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Panigada V, Bodey TW, Friedlaender A, Druon JN, Huckstädt LA, Pierantonio N, Degollada E, Tort B, Panigada S. Targeting fin whale conservation in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea: insights on movements and behaviour from biologging and habitat modelling. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231783. [PMID: 38455994 PMCID: PMC10915541 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Biologging and habitat modelling are key tools supporting the development of conservation measures and mitigating the effects of anthropogenic pressures on marine species. Here, we analysed satellite telemetry data and foraging habitat preferences in relation to chlorophyll-a productivity fronts to understand the movements and behaviour of endangered Mediterranean fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) during their spring-summer feeding aggregation in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea. Eleven individuals were equipped with Argos satellite transmitters across 3 years, with transmissions averaging 23.5 ± 11.3 days. Hidden Markov Models were used to identify foraging behaviour, revealing how individuals showed consistency in their use of seasonal core feeding grounds; this was supported by the distribution of potential foraging habitat. Importantly, tracked whales spent most of their time in areas with no explicit protected status within the study region. This highlights the need for enhanced time- and place-based conservation actions to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic impacts for this species, notably ship strike risk and noise disturbance in an area of exceptionally high maritime traffic levels. These findings strengthen the need to further assess critical habitats and Important Marine Mammal Areas that are crucial for focused conservation, management and mitigation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viola Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Thomas W. Bodey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Ari Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Noël Druon
- Joint Research Centre, (JRC), European Commission, Ispra, Italy
| | - Luis A. Huckstädt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Nino Pierantonio
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
| | | | - Beatriu Tort
- Associació EDMAKTUB, 08393 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Simone Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, c/o Acquario Civico, Viale G.B. Gadio 2, 20121 Milano, Italy
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2
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Zinzula L, Scholz J, Nagy I, Di Guardo G, Orsini M. Biophysical characterization of the cetacean morbillivirus haemagglutinin glycoprotein. Virus Res 2023; 336:199231. [PMID: 37769814 PMCID: PMC10550842 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is an enveloped, non-segmented, negative-stranded RNA virus that infects marine mammals, spreading across species and causing lethal disease outbreaks worldwide. Among the eight proteins encoded by the CeMV genome, the haemagglutinin (H) glycoprotein is responsible for the virus attachment to host cell receptors. CeMV H represents an attractive target for antiviral and diagnostic research, yet the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying its role in infection and inter-species transmission was hampered thus far due to the unavailability of recombinant versions of the protein. Here we present the cloning, expression and purification of a recombinant CeMV H ectodomain (rH-ecto), providing an initial characterization of its biophysical and structural properties. Sodium dodecyl sulphate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) combined to Western blot analysis and periodic acid Schiff assay showed that CeMV rH-ecto is purifiable at homogeneity from insect cells as a secreted, soluble and glycosylated protein. Miniaturized differential scanning fluorimetry, Blue Native PAGE and size exclusion chromatography coupled to multiangle light scattering revealed that CeMV rH-ecto is globularly folded, thermally stable and exists in solution in the oligomeric states of dimer and multiple of dimers. Furthermore, negative stain electron microscopy single particle analysis allowed us to delineate a low-resolution molecular architecture of the CeMV rH-ecto dimer, which recapitulates native assemblies from other morbilliviral H proteins, such as those from measles virus and canine distemper virus. This set of experiments by orthogonal techniques validates the CeMV rH-ecto as an experimental model for future biochemical studies on its structure and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Zinzula
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany; Centro di Educazione Ambientale e alla Sostenibilità (CEAS) Laguna di Nora, Pula, Italy.
| | - Judith Scholz
- Core Facility, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - István Nagy
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany; Center of Research and Development, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Eger, Hungary
| | - Giovanni Di Guardo
- Retired Professor of General Pathology and Veterinary Pathophysiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Orsini
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
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3
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Vargas-Castro I, Peletto S, Mattioda V, Goria M, Serracca L, Varello K, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM, Puleio R, Nocera FD, Lucifora G, Acutis P, Casalone C, Grattarola C, Giorda F. Epidemiological and genetic analysis of Cetacean Morbillivirus circulating on the Italian coast between 2018 and 2021. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1216838. [PMID: 37583469 PMCID: PMC10424449 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1216838] [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: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused several outbreaks, unusual mortality events, and interepidemic single-lethal disease episodes in the Mediterranean Sea. Since 2012, a new strain with a northeast (NE) Atlantic origin has been circulating among Mediterranean cetaceans, causing numerous deaths. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of CeMV in cetaceans stranded in Italy between 2018 and 2021 and characterize the strain of CeMV circulating. Out of the 354 stranded cetaceans along the Italian coastlines, 113 were CeMV-positive. This prevalence (31.9%) is one of the highest reported without an associated outbreak. All marine sectors along the Italian coastlines, except for the northern Adriatic coast, reported a positive molecular diagnosis of CeMV. In one-third of the CeMV-positive cetaceans submitted to a histological evaluation, a chronic form of the infection (detectable viral antigen, the absence of associated lesions, and concomitant coinfections) was suspected. Tissues from 24 animals were used to characterize the strain, obtaining 57 sequences from phosphoprotein, nucleocapsid, and fusion protein genes, which were submitted to GenBank. Our sequences showed the highest identity with NE-Atlantic strain sequences, and in the phylogenetic study, they clustered together with them. Regarding age and species, most of these individuals were adults (17/24, 70.83%) and striped dolphins (19/24, 79.16%). This study improves our understanding on the NE-Atlantic CeMV strain in the Italian waters, supporting the hypothesis of an endemic circulation of the virus in this area; however, additional studies are necessary to deeply comprehend the epidemiology of this strain in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Vargas-Castro
- VISAVET Center and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Simone Peletto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Virginia Mattioda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Maria Goria
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Serracca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Katia Varello
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Puleio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Nocera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lucifora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Naples, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Acutis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Casalone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Carla Grattarola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Giorda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta - WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
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4
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Manfrini V, Pierantonio N, Giuliani A, De Pascalis F, Maio N, Mancia A. Fin Whale ( Balaenoptera physalus) Mortality along the Italian Coast between 1624 and 2021. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:3111. [PMID: 36428339 PMCID: PMC9686696 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223111] [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: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea hosts a population of fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the only species of Mysticete regularly occurring in the basin. Observed and inferred mortality suggests that the population is likely declining. Accordingly, understanding the causes of mortality and assessing the health status is pivotal to the survival of this endangered population. While such studies are inherently difficult for a highly roaming species with a pelagic distribution, mortality events provide the opportunity to investigate biological and epidemiological traits linked to these events, and evaluate the footprint of human activity, especially when long-term data series exist. We present a comprehensive spatial-temporal overview of fin whale mortality events along the Italian coast encompassing four centuries (1624-2021). Time series analysis was used to highlight structural changes in the evolution of mortality through time, while spatial-temporal patterns in the distribution of mortality events were assessed through emerging hot spot analysis methods. Recent mortality events (1964-2021) were further explored to evaluate, where possible, the primary causes of mortality and to identify anthropogenic threats of conservation concerns. This long-term survey offers the basis for an understanding of the health status of this B. physalus population and provides much-needed information for developing an effective management and conservation plan for the species in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alessandro Giuliani
- Environment and Health Department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Federico De Pascalis
- BIO-AVM, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), 40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia, Italy
| | - Nicola Maio
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Annalaura Mancia
- Dipartimento Scienze Della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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Fioravanti T, Maio N, Latini L, Splendiani A, Guarino FM, Mezzasalma M, Petraccioli A, Cozzi B, Mazzariol S, Centelleghe C, Sciancalepore G, Pietroluongo G, Podestà M, Caputo Barucchi V. Nothing is as it seems: genetic analyses on stranded fin whales unveil the presence of a fin-blue whale hybrid in the Mediterranean Sea (Balaenopteridae). THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2063426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- T. Fioravanti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - N. Maio
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - L. Latini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - A. Splendiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - F. M. Guarino
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - M. Mezzasalma
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - A. Petraccioli
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - B. Cozzi
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - S. Mazzariol
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - C. Centelleghe
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - G. Sciancalepore
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - G. Pietroluongo
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’ Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - M. Podestà
- Sezione di Zoologia dei Vertebrati, Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, Corso Venezia 55, 2012, Milano, Italy
| | - V. Caputo Barucchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
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6
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Felipe-Jiménez I, Fernández A, Arbelo M, Segura-Göthlin S, Colom-Rivero A, Suárez-Santana CM, De La Fuente J, Sierra E. Molecular Diagnosis of Cetacean Morbillivirus in Beaked Whales Stranded in the Canary Islands (1999–2017). Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9030121. [PMID: 35324849 PMCID: PMC8950905 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9030121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A retrospective survey for detecting the cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) was carried out in beaked whales (BWs) stranded in the Canary Islands (1999–2017). CeMV is responsible for causing worldwide epizootic events with the highest mass die-offs in cetaceans, although the epidemic status of the Canarian Archipelago seems to be that of an endemic situation. A total of 319 tissue samples from 55 BWs (35 Cuvier’s BWs and 20 specimens belonging to the Mesoplodon genus) were subjected to the amplification of a fragment of the fusion protein (F) and/or phosphoprotein (P) genes of CeMV by means of one or more of three polymerase chain reactions (PCR). RNA integrity could not be demonstrated in samples from 11 animals. Positivity (dolphin morbillivirus strain (DMV)) was detected in the skin sample of only a subadult male Cuvier’s BW stranded in 2002, being the earliest confirmed occurrence of DMV in the Cuvier’s BW species. The obtained P gene sequence showed the closest relationship with other DMVs detected in a striped dolphin stranded in the Canary Islands in the same year. A phylogenetic analysis supports a previous hypothesis of a cross-species infection and the existence of the circulation of endemic DMV strains in the Atlantic Ocean similar to those later detected in the North-East Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the South-West Pacific.
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7
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Zinzula L, Mazzariol S, Di Guardo G. Molecular signatures in cetacean morbillivirus and host species proteomes: Unveiling the evolutionary dynamics of an enigmatic pathogen? Microbiol Immunol 2021; 66:52-58. [PMID: 34779039 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) infects marine mammals often causing a fatal respiratory and neurological disease. Recently, CeMV has expanded its geographic and host species range, with cases being reported worldwide among dolphins, whales, seals, and other aquatic mammalian species, and therefore has emerged as the most threatening nonanthropogenic factor affecting marine mammal's health and conservation. Extensive research efforts have aimed to understand CeMV epidemiology and ecology, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its transmission and pathogenesis are still poorly understood. In particular, the field suffers from a knowledge gap on the structural and functional properties of CeMV proteins and their host interactors. Nevertheless, the body of scientific literature produced in recent years has inaugurated new investigational trends, driving future directions in CeMV molecular research. In this mini-review, the most recent literature has been summarized in the context of such research trends, and categorized into four priority research topics, such as (1) the interaction between CeMV glycoprotein and its host cell receptors across several species; (2) the CeMV molecular determinants responsible for different disease phenotype; (3) the host molecular determinants responsible for differential susceptibility to CeMV infection; (4) the CeMV molecular determinants responsible for difference virulence among circulating CeMV strains. Arguably, these are the most urgent topics that need to be investigated and that most promisingly will help to shed light on the details of CeMV evolutionary dynamics in the immediate future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Zinzula
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro (Padova), Italy
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8
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First confirmed stranding of a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02905-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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9
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Zinzula L, Beck F, Klumpe S, Bohn S, Pfeifer G, Bollschweiler D, Nagy I, Plitzko JM, Baumeister W. Cryo-EM structure of the cetacean morbillivirus nucleoprotein-RNA complex. J Struct Biol 2021; 213:107750. [PMID: 34089875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is an emerging and highly infectious paramyxovirus that causes outbreaks in cetaceans and occasionally in pinnipeds, representing a major threat to biodiversity and conservation of endangered marine mammal populations in both hemispheres. As for all non-segmented, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses, the morbilliviral genome is enwrapped by thousands of nucleoprotein (N) protomers. Each bound to six ribonucleotides, N protomers assemble to form a helical ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex that serves as scaffold for nucleocapsid formation and as template for viral replication and transcription. While the molecular details on RNP complexes elucidated in human measles virus (MeV) served as paradigm model for these processes in all members of the Morbillivirus genus, no structural information has been obtained from other morbilliviruses, nor has any CeMV structure been solved so far. We report the structure of the CeMV RNP complex, reconstituted in vitro upon binding of recombinant CeMV N to poly-adenine ssRNA hexamers and solved to 4.0 Å resolution by cryo-electron microscopy. In spite of the amino acid sequence similarity and consequently similar folding of the N protomer, the CeMV RNP complex exhibits different helical parameters as compared to previously reported MeV orthologs. The CeMV structure reveals exclusive interactions leading to more extensive protomer-RNA and protomer-protomer interfaces. We identified twelve residues, among those varying between CeMV strains, as putatively important for the stabilization of the RNP complex, which highlights the need to study the potential of CeMV N mutations that modulate nucleocapsid assembly to also affect viral phenotype and host adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Zinzula
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Florian Beck
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sven Klumpe
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stefan Bohn
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Günter Pfeifer
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Daniel Bollschweiler
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Cryo-EM Facility, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - István Nagy
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jürgen M Plitzko
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Baumeister
- Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
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Audino T, Grattarola C, Centelleghe C, Peletto S, Giorda F, Florio CL, Caramelli M, Bozzetta E, Mazzariol S, Di Guardo G, Lauriano G, Casalone C. SARS-CoV-2, a Threat to Marine Mammals? A Study from Italian Seawaters. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:1663. [PMID: 34204885 PMCID: PMC8226612 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Zoonotically transmitted coronaviruses were responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing the dramatic Coronavirus Disease-2019 (CoViD-19) pandemic, which affected public health, the economy, and society on a global scale. The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic permeated into our environment and wildlife as well; in particular, concern has been raised about the viral occurrence and persistence in aquatic and marine ecosystems. The discharge of untreated wastewaters carrying infectious SARS-CoV-2 into natural water systems that are home to sea mammals may have dramatic consequences on vulnerable species. The efficient transmission of coronaviruses raises questions regarding the contributions of virus-receptor interactions. The main receptor of SARS-CoV-2 is Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE-2), serving as a functional receptor for the viral spike (S) protein. This study aimed, through the comparative analysis of the ACE-2 receptor with the human one, at assessing susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 for different species of marine mammals living in Italian waters. We also determined, by means of immunohistochemistry, ACE-2 receptor localization in the lung tissue from different cetacean species, in order to provide a preliminary characterization of ACE-2 expression in the marine mammal respiratory tracts. Furthermore, to evaluate if and how Italian wastewater management and coastal exposition to extreme weather events may led to susceptible marine mammal populations being exposed to SARS-CoV-2, geomapping data were carried out and overlapped. The results showed the potential SARS-CoV-2 exposure for marine mammals inhabiting Italian coastal waters, putting them at risk when swimming and feeding in specific risk areas. Thus, we highlighted the potential hazard of the reverse zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection, along with its impact on marine mammals regularly inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea, while also stressing the need for appropriate action in order to prevent further damage to specific vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Audino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (T.A.); (C.G.); (S.P.); (F.G.); (C.L.F.); (M.C.); (E.B.)
| | - Carla Grattarola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (T.A.); (C.G.); (S.P.); (F.G.); (C.L.F.); (M.C.); (E.B.)
| | - Cinzia Centelleghe
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro, 35020 Padua, Italy; (C.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Simone Peletto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (T.A.); (C.G.); (S.P.); (F.G.); (C.L.F.); (M.C.); (E.B.)
| | - Federica Giorda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (T.A.); (C.G.); (S.P.); (F.G.); (C.L.F.); (M.C.); (E.B.)
- Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416 Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Caterina Lucia Florio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (T.A.); (C.G.); (S.P.); (F.G.); (C.L.F.); (M.C.); (E.B.)
| | - Maria Caramelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (T.A.); (C.G.); (S.P.); (F.G.); (C.L.F.); (M.C.); (E.B.)
| | - Elena Bozzetta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (T.A.); (C.G.); (S.P.); (F.G.); (C.L.F.); (M.C.); (E.B.)
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro, 35020 Padua, Italy; (C.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Giovanni Di Guardo
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Strada Provinciale 18 Località Piano d’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy;
| | - Giancarlo Lauriano
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Casalone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (T.A.); (C.G.); (S.P.); (F.G.); (C.L.F.); (M.C.); (E.B.)
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11
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Dagleish MP, Perri A, Maley M, Ballingall KT, Baily JL, Davison NJ, Brownlow AC, Rocchi MS. Novel Dermatitis and Relative Viral Nucleic Acid Tissue Loads in a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) with Systemic Cetacean Morbillivirus Infection. J Comp Pathol 2021; 183:57-62. [PMID: 33714433 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cetacean morbilliviruses (CeMVs) are significant causes of mortality in many cetacean species in epizootics and smaller outbreaks. Despite the prominence of skin lesions in seals and terrestrial animals, including humans, affected by other morbilliviruses, they have not been reported in CeMV-infected cetaceans. Here we report CeMV-associated skin lesions in a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) with subacute, systemic CeMV infection that live-stranded in Scotland, UK. Grossly, the skin was sloughing in large sheets, presumed due to autolysis, but histological examination showed syncytia, below the dermoepidermal junction, that were strongly immunopositive for morbillivirus antigen, as were syncytia in other organs. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the relative load of CeMV-specific RNA was largest in the liver and urinary bladder, even in formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax embedded samples. Levels were low in skin and only detectable in frozen samples. Genetic comparison of the CeMV revealed close alignment with isolates from fin whales from the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, but that it was distinct from the porpoise CeMV clade. These findings show skin samples can be used to diagnose CeMV infection in cetaceans, highlighting the potential of ante-mortem sampling for monitoring disease in current populations and assessment of changes in host and pathogen genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Dagleish
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik.
| | - Adele Perri
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik
| | - Madeleine Maley
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik
| | | | - Johanna L Baily
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik
| | - Nicholas J Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, SRUC Northern Faculty, An Lòchran, Inverness, Scotland, UK
| | - Andrew C Brownlow
- Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, SRUC Northern Faculty, An Lòchran, Inverness, Scotland, UK
| | - Mara S Rocchi
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik
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12
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Otero-Sabio C, Centelleghe C, Corain L, Graïc JM, Cozzi B, Rivero M, Consoli F, Peruffo A. Microscopic anatomical, immunohistochemical, and morphometric characterization of the terminal airways of the lung in cetaceans. J Morphol 2020; 282:291-308. [PMID: 33338275 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The lungs of cetaceans undergo anatomical and physiological adaptations that facilitate extended breath-holding during dives. Here, we present new insights on the ontogeny of the microscopic anatomy of the terminal portion of the airways of the lungs in five cetacean species: the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus); the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), the Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris); the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus); and the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). We (a) studied the histology of the terminal portion of the airways; (b) used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to characterize the muscle fibers with antibodies against smooth muscle (sm-) actin, sm-myosin, and desmin; (c) the innervation of myoelastic sphincters (MESs) with an antibody against neurofilament protein; and (d) defined the diameter of the terminal bronchioles, the diameter and length of the alveoli, the thickness of the septa, the major and minor axis, perimeter and section area of the cartilaginous rings by quantitative morphometric analyses in partially inflated lung tissue. As already reported in the literature, in bottlenose and striped dolphins, a system of MESs was observed in the terminal bronchioles. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of smooth muscle in the terminal bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and alveolar septa in all the examined species. Some neurofilaments were observed close to the MESs in both bottlenose and striped dolphins. In fin, sperm, and Cuvier's beaked whales, we noted a layer of longitudinal smooth muscle going from the terminal bronchioles to the alveolar sacs. The morphometric analysis allowed to quantify the structural differences among cetacean species by ranking them into groups according to the adjusted mean values of the morphometric parameters measured. Our results contribute to the current understanding of the anatomy of the terminal airways of the cetacean lung and the role of the smooth muscle in the alveolar collapse reflex, crucial for prolonged breath-holding diving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Otero-Sabio
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Cinzia Centelleghe
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Livio Corain
- Department of Management and Engineering, University of Padova, Vicenza, Padova, Italy
| | - Jean-Marie Graïc
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Miguel Rivero
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
| | - Francesco Consoli
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
| | - Antonella Peruffo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
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13
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Capanni F, Muñoz-Arnanz J, Marsili L, Fossi MC, Jiménez B. Assessment of PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like PCBs and PBDEs in Mediterranean striped dolphins. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 156:111207. [PMID: 32510364 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bio-accumulation of high levels of persistent organic pollutants represent a serious conservation concern for Mediterranean marine odontocetes. In this study, blubber samples from 10 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded along the Italian coasts during 2015-2016 were analyzed. All specimens showed dl-PCBs > PBDEs ≫ PCDD/Fs. Median concentrations were 1820 ng/g l.w., 456 ng/g l.w. and 23.9 pg/g l.w., respectively. dl-PCBs accounted for 93.3% of total TEQs. PBDE concentrations suggest that the Mediterranean basin may be considered a hotspot for organobromine compounds. OCDD did not represent the greatest contributor to PCDD/Fs profile, most likely due to a change in dioxin environmental sources in the last two-three decades. Despite international regulations, the present study emphasized that POP exposure levels in Mediterranean striped dolphins have not declined significantly in recent years. Toxicological and risk assessment studies on this sentinel species may provide an early indication of potential adverse health effects on Mediterranean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Capanni
- Dept. Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Dept. Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Juan Muñoz-Arnanz
- Dept. Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Letizia Marsili
- Dept. Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - M Cristina Fossi
- Dept. Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Begoña Jiménez
- Dept. Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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14
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Di Guardo G, Criscitiello MF, Sierra E, Mazzariol S. Editorial: Comparative Immunology of Marine Mammals. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2300. [PMID: 31632396 PMCID: PMC6779798 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Frederick Criscitiello
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Eva Sierra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Instituto Universitario de Sanidad Animal y Seguridad Alimentaria, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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15
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Padalino I, Di Guardo G, Carbone A, Troiano P, Parisi A, Galante D, Cafiero MA, Caruso M, Palazzo L, Guarino L, De Riso L, Centelleghe C, Mazzariol S, Petrella A. Dolphin Morbillivirus in Eurasian Otters, Italy. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25:372-374. [PMID: 30666943 PMCID: PMC6346476 DOI: 10.3201/eid2502.180256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We report biomolecular evidence of dolphin morbillivirus in 4 wild Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from southern Italy; 2 animals showed simultaneous immunohistochemical reactivity against morbilliviral antigen. These cases add further concern and support to the progressively expanding host range of dolphin morbillivirus in the western Mediterranean Sea.
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16
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Mira F, Rubio-Guerri C, Purpari G, Puleio R, Caracappa G, Gucciardi F, Russotto L, Loria GR, Guercio A. Circulation of a novel strain of dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) in stranded cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9792. [PMID: 31278350 PMCID: PMC6611785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46096-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) has been responsible for several outbreaks of systemic infection and has resulted in cetacean strandings in the Mediterranean. In August-October 2016, seven striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded on the Sicilian coastline (Italy) tested positive for DMV. Tissue samples from brain, lung, pulmonary lymph nodes, heart, spleen, liver, stomach, intestine, kidneys and urinary bladder, as well as blowhole swabs, were collected during necropsy for molecular diagnostics and pathology studies. Extracted tissue RNA was screened for DMV by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Some tissues exhibited microscopic lesions that were consistent with DMV infection on histopathological and immunohistochemical grounds. Conventional reverse transcription PCR to target partial nucleoprotein and phosphoprotein genes yielded sequences used to genetically characterize the associated DMV strain. DMV RNA was detected by both PCR assays in all tested tissues of the seven dolphins, which suggests systemic infections, but was absent from another dolphin stranded on the Sicilian coastline during the same period. The partial phosphoprotein and nucleoprotein gene sequences from the positive dolphins were 99.7% and 99.5% identical, respectively, to the DMV sequences recently observed in cetaceans stranded on the Spanish Mediterranean. Our study suggests that this DMV strain is circulating in the Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Mira
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, 90129, Italy.
| | - Consuelo Rubio-Guerri
- Fundación Oceanografic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Valencia, 46013, Spain.,VISAVET-Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Giuseppa Purpari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, 90129, Italy
| | - Roberto Puleio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, 90129, Italy
| | - Giulia Caracappa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, 90129, Italy
| | - Francesca Gucciardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, 90129, Italy
| | - Laura Russotto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, 90129, Italy
| | - Guido Ruggero Loria
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, 90129, Italy
| | - Annalisa Guercio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Palermo, 90129, Italy
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17
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Ohishi K, Maruyama T, Seki F, Takeda M. Marine Morbilliviruses: Diversity and Interaction with Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecules. Viruses 2019; 11:E606. [PMID: 31277275 PMCID: PMC6669707 DOI: 10.3390/v11070606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological reports of phocine distemper virus (PDV) and cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) have accumulated since their discovery nearly 30 years ago. In this review, we focus on the interaction between these marine morbilliviruses and their major cellular receptor, the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM). The three-dimensional crystal structure and homology models of SLAMs have demonstrated that 35 residues are important for binding to the morbillivirus hemagglutinin (H) protein and contribute to viral tropism. These 35 residues are essentially conserved among pinnipeds and highly conserved among the Caniformia, suggesting that PDV can infect these animals, but are less conserved among cetaceans. Because CeMV can infect various cetacean species, including toothed and baleen whales, the CeMV-H protein is postulated to have broader specificity to accommodate more divergent SLAM interfaces and may enable the virus to infect seals. In silico analysis of viral H protein and SLAM indicates that each residue of the H protein interacts with multiple residues of SLAM and vice versa. The integration of epidemiological, virological, structural, and computational studies should provide deeper insight into host specificity and switching of marine morbilliviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazue Ohishi
- Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo Polytechnic University, 1583, Iiyama, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0297, Japan.
| | - Tadashi Maruyama
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1, Kitazato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Fumio Seki
- Department of Virology III, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1, Gakuen, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
| | - Makoto Takeda
- Department of Virology III, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1, Gakuen, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
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18
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Cetacean morbillivirus: A Land-to-Sea Journey and Back? Virol Sin 2019; 34:240-242. [PMID: 31093883 DOI: 10.1007/s12250-019-00128-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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19
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Torreblanca E, Camiñas JA, Macías D, García-Barcelona S, Real R, Báez JC. Using opportunistic sightings to infer differential spatio-temporal use of western Mediterranean waters by the fin whale. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6673. [PMID: 30956904 PMCID: PMC6442671 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is a cosmopolitan species with a resident population in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its habitat, open seas often far from ports and airfields, and its long-distance migratory behaviour, studying and monitoring its distribution is costly. Currently, many opportunistic sightings (OS) reports are available, which provide a source of potentially useful, low-cost information about the spatio-temporal distribution of this species. Since 1993, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography has compiled a dataset comprising 874 records of OS of nine species of cetaceans in the western Mediterranean Sea and adjacent waters. The aim of this study was to use this dataset to investigate the differential use of these waters by the fin whale when compared with other cetaceans. We compared the presence of fin whales with the presence of any other cetacean species in the dataset. Binary logistic regression was then used to model these occurrences according to several spatio-temporal variables expected to reflect their habitat use. Several significant models reveal that fin whales are more prone than other cetaceans to use the waters over the slope of the Gulf of Lion in summer. This finding confirms that the Gulf of Lion is an area of importance for this species and suggests that the slope of the continental shelf could be particularly important. Our study shows how OS can be a source of useful information when appropriately analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Antonio Camiñas
- Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Fuengirola, Spain
| | - David Macías
- Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Fuengirola, Spain
| | | | - Raimundo Real
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - José Carlos Báez
- Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.,Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
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20
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Marcer F, Marchiori E, Centelleghe C, Ajzenberg D, Gustinelli A, Meroni V, Mazzariol S. Parasitological and pathological findings in fin whales Balaenoptera physalus stranded along Italian coastlines. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2019; 133:25-37. [PMID: 30997882 DOI: 10.3354/dao03327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Mediterranean fin whales Balaenoptera physalus face many threats to their conservation, including both anthropogenic and natural issues. There are few records of the parasitic fauna of this species in this geographical area. To partially fill in this gap of knowledge, we investigated the presence and potential impact of parasitic diseases in Mediterranean fin whales. Seven animals stranded along Italian coastlines between 2006 and 2015 were submitted for necropsy and parasitological examination. The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii was detected in 1 fin whale and, for the first time in mysticetes, it was successfully genotyped as a type II strain with 15 microsatellite markers. One crustacean (Pennella spp.) and 4 helminth taxa (Crassicauda boopis, Ogmogaster antarcticus, Tetrabothrius ruudi and Bolbosoma sp.) were detected and morphologically identified. Different degrees of ectoparasitism by adult P. balaenoptera were recorded. Immature stages of Pennella sp. were also detected in 2 animals and are described here for the first time in cetaceans. Infestation by C. boopis was confirmed or suspected in 5 cases. Parasitic thrombi, involving renal veins and caudal vena cava, and fibrosis of renal parenchyma were associated with C. boopis and likely resulted in some degree of renal dysfunction. Larval nematodes were found within foci of mesenteric endarteritis. Further research to evaluate the prevalence of this potentially fatal endoparasitosis in Mediterranean fin whales is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Marcer
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
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21
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Pautasso A, Iulini B, Grattarola C, Giorda F, Goria M, Peletto S, Masoero L, Mignone W, Varello K, Petrella A, Carbone A, Pintore A, Denurra D, Scholl F, Cersini A, Puleio R, Purpari G, Lucifora G, Fusco G, Di Guardo G, Mazzariol S, Casalone C. Novel dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) outbreak among Mediterranean striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba in Italian waters. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2019; 132:215-220. [PMID: 31188137 DOI: 10.3354/dao03323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
An unusual mortality event (UME) of striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba occurred in the period July to December 2016 along the Italian Ionian coastline. We conducted a complete postmortem examination on 28 specimens and detected dolphin morbillivirus (DMV), by means of biomolecular analyses, in the target tissues of 17 animals. Unlike previous outbreaks occurring in the Mediterranean Sea in 2011 and 2013, we observed typical pathological changes suggestive of morbilliviral infection in an acute/subacute phase and immunohistochemical reactivity. The same findings were observed in 13 other specimens beached along the Italian coastline during 2016 with no temporal and geographical relationship with the ongoing epidemic outbreak. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis showed that DMV sequences detected in Italy in 2016 clustered with those identified in Portugal and Galicia (Spain), representing a novel DMV strain of Atlantic origin which entered the Mediterranean Sea and affected a naïve striped dolphin population. DMV sequences detected in the previous Mediterranean outbreaks exhibited a marked genetic relatedness and diverged from those detected in cetaceans stranded along the Galician and Portuguese coasts since 2007.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Pautasso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy
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22
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Evolutionary evidence for multi-host transmission of cetacean morbillivirus. Emerg Microbes Infect 2018; 7:201. [PMID: 30514855 PMCID: PMC6279766 DOI: 10.1038/s41426-018-0207-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has emerged as the pathogen that poses the greatest risk of triggering epizootics in cetacean populations worldwide, and has a high propensity for interspecies transmission, including sporadic infection of seals. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary history of CeMV by deep sequencing wild-type viruses from tissue samples representing cetacean species with different spatiotemporal origins. Bayesian phylogeographic analysis generated an estimated evolutionary rate of 2.34 × 10−4 nucleotide substitutions/site/year and showed that CeMV evolutionary dynamics are neither host-restricted nor location-restricted. Moreover, the dolphin morbillivirus strain of CeMV has undergone purifying selection without evidence of species-specific mutations. Cell-to-cell fusion and growth kinetics assays demonstrated that CeMV can use both dolphin and seal CD150 as a cellular receptor. Thus, it appears that CeMV can readily spread among multiple cetacean populations and may pose an additional spillover risk to seals.
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23
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Rubio-Guerri C, Jiménez MÁ, Melero M, Díaz-Delgado J, Sierra E, Arbelo M, Bellière EN, Crespo-Picazo JL, García-Párraga D, Esperón F, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM. Genetic heterogeneity of dolphin morbilliviruses detected in the Spanish Mediterranean in inter-epizootic period. BMC Vet Res 2018; 14:248. [PMID: 30143035 PMCID: PMC6109331 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-018-1559-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the last 20 years, Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) has been responsible for many die-offs in marine mammals worldwide, as clearly exemplified by the three dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) epizootics of 1990–1992, 2006–2008 and 2011 that affected Mediterranean striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). Systemic infection caused by DMV in the Mediterranean has been reported only during these outbreaks. Results We report the infection of five striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded on the Spanish Mediterranean coast of Valencia after the last DMV outbreak that ended in 2011. Animal 1 stranded in late 2011 and Animal 2 in 2012. Systemic infection affecting all tissues was found based on histopathology and positive immunohistochemical and polymerase chain reaction positive results. Animal 3 stranded in 2014; molecular and immunohistochemical detection was positive only in the central nervous system. Animals 4 and 5 stranded in 2015, and DMV antigen was found in several tissues. Partial sequences of the DMV phosphoprotein (P), nucleoprotein (N), and hemagglutinin (H) genes were identical for Animals 2, 3, 4, and 5, and were remarkably different from those in Animal 1. The P sequence from Animal 1 was identical to that of the DMV strain that caused the epizootic of 2011 in the Spanish Mediterranean. The corresponding sequence from Animals 2–5 was identical to that from a striped dolphin stranded in 2011 on the Canary Islands and to six dolphins stranded in northeastern Atlantic of the Iberian Peninsula. Conclusions These results suggest the existence of an endemic infection cycle among striped dolphins in the Mediterranean that may lead to occasional systemic disease presentations outside epizootic periods. This cycle involves multiple pathogenic viral strains, one of which may have originated in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Rubio-Guerri
- VISAVET Center and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta del Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain. .,Fundación Oceanografic de la Comunitat Valenciana, C/. Eduardo Primo Yúfera (Científic) 1B, 46013, Valencia, Spain.
| | - M Ángeles Jiménez
- Medicine and Surgery Department (Anatomic Pathology), Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Melero
- VISAVET Center and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta del Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josué Díaz-Delgado
- Unit of Histology and Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, s, /n 35416, Arucas (Las Palmas), Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Eva Sierra
- Unit of Histology and Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, s, /n 35416, Arucas (Las Palmas), Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Manuel Arbelo
- Unit of Histology and Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Trasmontaña, s, /n 35416, Arucas (Las Palmas), Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Edwige N Bellière
- National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, Ctra. de Algete a El Casar s/n, 28130, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose L Crespo-Picazo
- Fundación Oceanografic de la Comunitat Valenciana, C/. Eduardo Primo Yúfera (Científic) 1B, 46013, Valencia, Spain
| | - Daniel García-Párraga
- Fundación Oceanografic de la Comunitat Valenciana, C/. Eduardo Primo Yúfera (Científic) 1B, 46013, Valencia, Spain.,Veterinary Services, Avanqua Oceanogràfic S.L., C/ Eduardo Primo Yúfera (Científic) 1B, 46013, Valencia, Spain
| | - Fernando Esperón
- National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, Ctra. de Algete a El Casar s/n, 28130, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose M Sánchez-Vizcaíno
- VISAVET Center and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda. Puerta del Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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24
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Sierra E, Fernández A, Zucca D, Câmara N, Felipe-Jiménez I, Suárez-Santana C, de Quirós YB, Díaz-Delgado J, Arbelo M. Morbillivirus infection in Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus: a phylogenetic and pathological study of cases from the Canary Islands. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2018; 129:165-174. [PMID: 30154276 DOI: 10.3354/dao03248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The earliest evidence of cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) infection dates from 1982, when the dolphin morbillivirus strain (DMV) was identified in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus stranded in the mid-Atlantic region. Since then, CeMV has been detected globally in at least 26 species of mysticetes and odontocetes, causing widespread mortality and a wide range of pathological effects. In the Canary Islands, DMV and pilot whale morbillivirus have been detected in cetacean species, including short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus and bottlenose dolphins. Risso's dolphins Grampus griseus have been reported year-round in waters of the Canary Islands and are considered a resident species. No information is currently available on CeMV prevalence in this species in this ocean region. We searched for evidence of CeMV infection in 12 Risso's dolphins stranded in the Canary Islands from 2003 to 2015 by means of histopathology, PCR and immunohistochemistry. PCR revealed 2 CeMV-positive animals (16.6%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the strains from the 2 positive specimens were phylogenetically quite distant, proving that more than 1 strain infects the Risso's dolphin population in this region. We also determined that the strain detected in one of the specimens mainly circulated in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean from 2007 to 2013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Sierra
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Institute of Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas, Spain
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25
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Mazzariol S, Centelleghe C, Cozzi B, Povinelli M, Marcer F, Ferri N, Di Francesco G, Badagliacca P, Profeta F, Olivieri V, Guccione S, Cocumelli C, Terracciano G, Troiano P, Beverelli M, Garibaldi F, Podestà M, Marsili L, Fossi MC, Mattiucci S, Cipriani P, De Nurra D, Zaccaroni A, Rubini S, Berto D, de Quiros YB, Fernandez A, Morell M, Giorda F, Pautasso A, Modesto P, Casalone C, Di Guardo G. Multidisciplinary studies on a sick-leader syndrome-associated mass stranding of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) along the Adriatic coast of Italy. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11577. [PMID: 30068967 PMCID: PMC6070578 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29966-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mass strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are rare in the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, in 2014 a pod of 7 specimens stranded alive along the Italian coast of the Central Adriatic Sea: 3 individuals died on the beach after a few hours due to internal damages induced by prolonged recumbency; the remaining 4 whales were refloated after great efforts. All the dead animals were genetically related females; one was pregnant. All the animals were infected by dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) and the pregnant whale was also affected by a severe nephropathy due to a large kidney stone. Other analyses ruled out other possible relevant factors related to weather conditions or human activities. The results of multidisciplinary post-mortem analyses revealed that the 7 sperm whales entered the Adriatic Sea encountering adverse weather conditions and then kept heading northward following the pregnant but sick leader of the pod, thereby reaching the stranding site. DMV infection most likely played a crucial role in impairing the health condition and orientation abilities of the whales. They did not steer back towards deeper waters, but eventually stranded along the Central Adriatic Sea coastline, a real trap for sperm whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Cinzia Centelleghe
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Michele Povinelli
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Federica Marcer
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Nicola Ferri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - Gabriella Di Francesco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - Pietro Badagliacca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
| | - Francesca Profeta
- University of Teramo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Località Piano d'Accio, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | | | | | - Cristiano Cocumelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana M. Aleandri, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuliana Terracciano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana M. Aleandri, Rome, Italy
| | - Pasquale Troiano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
| | - Matteo Beverelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
| | | | | | - Letizia Marsili
- Department of Physical Science, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Fossi
- Department of Physical Science, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Simonetta Mattiucci
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Cipriani
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele De Nurra
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Silva Rubini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Yara Beraldo de Quiros
- Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Universitad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
| | - Antonio Fernandez
- Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Universitad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
| | - Maria Morell
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (Inserm UMR 1051), Montpellier, France
| | - Federica Giorda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Val d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pautasso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Val d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Paola Modesto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Val d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Cristina Casalone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Val d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Guardo
- University of Teramo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Località Piano d'Accio, 64100, Teramo, Italy
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Jo WK, Osterhaus ADME, Ludlow M. Transmission of morbilliviruses within and among marine mammal species. Curr Opin Virol 2018; 28:133-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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27
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Dolphin Morbillivirus in a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) in Denmark, 2016. J Wildl Dis 2017; 53:921-924. [DOI: 10.7589/2016-11-246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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28
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Häussermann V, Gutstein CS, Bedington M, Cassis D, Olavarria C, Dale AC, Valenzuela-Toro AM, Perez-Alvarez MJ, Sepúlveda HH, McConnell KM, Horwitz FE, Försterra G. Largest baleen whale mass mortality during strong El Niño event is likely related to harmful toxic algal bloom. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3123. [PMID: 30038848 PMCID: PMC6055221 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
While large mass mortality events (MMEs) are well known for toothed whales, they have been rare in baleen whales due to their less gregarious behavior. Although in most cases the cause of mortality has not been conclusively identified, some baleen whale mortality events have been linked to bio-oceanographic conditions, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs). In Southern Chile, HABs can be triggered by the ocean–atmosphere phenomenon El Niño. The frequency of the strongest El Niño events is increasing due to climate change. In March 2015, by far the largest reported mass mortality of baleen whales took place in a gulf in Southern Chile. Here, we show that the synchronous death of at least 343, primarily sei whales can be attributed to HABs during a building El Niño. Although considered an oceanic species, the sei whales died while feeding near to shore in previously unknown large aggregations. This provides evidence of new feeding grounds for the species. The combination of older and newer remains of whales in the same area indicate that MMEs have occurred more than once in recent years. Large HABs and reports of marine mammal MMEs along the Northeast Pacific coast may indicate similar processes in both hemispheres. Increasing MMEs through HABs may become a serious concern in the conservation of endangered whale species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Häussermann
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.,GeoBio-Center, Munich, Germany.,Huinay Scientific Field Station, Puerto Montt, Region de los Lagos, Chile
| | - Carolina S Gutstein
- Area de Patrimonio Natural, Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile.,Red Paleontológica U-Chile, Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile.,Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - David Cassis
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático, Universidad Santo Tómas, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Olavarria
- Centro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile.,Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas, La Serena, Chile
| | - Andrew C Dale
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Scotland, UK
| | - Ana M Valenzuela-Toro
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.,Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Maria Jose Perez-Alvarez
- Centro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile.,Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | | | - Fanny E Horwitz
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Günter Försterra
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.,Huinay Scientific Field Station, Puerto Montt, Region de los Lagos, Chile.,Department of Zoology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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29
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Genomic and structural investigation on dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) in Mediterranean fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). Sci Rep 2017; 7:41554. [PMID: 28134317 PMCID: PMC5278511 DOI: 10.1038/srep41554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) has been deemed as one of the most relevant threats for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) being responsible for a mortality outbreak in the Mediterranean Sea in the last years. Knowledge of the complete viral genome is essential to understand any structural changes that could modify virus pathogenesis and viral tissue tropism. We report the complete DMV sequence of N, P/V/C, M, F and H genes identified from a fin whale and the comparison of primary to quaternary structure of proteins between this fin whale strain and some of those isolated during the 1990–‘92 and the 2006–‘08 epidemics. Some relevant substitutions were detected, particularly Asn52Ser located on F protein and Ile21Thr on N protein. Comparing mutations found in the fin whale DMV with those occurring in viral strains of other cetacean species, some of them were proven to be the result of diversifying selection, thus allowing to speculate on their role in host adaptation and on the way they could affect the interaction between the viral attachment and fusion with the target host cells.
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30
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Notarbartolo di Sciara G. Marine Mammals in the Mediterranean Sea: An Overview. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2016; 75:1-36. [PMID: 27770981 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite being a small part of the world's oceans, the Mediterranean Sea hosts a diverse marine mammal fauna, with a total of 28 different species known to occur, or to have occurred, in the region. Species currently recognised as regular in the Mediterranean-the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and 11 cetaceans (fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus; sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus; Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris; short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis; long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas; Risso's dolphin, Grampus griseus; killer whale, Orcinus orca; striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba; rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis; common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus; harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena relicta) have adapted well to the region's environmental conditions, but their coexistence with humans is problematic. All the regular species are represented in the Mediterranean by populations genetically distinct from their North Atlantic relatives. Seventeen other species (three pinnipeds and 14 cetaceans) occur or have occurred in the Mediterranean as vagrants from adjacent regions. Impacts on the conservation status of marine mammals in the region deriving from a variety of threats include: (a) mortality caused by deliberate killing (to a large extent resulting from fisheries interactions), naval sonar, ship strikes, epizootics, fisheries bycatch, chemical pollution and ingestion of solid debris; (b) short-term redistribution caused by naval sonar, seismic surveys, vessel disturbance and vessel noise; and (c) long-term redistribution caused by fishery-induced food depletion, coastal development and possibly climate change. Accordingly, seven of the 12 marine mammals regular in the Mediterranean region are listed as Threatened on IUCN's Red List; regrettably, three are Data Deficient and two remain unassessed.
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31
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Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Castellote M, Druon JN, Panigada S. Fin Whales, Balaenoptera physalus: At Home in a Changing Mediterranean Sea? ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2016; 75:75-101. [PMID: 27770993 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - M Castellote
- National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - J-N Druon
- European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre, Directorate D-Sustainable Resources, Unit D.02 Water and Marine Resources, Ispra, Italy
| | - S Panigada
- Tethys Research Institute, Acquario Civico, Milano, Italy
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32
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Di Guardo G, Fernández A, Mazzariol S. Commentary: Initial characterization of novel beaked whale morbillivirus in Hawaiian cetaceans. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1205. [PMID: 27538363 PMCID: PMC4972811 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Fernández
- Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas, Spain
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua Padova, Italy
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33
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Di Guardo G, Mazzariol S. Cetacean Morbillivirus-Associated Pathology: Knowns and Unknowns. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:112. [PMID: 26903991 PMCID: PMC4744835 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present minireview deals with the pathology of Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) infection in free-ranging cetaceans. In this respect, while "classical" CeMV-associated lesions were observed in the lung, brain, and lymphoid tissues from striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and pilot whales (Globicephala melas) which were victims of the 1990-1992 and 2006-2008 epidemics in the Western Mediterranean, an apparent reduction in CeMV neurovirulence, along with a different viral antigen's tissue and cell distribution, were found during the 2010-2011 and the 2013 outbreaks in the same area. Of remarkable concern are also the documented CeMV ability to induce maternally acquired infections in wild cetaceans, coupled with the progressively expanding geographic and host range of the virus in both Hemispheres, as well as in conjunction with the intriguing forms of "brain-only" morbilliviral infection increasingly reported in Mediterranean-striped dolphins. Future research in this area should address the virus-host interaction dynamics, with particular emphasis on the cell receptors specifying viral tissue tropism in relation to the different cetacean species and to their susceptibility to infection, as well as to the CeMV strains circulating worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Hygiene, University of Padova Padova, Italy
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