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Somovilla P, Rodríguez-Moreno A, Arribas M, Manrubia S, Lázaro E. Standing Genetic Diversity and Transmission Bottleneck Size Drive Adaptation in Bacteriophage Qβ. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23168876. [PMID: 36012143 PMCID: PMC9408265 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A critical issue to understanding how populations adapt to new selective pressures is the relative contribution of the initial standing genetic diversity versus that generated de novo. RNA viruses are an excellent model to study this question, as they form highly heterogeneous populations whose genetic diversity can be modulated by factors such as the number of generations, the size of population bottlenecks, or exposure to new environment conditions. In this work, we propagated at nonoptimal temperature (43 °C) two bacteriophage Qβ populations differing in their degree of heterogeneity. Deep sequencing analysis showed that, prior to the temperature change, the most heterogeneous population contained some low-frequency mutations that had previously been detected in the consensus sequences of other Qβ populations adapted to 43 °C. Evolved populations with origin in this ancestor reached similar growth rates, but the adaptive pathways depended on the frequency of these standing mutations and the transmission bottleneck size. In contrast, the growth rate achieved by populations with origin in the less heterogeneous ancestor did depend on the transmission bottleneck size. The conclusion is that viral diversification in a particular environment may lead to the emergence of mutants capable of accelerating adaptation when the environment changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Somovilla
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Ctra. de Torrejón Km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alicia Rodríguez-Moreno
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Ctra. de Torrejón Km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Arribas
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Ctra. de Torrejón Km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain
| | - Susanna Manrubia
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), c/Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos (GISC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ester Lázaro
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Ctra. de Torrejón Km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Kalemera M, Mincheva D, Grove J, Illingworth CJR. Building a mechanistic mathematical model of hepatitis C virus entry. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006905. [PMID: 30883541 PMCID: PMC6445459 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism by which hepatitis C virus (HCV) gains entry into cells is a complex one, involving a broad range of host proteins. Entry is a critical phase of the viral lifecycle, and a potential target for therapeutic or vaccine-mediated intervention. However, the mechanics of HCV entry remain poorly understood. Here we describe a novel computational model of viral entry, encompassing the relationship between HCV and the key host receptors CD81 and SR-B1. We conduct experiments to thoroughly quantify the influence of an increase or decrease in receptor availability upon the extent of viral entry. We use these data to build and parameterise a mathematical model, which we then validate by further experiments. Our results are consistent with sequential HCV-receptor interactions, whereby initial interaction between the HCV E2 glycoprotein and SR-B1 facilitates the accumulation CD81 receptors, leading to viral entry. However, we also demonstrate that a small minority of viruses can achieve entry in the absence of SR-B1. Our model estimates the impact of the different obstacles that viruses must surmount to achieve entry; among virus particles attaching to the cell surface, around one third of viruses accumulate sufficient CD81 receptors, of which 4-8% then complete the subsequent steps to achieve productive infection. Furthermore, we make estimates of receptor stoichiometry; in excess of 10 receptors are likely to be required to achieve viral entry. Our model provides a tool to investigate the entry characteristics of HCV variants and outlines a framework for future quantitative studies of the multi-receptor dynamics of HCV entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mphatso Kalemera
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Dilyana Mincheva
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Joe Grove
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, United Kingdom
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3
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Molecular Identification of Transmitted/Founder Hepatitis C Viruses and Their Progeny by Single Genome Sequencing. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1911:139-155. [PMID: 30593623 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8976-8_9] [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] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection exists as a complex mixture of genetically distinct viruses, commonly referred to as a "quasispecies." Quasispecies complexity can vary substantially during the course of natural infection as a consequence of viral population "bottlenecking." This occurs at the time of transmission from one individual to the next and during the course of chronic infection of an individual when adaptive immune responses eliminate certain viruses but allow others to escape and expand. Antiviral treatment with drugs that fail to eradicate virus can also lead to virus population bottlenecks and emergence of drug-resistant variants. Single genome sequencing (SGS) combined with mathematical modeling and phylogenetic inference is a recently described approach for characterizing the HCV quasispecies in unprecedented detail, allowing for the first time the retention of genetic linkage across genes and near full-length genomes and precise identification of transmitted/founder (T/F) genomes. Here, we describe the methodological approach to SGS and show how this strategy allows for the precise and unambiguous molecular identification of transmitted viruses as well as those that repopulate the body after drug or immune-mediated selective sweeps. This is an enabling experimental strategy that allows for a precise genetic, biologic, and antigenic characterization of HCV viruses that are responsible for transmission and persistence. Such an approach can be particularly valuable to future HCV vaccine design efforts, as it has been for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).
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Ke R, Li H, Wang S, Ding W, Ribeiro RM, Giorgi EE, Bhattacharya T, Barnard RJO, Hahn BH, Shaw GM, Perelson AS. Superinfection and cure of infected cells as mechanisms for hepatitis C virus adaptation and persistence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E7139-E7148. [PMID: 29987026 PMCID: PMC6065014 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1805267115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses exist as a genetically diverse quasispecies with extraordinary ability to adapt to abrupt changes in the host environment. However, the molecular mechanisms that contribute to their rapid adaptation and persistence in vivo are not well studied. Here, we probe hepatitis C virus (HCV) persistence by analyzing clinical samples taken from subjects who were treated with a second-generation HCV protease inhibitor. Frequent longitudinal viral load determinations and large-scale single-genome sequence analyses revealed rapid antiviral resistance development, and surprisingly, dynamic turnover of dominant drug-resistant mutant populations long after treatment cessation. We fitted mathematical models to both the viral load and the viral sequencing data, and the results provided strong support for the critical roles that superinfection and cure of infected cells play in facilitating the rapid turnover and persistence of viral populations. More broadly, our results highlight the importance of considering viral dynamics and competition at the intracellular level in understanding rapid viral adaptation. Thus, we propose a theoretical framework integrating viral and molecular mechanisms to explain rapid viral evolution, resistance, and persistence despite antiviral treatment and host immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruian Ke
- Department of Mathematics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Shuyi Wang
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Wenge Ding
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Ruy M Ribeiro
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
- Laboratory of Biomathematics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1600-276 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Elena E Giorgi
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
| | - Tanmoy Bhattacharya
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501
| | | | - Beatrice H Hahn
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - George M Shaw
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Alan S Perelson
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545;
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501
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Dustin LB. Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in Chronic HCV Infection. Curr Drug Targets 2018; 18:826-843. [PMID: 26302811 DOI: 10.2174/1389450116666150825110532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a public health problem of global importance, even in the era of potent directly-acting antiviral drugs. In this chapter, I discuss immune responses to acute and chronic HCV infection. The outcome of HCV infection is influenced by viral strategies that limit or delay the initiation of innate antiviral responses. This delay may enable HCV to establish widespread infection long before the host mounts effective T and B cell responses. HCV's genetic agility, resulting from its high rate of replication and its error prone replication mechanism, enables it to evade immune recognition. Adaptive immune responses fail to keep up with changing viral epitopes. Neutralizing antibody epitopes may be hidden by decoy structures, glycans, and lipoproteins. T cell responses fail due to changing epitope sequences and due to exhaustion, a phenomenon that may have evolved to limit immune-mediated pathology. Despite these difficulties, innate and adaptive immune mechanisms do impact HCV replication. Immune-mediated clearance of infection is possible, occurring in 20-50% of people who contract the disease. New developments raise hopes for effective immunological interventions to prevent or treat HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Dustin
- University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
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Guinoiseau T, Moreau A, Hohnadel G, Ngo-Giang-Huong N, Brulard C, Vourc’h P, Goudeau A, Gaudy-Graffin C. Deep sequencing is an appropriate tool for the selection of unique Hepatitis C virus (HCV) variants after single genomic amplification. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174852. [PMID: 28362878 PMCID: PMC5376297 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) evolves rapidly in a single host and circulates as a quasispecies wich is a complex mixture of genetically distinct virus’s but closely related namely variants. To identify intra-individual diversity and investigate their functional properties in vitro, it is necessary to define their quasispecies composition and isolate the HCV variants. This is possible using single genome amplification (SGA). This technique, based on serially diluted cDNA to amplify a single cDNA molecule (clonal amplicon), has already been used to determine individual HCV diversity. In these studies, positive PCR reactions from SGA were directly sequenced using Sanger technology. The detection of non-clonal amplicons is necessary for excluding them to facilitate further functional analysis. Here, we compared Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) with De Novo assembly and Sanger sequencing for their ability to distinguish clonal and non-clonal amplicons after SGA on one plasma specimen. All amplicons (n = 42) classified as clonal by NGS were also classified as clonal by Sanger sequencing. No double peaks were seen on electropherograms for non-clonal amplicons with position-specific nucleotide variation below 15% by NGS. Altogether, NGS circumvented many of the difficulties encountered when using Sanger sequencing after SGA and is an appropriate tool to reliability select clonal amplicons for further functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Guinoiseau
- INSERM U966, Université François Rabelais and CHRU de Tours, Tours, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Alain Moreau
- INSERM U966, Université François Rabelais and CHRU de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Guillaume Hohnadel
- INSERM U966, Université François Rabelais and CHRU de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Nicole Ngo-Giang-Huong
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) UMI 174 PHPT-Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Celine Brulard
- UMR INSERM U930, Université François Rabelais, Tours, France
| | - Patrick Vourc’h
- UMR INSERM U930, Université François Rabelais, Tours, France
| | - Alain Goudeau
- INSERM U966, Université François Rabelais and CHRU de Tours, Tours, France
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7
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Ferreira PM, Guimarães RA, Souza CM, Guimarães LCDC, Barros CVDL, Caetano KAA, Rezza G, Spadoni L, Brunini SM. Exposure to hepatitis C virus in homeless men in Central Brazil: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2017; 17:90. [PMID: 28100196 PMCID: PMC5241983 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3952-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Homeless men are highly vulnerable to acquisition of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared to the general population. In Brazil, a country of continental dimensions, the extent of HCV infection in this population remains unknown. The objective of this study is to investigate the epidemiological profile of exposure to HCV in homeless men in Central Brazil. Methods A Cross-sectional study was conducted in 481 men aged over 18 years attending therapeutic communities specialized in the recovery and reintegration of homeless people. Participants were tested for anti-HCV markers using rapid tests. Poisson regression analysis was used to verify the risk factors associated with exposure to HCV. Results The prevalence of HCV exposure was 2.5% (95.0% CI: 1.4 to 4.3%) and was associated with age, absence of family life, injection drug use, number of sexual partners, and history of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Participants reported multiple risk behaviors, such as alcohol (78.9%), cocaine (37.1%) and/or crack use (53.1%), and inconsistent condom use (82.6%). Injection drug use was reported by 8.7% of participants. Conclusions The prevalence of HCV infection among homeless men was relatively high. Several risk behaviors were commonly reported, which shows the high vulnerability of this population. These findings emphasize the need for the development of specific strategies to reduce the risk of HCV among homeless men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lila Spadoni
- Faculty of Psicology, UniEvangélica, Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil
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Trémeaux P, Caporossi A, Thélu MA, Blum M, Leroy V, Morand P, Larrat S. Hepatitis C virus whole genome sequencing: Current methods/issues and future challenges. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2016; 53:341-51. [PMID: 27068766 DOI: 10.3109/10408363.2016.1163663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Therapy for hepatitis C is currently undergoing a revolution. The arrival of new antiviral agents targeting viral proteins reinforces the need for a better knowledge of the viral strains infecting each patient. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) whole genome sequencing provides essential information for precise typing, study of the viral natural history or identification of resistance-associated variants. First performed with Sanger sequencing, the arrival of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has simplified the technical process and provided more detailed data on the nature and evolution of viral quasi-species. We will review the different techniques used for HCV complete genome sequencing and their applications, both before and after the apparition of NGS. The progress brought by new and future technologies will also be discussed, as well as the remaining difficulties, largely due to the genomic variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Trémeaux
- a Laboratoire de Virologie , Institut de Biologie et Pathologie, CHU Grenoble-Alpes , Grenoble , France .,b Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), UMR 5075 CEA-CNRS-UGA , Grenoble , France
| | - Alban Caporossi
- c Centre d'investigation clinique, Santé publique, CHU Grenoble-Alpes , Grenoble , France .,d Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG , Université de Grenoble Alpes , Grenoble , France , and
| | - Marie-Ange Thélu
- e Clinique d'Hépato-gastroentérologie, Pôle Digidune, CHU Grenoble-Alpes , Grenoble , France
| | - Michael Blum
- d Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG , Université de Grenoble Alpes , Grenoble , France , and
| | - Vincent Leroy
- e Clinique d'Hépato-gastroentérologie, Pôle Digidune, CHU Grenoble-Alpes , Grenoble , France
| | - Patrice Morand
- a Laboratoire de Virologie , Institut de Biologie et Pathologie, CHU Grenoble-Alpes , Grenoble , France .,b Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), UMR 5075 CEA-CNRS-UGA , Grenoble , France
| | - Sylvie Larrat
- a Laboratoire de Virologie , Institut de Biologie et Pathologie, CHU Grenoble-Alpes , Grenoble , France .,b Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), UMR 5075 CEA-CNRS-UGA , Grenoble , France
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9
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Ferns RB, Tarr AW, Hue S, Urbanowicz RA, McClure CP, Gilson R, Ball JK, Nastouli E, Garson JA, Pillay D. Hepatitis C virus quasispecies and pseudotype analysis from acute infection to chronicity in HIV-1 co-infected individuals. Virology 2016; 492:213-24. [PMID: 26971243 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 infected patients who acquire HCV infection have higher rates of chronicity and liver disease progression than patients with HCV mono-infection. Understanding early events in this pathogenic process is important. We applied single genome sequencing of the E1 to NS3 regions and viral pseudotype neutralization assays to explore the consequences of viral quasispecies evolution from pre-seroconversion to chronicity in four co-infected individuals (mean follow up 566 days). We observed that one to three founder viruses were transmitted. Relatively low viral sequence diversity, possibly related to an impaired immune response, due to HIV infection was observed in three patients. However, the fourth patient, after an early purifying selection displayed increasing E2 sequence evolution, possibly related to being on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Viral pseudotypes generated from HCV variants showed relative resistance to neutralization by autologous plasma but not to plasma collected from later time points, confirming ongoing virus escape from antibody neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bridget Ferns
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Clinical Microbiology & Virology, UCL Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
| | - Alexander W Tarr
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Stephane Hue
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A Urbanowicz
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - C Patrick McClure
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Gilson
- Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan K Ball
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Nastouli
- Clinical Microbiology & Virology, UCL Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy A Garson
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Deenan Pillay
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust Africa Centre for Health and Population Sciences, University of KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa
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10
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Li H, Stoddard MB, Wang S, Giorgi EE, Blair LM, Learn GH, Hahn BH, Alter HJ, Busch MP, Fierer DS, Ribeiro RM, Perelson AS, Bhattacharya T, Shaw GM. Single-Genome Sequencing of Hepatitis C Virus in Donor-Recipient Pairs Distinguishes Modes and Models of Virus Transmission and Early Diversification. J Virol 2016; 90:152-66. [PMID: 26468546 PMCID: PMC4702571 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02156-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Despite the recent development of highly effective anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs, the global burden of this pathogen remains immense. Control or eradication of HCV will likely require the broad application of antiviral drugs and development of an effective vaccine. A precise molecular identification of transmitted/founder (T/F) HCV genomes that lead to productive clinical infection could play a critical role in vaccine research, as it has for HIV-1. However, the replication schema of these two RNA viruses differ substantially, as do viral responses to innate and adaptive host defenses. These differences raise questions as to the certainty of T/F HCV genome inferences, particularly in cases where multiple closely related sequence lineages have been observed. To clarify these issues and distinguish between competing models of early HCV diversification, we examined seven cases of acute HCV infection in humans and chimpanzees, including three examples of virus transmission between linked donors and recipients. Using single-genome sequencing (SGS) of plasma vRNA, we found that inferred T/F sequences in recipients were identical to viral sequences in their respective donors. Early in infection, HCV genomes generally evolved according to a simple model of random evolution where the coalescent corresponded to the T/F sequence. Closely related sequence lineages could be explained by high multiplicity infection from a donor whose viral sequences had undergone a pretransmission bottleneck due to treatment, immune selection, or recent infection. These findings validate SGS, together with mathematical modeling and phylogenetic analysis, as a novel strategy to infer T/F HCV genome sequences. IMPORTANCE Despite the recent development of highly effective, interferon-sparing anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs, the global burden of this pathogen remains immense. Control or eradication of HCV will likely require the broad application of antiviral drugs and the development of an effective vaccine, which could be facilitated by a precise molecular identification of transmitted/founder (T/F) viral genomes and their progeny. We used single-genome sequencing to show that inferred HCV T/F sequences in recipients were identical to viral sequences in their respective donors and that viral genomes generally evolved early in infection according to a simple model of random sequence evolution. Altogether, the findings validate T/F genome inferences and illustrate how T/F sequence identification can illuminate studies of HCV transmission, immunopathogenesis, drug resistance development, and vaccine protection, including sieving effects on breakthrough virus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark B Stoddard
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Shuyi Wang
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elena E Giorgi
- T-Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Lily M Blair
- T-Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Gerald H Learn
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Beatrice H Hahn
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Harvey J Alter
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael P Busch
- Blood Systems Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Daniel S Fierer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ruy M Ribeiro
- T-Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Alan S Perelson
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Tanmoy Bhattacharya
- T-Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
| | - George M Shaw
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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11
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Kell A, Stoddard M, Li H, Marcotrigiano J, Shaw GM, Gale M. Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern Recognition of Hepatitis C Virus Transmitted/Founder Variants by RIG-I Is Dependent on U-Core Length. J Virol 2015; 89:11056-68. [PMID: 26311867 PMCID: PMC4621103 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01964-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs against hepatitis C virus (HCV), infection remains a major public health concern because DAA therapeutics do not prevent reinfection and patients can still progress to chronic liver disease. Chronic HCV infection is supported by a variety of viral immune evasion strategies, but, remarkably, 20% to 30% of acute infections spontaneously clear prior to development of adaptive immune responses, thus implicating innate immunity in resolving acute HCV infection. However, the virus-host interactions regulating acute infection are unknown. Transmission of HCV involves one or a few transmitted/founder (T/F) variants. In infected hepatocytes, the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) protein recognizes 5' triphosphate (5'ppp) of the HCV RNA and a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) motif located within the 3' untranslated region consisting of poly-U/UC. PAMP binding activates RIG-I to induce innate immune signaling and type 1 interferon antiviral defenses. HCV poly-U/UC sequences can differ in length and complexity, suggesting that PAMP diversity in T/F genomes could regulate innate immune control of acute HCV infection. Using 14 unique poly-U/UC sequences from HCV T/F genomes recovered from acute-infection patients, we tested whether RIG-I recognition and innate immune activation correlate with PAMP sequence characteristics. We show that T/F variants are recognized by RIG-I in a manner dependent on length of the U-core motif of the poly-U/UC PAMP and are recognized by RIG-I to induce innate immune responses that restrict acute infection. PAMP recognition of T/F HCV variants by RIG-I may therefore impart innate immune signaling and HCV restriction to impact acute-phase-to-chronic-phase transition. IMPORTANCE Recognition of nonself molecular patterns such as those seen with viral nucleic acids is an essential step in triggering the immune response to virus infection. Innate immunity is induced by hepatitis C virus infection through the recognition of viral RNA by the cellular RIG-I protein, where RIG-I recognizes a poly-uridine/cytosine motif in the viral genome. Variation within this motif may provide an immune evasion strategy for transmitted/founder viruses during acute infection. Using 14 unique poly-U/UC sequences from HCV T/F genomes recovered from acutely infected HCV patients, we demonstrate that RIG-I binding and activation of innate immunity depend primarily on the length of the uridine core within this motif. T/F variants found in acute infection contained longer U cores within the motif and could activate RIG-I and induce innate immune signaling sufficient to restrict viral infection. Thus, recognition of T/F variants by RIG-I could significantly impact the transition from acute to chronic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Kell
- Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mark Stoddard
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hui Li
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joe Marcotrigiano
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - George M Shaw
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael Gale
- Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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12
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Tarr AW, Khera T, Hueging K, Sheldon J, Steinmann E, Pietschmann T, Brown RJP. Genetic Diversity Underlying the Envelope Glycoproteins of Hepatitis C Virus: Structural and Functional Consequences and the Implications for Vaccine Design. Viruses 2015; 7:3995-4046. [PMID: 26193307 PMCID: PMC4517138 DOI: 10.3390/v7072809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the 26 years since the discovery of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) a major global research effort has illuminated many aspects of the viral life cycle, facilitating the development of targeted antivirals. Recently, effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens with >90% cure rates have become available for treatment of chronic HCV infection in developed nations, representing a significant advance towards global eradication. However, the high cost of these treatments results in highly restricted access in developing nations, where the disease burden is greatest. Additionally, the largely asymptomatic nature of infection facilitates continued transmission in at risk groups and resource constrained settings due to limited surveillance. Consequently a prophylactic vaccine is much needed. The HCV envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 are located on the surface of viral lipid envelope, facilitate viral entry and are the targets for host immunity, in addition to other functions. Unfortunately, the extreme global genetic and antigenic diversity exhibited by the HCV glycoproteins represents a significant obstacle to vaccine development. Here we review current knowledge of HCV envelope protein structure, integrating knowledge of genetic, antigenic and functional diversity to inform rational immunogen design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander W Tarr
- School of Life Sciences, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - Tanvi Khera
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
| | - Kathrin Hueging
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
| | - Julie Sheldon
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
| | - Eike Steinmann
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
| | - Thomas Pietschmann
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig 38124, Germany.
| | - Richard J P Brown
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
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13
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Errett JS, Gale M. Emerging complexity and new roles for the RIG-I-like receptors in innate antiviral immunity. Virol Sin 2015; 30:163-73. [PMID: 25997992 PMCID: PMC7090589 DOI: 10.1007/s12250-015-3604-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate immunity is critical for the control of virus infection and operates to restrict viral susceptibility and direct antiviral immunity for protection from acute or chronic viral-associated diseases including cancer. RIG-I like receptors (RLRs) are cytosolic RNA helicases that function as pathogen recognition receptors to detect RNA pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) of virus infection. The RLRs include RIG-I, MDA5, and LGP2. They function to recognize and bind to PAMP motifs within viral RNA in a process that directs the RLR to trigger downstream signaling cascades that induce innate immunity that controls viral replication and spread. Products of RLR signaling also serve to modulate the adaptive immune response to infection. Recent studies have additionally connected RLRs to signaling cascades that impart inflammatory and apoptotic responses to virus infection. Viral evasion of RLR signaling supports viral outgrowth and pathogenesis, including the onset of viral-associated cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Errett
- Center for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, 98109, USA
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14
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Transmitted/founder hepatitis C viruses induce cell-type- and genotype-specific differences in innate signaling within the liver. mBio 2015; 6:e02510. [PMID: 25714713 PMCID: PMC4357998 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02510-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to persistence in the majority of cases despite triggering complex innate immune responses within the liver. Although hepatocytes are the preferred site for HCV replication, nonparenchymal cells (NPCs) can also contribute to antiviral immunity. Recent innovations involving single-genome amplification (SGA), direct amplicon sequencing, and phylogenetic inference have identified full-length transmitted/founder (T/F) viruses. Here, we tested the effect of HCV T/F viral RNA (vRNA) on innate immune signaling within hepatocytes and NPCs, including the HepG2 and Huh 7.5.1 cell lines, a human liver endothelial cell line (TMNK-1), a plasmacytoid dendritic cell line (GEN2.2), and a monocytic cell line (THP-1). Transfection with hepatitis C T/F vRNA induced robust transcriptional upregulation of type I and III interferons (IFNs) within HepG2 and TMNK-1 cells. Both the THP-1 and GEN2.2 lines demonstrated higher type I and III IFN transcription with genotype 3a compared to genotype 1a or 1b. Supernatants from HCV T/F vRNA-transfected TMNK-1 cells demonstrated superior viral control. Primary human hepatocytes (PHH) transfected with genotype 3a induced canonical pathways that included chemokine and IFN genes, as well as overrepresentation of RIG-I (DDX58), STAT1, and a Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) network. Full-length molecular clones of HCV induce broad IFN responses within hepatocytes and NPCs, highlighting that signals imparted by the various cell types within the liver may lead to divergent outcomes of infection. In particular, the finding that HCV genotypes differentially induce antiviral responses in NPCs and PHH might account for relevant clinical-epidemiological observations (higher clearance but greater necroinflammation in persistence with genotype 3). IMPORTANCE Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become a major worldwide problem, and it is now the most common viral infection for which there is no vaccine. HCV infection often leads to persistence of the virus and is a leading cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cancer, and cirrhosis. There are multiple genotypes of the virus, and patients infected with different viral genotypes respond to traditional therapy differently. However, the immune response to the virus within the liver has not been fully elucidated. Here, we determined the responses to different genotypes of HCV in cell types of the liver. We found that the immune response varied according to both cell type and HCV genotype, leading to a more pronounced induction of inflammatory pathways after exposure to certain genotypes. Therefore, inflammatory pathways that are being robustly activated by certain HCV genotypes could lead to more severe damage to the liver, inducing diverse outcomes and responses to therapy.
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