Previremic Identification of Ebola or Marburg Virus Infection Using Integrated Host-Transcriptome and Viral Genome Detection

Transcriptomics of Marburg virus-infected primary proximal tubular cells reveals negative correlation of immune response and energy metabolism

Marburg virus, a member of the Filoviridae, is the causative agent of Marburg virus disease (MVD), a hemorrhagic fever with a case fatality rate of up to 90 %. Acute kidney injury is common in MVD and is associated with increased mortality, but its pathogenesis in MVD remains poorly understood. Interestingly, autopsies show the presence of viral proteins in different parts of the nephron, particularly in proximal tubular cells (PTC). These findings suggest a potential role for the virus in the development of MVD-related kidney injury. To shed light on this effect, we infected primary human PTC with Lake Victoria Marburg virus and conducted transcriptomic analysis at multiple time points. Unexpectedly, infection did not induce marked cytopathic effects in primary tubular cells at 20 and 40 h post infection. However, gene expression analysis revealed robust renal viral replication and dysregulation of genes essential for different cellular functions. The gene sets mainly downregulated in PTC were associated with the targets of the transcription factors MYC and E2F, DNA repair, the G2M checkpoint, as well as oxidative phosphorylation. Importantly, the downregulated factors comprise PGC-1α, a well-known factor in acute and chronic kidney injury. By contrast, the most highly upregulated gene sets were those related to the inflammatory response and cholesterol homeostasis. In conclusion, Marburg virus infects and replicates in human primary PTC and induces downregulation of processes known to be relevant for acute kidney injury as well as a strong inflammatory response.

Effect of Interferon Gamma on Ebola Virus Infection of Primary Kupffer Cells and a Kupffer Cell Line

Ebola virus disease (EVD) represents a global health threat. The etiological agents of EVD are six species of Orthoebolaviruses, with Orthoebolavirus zairense (EBOV) having the greatest public health and medical significance. EVD pathogenesis occurs as a result of broad cellular tropism of the virus, robust viral replication and a potent and dysregulated production of cytokines. In vivo, tissue macrophages are some of the earliest cells infected and contribute significantly to virus load and cytokine production. While EBOV is known to infect macrophages and to generate high titer virus in the liver, EBOV infection of liver macrophages, Kupffer cells, has not previously been examined in tissue culture or experimentally manipulated in vivo. Here, we employed primary murine Kupffer cells (KC) and an immortalized murine Kupffer cell line (ImKC) to assess EBOV-eGFP replication in liver macrophages. KCs and ImKCs were highly permissive for EBOV infection and IFN-γ polarization of these cells suppressed their permissiveness to infection. The kinetics of IFN-γ-elicited antiviral responses were examined using a biologically contained model of EBOV infection termed EBOV ΔVP30. The antiviral activity of IFN-γ was transient, but a modest ~3-fold reduction of infection persisted for as long as 6 days post-treatment. To assess the interferon-stimulated gene products (ISGs) responsible for protection, the efficacy of secreted ISGs induced by IFN-γ was evaluated and secreted ISGs failed to block EBOV ΔVP30. Our studies define new cellular tools for the study of EBOV infection that can potentially aid the development of new antiviral therapies. Furthermore, our data underscore the importance of macrophages in EVD pathogenesis and those IFN-γ-elicited ISGs that help to control EBOV infection.

Understanding virus-host interactions in tissues

Although virus-host interactions are usually studied in a single cell type using in vitro assays in immortalized cell lines or isolated cell populations, it is important to remember that what is happening inside one infected cell does not translate to understanding how an infected cell behaves in a tissue, organ or whole organism. Infections occur in complex tissue environments, which contain a host of factors that can alter the course of the infection, including immune cells, non-immune cells and extracellular-matrix components. These factors affect how the host responds to the virus and form the basis of the protective response. To understand virus infection, tools are needed that can profile the tissue environment. This Review highlights methods to study virus-host interactions in the infection microenvironment.

[Introduction of high containment laboratories in abroad]

Recently, outbreaks of highly pathogenic viruses, such as those of Ebola and Lassa viruses, have become a global public health issue. Such viruses must be handled in biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories. Currently, 62 BSL-4 laboratories are in operation, under construction, or planned in 24 counties. In this review, I provide an overview of the current status and characteristics of BSL-4 facilities in abroad and introduce my research on the wild-type Ebola virus at the BSL-4 facility in the USA.