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Fajar S, Dwi SP, Nur IS, Wahyu AP, Sukamto S M, Winda AR, Nastiti W, Andri F, Firzan N. Zebrafish as a model organism for virus disease research: Current status and future directions. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33865. [PMID: 39071624 PMCID: PMC11282986 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have emerged as valuable models for investigating viral infections, providing insights into viral pathogenesis, host responses, and potential therapeutic interventions. This review offers a comprehensive synthesis of research on viral infections using zebrafish models, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of viral action and host-virus interactions. Zebrafish models have been instrumental in elucidating the replication dynamics, tissue tropism, and immune evasion strategies of various viruses, including Chikungunya virus, Dengue virus, Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, and Influenza A virus. Additionally, studies utilizing zebrafish have evaluated the efficacy of antiviral compounds and natural agents against emerging viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, Zika virus, and Dengue virus. The optical transparency and genetic tractability of zebrafish embryos enable real-time visualization of viral infections, facilitating the study of viral spread and immune responses. Despite challenges such as temperature compatibility and differences in host receptors, zebrafish models offer unique advantages, including cost-effectiveness, high-throughput screening capabilities, and conservation of key immune pathways. Importantly, zebrafish models complement existing animal models, providing a platform for rapid evaluation of potential therapeutics and a deeper understanding of viral pathogenesis. This review underscores the significance of zebrafish research in advancing our understanding of viral diseases and highlights future research directions to combat infectious diseases effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofyantoro Fajar
- Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia
| | - Sendi Priyono Dwi
- Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia
| | | | | | - Mamada Sukamto S
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
| | | | - Wijayanti Nastiti
- Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia
| | - Frediansyah Andri
- Research Center for Food Technology and Processing (PRTPP), National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Yogyakarta 55861, Indonesia
| | - Nainu Firzan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
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2
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Virgo M, Ho BT, Mostowy S. For pet's sake: Discovering a naturally occurring zebrafish virus. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002643. [PMID: 38857360 PMCID: PMC11164412 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish are often used to model host-pathogen interactions, but few models of natural virus infection have been established. A new study in PLOS Biology shows that metatranscriptomics and cohousing experiments can uncover a natural pathogenic virus of zebrafish for laboratory study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mollie Virgo
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Thomas Ho
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Serge Mostowy
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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3
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Kononova Y, Adamenko L, Kazachkova E, Solomatina M, Romanenko S, Proskuryakova A, Utkin Y, Gulyaeva M, Spirina A, Kazachinskaia E, Palyanova N, Mishchenko O, Chepurnov A, Shestopalov A. Features of SARS-CoV-2 Replication in Various Types of Reptilian and Fish Cell Cultures. Viruses 2023; 15:2350. [PMID: 38140591 PMCID: PMC10748073 DOI: 10.3390/v15122350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 can enter the environment from the feces of COVID-19 patients and virus carriers through untreated sewage. The virus has shown the ability to adapt to a wide range of hosts, so the question of the possible involvement of aquafauna and animals of coastal ecosystems in maintaining its circulation remains open. METHODS the aim of this work was to study the tropism of SARS-CoV-2 for cells of freshwater fish and reptiles, including those associated with aquatic and coastal ecosystems, and the effect of ambient temperature on this process. In a continuous cell culture FHM (fathead minnow) and diploid fibroblasts CGIB (silver carp), SARS-CoV-2 replication was not maintained at either 25 °C or 29 °C. At 29 °C, the continuous cell culture TH-1 (eastern box turtle) showed high susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, comparable to Vero E6 (development of virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) and an infectious titer of 7.5 ± 0.17 log10 TCID50/mL on day 3 after infection), and primary fibroblasts CNI (Nile crocodile embryo) showed moderate susceptibility (no CPE, infectious titer 4.52 ± 0.14 log10 TCID50/mL on day 5 after infection). At 25 °C, SARS-CoV-2 infection did not develop in TH-1 and CNI. CONCLUSIONS our results show the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to effectively replicate without adaptation in the cells of certain reptile species when the ambient temperature rises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Kononova
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Lyubov Adamenko
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Evgeniya Kazachkova
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Mariya Solomatina
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Svetlana Romanenko
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; (S.R.); (A.P.); (Y.U.)
| | - Anastasia Proskuryakova
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; (S.R.); (A.P.); (Y.U.)
| | - Yaroslav Utkin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; (S.R.); (A.P.); (Y.U.)
| | - Marina Gulyaeva
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
- The Department of Natural Science, Novosibirsk State University, 2, Pirogova St., Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Anastasia Spirina
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Elena Kazachinskaia
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Natalia Palyanova
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Oksana Mishchenko
- 48 Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Moscow 141306, Russia;
| | - Alexander Chepurnov
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
| | - Alexander Shestopalov
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, The Federal State Budget Scientific Institution, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Timakova St., Novosibirsk 630117, Russia; (Y.K.); (L.A.); (E.K.); (M.S.); (A.S.); (E.K.); (N.P.); (A.C.); (A.S.)
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Ernst A, Piragyte I, Mp AM, Le ND, Grandgirard D, Leib SL, Oates A, Mercader N. Identification of side effects of COVID-19 drug candidates on embryogenesis using an integrated zebrafish screening platform. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17037. [PMID: 37813860 PMCID: PMC10562458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43911-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug repurposing is an important strategy in COVID-19 treatment, but many clinically approved compounds have not been extensively studied in the context of embryogenesis, thus limiting their administration during pregnancy. Here we used the zebrafish embryo model organism to test the effects of 162 marketed drugs on cardiovascular development. Among the compounds used in the clinic for COVD-19 treatment, we found that Remdesivir led to reduced body size and heart functionality at clinically relevant doses. Ritonavir and Baricitinib showed reduced heart functionality and Molnupiravir and Baricitinib showed effects on embryo activity. Sabizabulin was highly toxic at concentrations only 5 times higher than Cmax and led to a mean mortality of 20% at Cmax. Furthermore, we tested if zebrafish could be used as a model to study inflammatory response in response to spike protein treatment and found that Remdesivir, Ritonavir, Molnupiravir, Baricitinib as well as Sabizabulin counteracted the inflammatory response related gene expression upon SARS-CoV-2 spike protein treatment. Our results show that the zebrafish allows to study immune-modulating properties of COVID-19 compounds and highlights the need to rule out secondary defects of compound treatment on embryogenesis. All results are available on a user friendly web-interface https://share.streamlit.io/alernst/covasc_dataapp/main/CoVasc_DataApp.py that provides a comprehensive overview of all observed phenotypic effects and allows personalized search on specific compounds or group of compounds. Furthermore, the presented platform can be expanded for rapid detection of developmental side effects of new compounds for treatment of COVID-19 and further viral infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Indre Piragyte
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for Biomedical Research DBMR, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ayisha Marwa Mp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for Biomedical Research DBMR, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ngoc Dung Le
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Denis Grandgirard
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stephen L Leib
- Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Oates
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nadia Mercader
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department for Biomedical Research DBMR, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, CNIC, Madrid, Spain.
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5
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Patel P, Nandi A, Verma SK, Kaushik N, Suar M, Choi EH, Kaushik NK. Zebrafish-based platform for emerging bio-contaminants and virus inactivation research. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162197. [PMID: 36781138 PMCID: PMC9922160 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Emerging bio-contaminants such as viruses have affected health and environment settings of every country. Viruses are the minuscule entities resulting in severe contagious diseases like SARS, MERS, Ebola, and avian influenza. Recent epidemic like the SARS-CoV-2, the virus has undergone mutations strengthen them and allowing to escape from the remedies. Comprehensive knowledge of viruses is essential for the development of targeted therapeutic and vaccination treatments. Animal models mimicking human biology like non-human primates, rats, mice, and rabbits offer competitive advantage to assess risk of viral infections, chemical toxins, nanoparticles, and microbes. However, their economic maintenance has always been an issue. Furthermore, the redundancy of experimental results due to aforementioned aspects is also in examine. Hence, exploration for the alternative animal models is crucial for risk assessments. The current review examines zebrafish traits and explores the possibilities to monitor emerging bio-contaminants. Additionally, a comprehensive picture of the bio contaminant and virus particle invasion and abatement mechanisms in zebrafish and human cells is presented. Moreover, a zebrafish model to investigate the emerging viruses such as coronaviridae and poxviridae has been suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paritosh Patel
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, 01897 Seoul, South Korea
| | - Aditya Nandi
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Suresh K Verma
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India; Condensed Matter Theory Group, Materials Theory Division, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Neha Kaushik
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering, The University of Suwon, 18323 Hwaseong, Republic of Korea
| | - Mrutyunjay Suar
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Eun Ha Choi
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, 01897 Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Nagendra Kumar Kaushik
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, 01897 Seoul, South Korea.
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6
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Susceptibility and Permissivity of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae to Cypriniviruses. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030768. [PMID: 36992477 PMCID: PMC10051318 DOI: 10.3390/v15030768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) represents an increasingly important model organism in virology. We evaluated its utility in the study of economically important viruses from the genus Cyprinivirus (anguillid herpesvirus 1, cyprinid herpesvirus 2 and cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3)). This revealed that zebrafish larvae were not susceptible to these viruses after immersion in contaminated water, but that infections could be established using artificial infection models in vitro (zebrafish cell lines) and in vivo (microinjection of larvae). However, infections were transient, with rapid viral clearance associated with apoptosis-like death of infected cells. Transcriptomic analysis of CyHV-3-infected larvae revealed upregulation of interferon-stimulated genes, in particular those encoding nucleic acid sensors, mediators of programmed cell death and related genes. It was notable that uncharacterized non-coding RNA genes and retrotransposons were also among those most upregulated. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of the zebrafish gene encoding protein kinase R (PKR) and a related gene encoding a protein kinase containing Z-DNA binding domains (PKZ) had no impact on CyHV-3 clearance in larvae. Our study strongly supports the importance of innate immunity-virus interactions in the adaptation of cypriniviruses to their natural hosts. It also highlights the potential of the CyHV-3-zebrafish model, versus the CyHV-3-carp model, for study of these interactions.
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7
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Tyrkalska SD, Martínez-López A, Pedoto A, Candel S, Cayuela ML, Mulero V. The Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 signals via Tlr2 in zebrafish. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 140:104626. [PMID: 36587712 PMCID: PMC9800328 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
One of the most studied defense mechanisms against invading pathogens, including viruses, are Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Among them, TLR3, TLR7, TLR8 and TLR9 detect different forms of viral nucleic acids in endosomal compartments, whereas TLR2 and TLR4 recognize viral structural and nonstructural proteins outside the cell. Although many different TLRs have been shown to be involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection and detection of different structural proteins, most studies have been performed in vitro and the results obtained are rather contradictory. In this study, we report using the unique advantages of the zebrafish model for in vivo imaging and gene editing that the S1 domain of the Spike protein from the Wuhan strain (S1WT) induced hyperinflammation in zebrafish larvae via a Tlr2/Myd88 signaling pathway and independently of interleukin-1β production. In addition, S1WT also triggered emergency myelopoiesis, but in this case through a Tlr2/Myd88-independent signaling pathway. These results shed light on the mechanisms involved in the fish host responses to viral proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia D Tyrkalska
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120, Murcia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alicia Martínez-López
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120, Murcia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Annamaria Pedoto
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120, Murcia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Candel
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120, Murcia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - María L Cayuela
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120, Murcia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Victoriano Mulero
- Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120, Murcia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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8
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Neuromasts and Olfactory Organs of Zebrafish Larvae Represent Possible Sites of SARS-CoV-2 Pseudovirus Host Cell Entry. J Virol 2022; 96:e0141822. [PMID: 36448804 PMCID: PMC9769390 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01418-22] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the acute respiratory disease coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has resulted in millions of deaths globally. Here, we explored the mechanism of host cell entry of a luciferase-ZsGreen spike (SARS-CoV-2)-pseudotyped lentivirus using zebrafish embryos/larvae as an in vivo model. Successful pseudovirus entry was demonstrated via the expression of the luciferase (luc) gene, which was validated by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Treatment of larvae with chloroquine (a broad-spectrum viral inhibitor that blocks membrane fusion) or bafilomycin A1 (a specific inhibitor of vacuolar proton ATPases, which blocks endolysosomal trafficking) significantly reduced luc expression, indicating the possible involvement of the endolysosomal system in the viral entry mechanism. The pharmacological inhibition of two-pore channel (TPC) activity or use of the tpcn2dhkz1a mutant zebrafish line also led to diminished luc expression. The localized expression of ACE2 and TPC2 in the anterior neuromasts and the forming olfactory organs was demonstrated, and the occurrence of endocytosis in both locations was confirmed. Together, our data indicate that zebrafish embryos/larvae are a viable and tractable model to explore the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry, that the peripheral sense organs are a likely site for viral host cell entry, and that TPC2 plays a key role in the translocation of the virus through the endolysosomal system. IMPORTANCE Despite the development of effective vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which help prevent the most life-threatening symptoms, full protection cannot be guaranteed, especially with the emergence of new viral variants. Moreover, some resistance to vaccination remains in certain age groups and cultures. As such, there is an urgent need for the development of new strategies and therapies to help combat this deadly disease. Here, we provide compelling evidence that the peripheral sensory organs of zebrafish possess several key components required for SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry. The nearly transparent larvae provide a most amenable complementary platform to investigate the key steps of viral entry into host cells, as well as its spread through the tissues and organs. This will help in the identification of key viral entry steps for therapeutic intervention, provide an inexpensive model for screening novel antiviral compounds, and assist in the development of new and more effective vaccines.
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9
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Hernández-Silva D, Alcaraz-Pérez F, Pérez-Sánchez H, Cayuela ML. Virtual screening and zebrafish models in tandem, for drug discovery and development. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022:1-13. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2147503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Hernández-Silva
- Telomerase, Cancer and Aging Group (TCAG), Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Structural Bioinformatics and High-Performance Computing Research Group (BIOHPC), Computer Engineering Department, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), Guadalupe, 30107 Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisca Alcaraz-Pérez
- Telomerase, Cancer and Aging Group (TCAG), Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Horacio Pérez-Sánchez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Maria Luisa Cayuela
- Telomerase, Cancer and Aging Group (TCAG), Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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10
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Tyrkalska SD, Candel S, Pedoto A, García-Moreno D, Alcaraz-Pérez F, Sánchez-Ferrer Á, Cayuela ML, Mulero V. Zebrafish models of COVID-19. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 47:6794271. [PMID: 36323404 PMCID: PMC9841970 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although COVID-19 has only recently appeared, research studies have already developed and implemented many animal models for deciphering the secrets of the disease and provided insights into the biology of SARS-CoV-2. However, there are several major factors that complicate the study of this virus in model organisms, such as the poor infectivity of clinical isolates of SARS-CoV-2 in some model species, and the absence of persistent infection, immunopathology, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, and, in general, all the systemic complications which characterize COVID-19 clinically. Another important limitation is that SARS-CoV-2 mainly causes severe COVID-19 in older people with comorbidities, which represents a serious problem when attempting to use young and immunologically naïve laboratory animals in COVID-19 testing. We review here the main animal models developed so far to study COVID-19 and the unique advantages of the zebrafish model that may help to contribute to understand this disease, in particular to the identification and repurposing of drugs to treat COVID-19, to reveal the mechanism of action and side-effects of Spike-based vaccines, and to decipher the high susceptibility of aged people to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Annamaria Pedoto
- Departmento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain,Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Diana García-Moreno
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisca Alcaraz-Pérez
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain,Grupo de Telomerasa, Cáncer y Envejecimiento (TCAG), Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
| | - Álvaro Sánchez-Ferrer
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB)-Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain,Departmento de Bioloquímica y Biología Molecular A, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Victoriano Mulero
- Corresponding author: Departmento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain. E-mail:
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Teleost swim bladder, an ancient air-filled organ that elicits mucosal immune responses. Cell Discov 2022; 8:31. [PMID: 35379790 PMCID: PMC8979957 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-022-00393-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The air-filled organs (AOs) of vertebrates (lungs and swim bladders) have evolved unique functions (air-breathing or buoyancy control in water) to adapt to different environments. Thus far, immune responses to microbes in AOs have been described exclusively in the lungs of tetrapods. Similar to lungs, swim bladders (SBs) represent a mucosal surface, a feature that leads us to hypothesize a role for SB in immunity. In this study, we demonstrate that secretory IgT (sIgT) is the key SB immunoglobulin (Ig) responding to the viral challenge, and the only Ig involved in viral neutralization in that organ. In support of these findings, we found that the viral load of the SB from fish devoid of sIgT was much higher than that of control fish. Interestingly, similar to the lungs in mammals, the SB represents the mucosal surface in fish with the lowest content of microbiota. Moreover, sIgT is the main Ig class found coating their surface, suggesting a key role of this Ig in the homeostasis of the SB microbiota. In addition to the well-established role of SB in buoyancy control, our findings reveal a previously unrecognized function of teleost SB in adaptive mucosal immune responses upon pathogenic challenge, as well as a previously unidentified role of sIgT in antiviral defense. Overall, our findings indicate that despite the phylogenetic distance and physiological roles of teleost SB and mammalian lungs, they both have evolved analogous mucosal immune responses against microbes which likely originated independently through a process of convergent evolution.
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