1
|
Eckerstorfer MF, Dolezel M, Miklau M, Greiter A, Heissenberger A, Engelhard M. Scanning the Horizon for Environmental Applications of Genetically Modified Viruses Reveals Challenges for Their Environmental Risk Assessment. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1507. [PMID: 38338787 PMCID: PMC10855828 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031507] [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: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The release of novel genetically modified (GM) virus applications into the environment for agricultural, veterinary, and nature-conservation purposes poses a number of significant challenges for risk assessors and regulatory authorities. Continuous efforts to scan the horizon for emerging applications are needed to gain an overview of new GM virus applications. In addition, appropriate approaches for risk assessment and management have to be developed. These approaches need to address pertinent challenges, in particular with regard to the environmental release of GM virus applications with a high probability for transmission and spreading, including transboundary movements and a high potential to result in adverse environmental effects. However, the current preparedness at the EU and international level to assess such GM virus application is limited. This study addresses some of the challenges associated with the current situation, firstly, by conducting a horizon scan to identify emerging GM virus applications with relevance for the environment. Secondly, outstanding issues regarding the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of GM virus applications are identified based on an evaluation of case study examples. Specifically, the limited scientific information available for the ERA of some applications and the lack of detailed and appropriate guidance for ERA are discussed. Furthermore, considerations are provided for future work that is needed to establish adequate risk assessment and management approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Eckerstorfer
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Marion Dolezel
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Marianne Miklau
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Anita Greiter
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Andreas Heissenberger
- Umweltbundesamt–Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.D.); (M.M.); (A.G.); (A.H.)
| | - Margret Engelhard
- Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Division Assessment Synthetic Biology, Enforcement Genetic Engineering Act, Konstantinstr. 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany;
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Abstract
Viral diseases, whether of animals or humans, are normally considered as problems to be managed. However, in Australia, two viruses have been used as landscape-scale therapeutics to control European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the preeminent invasive vertebrate pest species. Rabbits have caused major environmental and agricultural losses and contributed to extinction of native species. It was not until the introduction of Myxoma virus that effective control of this pest was obtained at a continental scale. Subsequent coevolution of rabbit and virus saw a gradual reduction in the effectiveness of biological control that was partially ameliorated by the introduction of the European rabbit flea to act as an additional vector for the virus. In 1995, a completely different virus, Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), escaped from testing and spread through the Australian rabbit population and again significantly reduced rabbit numbers and environmental impacts. The evolutionary pressures on this virus appear to be producing quite different outcomes to those that occurred with myxoma virus and the emergence and invasion of a novel genotype of RHDV in 2014 have further augmented control. Molecular studies on myxoma virus have demonstrated multiple proteins that manipulate the host innate and adaptive immune response; however the molecular basis of virus attenuation and reversion to virulence are not yet understood.
Collapse
|
3
|
Scavenging by threatened turtles regulates freshwater ecosystem health during fish kills. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14383. [PMID: 32943647 PMCID: PMC7499268 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71544-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are increasing the frequency of fish kills by degrading freshwater ecosystems. Simultaneously, scavengers like freshwater turtles are declining globally, including in the Australian Murray-Darling Basin. Reduced scavenging may cause water quality problems impacting both ecosystems and humans. We used field and mesocosm experiments to test whether scavenging by turtles regulates water quality during simulated fish kills. In the field, we found that turtles were important scavengers of fish carrion. In mesocosms, turtles rapidly consumed carrion, and water quality in mesocosms with turtles returned to pre-fish kill levels faster than in turtle-free controls. Our experiments have important ecological implications, as they suggest that turtles are critical scavengers that regulate water quality in freshwater ecosystems. Recovery of turtle populations may be necessary to avoid the worsening of ecosystem health, particularly after fish kills, which would have devastating consequences for many freshwater species.
Collapse
|
4
|
Biocontrol of the Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Australia: A Review and Future Directions. FISHES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/fishes5020017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Invasive pest species are recognized as one of the important drivers of reduced global biodiversity. In Australia, the 267 invasive plant, animal and microbial species, established since European colonization in the 1770s, have been unequivocally declared the most important threat to species diversity in this country. One invasive pest, the common carp (Cyprinus carpio), has been targeted in an integrated pest management plan that might include cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) as a potential biocontrol agent. The species-specificity of the released virus (and of field variants that will inevitably arise) has been assessed, and the virus judged to be safe. It has also been hypothesised that, because the virulence of the CyHV-3 will likely decline following release, the virus should be used strategically: initially, the aim would be to markedly reduce numbers of carp in naive populations, and then some other, as yet uncertain, complementary broad-scale control measure would knock-down carp numbers even further. Brief results are included from recent studies on the modelling of release and spread of the virus, the ecological and social concerns associated with virus release, and the restoration benefits that might be expected following carp control. We conclude that, while further work is required (on the virus, the target species, environmental issues, and especially the identification of a suitable broad-scale complementary control measure), optimism must prevail in order to ensure an eventual solution to this important environmental problem.
Collapse
|
5
|
Boutier M, Donohoe O, Kopf RK, Humphries P, Becker JA, Marshall J, Vanderplasschen A. Biocontrol of Carp: The Australian Plan Does Not Stand Up to a Rational Analysis of Safety and Efficacy. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:882. [PMID: 31114554 PMCID: PMC6503052 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Boutier
- Department of Parasitic and Infectious Diseases, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Owen Donohoe
- Department of Parasitic and Infectious Diseases, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Bioscience Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology, Athlone, Ireland
| | - R Keller Kopf
- School of Environmental Sciences, Institute for Land Water & Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul Humphries
- School of Environmental Sciences, Institute for Land Water & Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia
| | - Joy A Becker
- Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia
| | - Jonathan Marshall
- Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Water Planning Ecology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Alain Vanderplasschen
- Department of Parasitic and Infectious Diseases, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kopf RK, Boutier M, Finlayson CM, Hodges K, Humphries P, King A, Kingsford RT, Marshall J, McGinness HM, Thresher R, Vanderplasschen A. Biocontrol in Australia: Can a carp herpesvirus (CyHV-3) deliver safe and effective ecological restoration? Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-01967-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
7
|
Abstract
How virulence evolves after a virus jumps to a new host species is central to disease emergence. Our current understanding of virulence evolution is based on insights drawn from two perspectives that have developed largely independently: long-standing evolutionary theory based on limited real data examples that often lack a genomic basis, and experimental studies of virulence-determining mutations using cell culture or animal models. A more comprehensive understanding of virulence mutations and their evolution can be achieved by bridging the gap between these two research pathways through the phylogenomic analysis of virus genome sequence data as a guide to experimental study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jemma L Geoghegan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
McColl KA, Sunarto A, Neave MJ. Biocontrol of Carp: More Than Just a Herpesvirus. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2288. [PMID: 30319586 PMCID: PMC6168658 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A McColl
- CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Agus Sunarto
- CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Matthew J Neave
- CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Barnett LK, Prowse TAA, Peacock DE, Mutze GJ, Sinclair RG, Kovaliski J, Cooke BD, Bradshaw CJA. Previous exposure to myxoma virus reduces survival of European rabbits during outbreaks of rabbit haemorrhagic disease. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Louise K. Barnett
- Global EcologyCollege of Science and EngineeringFlinders University Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Thomas A. A. Prowse
- School of Mathematical SciencesUniversity of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - David E. Peacock
- Biosecurity South AustraliaDepartment of Primary Industries and Regions Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Gregory J. Mutze
- Biosecurity South AustraliaDepartment of Primary Industries and Regions Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Ron G. Sinclair
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - John Kovaliski
- Biosecurity South AustraliaDepartment of Primary Industries and Regions Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Brian D. Cooke
- Institute for Applied EcologyUniversity of Canberra Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Corey J. A. Bradshaw
- Global EcologyCollege of Science and EngineeringFlinders University Adelaide South Australia Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gotesman M, Menanteau-Ledouble S, Saleh M, Bergmann SM, El-Matbouli M. A new age in AquaMedicine: unconventional approach in studying aquatic diseases. BMC Vet Res 2018; 14:178. [PMID: 29879957 PMCID: PMC5992843 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-018-1501-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Marine and aquaculture industries are important sectors of the food production and global trade. Unfortunately, the fish food industry is challenged with a plethora of infectious pathogens. The freshwater and marine fish communities are rapidly incorporating novel and most up to date techniques for detection, characterization and treatment strategies. Rapid detection of infectious diseases is important in preventing large disease outbreaks. MAIN TEXT One hundred forty-six articles including reviews papers were analyzed and their conclusions evaluated in the present paper. This allowed us to describe the most recent development research regarding the control of diseases in the aquatic environment as well as promising avenues that may result in beneficial developments. For the characterization of diseases, traditional sequencing and histological based methods have been augmented with transcriptional and proteomic studies. Recent studies have demonstrated that transcriptional based approaches using qPCR are often synergistic to expression based studies that rely on proteomic-based techniques to better understand pathogen-host interactions. Preventative therapies that rely on prophylactics such as vaccination with protein antigens or attenuated viruses are not always feasible and therefore, the development of therapies based on small nucleotide based medicine is on the horizon. Of those, RNAi or CRISPR/Cas- based therapies show great promise in combating various types of diseases caused by viral and parasitic agents that effect aquatic and fish medicine. CONCLUSIONS In our modern times, when the marine industry has become so vital for feed and economic stability, even the most extreme alternative treatment strategies such as the use of small molecules or even the use of disease to control invasive species populations should be considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gotesman
- Department of Biology, New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Simon Menanteau-Ledouble
- Clinical Division of Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mona Saleh
- Clinical Division of Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sven M Bergmann
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Mansour El-Matbouli
- Clinical Division of Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Impacts of an invasive virus (CyHV-3) on established invasive populations of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in North America. Biol Invasions 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-017-1655-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|