden specific antigenicity while preserving the hyperattenuated characteristics of the parental strain. Our MOPV-based vaccine candidate for LASV, MOPEVACLASV, was used in a one-shot immunization assay in nonhuman primates and fully protected them from a lethal challenge with LASV. Thus, our hyperattenuated strain of MOPV constitutes a promising new live-attenuated vaccine platform to immunize against several, if not all, pathogenic arenaviruses.IMPORTANCE Arenaviruses are emerging pathogens transmitted to humans by rodents and responsible for endemic and epidemic hemorrhagic fevers of global concern. Nonspecific symptoms associated with the onset of infection make these viruses difficult to distinguish from other endemic pathogens. Moreover, the unavailability of rapid diagnosis in the field delays the identification of the virus and early care for treatment and favors spreading. The vaccination of exposed populations would be of great help to decrease morbidity and human-to-human transmission. Using reverse genetics, we generated a vaccine platform for pathogenic arenaviruses based on a modified and hyperattenuated strain of the nonpathogenic Mopeia virus and showed that the Lassa virus candidate fully protected nonhuman primates from a lethal challenge. These results showed that a rationally designed recombinant MOPV-based vaccine is safe, immunogenic, and efficacious in nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Carnec
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (INSERM, CNRS, ENS Lyon, Université Lyon I), Lyon, France
| | - Mathieu Mateo
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (INSERM, CNRS, ENS Lyon, Université Lyon I), Lyon, France
| | - Audrey Page
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (INSERM, CNRS, ENS Lyon, Université Lyon I), Lyon, France
| | - Stéphanie Reynard
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (INSERM, CNRS, ENS Lyon, Université Lyon I), Lyon, France
| | - Jimmy Hortion
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (INSERM, CNRS, ENS Lyon, Université Lyon I), Lyon, France
| | - Caroline Picard
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (INSERM, CNRS, ENS Lyon, Université Lyon I), Lyon, France
| | - Elsie Yekwa
- CNRS, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques UMR 7257, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Laura Barrot
- Laboratoire P4 Jean Mérieux-INSERM, US003, INSERM, Lyon, France
| | - Stéphane Barron
- Laboratoire P4 Jean Mérieux-INSERM, US003, INSERM, Lyon, France
| | - Audrey Vallve
- Laboratoire P4 Jean Mérieux-INSERM, US003, INSERM, Lyon, France
| | - Hervé Raoul
- Laboratoire P4 Jean Mérieux-INSERM, US003, INSERM, Lyon, France
| | | | - François Ferron
- CNRS, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques UMR 7257, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Sylvain Baize
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Emergentes, Institut Pasteur, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (INSERM, CNRS, ENS Lyon, Université Lyon I), Lyon, France
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21
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Golden JW, Beitzel B, Ladner JT, Mucker EM, Kwilas SA, Palacios G, Hooper JW. An attenuated Machupo virus with a disrupted L-segment intergenic region protects guinea pigs against lethal Guanarito virus infection. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4679. [PMID: 28680057 PMCID: PMC5498534 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04889-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Machupo virus (MACV) is a New World (NW) arenavirus and causative agent of Bolivian hemorrhagic fever (HF). Here, we identified a variant of MACV strain Carvallo termed Car91 that was attenuated in guinea pigs. Infection of guinea pigs with an earlier passage of Carvallo, termed Car68, resulted in a lethal disease with a 63% mortality rate. Sequencing analysis revealed that compared to Car68, Car91 had a 35 nucleotide (nt) deletion and a point mutation within the L-segment intergenic region (IGR), and three silent changes in the polymerase gene that did not impact amino acid coding. No changes were found on the S-segment. Because it was apathogenic, we determined if Car91 could protect guinea pigs against Guanarito virus (GTOV), a distantly related NW arenavirus. While naïve animals succumbed to GTOV infection, 88% of the Car91-exposed guinea pigs were protected. These findings indicate that attenuated MACV vaccines can provide heterologous protection against NW arenaviruses. The disruption in the L-segment IGR, including a single point mutant and 35 nt partial deletion, were the only major variance detected between virulent and avirulent isolates, implicating its role in attenuation. Overall, our data support the development of live-attenuated arenaviruses as broadly protective pan-arenavirus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Golden
- Department of Molecular Virology, Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, United States.
| | - Brett Beitzel
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Jason T Ladner
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Eric M Mucker
- Department of Molecular Virology, Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Steven A Kwilas
- Department of Molecular Virology, Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Gustavo Palacios
- Center for Genome Sciences, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Jay W Hooper
- Department of Molecular Virology, Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, 21702, United States
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Regulation of Tacaribe Mammarenavirus Translation: Positive 5' and Negative 3' Elements and Role of Key Cellular Factors. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00084-17. [PMID: 28468879 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00084-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammarenaviruses are enveloped viruses with a bisegmented negative-stranded RNA genome that encodes the nucleocapsid protein (NP), the envelope glycoprotein precursor (GPC), the RNA polymerase (L), and a RING matrix protein (Z). Viral proteins are synthesized from subgenomic mRNAs bearing a capped 5' untranslated region (UTR) and lacking 3' poly(A) tail. We analyzed the translation strategy of Tacaribe virus (TCRV), a prototype of the New World mammarenaviruses. A virus-like transcript that carries a reporter gene in place of the NP open reading frame and transcripts bearing modified 5' and/or 3' UTR were evaluated in a cell-based translation assay. We found that the presence of the cap structure at the 5' end dramatically increases translation efficiency and that the viral 5' UTR comprises stimulatory signals while the 3' UTR,specifically the presence of a terminal C+G-rich sequence and/or a stem-loop structure, down-modulates translation. Additionally, translation was profoundly reduced in eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4G-inactivated cells, whereas depletion of intracellular levels of eIF4E had less impact on virus-like mRNA translation than on a cell-like transcript. Translation efficiency was independent of NP expression or TCRV infection. Our results indicate that TCRV mRNAs are translated using a cap-dependent mechanism, whose efficiency relies on the interplay between stimulatory signals in the 5' UTR and a negative modulatory element in the 3' UTR. The low dependence on eIF4E suggests that viral mRNAs may engage yet-unknown noncanonical host factors for a cap-dependent initiation mechanism.IMPORTANCE Several members of the Arenaviridae family cause serious hemorrhagic fevers in humans. In the present report, we describe the mechanism by which Tacaribe virus, a prototypic nonpathogenic New World mammarenavirus, regulates viral mRNA translation. Our results highlight the impact of untranslated sequences and key host translation factors on this process. We propose a model that explains how viral mRNAs outcompete cellular mRNAs for the translation machinery. A better understanding of the mechanism of translation regulation of this virus can provide the bases for the rational design of new antiviral tools directed to pathogenic arenaviruses.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lassa virus (LASV), the most prominent human pathogen of the Arenaviridae, is transmitted to humans from infected rodents and can cause Lassa Fever (LF). The sizeable disease burden in West Africa, numerous imported LF cases worldwide, and the possibility that LASV can be used as an agent of biological warfare make a strong case for vaccine development. There are no licensed LASV vaccines and the antiviral treatment is limited to an off-label use of ribavirin that is only partially effective. AREAS COVERED LASV vaccine development is hampered by high cost of biocontainment requirement, the absence of appropriate small animal models, genetic diversity of LASV species, and by high HIV-1 prevalence in LASV endemic areas. Over the past 15 years several vaccine platforms have been developed. Natural history of LASV and pathogenesis of the disease provide strong justification for replication-competent (RC) vaccine as one of the most feasible approaches to control LF. Development of LASV vaccine candidates based on reassortant, recombinant, and alphavirus replicon technologies is covered in this review. Expert commentary: Two lead RC vaccine candidates, reassortant ML29 and recombinant VSV/LASV, have been successfully tested in non-human primates and have been recommended by international vaccine experts for rapid clinical development. Both platforms have powerful molecular tools to further secure safety, improve immunogenicity, and cross-protection. These platforms are well positioned to design multivalent vaccines to protect against all LASV strains citculatrd in West Africa. The regulatory pathway of Candid #1, the first live-attenuated arenaviral vaccine against Argentine hemorrhagic, will be a reasonable guideline for LASV vaccine efficacy trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor S Lukashevich
- a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, and the Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases , University of Louisville , Louisville , KY , USA
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Martinez-Sobrido L, de la Torre JC. Novel strategies for development of hemorrhagic fever arenavirus live-attenuated vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 2016; 15:1113-21. [PMID: 27118328 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2016.1182024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Several arenaviruses, chiefly Lassa virus (LASV), cause hemorrhagic fever (HF) disease in humans and pose significant public health problems in their endemic regions. Moreover, HF arenaviruses represent credible biodefense threats. There are not FDA-approved arenavirus vaccines and current anti-arenaviral therapy is limited to an off-label use of ribavirin that is only partially effective. AREAS COVERED Live-attenuated vaccines (LAV) represent the most feasible approach to control HF arenaviruses within their endemic regions. Different platforms, including recombinant viral vectors expressing LASV antigens, and the use of attenuated reassortant arenaviruses, have been used to develop LAV candidates against LASV with promising results in animal models of LASV infection, but none of them has entered a clinical trial. These vaccine efforts have been the subject of recent reviews and will not be examined in this review, which is focused on new avenues for the development of safe and effective LAV to combat HF arenaviruses. Expert commentary: The development of arenavirus reverse genetics has provided investigators with a novel powerful approach to manipulate the genomes of HF arenaviruses, which has opened new avenues for the rapid development of safe and effective LAV to combat these human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Martinez-Sobrido
- a Department of Microbiology and Immunology , University of Rochester Medical Center Ringgold standard institution , Rochester , NY , USA
| | - Juan Carlos de la Torre
- b Department of Immunology and Microbial Science , The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla , CA , USA
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The High Degree of Sequence Plasticity of the Arenavirus Noncoding Intergenic Region (IGR) Enables the Use of a Nonviral Universal Synthetic IGR To Attenuate Arenaviruses. J Virol 2016; 90:3187-97. [PMID: 26739049 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.03145-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses (HFAs) pose important public health problems in regions where they are endemic. Concerns about human-pathogenic arenaviruses are exacerbated because of the lack of FDA-licensed arenavirus vaccines and because current antiarenaviral therapy is limited to an off-label use of ribavirin that is only partially effective. We have recently shown that the noncoding intergenic region (IGR) present in each arenavirus genome segment, the S and L segments (S-IGR and L-IGR, respectively), plays important roles in the control of virus protein expression and that this knowledge could be harnessed for the development of live-attenuated vaccine strains to combat HFAs. In this study, we further investigated the sequence plasticity of the arenavirus IGR. We demonstrate that recombinants of the prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (rLCMVs), whose S-IGRs were replaced by the S-IGR of Lassa virus (LASV) or an entirely nonviral S-IGR-like sequence (Ssyn), are viable, indicating that the function of S-IGR tolerates a high degree of sequence plasticity. In addition, rLCMVs whose L-IGRs were replaced by Ssyn or S-IGRs of the very distantly related reptarenavirus Golden Gate virus (GGV) were viable and severely attenuated in vivo but able to elicit protective immunity against a lethal challenge with wild-type LCMV. Our findings indicate that replacement of L-IGR by a nonviral Ssyn could serve as a universal molecular determinant of arenavirus attenuation. IMPORTANCE Hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses (HFAs) cause high rates of morbidity and mortality and pose important public health problems in regions where they are endemic. Implementation of live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) will represent a major step to combat HFAs. Here we document that the arenavirus noncoding intergenic region (IGR) has a high degree of plasticity compatible with virus viability. This observation led us to generate recombinant LCMVs containing nonviral synthetic IGRs. These rLCMVs were severely attenuated in vivo but able to elicit protective immunity against a lethal challenge with wild-type LCMV. These nonviral synthetic IGRs can be used as universal molecular determinants of arenavirus attenuation for the rapid development of safe and effective, as well as stable, LAVs to combat HFA.
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