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Tong Jia Ming S, Tan Yi Jun K, Carissimo G. Pathogenicity and virulence of O'nyong-nyong virus: A less studied Togaviridae with pandemic potential. Virulence 2024; 15:2355201. [PMID: 38797948 PMCID: PMC11135837 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2355201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
O'nyong-nyong virus (ONNV) is a neglected mosquito-borne alphavirus belonging to the Togaviridae family. ONNV is known to be responsible for sporadic outbreaks of acute febrile disease and polyarthralgia in Africa. As climate change increases the geographical range of known and potential new vectors, recent data indicate a possibility for ONNV to spread outside of the African continent and grow into a greater public health concern. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge on ONNV epidemiology, host-pathogen interactions, vector-virus responses, and insights into possible avenues to control risk of further epidemics. In this review, the limited ONNV literature is compared and correlated to other findings on mainly Old World alphaviruses. We highlight and discuss studies that investigate viral and host factors that determine viral-vector specificity, along with important mechanisms that determine severity and disease outcome of ONNV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Tong Jia Ming
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR ID Labs), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Katrina Tan Yi Jun
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR ID Labs), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guillaume Carissimo
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR ID Labs), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technical University, Singapore, Singapore
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Metibemu DS, Adeyinka OS, Falode J, Crown O, Ogungbe IV. Inhibitors of the Structural and Nonstructural Proteins of Alphaviruses. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:2507-2524. [PMID: 38992989 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
The Alphavirus genus includes viruses that cause encephalitis due to neuroinvasion and viruses that cause arthritis due to acute and chronic inflammation. There is no approved therapeutic for alphavirus infections, but significant efforts are ongoing, more so in recent years, to develop vaccines and therapeutics for alphavirus infections. This review article highlights some of the major advances made so far to identify small molecules that can selectively target the structural and the nonstructural proteins in alphaviruses with the expectation that persistent investigation of an increasingly expanding chemical space through a variety of structure-based design and high-throughput screening strategies will yield candidate drugs for clinical studies. While most of the works discussed are still in the early discovery to lead optimization stages, promising avenues remain for drug development against this family of viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damilohun Samuel Metibemu
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Science and Engineering Programs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, United States
| | - Olawale Samuel Adeyinka
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Science and Engineering Programs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, United States
| | - John Falode
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Science and Engineering Programs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, United States
| | - Olamide Crown
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Science and Engineering Programs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, United States
| | - Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Science and Engineering Programs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, United States
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Zhong D, Zheng J, Ma Z, Wang Y, Wei J. Rapid Detection of Getah Virus Antibodies in Horses Using a Recombinant E2 Protein-Based Immunochromatographic Strip. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2309. [PMID: 39199843 PMCID: PMC11350704 DOI: 10.3390/ani14162309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and impact of Getah virus (GETV) are significant concerns in China. GETV can infect a wide range of animals, including horses, pigs, sheep, cattle, birds, and humans, resulting in substantial losses in the livestock and agricultural industries. GETV infection can cause the development of ulcers and inflammation in the mouth and gums of horses, which result in pain and discomfort and lead to symptoms such as reduced appetite, drooling, and difficulty chewing. As a result, there is a pressing need for efficient and rapid disease diagnosis methods. However, the currently available diagnostic methods have limitations in terms of operational time, equipment, and the experience of the individuals using them. In this study, a rapid, specific, and sensitive detection method was developed using a colloidal gold-based immunochromatographic strip (ICS) for the detection of antibodies against GETV in horses. To prepare the ICS, the antigen domain of the E2 glycoprotein of GETV was expressed using the Escherichia coli expression system after analysis with DNAstar v7.1 software. The nitrocellulose membrane was coated with rE2 protein or SPA to form the test line and control line, respectively. After optimizing the reaction conditions, the sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability of the strip were verified. The results showed that the test strip had a detection limit of up to 1:320 dilutions for GETV-positive serum, with no cross-reactivity observed with other equine-susceptible pathogens such as equine arteritis virus (EAV), equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-I), equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), equine influenza virus (EIV), African horse sickness virus (AHSV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Furthermore, the ICS exhibited a concordance rate of 94.0% when testing 182 clinical serum samples compared to the virus neutralization test. Overall, this ICS diagnosis method will be an effective tool for the rapid detection of GETV in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengke Zhong
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, Shanghai Vocational College of Agriculture and Forestry, Shanghai 201699, China;
| | - Jiayang Zheng
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China; (J.Z.); (Z.M.)
| | - Zhiyong Ma
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China; (J.Z.); (Z.M.)
| | - Yan Wang
- Technical Center for Animal, Plant and Food Inspection and Quarantine of Shanghai Customs, Shanghai 200135, China
| | - Jianchao Wei
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China; (J.Z.); (Z.M.)
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4
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Chuong C, Cereghino C, Rai P, Bates TA, Oberer M, Weger-Lucarelli J. Enhanced attenuation of chikungunya vaccines expressing antiviral cytokines. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:59. [PMID: 38472211 PMCID: PMC10933427 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00843-x] [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: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alphaviruses are vector-borne, medically relevant, positive-stranded RNA viruses that cause disease in animals and humans worldwide. Of this group, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is the most significant human pathogen, responsible for generating millions of infections leading to severe febrile illness and debilitating chronic joint pain. Currently, there are limited treatments to protect against alphavirus disease; thus, there is a tremendous need to generate safe and effective vaccines. Live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are cost-effective and potent immunization strategies capable of generating long-term protection in a single dose. However, LAVs often produce systemic viral replication, which can lead to unwanted post-vaccination side effects and pose a risk of reversion to a pathogenic phenotype and transmission to mosquitoes. Here, we utilized a chimeric infectious clone of CHIKV engineered with the domain C of the E2 gene of Semliki Forest virus (SFV) to express IFNγ and IL-21-two potent antiviral and immunomodulatory cytokines-in order to improve the LAV's attenuation while maintaining immunogenicity. The IFNγ- and IL-21-expressing vaccine candidates were stable during passage and significantly attenuated post-vaccination, as mice experienced reduced footpad swelling with minimal systemic replication and dissemination capacity compared to the parental vaccine. Additionally, these candidates provided complete protection to mice challenged with WT CHIKV. Our dual attenuation strategy represents an innovative way to generate safe and effective alphavirus vaccines that could be applied to other viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Chuong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Chelsea Cereghino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Pallavi Rai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Tyler A Bates
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Megan Oberer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - James Weger-Lucarelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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5
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Marano JM, Cereghino C, Finkielstein CV, Weger-Lucarelli J. An in vitro workflow to create and modify infectious clones using replication cycle reaction. Virology 2023; 585:109-116. [PMID: 37331111 PMCID: PMC10528026 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.05.013] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Reverse genetics systems are critical tools in combating emerging viruses which enable a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms by which viruses cause disease. Traditional cloning approaches using bacteria are fraught with difficulties due to the bacterial toxicity of many viral sequences, resulting in unwanted mutations within the viral genome. Here, we describe a novel in vitro workflow that leverages gene synthesis and replication cycle reaction to produce a supercoiled infectious clone plasmid that is easy to distribute and manipulate. We developed two infectious clones as proof of concept: a low passage dengue virus serotype 2 isolate (PUO-218) and the USA-WA1/2020 strain of SARS-CoV-2, which replicated similarly to their respective parental viruses. Furthermore, we generated a medically relevant mutant of SARS-CoV-2, Spike D614G. Results indicate that our workflow is a viable method to generate and manipulate infectious clones for viruses that are notoriously difficult for traditional bacterial-based cloning methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Marano
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.
| | - Chelsea Cereghino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.
| | - Carla V Finkielstein
- Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA; Integrated Cellular Responses Laboratory, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - James Weger-Lucarelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.
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6
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Cereghino C, Roesch F, Carrau L, Hardy A, Ribeiro-Filho HV, Henrion-Lacritick A, Koh C, Marano JM, Bates TA, Rai P, Chuong C, Akter S, Vallet T, Blanc H, Elliott TJ, Brown AM, Michalak P, LeRoith T, Bloom JD, Marques RE, Saleh MC, Vignuzzi M, Weger-Lucarelli J. The E2 glycoprotein holds key residues for Mayaro virus adaptation to the urban Aedes aegypti mosquito. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1010491. [PMID: 37018377 PMCID: PMC10109513 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010491] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptation to mosquito vectors suited for transmission in urban settings is a major driver in the emergence of arboviruses. To better anticipate future emergence events, it is crucial to assess their potential to adapt to new vector hosts. In this work, we used two different experimental evolution approaches to study the adaptation process of an emerging alphavirus, Mayaro virus (MAYV), to Ae. aegypti, an urban mosquito vector of many other arboviruses. We identified E2-T179N as a key mutation increasing MAYV replication in insect cells and enhancing transmission after escaping the midgut of live Ae. aegypti. In contrast, this mutation decreased viral replication and binding in human fibroblasts, a primary cellular target of MAYV in humans. We also showed that MAYV E2-T179N generates reduced viremia and displays less severe tissue pathology in vivo in a mouse model. We found evidence in mouse fibroblasts that MAYV E2-T179N is less dependent on the Mxra8 receptor for replication than WT MAYV. Similarly, exogenous expression of human apolipoprotein receptor 2 and Mxra8 enhanced WT MAYV replication compared to MAYV E2-T179N. When this mutation was introduced in the closely related chikungunya virus, which has caused major outbreaks globally in the past two decades, we observed increased replication in both human and insect cells, suggesting E2 position 179 is an important determinant of alphavirus host-adaptation, although in a virus-specific manner. Collectively, these results indicate that adaptation at the T179 residue in MAYV E2 may result in increased vector competence-but coming at the cost of optimal replication in humans-and may represent a first step towards a future emergence event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Cereghino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ferdinand Roesch
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
- UMR 1282 ISP, INRAE Centre Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France
| | - Lucía Carrau
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Hardy
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Helder V. Ribeiro-Filho
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Annabelle Henrion-Lacritick
- Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Cassandra Koh
- Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Jeffrey M. Marano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Tyler A. Bates
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Pallavi Rai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Christina Chuong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Shamima Akter
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Thomas Vallet
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Blanc
- Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Truitt J. Elliott
- Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (GBCB), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Research and Informatics, University Libraries, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Anne M. Brown
- Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (GBCB), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Pawel Michalak
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Monroe, Louisiana, United States of America
- Center for One Health Research, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia, Untied States of Ameria
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tanya LeRoith
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Jesse D. Bloom
- Basic Sciences Division and Computational Biology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Rafael Elias Marques
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria-Carla Saleh
- Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Marco Vignuzzi
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - James Weger-Lucarelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
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Abstract
In the design and development of therapeutic agents, macromolecules with restricted structures have stronger competitive edges than linear biological entities since cyclization can overcome the limitations of linear structures. The common issues of linear peptides include susceptibility to degradation of the peptidase enzyme, off-target effects, and necessity of routine dosing, leading to instability and ineffectiveness. The unique conformational constraint of cyclic peptides provides a larger surface area to interact with the target at the same time, improving the membrane permeability and in vivo stability compared to their linear counterparts. Currently, cyclic peptides have been reported to possess various activities, such as antifungal, antiviral and antimicrobial activities. To date, there is emerging interest in cyclic peptide therapeutics, and increasing numbers of clinically approved cyclic peptide drugs are available on the market. In this review, the medical significance of cyclic peptides in the defence against viral infections will be highlighted. Except for chikungunya virus, which lacks specific antiviral treatment, all the viral diseases targeted in this review are those with effective treatments yet with certain limitations to date. Thus, strategies and approaches to optimise the antiviral effect of cyclic peptides will be discussed along with their respective outcomes. Apart from isolated naturally occurring cyclic peptides, chemically synthesized or modified cyclic peptides with antiviral activities targeting coronavirus, herpes simplex viruses, human immunodeficiency virus, Ebola virus, influenza virus, dengue virus, five main hepatitis viruses, termed as type A, B, C, D and E and chikungunya virus will be reviewed herein. Graphical Abstract
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Elmasri Z, Negi V, Kuhn RJ, Jose J. Requirement of a functional ion channel for Sindbis virus glycoprotein transport, CPV-II formation, and efficient virus budding. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010892. [PMID: 36191050 PMCID: PMC9560593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many viruses encode ion channel proteins that oligomerize to form hydrophilic pores in membranes of virus-infected cells and the viral membrane in some enveloped viruses. Alphavirus 6K, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpu (HIV-Vpu), influenza A virus M2 (IAV-M2), and hepatitis C virus P7 (HCV-P7) are transmembrane ion channel proteins that play essential roles in virus assembly, budding, and entry. While the oligomeric structures and mechanisms of ion channel activity are well-established for M2 and P7, these remain unknown for 6K. Here we investigated the functional role of the ion channel activity of 6K in alphavirus assembly by utilizing a series of Sindbis virus (SINV) ion channel chimeras expressing the ion channel helix from Vpu or M2 or substituting the entire 6K protein with full-length P7, in cis. We demonstrate that the Vpu helix efficiently complements 6K, whereas M2 and P7 are less efficient. Our results indicate that while SINV is primarily insensitive to the M2 ion channel inhibitor amantadine, the Vpu inhibitor 5-N, N-Hexamethylene amiloride (HMA), significantly reduces SINV release, suggesting that the ion channel activity of 6K similar to Vpu, promotes virus budding. Using live-cell imaging of SINV with a miniSOG-tagged 6K and mCherry-tagged E2, we further demonstrate that 6K and E2 colocalize with the Golgi apparatus in the secretory pathway. To contextualize the localization of 6K in the Golgi, we analyzed cells infected with SINV and SINV-ion channel chimeras using transmission electron microscopy. Our results provide evidence for the first time for the functional role of 6K in type II cytopathic vacuoles (CPV-II) formation. We demonstrate that in the absence of 6K, CPV-II, which originates from the Golgi apparatus, is not detected in infected cells, with a concomitant reduction in the glycoprotein transport to the plasma membrane. Substituting a functional ion channel, M2 or Vpu localizing to Golgi, restores CPV-II production, whereas P7, retained in the ER, is inadequate to induce CPV-II formation. Altogether our results indicate that ion channel activity of 6K is required for the formation of CPV-II from the Golgi apparatus, promoting glycoprotein spike transport to the plasma membrane and efficient virus budding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Elmasri
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Vashi Negi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Richard J. Kuhn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- Markey Center for Structural Biology and Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Joyce Jose
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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9
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Seroprevalence of Getah virus in Pigs in Eastern China Determined with a Recombinant E2 Protein-Based Indirect ELISA. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102173. [PMID: 36298726 PMCID: PMC9607375 DOI: 10.3390/v14102173] [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: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Getah virus (GETV), in the genus Alphavirus and the family Togaviridae, has been detected throughout the world. GETV causes high morbidity and mortality in newborn piglets, entailing serious economic losses. Therefore, the experimental work on GETV detection is necessary. However, due to the influence of a variety of unavoidable factors, the ELISA test for the primary screening of animal diseases has low accuracy in detection results. Therefore, we optimized a recombinant E2 (rE2) protein-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of GETV antibodies in pig serum. The E2 protein was successfully expressed and purified with SDS-PAGE. A Western blotting analysis of sera from infected pigs showed strong reaction with a viral antigen of ~46 KDa corresponding to the E2 glycoproteins. By using chessboard titration and comparing the P/N values, we found that the optimal concentration of coated antigen was found to be 24.5 μg/mL, and the optimal dilution of serum specimens was 1:100. The best working dilution of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated goat anti-pig immunoglobulin (IgG) was 1:5000. The optimal coating conditions were 12 h at 4 °C. The optimal incubation conditions for serum specimens, blocking, and reaction with the secondary antibody were all 1 h at 37 °C. We also investigated the seroprevalence of GETV in 133 serum specimens collected in Eastern China, and 37.59% of the samples tested positive for anti-GETV IgG antibodies, indicating that the seroprevalence of GETV is high in pig populations in China. The seroprevalence was significantly lower in spring (April; 24.24%, 16/66) than in autumn (October; 50.75%, 34/67), which suggested that the presence of anti-GETV antibodies in pigs was seasonal. In conclusion, we improved an rE2 ELISA that detected pig antibodies against GETV after experimental and natural infections. This should be useful in the diagnosis and surveillance of GETV infections.
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Mohamed-Romai-Noor NA, Sam SS, Teoh BT, Hamim ZR, AbuBakar S. Genomic and In Vitro Phenotypic Comparisons of Epidemic and Non-Epidemic Getah Virus Strains. Viruses 2022; 14:v14050942. [PMID: 35632684 PMCID: PMC9145621 DOI: 10.3390/v14050942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Getah virus is an emerging mosquito-borne animal pathogen. Four phylogenetic groups of GETV, Group I (GI), GII, GIII and GIV, were identified. However, only the GETV GIII was associated with disease epidemics suggesting possible virulence difference in this virus group. Here, we compared the genetic and in vitro phenotypic characteristics between the epidemic and non-epidemic GETV. Our complete coding genome sequence analyses revealed several amino acid substitutions unique to the GETV GIII and GIV groups, which were found mainly in the hypervariable domain of nsP3 and E2 proteins. Replication kinetics of the epidemic (GIII MI-110 and GIII 14-I-605) and non-epidemic GETV strains (prototype GI MM2021 and GIV B254) were compared in mammalian Vero cells and mosquito C6/36 and U4.4 cells. In all cells used, both epidemic GETV GIII MI-110 and GIII 14-I-605 strains showed replication rates and mean maximum titers at least 2.7-fold and 2.3-fold higher than those of GIV B254, respectively (Bonferroni posttest, p < 0.01). In Vero cells, the epidemic GETV strains caused more pronounced cytopathic effects in comparison to the GIV B254. Our findings suggest that higher virus replication competency that produces higher virus titers during infection may be the main determinant of virulence and epidemic potential of GETV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor-Adila Mohamed-Romai-Noor
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; (N.-A.M.-R.-N.); (B.-T.T.); (Z.-R.H.)
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Sing-Sin Sam
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; (N.-A.M.-R.-N.); (B.-T.T.); (Z.-R.H.)
- Correspondence: (S.-S.S.); (S.A.)
| | - Boon-Teong Teoh
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; (N.-A.M.-R.-N.); (B.-T.T.); (Z.-R.H.)
| | - Zur-Raiha Hamim
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; (N.-A.M.-R.-N.); (B.-T.T.); (Z.-R.H.)
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Sazaly AbuBakar
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; (N.-A.M.-R.-N.); (B.-T.T.); (Z.-R.H.)
- Correspondence: (S.-S.S.); (S.A.)
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11
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Kafai NM, Williamson LE, Binshtein E, Sukupolvi-Petty S, Gardner CL, Liu J, Mackin S, Kim AS, Kose N, Carnahan RH, Jung A, Droit L, Reed DS, Handley SA, Klimstra WB, Crowe JE, Diamond MS. Neutralizing antibodies protect mice against Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus aerosol challenge. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20212532. [PMID: 35297953 PMCID: PMC9195047 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20212532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) remains a risk for epidemic emergence or use as an aerosolized bioweapon. To develop possible countermeasures, we isolated VEEV-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from mice and a human immunized with attenuated VEEV strains. Functional assays and epitope mapping established that potently inhibitory anti-VEEV mAbs bind distinct antigenic sites in the A or B domains of the E2 glycoprotein and block multiple steps in the viral replication cycle including attachment, fusion, and egress. A 3.2-Å cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of VEEV virus-like particles bound by a human Fab suggests that antibody engagement of the B domain may result in cross-linking of neighboring spikes to prevent conformational requirements for viral fusion. Prophylaxis or postexposure therapy with these mAbs protected mice against lethal aerosol challenge with VEEV. Our study defines functional and structural mechanisms of mAb protection and suggests that multiple antigenic determinants on VEEV can be targeted for vaccine or antibody-based therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha M. Kafai
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Lauren E. Williamson
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Elad Binshtein
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | - Christina L. Gardner
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- United States Army Research Institute for Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD
| | - Jaclyn Liu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Samantha Mackin
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Arthur S. Kim
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Nurgun Kose
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Robert H. Carnahan
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Ana Jung
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Lindsay Droit
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Douglas S. Reed
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Scott A. Handley
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - William B. Klimstra
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - James E. Crowe
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Michael S. Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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12
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Agarwal G, Gabrani R. Identification of Peptide Binders to Truncated Recombinant Chikungunya Virus Envelope Protein 2 Using Phage Display Technology and Their In Silico Characterization. Protein Pept Lett 2021; 28:508-519. [PMID: 33121397 DOI: 10.2174/0929866527666201029144245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
AIM To identify and characterize peptide binders to truncated recombinant chikungunya virus envelope protein 2. BACKGROUND Despite extensive research on the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), the specific antiviral treatment's unavailability has stressed the need for the urgent development of therapeutics. The Envelope protein 2 (E2) of CHIKV that displays putative receptor binding sites and specific epitopes for virus neutralizing antibodies is a critical target for the therapeutic intervention. OBJECTIVE The study aims to identify the unique peptides that can bind to truncated E2 protein of CHIKV and further explore their properties as potential therapeutic candidate. METHODS A stretch of CHIKV-E2 (rE2), which is prominently exposed on the surface of virion, was used as bait protein to identify peptide binders to the CHIKV-rE2 using a 12-mer phage display peptide library. Three rounds of biopanning yielded several peptide binders to CHIKV-rE2 and their binding affinities were compared by phage ELISA. Additionally, a fully flexible-blind docking simulation investigated the possible binding modes of the selected peptides. Furthermore, the selected peptides were characterized and their ADMET properties were explored in silico. RESULTS Five peptides were identified as potential binders based on their robust reactivity to the bait protein. The selected peptides appeared to interact with the crucial residues that were notably exposed on the surface of E1-E2 trimeric structure. The explored in silico studies suggested their non-allergenicity, non-toxicity and likeliness to be antiviral. CONCLUSION The potential binding peptides of CHIKV-rE2 protein were identified using phage display technology and characterized in silico. The selected peptides could be further used for the development of therapeutics against the CHIKV infection.>.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Agarwal
- Center for Emerging Diseases, Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, UP 201309, India
| | - Reema Gabrani
- Center for Emerging Diseases, Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, UP 201309, India
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13
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Abdullah N, Ahemad N, Aliazis K, Khairat JE, Lee TC, Abdul Ahmad SA, Adnan NAA, Macha NO, Hassan SS. The Putative Roles and Functions of Indel, Repetition and Duplication Events in Alphavirus Non-Structural Protein 3 Hypervariable Domain (nsP3 HVD) in Evolution, Viability and Re-Emergence. Viruses 2021; 13:v13061021. [PMID: 34071712 PMCID: PMC8228767 DOI: 10.3390/v13061021] [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: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Alphavirus non-structural proteins 1–4 (nsP1, nsP2, nsP3, and nsP4) are known to be crucial for alphavirus RNA replication and translation. To date, nsP3 has been demonstrated to mediate many virus–host protein–protein interactions in several fundamental alphavirus mechanisms, particularly during the early stages of replication. However, the molecular pathways and proteins networks underlying these mechanisms remain poorly described. This is due to the low genetic sequence homology of the nsP3 protein among the alphavirus species, especially at its 3′ C-terminal domain, the hypervariable domain (HVD). Moreover, the nsP3 HVD is almost or completely intrinsically disordered and has a poor ability to form secondary structures. Evolution in the nsP3 HVD region allows the alphavirus to adapt to vertebrate and insect hosts. This review focuses on the putative roles and functions of indel, repetition, and duplication events that have occurred in the alphavirus nsP3 HVD, including characterization of the differences and their implications for specificity in the context of virus–host interactions in fundamental alphavirus mechanisms, which have thus directly facilitated the evolution, adaptation, viability, and re-emergence of these viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurshariza Abdullah
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia; (N.A.); (N.A.A.A.); (N.O.M.)
| | - Nafees Ahemad
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia;
- Infectious Diseases and Health Cluster, Tropical Medicine and Biology Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Konstantinos Aliazis
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK;
| | - Jasmine Elanie Khairat
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
| | - Thong Chuan Lee
- Faculty of Industrial Sciences & Technology, University Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, Gambang, Kuantan 26300, Pahang, Malaysia;
| | - Siti Aisyah Abdul Ahmad
- Immunogenetic Unit, Allergy and Immunology Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam 40170, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | - Nur Amelia Azreen Adnan
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia; (N.A.); (N.A.A.A.); (N.O.M.)
| | - Nur Omar Macha
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia; (N.A.); (N.A.A.A.); (N.O.M.)
| | - Sharifah Syed Hassan
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia; (N.A.); (N.A.A.A.); (N.O.M.)
- Infectious Diseases and Health Cluster, Tropical Medicine and Biology Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +60-3-5514-6340
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14
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Silva MK, Gomes HSS, Silva OLT, Campanelli SE, Campos DMO, Araújo JMG, Fernandes JV, Fulco UL, Oliveira JIN. Identification of promiscuous T cell epitopes on Mayaro virus structural proteins using immunoinformatics, molecular modeling, and QM:MM approaches. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 91:104826. [PMID: 33781966 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The Mayaro virus (MAYV) belongs to genus Alphavirus (family Togaviridae) and has been reported in several countries, especially in tropical regions of America. Due to its outbreaks and potential lack of medication, an effective vaccine formulation is strongly required. This study aimed to predict promiscuous T cell epitopes from structural polyproteins of MAYV using an immunoinformatics approach. For this purpose, consensus sequences were used to identify short protein sequences capable of binding to MHC class I and class II alleles. Our analysis pointed out 4 MHC-I/TCD8+ and 21 MHC-II/TCD4+ epitopes on capside (1;3), E1 (2;5), E2 (1;10), E3 (0;2), and 6 K (0;1) proteins. These predicted epitopes were characterized by high antigenicity, immunogenicity, conservancy, non-allergenic, non-toxic, and good population coverage rate values for North and South American geographical areas. Afterwards, we used the crystal structure of human toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ectodomain as a template to predict, through docking essays, the placement of a vaccine prototype at the TLR3 receptor binding site. Finally, classical and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM:MM) computations were employed to improve the quality of docking calculations, with the QM part of the simulations being accomplished by using the density functional theory (DFT) formalism. These results provide important insights into the advancement of diagnostic platforms, the development of vaccines, and immunotherapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria K Silva
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Heloísa S S Gomes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Ohana L T Silva
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Stephany E Campanelli
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Daniel M O Campos
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Josélio M G Araújo
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - José V Fernandes
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Umberto L Fulco
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Jonas I N Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN, Brazil.
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15
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Zhao Z, Deng Y, Niu P, Song J, Wang W, Du Y, Huang B, Wang W, Zhang L, Zhao P, Tan W. Co-Immunization With CHIKV VLP and DNA Vaccines Induces a Promising Humoral Response in Mice. Front Immunol 2021; 12:655743. [PMID: 33868299 PMCID: PMC8044884 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.655743] [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: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chikungunya fever is an acute infectious disease that is mediated by the mosquito-transmitted chikungunya virus (CHIKV), for which no licensed vaccines are currently available. Here, we explored several immunization protocols and investigated their immunity and protective effects in mice, with DNA- and virus-like particle (VLP)- vaccines, both alone and in combination. Both DNA and VLP vaccine candidates were developed and characterized, which express CHIKV structural genes (C-E3-E2-6K-E1). Mice were immunized twice, with different protocols, followed by immunological detection and CHIKV Ross challenge. The highest antigen-specific IgG and neutralizing activity were induced by DNA and VLP co-immunization, while the highest cellular immunity was induced by DNA vaccination alone. Although all vaccine groups could protect mice from lethal CHIKV challenge, demonstrated as reduced viral load in various tissues, without weight loss, mice co-immunized with DNA and VLP exhibited the mildest histopathological changes and lowest International Harmonization of Nomenclature and Diagnostic Criteria (INHAND) scores, in comparison to mice with either DNA or VLP vaccination alone. We concluded that co-immunization with DNA and VLP is a promising strategy to inducing better protective immunity against CHIKV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Zhao
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Deng
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Peihua Niu
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Jingdong Song
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Wang
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Yongping Du
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Baoying Huang
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Wenling Wang
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
| | - Leiliang Zhang
- Institute of Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Ping Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Biomedical Protection, Department of Biomedical Protection, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenjie Tan
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Beijing, China
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16
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Suramin Inhibits Chikungunya Virus Replication by Interacting with Virions and Blocking the Early Steps of Infection. Viruses 2020; 12:v12030314. [PMID: 32191995 PMCID: PMC7150963 DOI: 10.3390/v12030314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that can cause a debilitating disease that is primarily characterized by persistent joint pain. CHIKV has been emerging globally, while neither a vaccine nor antiviral medication is available. The anti-parasitic drug suramin was previously shown to inhibit CHIKV replication. In this study we aimed to obtain more detailed insight into its mechanism of action. We found that suramin interacts with virions and can inhibit virus binding to cells. It also appeared to inhibit post-attachment steps of the infection process, likely by preventing conformational changes of the envelope glycoproteins required for fusion and the progression of infection. Suramin-resistant CHIKV strains were selected and genotyping and reverse genetics experiments indicated that mutations in E2 were responsible for resistance. The substitutions N5R and H18Q were reverse engineered in the E2 glycoprotein in order to understand their role in resistance. The binding of suramin-resistant viruses with these two E2 mutations was inhibited by suramin like that of wild-type virus, but they appeared to be able to overcome the post-attachment inhibitory effect of suramin. Conversely, a virus with a G82R mutation in E2 (implicated in attenuation of vaccine strain 181/25), which renders it dependent on the interaction with heparan sulfate for entry, was more sensitive to suramin than wild-type virus. Using molecular modelling studies, we predicted the potential suramin binding sites on the mature spikes of the chikungunya virion. We conclude that suramin interferes with CHIKV entry by interacting with the E2 envelope protein, which inhibits attachment and also interferes with conformational changes required for fusion.
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17
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Bannai H, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K, Ohta M. Establishment of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Getah virus infection in horses using a 20-mer synthetic peptide for the E2 glycoprotein as an antigen. Arch Virol 2019; 165:377-385. [PMID: 31853643 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-019-04508-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a synthetic peptide for the E2 glycoprotein was developed for the serodiagnosis of Getah virus infection in horses. To identify an immunogenic epitope, a series of 20-mer peptides (n = 22) for the E2 protein was screened with pooled sera from horses infected with Getah virus. Peptide P11 (PTEEEIDMHTPPDIPDITLL) showed the strongest reaction. ELISA using P11 (E2-P11-ELISA) detected increased antibody levels in all seven experimentally infected horses and in five out of nine vaccinated horses. Out of 28 naturally infected horses, 25 were seronegative in their acute sera but turned seropositive in their convalescent sera. For the remaining three horses whose acute sera were seropositive, an endpoint method with serial dilutions detected a ≥ 4-fold increase in titer between paired sera. The concordance between E2-P11-ELISA and a virus-neutralization test in terms of seropositivity was assessed using a series of 220 horse sera, resulting in almost perfect agreement, with a kappa coefficient value of 0.865. E2-P11-ELISA had a sensitivity of 93.3% (95% CI 86.6-97.1%) and a specificity of 95.0% (95% CI 92.5-96.4%). This highly sensitive and specific E2-P11-ELISA should be useful for serodiagnosis of Getah virus infection in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Bannai
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan.
| | - Manabu Nemoto
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan
| | - Koji Tsujimura
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan
| | - Minoru Ohta
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0412, Japan
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18
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Weger-Lucarelli J, Carrau L, Levi LI, Rezelj V, Vallet T, Blanc H, Boussier J, Megrian D, Coutermarsh-Ott S, LeRoith T, Vignuzzi M. Host nutritional status affects alphavirus virulence, transmission, and evolution. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008089. [PMID: 31710653 PMCID: PMC6872174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malnourishment, specifically overweight/obesity and undernourishment, affects more than 2.5 billion people worldwide, with the number affected ever-increasing. Concurrently, emerging viral diseases, particularly those that are mosquito-borne, have spread dramatically in the past several decades, culminating in outbreaks of several viruses worldwide. Both forms of malnourishment are known to lead to an aberrant immune response, which can worsen disease outcomes and reduce vaccination efficacy for viral pathogens such as influenza and measles. Given the increasing rates of malnutrition and spread of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), there is an urgent need to understand the role of host nutrition on the infection, virulence, and transmission of these viruses. To address this gap in knowledge, we infected lean, obese, and undernourished mice with arthritogenic arboviruses from the genus Alphavirus and assessed morbidity, virus replication, transmission, and evolution. Obesity and undernourishment did not consistently influence virus replication in the blood of infected animals except for reductions in virus in obese mice late in infection. However, morbidity was increased in obese mice under all conditions. Using Mayaro virus (MAYV) as a model arthritogenic alphavirus, we determined that both obese and undernourished mice transmit virus less efficiently to mosquitoes than control (lean) mice. In addition, viral genetic diversity and replicative fitness were reduced in virus isolated from obese compared to lean controls. Taken together, nutrition appears to alter the course of alphavirus infection and should be considered as a critical environmental factor during outbreaks. Over- and undernutrition, collectively known as malnutrition, affect over 2.5 billion people worldwide. Associations between malnutrition and mosquito-borne virus infection and resulting disease have been identified in epidemiological studies but have not been explored in controlled studies. Here, we infect obese or undernourished mice with different arthritis inducing viruses in the genus Alphavirus and measure disease symptoms, viral replication, transmission, and evolution. We found that markers of disease, namely weight loss and footpad swelling, were increased in obese mice. We also found that replication differences between mice fed different diets were minimal except late in infection for obese mice when levels of virus dropped significantly. When mosquitoes were allowed to feed on mice fed different diets, we observed reduced infection and transmission rates, depending on the diet. Finally, we found reduced genetic diversity and replicative fitness of virus isolated from obese mice. This study provides insights into the influence of nutrition on alphavirus pathogenesis and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Weger-Lucarelli
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Paris, France.,Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Lucia Carrau
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Paris, France
| | - Laura I Levi
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Paris, France.,Ecole doctorale BioSPC, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Veronica Rezelj
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Vallet
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Blanc
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Paris, France
| | - Jérémy Boussier
- Institut Pasteur, Immunobiology of Dendritic Cells, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France
| | - Daniela Megrian
- Institut Pasteur, Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell, Department of Microbiology, Paris, France
| | - Sheryl Coutermarsh-Ott
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Tanya LeRoith
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Marco Vignuzzi
- Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Paris, France
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19
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Chuong C, Bates TA, Weger-Lucarelli J. Infectious cDNA clones of two strains of Mayaro virus for studies on viral pathogenesis and vaccine development. Virology 2019; 535:227-231. [PMID: 31325837 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2019.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mayaro virus (MAYV; family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus) is an emerging global threat that can cause severe clinical manifestations similar to Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses. Currently, there is a lack of molecular tools to enable a better understanding of the transmission and pathogenesis of MAYV. Here, we detail the development and characterization of infectious clones of two strains of MAYV that produce infectious virus and replicate in mammalian and mosquito cells similarly to wild-type virus. Additionally, clone-derived viruses produced identical infection rates and phenotypes in CD-1 mice compared to the parental strains. This infectious clone system will provide a resource to the research community to analyze MAYV genetic determinants of virulence, determine vector competence, and develop vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Chuong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Tyler A Bates
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - James Weger-Lucarelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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Bannai H, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kokado H. Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Getah virus infection in horses using recombinant E2 protein as an antigen. J Virol Methods 2019; 271:113681. [PMID: 31207276 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2019.113681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Getah virus causes fever, skin eruptions, and limb edema in horses. For a high-throughput and time-saving method for serodiagnosis, we explored immunogenic antigens of Getah virus, and established an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a recombinant protein. Western blot analysis using sera from infected horses showed strong reaction with viral antigens around 46 kDa corresponding to E1 or E2 glycoproteins. Recombinant E2 (rE2) protein reacted more strongly with infected horse sera than did rE1 protein in both Western blotting and ELISA. In ELISA using rE2 protein (rE2-ELISA), for all horses experimentally infected with Getah virus (n = 7), optical density (OD) exceeded the cutoff value at 14 days post-infection. ODs in five of nine vaccinated horses also slightly exceeded the cutoff value after vaccination. Among naturally infected horses (n = 28), 24 were seronegative in the acute sera, which turned seropositive in the convalescent sera. For the four horses seropositive in the acute sera, an endpoint method with serial dilutions of paired sera detected a ≥4-fold increase in titer. In conclusion, we established rE2-ELISA that could detect horse antibodies against Getah virus after experimental and natural infections; this should be useful in the diagnosis and surveillance of Getah virus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Bannai
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
| | - Manabu Nemoto
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
| | - Koji Tsujimura
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
| | - Takashi Yamanaka
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi Kokado
- Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
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A novel discovery, maturation, and assay integration approach for the development of ruggedized multi-valent capture receptors exemplified against the chikungunya virus E2 protein. SENSING AND BIO-SENSING RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbsr.2018.100248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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22
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A Systematic Review of the Natural Virome of Anopheles Mosquitoes. Viruses 2018; 10:v10050222. [PMID: 29695682 PMCID: PMC5977215 DOI: 10.3390/v10050222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Anopheles mosquitoes are vectors of human malaria, but they also harbor viruses, collectively termed the virome. The Anopheles virome is relatively poorly studied, and the number and function of viruses are unknown. Only the o’nyong-nyong arbovirus (ONNV) is known to be consistently transmitted to vertebrates by Anopheles mosquitoes. A systematic literature review searched four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Lissa. In addition, online and print resources were searched manually. The searches yielded 259 records. After screening for eligibility criteria, we found at least 51 viruses reported in Anopheles, including viruses with potential to cause febrile disease if transmitted to humans or other vertebrates. Studies to date have not provided evidence that Anopheles consistently transmit and maintain arboviruses other than ONNV. However, anthropophilic Anopheles vectors of malaria are constantly exposed to arboviruses in human bloodmeals. It is possible that in malaria-endemic zones, febrile symptoms may be commonly misdiagnosed. It is also possible that anophelines may be inherently less competent arbovirus vectors than culicines, but if true, the biological basis would warrant further study. This systematic review contributes a context to characterize the biology, knowledge gaps, and potential public health risk of Anopheles viruses.
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Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arbovirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitos in tropical and subtropical regions across the
world. After decades of sporadic outbreaks, it re-emerged in Africa, Asia, India
Ocean and America suddenly, causing major regional epidemics recently and becoming a
notable global health problem. Infection by CHIKV results in a spectrum of clinical
diseases including an acute self-limiting febrile illness in most individuals, a
chronic phase of recurrent join pain in a proportion of patients, and long-term
arthralgia for months to years for the unfortunate few. No specific anti-viral drugs
or licensed vaccines for CHIKV are available so far. A better understanding of
virus-host interactions is essential for the development of therapeutics and
vaccines. To this end, we reviewed the existing knowledge on CHIKV’s epidemiology,
clinical presentation, molecular virology, diagnostic approaches, host immune
response, vaccine development, and available animal models. Such a comprehensive
overview, we believe, will shed lights on the promises and challenges in CHIKV
vaccine development.
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Doughty CT, Yawetz S, Lyons J. Emerging Causes of Arbovirus Encephalitis in North America: Powassan, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2017; 17:12. [PMID: 28229397 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-017-0724-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Arboviruses are arthropod-borne viruses transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes, ticks, or other arthropods. Arboviruses are a common and an increasing cause of human illness in North America. Powassan virus, Chikungunya virus, and Zika virus are arboviruses that have all recently emerged as increasing causes of neurologic illness. Powassan virus almost exclusively causes encephalitis, but cases are rare, sporadic, and restricted to portions of North America and Russia. Chikungunya virus has spread widely across the world, causing millions of infections. Encephalitis is a rare manifestation of illness but is more common and severe in neonates and older adults. Zika virus has recently spread through much of the Americas and has been associated mostly with microcephaly and other congenital neurologic complications. Encephalitis occurring in infected adults has also been recently reported. This review will discuss the neuropathogenesis of these viruses, their transmission and geographic distribution, the spectrum of their neurologic manifestations, and the appropriate method of diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T Doughty
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Neurological Infections and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 45 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sigal Yawetz
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Lyons
- Division of Neurological Infections and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 45 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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25
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Dennehy JJ. Evolutionary ecology of virus emergence. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1389:124-146. [PMID: 28036113 PMCID: PMC7167663 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The cross-species transmission of viruses into new host populations, termed virus emergence, is a significant issue in public health, agriculture, wildlife management, and related fields. Virus emergence requires overlap between host populations, alterations in virus genetics to permit infection of new hosts, and adaptation to novel hosts such that between-host transmission is sustainable, all of which are the purview of the fields of ecology and evolution. A firm understanding of the ecology of viruses and how they evolve is required for understanding how and why viruses emerge. In this paper, I address the evolutionary mechanisms of virus emergence and how they relate to virus ecology. I argue that, while virus acquisition of the ability to infect new hosts is not difficult, limited evolutionary trajectories to sustained virus between-host transmission and the combined effects of mutational meltdown, bottlenecking, demographic stochasticity, density dependence, and genetic erosion in ecological sinks limit most emergence events to dead-end spillover infections. Despite the relative rarity of pandemic emerging viruses, the potential of viruses to search evolutionary space and find means to spread epidemically and the consequences of pandemic viruses that do emerge necessitate sustained attention to virus research, surveillance, prophylaxis, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Dennehy
- Biology Department, Queens College of the City University of New York, Queens, New York and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York
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26
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Aliota MT, Peinado SA, Velez ID, Osorio JE. The wMel strain of Wolbachia Reduces Transmission of Zika virus by Aedes aegypti. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28792. [PMID: 27364935 PMCID: PMC4929456 DOI: 10.1038/srep28792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is causing an explosive outbreak of febrile disease in the Americas. There are no effective antiviral therapies or licensed vaccines for this virus, and mosquito control strategies have not been adequate to contain the virus. A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on the introduction of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This primarily has been proposed as a tool to control dengue virus (DENV) transmission; however, evidence suggests Wolbachia infections confer protection for Ae. aegypti against other arboviruses. At present, it is unknown whether or not ZIKV can infect, disseminate, and be transmitted by Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti. Using Ae. aegypti infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia that are being released in Medellin, Colombia, we report that these mosquitoes have reduced vector competence for ZIKV. These results support the use of Wolbachia biocontrol as a multivalent strategy against Ae. aegypti-transmitted viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. Aliota
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Stephen A. Peinado
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ivan Dario Velez
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales (PECET), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, A1226, Colombia
| | - Jorge E. Osorio
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Aliota MT, Walker EC, Uribe Yepes A, Dario Velez I, Christensen BM, Osorio JE. The wMel Strain of Wolbachia Reduces Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Aedes aegypti. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004677. [PMID: 27124663 PMCID: PMC4849757 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background New approaches to preventing chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are needed because current methods are limited to controlling mosquito populations, and they have not prevented the invasion of this virus into new locales, nor have they been sufficient to control the virus upon arrival. A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on the introduction of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This primarily has been proposed as a tool to control dengue virus (DENV) transmission; however, evidence suggests Wolbachia infections confer protection for Ae. aegypti against CHIKV. Although this approach holds much promise for limiting virus transmission, at present our understanding of the ability of CHIKV to infect, disseminate, and be transmitted by wMel-infected Ae. aegypti currently being used at Wolbachia release sites is limited. Methodology/Principal Findings Using Ae. aegypti infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia that are being released in Medellin, Colombia, we report that these mosquitoes have reduced vector competence for CHIKV, even with extremely high viral titers in the bloodmeal. In addition, we examined the dynamics of CHIKV infection over the course of four to seven days post feeding. Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes remained non-infective over the duration of seven days, i.e., no infectious virus was detected in the saliva when exposed to bloodmeals of moderate viremia, but CHIKV-exposed, wild type mosquitoes did have viral loads in the saliva consistent with what has been reported elsewhere. Finally, the presence of wMel infection had no impact on the lifespan of mosquitoes as compared to wild type mosquitoes following CHIKV infection. Conclusions/Significance These results could have an impact on vector control strategies in areas where Ae. aegypti are transmitting both DENV and CHIKV; i.e., they argue for further exploration, both in the laboratory and the field, on the feasibility of expanding this technology beyond DENV. New approaches to preventing chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection are needed because the endemic range of this virus is expanding and because current methods are limited to controlling mosquito populations, and this approach has not effectively controlled this virus. A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on the introduction of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Wolbachia biocontrol has advanced from laboratory experiments demonstrating that Wolbachia reduces virus replication to small-scale field trials demonstrating that Wolbachia are capable of spreading through wild Ae. aegypti populations. This primarily has been proposed as a tool to control dengue virus (DENV) transmission; however, Wolbachia infections confer protection for their insect hosts against a range of pathogens including CHIKV in Ae. aegypti. Medium-scale Wolbachia deployments are imminent or in certain instances have commenced. Therefore, assessing whether or not Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti are effective against CHIKV will help inform the viability of Wolbachia biocontrol for CHIKV control. Our study provides valuable evidence that could justify expanding this type of control program to other Ae. aegypti-transmitted arboviruses, primarily CHIKV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. Aliota
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Emma C. Walker
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Alexander Uribe Yepes
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales (PECET), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Ivan Dario Velez
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales (PECET), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Bruce M. Christensen
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jorge E. Osorio
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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28
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Atkins GJ, Sheahan BJ. Molecular determinants of alphavirus neuropathogenesis in mice. J Gen Virol 2016; 97:1283-1296. [PMID: 27028153 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Alphaviruses are enveloped viruses with a positive-stranded RNA genome, of the family Togaviridae. In mammals and birds they are mosquito-transmitted and are of veterinary and medical importance. They cause primarily two types of disease: encephalitis and polyarthritis. Here we review attempts to understand the molecular basis of encephalitis and virulence for the central nervous system (CNS) in mouse models. Sindbis virus (SINV) was the first virus to be studied in this way. Other viruses analysed are Semliki Forest virus (SFV), Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus and Western equine encephalitis virus. Neurovirulence was found to be associated with damage to neurons in the CNS. It mapped mainly to the E2 region of the genome, and to the nsP3 gene. Also, avirulent natural isolates of both SINV and SFV have been found to have more rapid cleavage of nonstructural proteins due to mutations in the nsP1-nsP2 cleavage site. Immune-mediated demyelination for avirulent SFV has been shown to be associated with infection of oligodendrocytes. For Chikungunya virus, an emerging alphavirus that uncommonly causes encephalitis, analysis of the molecular basis of CNS pathogenicity is beginning. Experiments on SINV and SFV have indicated that virulence may be related to the resistance of virulent virus to interferon action. Although the E2 protein may be involved in tropism for neurons and passage across the blood-brain barrier, the role of the nsP3 protein during infection of neurons is unknown. More information in these areas may help to further explain the neurovirulence of alphaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Atkins
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Brian J Sheahan
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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