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Xiao H, Hu H, Guo Y, Li J, Zeng WB, Luo MH, Wang M, Hu Z. Efficient Strategy for Synthesizing Vector-Free and Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Type 1 Viruses. ACS Synth Biol 2024. [PMID: 39358309 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Synthesizing viral genomes plays an important role in fundamental virology research and in the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a large DNA virus widely used in oncolytic virotherapy. Although de novo synthesis of the HSV-1 genome has been previously reported, the synthetic procedure is still far from efficient, and the synthesized genome contains a vector sequence that may affect its replication and application. In the present study, we developed an efficient vector-free strategy for synthesis and rescue of synthetic HSV-1. In contrast to the conventional method of transfecting mammalian cells with a completely synthesized genome containing a vector, overlapping HSV-1 fragments synthesized by transformation-associated recombination (TAR) in yeast were linearized and cotransfected into mammalian cells to rescue the synthetic virus. Using this strategy, a synthetic virus, F-Syn, comprising the complete genome of the HSV-1 F strain, was generated. The growth curve and electron microscopy of F-Syn confirmed that its replication dynamics and morphogenesis are similar to those of the parental virus. In addition, by combining TAR with in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 editing, an oncolytic virus, F-Syn-O, with deleted viral genes ICP6, ICP34.5, and ICP47 was generated. The antitumor effect of F-Syn-O was tested in vitro. F-Syn-O established a successful infection and induced dose-dependent cytotoxic effects in various human tumor cell lines. These strategies will facilitate convenient and systemic manipulation of HSV-1 genomes and could be further applied to the design and construction of oncolytic herpesviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hengrui Hu
- Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yijia Guo
- Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Wen-Bo Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Min-Hua Luo
- Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Manli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhihong Hu
- Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
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2
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Cui D, Li S, Yin B, Li C, Zhang L, Li Z, Huang J. Rapid Rescue of Goose Astrovirus Genome via Red/ET Assembly. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY 2024; 16:297-306. [PMID: 38582780 DOI: 10.1007/s12560-024-09593-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
The host-specific infection of Avian Astrovirus (AAstVs) has posed significant challenges to the poultry industry, resulting in substantial economic losses. However, few reports exist on the functional consequences of genome diversity, cross-species infectivity and mechanisms governing virus replication of AAstVs, making it difficult to develop measures to control astrovirus transmission. Reverse genetics technique can be used to study the function of viruses at the molecular level, as well as investigating pathogenic mechanisms and guide vaccine development and disease treatment. Herein, the reverse genetics technique of goose astrovirus GAstV/JS2019 strain was developed based on use of a reconstructed vector including CMV promotor, hammerhead ribozyme (HamRz), hepatitis delta virus ribozyme (HdvRz), and SV40 tail, then the cloned viral genome fragments were connected using Red/ET recombineering. The recombinant rGAstV-JS2019 was readily rescued by transfected the infectious clone plasmid into LMH cells. Importantly, the rescued rGAstV/JS2019 exhibited similar growth kinetics comparable to those of the parental GAstV/JS2019 isolate in cultured cells. Our research results provide an alternative and more effective reverse genetic tool for a detailed understanding of viral replication, pathogenic mechanisms, and molecular mechanisms of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daqing Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92, Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Shujun Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92, Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Boxuan Yin
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92, Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Changyan Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92, Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Lilin Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92, Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Zexing Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92, Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China.
| | - Jinhai Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, No. 92, Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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3
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Ujike M, Suzuki T. Progress of research on coronaviruses and toroviruses in large domestic animals using reverse genetics systems. Vet J 2024; 305:106122. [PMID: 38641200 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106122] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
The generation of genetically engineered recombinant viruses from modified DNA/RNA is commonly referred to as reverse genetics, which allows the introduction of desired mutations into the viral genome. Reverse genetics systems (RGSs) are powerful tools for studying fundamental viral processes, mechanisms of infection, pathogenesis and vaccine development. However, establishing RGS for coronaviruses (CoVs) and toroviruses (ToVs), which have the largest genomes among vertebrate RNA viruses, is laborious and hampered by technical constraints. Hence, little research has focused on animal CoVs and ToVs using RGSs, especially in large domestic animals such as pigs and cattle. In the last decade, however, studies of porcine CoVs and bovine ToVs using RGSs have been reported. In addition, the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has prompted the development of new and simple CoV RGSs, which will accelerate RGS-based research on animal CoVs and ToVs. In this review, we summarise the general characteristics of CoVs and ToVs, the RGSs available for CoVs and ToVs and the progress made in the last decade in RGS-based research on porcine CoVs and bovine ToVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Ujike
- Laboratory of Veterinary Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, 1-7-1 Kyonan-cho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan; Research Center for Animal Life Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, 1-7-1 Kyonan-cho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
| | - Tohru Suzuki
- Division of Zoonosis Research, Sapporo Research Station, National Institute of Animal Health, NARO, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062-0045, Japan
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4
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Yu R, Dong S, Chen B, Si F, Li C. Developing Next-Generation Live Attenuated Vaccines for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Using Reverse Genetic Techniques. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:557. [PMID: 38793808 PMCID: PMC11125984 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050557] [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: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is the etiology of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), a highly contagious digestive disease in pigs and especially in neonatal piglets, in which a mortality rate of up to 100% will be induced. Immunizing pregnant sows remains the most promising and effective strategy for protecting their neonatal offspring from PEDV. Although half a century has passed since its first report in Europe and several prophylactic vaccines (inactivated or live attenuated) have been developed, PED still poses a significant economic concern to the swine industry worldwide. Hence, there is an urgent need for novel vaccines in clinical practice, especially live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) that can induce a strong protective lactogenic immune response in pregnant sows. Reverse genetic techniques provide a robust tool for virological research from the function of viral proteins to the generation of rationally designed vaccines. In this review, after systematically summarizing the research progress on virulence-related viral proteins, we reviewed reverse genetics techniques for PEDV and their application in the development of PED LAVs. Then, we probed into the potential methods for generating safe, effective, and genetically stable PED LAV candidates, aiming to provide new ideas for the rational design of PED LAVs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Fusheng Si
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS), Shanghai 201106, China; (R.Y.); (S.D.); (B.C.)
| | - Chunhua Li
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS), Shanghai 201106, China; (R.Y.); (S.D.); (B.C.)
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5
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Zhang Y, Shi C, Yuan J, Zhang Y, Jin X, Zu S, Zhang H, Hu H. Rapid Construction of Recombinant PDCoV Expressing an Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein for the Antiviral Screening Assay Based on Transformation-Associated Recombination Cloning in Yeast. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:1124-1135. [PMID: 38181302 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c08327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging enteropathogenic coronavirus that mainly causes diarrhea and death in suckling piglets and also has the potential for cross-species transmission, threatening public health. However, there is still no effective vaccine or drug to prevent PDCoV infection. In order to accelerate the development of antiviral drugs, we established a high-throughput screening platform using a novel genome editing technology called transformation-associated recombination cloning in yeast. The recombinant PDCoV and PDCoV reporter virus expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein were both rapidly rescued with stable genealogical characteristics during passage. Further study demonstrated that the reporter virus can be used for high-throughput screening of antiviral drugs with a Z-factor of 0.821-0.826. Then, a medicine food homology compound library was applied, and we found that three compounds were potential antiviral reagents. In summary, we have established a fast and efficient reverse genetic system of PDCoV, providing a powerful platform for the research of antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucan Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Chenxi Shi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Jin Yuan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Xiaohui Jin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Shaopo Zu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Honglei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Key Laboratory for Animal-derived Food Safety of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Hui Hu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Key Laboratory for Animal-derived Food Safety of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Longhu Laboratory of Advanced Immunology, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Zhengzhou 450046, China
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6
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Cai HL, Huang YW. Reverse genetics systems for SARS-CoV-2: Development and applications. Virol Sin 2023; 38:837-850. [PMID: 37832720 PMCID: PMC10786661 DOI: 10.1016/j.virs.2023.10.001] [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: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused serious harm to human health and struck a blow to global economic development. Research on SARS-CoV-2 has greatly benefited from the use of reverse genetics systems, which have been established to artificially manipulate the viral genome, generating recombinant and reporter infectious viruses or biosafety level 2 (BSL-2)-adapted non-infectious replicons with desired modifications. These tools have been instrumental in studying the molecular biological characteristics of the virus, investigating antiviral therapeutics, and facilitating the development of attenuated vaccine candidates. Here, we review the construction strategies, development, and applications of reverse genetics systems for SARS-CoV-2, which may be applied to other CoVs as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hou-Li Cai
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yao-Wei Huang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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7
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Kipfer ET, Hauser D, Lett MJ, Otte F, Urda L, Zhang Y, Lang CMR, Chami M, Mittelholzer C, Klimkait T. Rapid cloning-free mutagenesis of new SARS-CoV-2 variants using a novel reverse genetics platform. eLife 2023; 12:RP89035. [PMID: 37988285 PMCID: PMC10662946 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89035] [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] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse genetic systems enable the engineering of RNA virus genomes and are instrumental in studying RNA virus biology. With the recent outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, already established methods were challenged by the large genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Herein we present an elaborated strategy for the rapid and straightforward rescue of recombinant plus-stranded RNA viruses with high sequence fidelity using the example of SARS-CoV-2. The strategy called CLEVER (CLoning-free and Exchangeable system for Virus Engineering and Rescue) is based on the intracellular recombination of transfected overlapping DNA fragments allowing the direct mutagenesis within the initial PCR-amplification step. Furthermore, by introducing a linker fragment - harboring all heterologous sequences - viral RNA can directly serve as a template for manipulating and rescuing recombinant mutant virus, without any cloning step. Overall, this strategy will facilitate recombinant SARS-CoV-2 rescue and accelerate its manipulation. Using our protocol, newly emerging variants can quickly be engineered to further elucidate their biology. To demonstrate its potential as a reverse genetics platform for plus-stranded RNA viruses, the protocol has been successfully applied for the cloning-free rescue of recombinant Chikungunya and Dengue virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enja Tatjana Kipfer
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - David Hauser
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Martin J Lett
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Fabian Otte
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Lorena Urda
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Yuepeng Zhang
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Christopher MR Lang
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Mohamed Chami
- BioEM Lab, Biozentrum, University of Basel, MattenstrasseBaselSwitzerland
| | | | - Thomas Klimkait
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
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8
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Wang L, Guzman M, Muñoz-Santos D, Honrubia JM, Ripoll-Gomez J, Delgado R, Sola I, Enjuanes L, Zuñiga S. Cell type dependent stability and virulence of a recombinant SARS-CoV-2, and engineering of a propagation deficient RNA replicon to analyze virus RNA synthesis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1268227. [PMID: 37942479 PMCID: PMC10628495 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1268227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineering of reverse genetics systems for newly emerged viruses allows viral genome manipulation, being an essential tool for the study of virus life cycle, virus-host interactions and pathogenesis, as well as for the development of effective antiviral strategies. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emergent human coronavirus that has caused the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The engineering of a full-length infectious cDNA clone and a fluorescent replicon of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-Hu-1, using a bacterial artificial chromosome, is reported. Viral growth and genetic stability in eleven cell lines were analyzed, showing that both VeroE6 cells overexpressing transmembrane serin protease 2 (TMPRSS2) and human lung derived cells resulted in the optimization of a cell system to preserve SARS-CoV-2 genetic stability. The recombinant SARS-CoV-2 virus and a point mutant expressing the D614G spike protein variant were virulent in a mouse model. The RNA replicon was propagation-defective, allowing its use in BSL-2 conditions to analyze viral RNA synthesis. The SARS-CoV-2 reverse genetics systems developed constitute a useful tool for studying the molecular biology of the virus, the development of genetically defined vaccines and to establish systems for antiviral compounds screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Guzman
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Muñoz-Santos
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Honrubia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Ripoll-Gomez
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Delgado
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Sola
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Enjuanes
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia Zuñiga
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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9
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Kipfer E, Hauser D, Lett MJ, Otte F, Urda L, Zhang Y, Lang CMR, Chami M, Mittelholzer C, Klimkait T. Rapid cloning-free mutagenesis of new SARS-CoV-2 variants using a novel reverse genetics platform. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.11.540343. [PMID: 37292682 PMCID: PMC10245781 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.11.540343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Reverse genetic systems enable the engineering of RNA virus genomes and are instrumental in studying RNA virus biology. With the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, already established methods were challenged by the large genome of SARS-CoV-2. Herein we present an elaborated strategy for the rapid and straightforward rescue of recombinant plus-stranded RNA viruses with high sequence fidelity, using the example of SARS-CoV-2. The strategy called CLEVER (CLoning-free and Exchangeable system for Virus Engineering and Rescue) is based on the intracellular recombination of transfected overlapping DNA fragments allowing the direct mutagenesis within the initial PCR-amplification step. Furthermore, by introducing a linker fragment - harboring all heterologous sequences - viral RNA can directly serve as a template for manipulating and rescuing recombinant mutant virus, without any cloning step. Overall, this strategy will facilitate recombinant SARS-CoV-2 rescue and accelerate its manipulation. Using our protocol, newly emerging variants can quickly be engineered to further elucidate their biology. To demonstrate its potential as a reverse genetics platform for plus-stranded RNA viruses, the protocol has been successfully applied for the cloning-free rescue of recombinant Chikungunya and Dengue virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enja Kipfer
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Hauser
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin J. Lett
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Otte
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lorena Urda
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yuepeng Zhang
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christopher M. R. Lang
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed Chami
- BioEM Lab, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Mittelholzer
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Klimkait
- Molecular Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 10, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
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10
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Park CJ, Lee YA, Yoo SM, Kim GA, Lee MS, Park C. Efficient reverse genetics approach involving infectious subgenomic amplicon for engineering dengue virus. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28978. [PMID: 37515534 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28978] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Dengue virus, which belongs to the Flaviviridae family, can induce a range of symptoms from mild to severe, including dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and dengue shock syndrome. While infectious cloning technology is a useful tool for understanding viral pathogenesis and symptoms, it exhibits limitations when constructing the entire Flavivirus genome. The instability and toxicity of the genome to bacteria make its full-length construction in bacterial vectors a time-consuming and laborious process. To address these challenges, we employed the modified infectious subgenomic amplicon (ISA) method in this study, which can potentially be a superior tool for reverse genetic studies on the dengue virus. Using ISA, we generated recombinant dengue viruses de novo and validated their robust replication in both human and insect cell lines, which was comparable to that of the original strains. Moreover, the efficiency of ISA in genetically modifying the dengue virus was elucidated by successfully inserting the gene for green fluorescence protein into the genome of dengue virus serotype 4. Overall, this study highlighted the effectiveness of ISA for genetically engineering the dengue virus and provided a technical basis for a convenient reverse genetics system that could expedite investigations into the dengue virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Joo Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-A Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Min Yoo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Geon A Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Healthcare Science, Eulji University, Uijeongbu, Republic of Korea
| | - Myung-Shin Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhoon Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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11
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Gattinger P, Ohradanova-Repic A, Valenta R. Importance, Applications and Features of Assays Measuring SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065352. [PMID: 36982424 PMCID: PMC10048970 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
More than three years ago, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the unforeseen COVID-19 pandemic with millions of deaths. In the meantime, SARS-CoV-2 has become endemic and is now part of the repertoire of viruses causing seasonal severe respiratory infections. Due to several factors, among them the development of SARS-CoV-2 immunity through natural infection, vaccination and the current dominance of seemingly less pathogenic strains belonging to the omicron lineage, the COVID-19 situation has stabilized. However, several challenges remain and the possible new occurrence of highly pathogenic variants remains a threat. Here we review the development, features and importance of assays measuring SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). In particular we focus on in vitro infection assays and molecular interaction assays studying the binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) with its cognate cellular receptor ACE2. These assays, but not the measurement of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies per se, can inform us of whether antibodies produced by convalescent or vaccinated subjects may protect against the infection and thus have the potential to predict the risk of becoming newly infected. This information is extremely important given the fact that a considerable number of subjects, in particular vulnerable persons, respond poorly to the vaccination with the production of neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, these assays allow to determine and evaluate the virus-neutralizing capacity of antibodies induced by vaccines and administration of plasma-, immunoglobulin preparations, monoclonal antibodies, ACE2 variants or synthetic compounds to be used for therapy of COVID-19 and assist in the preclinical evaluation of vaccines. Both types of assays can be relatively quickly adapted to newly emerging virus variants to inform us about the magnitude of cross-neutralization, which may even allow us to estimate the risk of becoming infected by newly appearing virus variants. Given the paramount importance of the infection and interaction assays we discuss their specific features, possible advantages and disadvantages, technical aspects and not yet fully resolved issues, such as cut-off levels predicting the degree of in vivo protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Gattinger
- Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Ohradanova-Repic
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Valenta
- Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Karl Landsteiner University, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
- Laboratory for Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
- NRC Institute of Immunology FMBA of Russia, 115478 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
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Kurhade C, Xie X, Shi PY. Reverse genetic systems of SARS-CoV-2 for antiviral research. Antiviral Res 2023; 210:105486. [PMID: 36657881 PMCID: PMC9776485 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Reverse genetic systems are widely used to engineer recombinant viruses with desired mutations. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, four types of reverse genetic systems have been developed for SARS-CoV-2: (i) a full-length infectious clone that can be used to prepare recombinant SARS-CoV-2 at biosafety level 3 (BSL3), (ii) a trans-complementation system that can be used to produce single-round infectious SARS-CoV-2 at BSL2, (iii) an attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate (with deletions of viral accessory genes) that may be developed for veterinary use as well as for antiviral screening at BSL2, and (iv) replicon systems with deletions of viral structural genes that can be used at BSL2. Each of these genetic systems has its advantages and disadvantages that can be used to address different questions for basic and translational research. Due to the long genomic size and bacteria-toxic sequences of SARS-CoV-2, several experimental approaches have been established to rescue recombinant viruses and replicons, including (i) in vitro DNA ligation, (ii) bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) system, (iii) yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) system, and (iv) circular polymerase extension reaction (CPER). This review summarizes the current status of SARS-CoV-2 genetic systems and their applications for studying viral replication, pathogenesis, vaccines, and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaitanya Kurhade
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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Cao H, Gu H, Kang H, Jia H. Development of a rapid reverse genetics system for feline coronavirus based on TAR cloning in yeast. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1141101. [PMID: 37032894 PMCID: PMC10076789 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1141101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Reverse genetics has become an indispensable tool to gain insight into the pathogenesis of viruses and the development of vaccines. The yeast-based synthetic genomics platform has demonstrated the novel capabilities to genetically reconstruct different viruses. Methods In this study, a transformation-associated recombination (TAR) system in yeast was used to rapidly rescue different strains of feline infectious peritonitis virus, which causes a deadly disease of cats for which there is no effective vaccine. Results and discussion Using this system, the viruses could be rescued rapidly and stably without multiple cloning steps. Considering its speed and ease of manipulation in virus genome assembly, the reverse genetics system developed in this study will facilitate the research of the feline coronaviruses pathogenetic mechanism and the vaccine development.
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Advances in Molecular Genetics Enabling Studies of Highly Pathogenic RNA Viruses. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122682. [PMID: 36560685 PMCID: PMC9784166 DOI: 10.3390/v14122682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental work with viruses that are highly pathogenic for humans and animals requires specialized Biosafety Level 3 or 4 facilities. Such pathogens include some spectacular but also rather seldomly studied examples such as Ebola virus (requiring BSL-4), more wide-spread and commonly studied viruses such as HIV, and the most recent example, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. A common characteristic of these virus examples is that their genomes consist of single-stranded RNA, which requires the conversion of their genomes into a DNA copy for easy manipulation; this can be performed to study the viral life cycle in detail, develop novel therapies and vaccines, and monitor the disease course over time for chronic virus infections. We summarize the recent advances in such new genetic applications for RNA viruses in Switzerland over the last 25 years, from the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic to the most recent developments in research on the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. We highlight game-changing collaborative efforts between clinical and molecular disciplines in HIV research on the path to optimal clinical disease management. Moreover, we summarize how the modern technical evolution enabled the molecular studies of emerging RNA viruses, confirming that Switzerland is at the forefront of SARS-CoV-2 research and potentially other newly emerging viruses.
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Veleanu A, Kelch MA, Ye C, Flohr M, Wilhelm A, Widera M, Martinez-Sobrido L, Ciesek S, Toptan T. Molecular Analyses of Clinical Isolates and Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Carrying B.1 and B.1.617.2 Spike Mutations Suggest a Potential Role of Non-Spike Mutations in Infection Kinetics. Viruses 2022; 14:v14092017. [PMID: 36146823 PMCID: PMC9506066 DOI: 10.3390/v14092017] [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: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Some of the emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants are less susceptible to neutralization with post-vaccine sera and monoclonal antibodies targeting the viral spike glycoprotein. This raises concerns of disease control, transmissibility, and severity. Numerous substitutions have been identified to increase viral fitness within the nucleocapsid and nonstructural proteins, in addition to spike mutations. Therefore, we sought to generate infectious viruses carrying only the variant-specific spike mutations in an identical backbone to evaluate the impact of spike and non-spike mutations in the virus life cycle. We used en passant mutagenesis to generate recombinant viruses carrying spike mutations of B.1 and B.1.617.2 variants using SARS-CoV-2- bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). Neutralization assays using clinical sera yielded comparable results between recombinant viruses and corresponding clinical isolates. Non-spike mutations for both variants neither seemed to effect neutralization efficiencies with monoclonal antibodies nor the response to treatment with inhibitors. However, live-cell imaging and microscopy revealed differences, such as persisting syncytia and pronounced cytopathic effect formation, as well as their progression between BAC-derived viruses and clinical isolates in human lung epithelial cell lines and primary bronchial epithelial cells. Complementary RNA analyses further suggested a potential role of non-spike mutations in infection kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Veleanu
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maximilian A. Kelch
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227-5302, USA
| | - Melanie Flohr
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Alexander Wilhelm
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marek Widera
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Sandra Ciesek
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Frankfurt am Main, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor Stern Kai 7, D-60595 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tuna Toptan
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-69-6301-4536
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Reverse genetics in virology: A double edged sword. BIOSAFETY AND HEALTH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bsheal.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Mélade J, Piorkowski G, Touret F, Fourié T, Driouich JS, Cochin M, Bouzidi HS, Coutard B, Nougairède A, de Lamballerie X. A simple reverse genetics method to generate recombinant coronaviruses. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e53820. [PMID: 35239997 PMCID: PMC9066064 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202153820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineering recombinant viruses is a pre‐eminent tool for deciphering the biology of emerging viral pathogens such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). However, the large size of coronavirus genomes renders the current reverse genetics methods challenging. Here, we describe a simple method based on “infectious subgenomic amplicons” (ISA) technology to generate recombinant infectious coronaviruses with no need for reconstruction of the complete genomic cDNA and apply this method to SARS‐CoV‐2 and also to the feline enteric coronavirus. In both cases we rescue wild‐type viruses with biological characteristics similar to original strains. Specific mutations and fluorescent red reporter genes can be readily incorporated into the SARS‐CoV‐2 genome enabling the generation of a genomic variants and fluorescent reporter strains for in vivo experiments, serological diagnosis, and antiviral assays. The swiftness and simplicity of the ISA method has the potential to facilitate the advance of coronavirus reverse genetics studies, to explore the molecular biological properties of the SARS‐CoV‐2 variants, and to accelerate the development of effective therapeutic reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Mélade
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Géraldine Piorkowski
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Franck Touret
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Toscane Fourié
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Sélim Driouich
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Maxime Cochin
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Hawa Sophia Bouzidi
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Bruno Coutard
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Antoine Nougairède
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
| | - Xavier de Lamballerie
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), Marseille, France
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