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Hernández-Pelegrín L, Ros VID, Herrero S, Crava CM. Non-retroviral Endogenous Viral Elements in Tephritid Fruit Flies Reveal Former Viral Infections Not Related to Known Circulating Viruses. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 87:7. [PMID: 38036897 PMCID: PMC10689555 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02310-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of insect-specific non-retroviral RNA viruses specifically infect insects. During viral infection, fragments of viral sequences can integrate into the host genomes creating non-retroviral endogenous viral elements (nrEVEs). Although the exact function of nrEVEs is so far unknown, some studies suggest that nrEVEs may interfere with virus replication by producing PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) that recognize and degrade viral RNAs through sequence complementarity. In this article, we identified the nrEVEs repertoire of ten species within the dipteran family Tephritidae (true fruit flies), which are considered a major threat to agriculture worldwide. Our results suggest that each of these species contains nrEVEs, although in limited numbers, and that nrEVE integration may have occurred both before and after speciation. Furthermore, the majority of nrEVEs originated from viruses with negative single-stranded RNA genomes and represent structural viral functions. Notably, these nrEVEs exhibit low similarity to currently known circulating viruses. To explore the potential role of nrEVEs, we investigated their transcription pattern and the production of piRNAs in different tissues of Ceratitis capitata. We successfully identified piRNAs that are complementary to the sequence of one nrEVE in C. capitata, thereby highlighting a potential link between nrEVEs and the piRNA pathway. Overall, our results provide valuable insights into the comparative landscape of nrEVEs in true fruit flies, contributing to the understanding of the intimate relation between fruit flies and their past and present viral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Hernández-Pelegrín
- Department of Genetics and University Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot (Valencia), Spain
| | - Vera I D Ros
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708, PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Salvador Herrero
- Department of Genetics and University Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot (Valencia), Spain
| | - Cristina M Crava
- Department of Genetics and University Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot (Valencia), Spain.
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2
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González-Flores AM, Salas-Benito M, Rosales-García VH, Zárate-Segura PB, Del Ángel RM, De Nova-Ocampo MA, Salas-Benito JS. Characterization of Viral Interference in Aedes albopictus C6/36 Cells Persistently Infected with Dengue Virus 2. Pathogens 2023; 12:1135. [PMID: 37764943 PMCID: PMC10536104 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12091135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Arboviruses are an important group of pathogens that cause diseases of medical and veterinary concern worldwide. The interactions of these viruses with their host cells are complex, and frequently, the coexistence of two different viruses in the same cell results in the inhibition of replication in one of the viruses, which is a phenomenon called viral interference. This phenomenon can be exploited to develop antiviral strategies. Insect cell lines persistently infected with arboviruses are useful models with which to study viral interference. In this work, a model of C6/36-HT cells (from Aedes albopictus mosquitoes) persistently infected with Dengue virus, serotype 2, was used. Viral interference was evaluated via plaque and flow cytometry assays. The presence of heterotypic interference against the other serotypes of the same virus and homologous interference against yellow fever virus was determined; however, this cell line did not display heterologous viral interference against Sindbis virus. The mechanisms responsible for viral interference have not been fully elucidated, but small RNAs could be involved. However, the silencing of Ago3, a key protein in the genome-derived P-element-induced wimpy testis pathway, did not alter the viral interference process, suggesting that viral interference occurs independent of this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariana Salas-Benito
- Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (M.S.-B.); (M.A.D.N.-O.)
| | - Victor Hugo Rosales-García
- Laboratorios Centrales, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Mexico City 07360, Mexico;
| | | | - Rosa María Del Ángel
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Mexico City 07360, Mexico;
| | - Mónica Ascención De Nova-Ocampo
- Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (M.S.-B.); (M.A.D.N.-O.)
| | - Juan Santiago Salas-Benito
- Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (M.S.-B.); (M.A.D.N.-O.)
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3
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Blair CD. A Brief History of the Discovery of RNA-Mediated Antiviral Immune Defenses in Vector Mosquitos. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0019121. [PMID: 36511720 PMCID: PMC10029339 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00191-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) persist in a natural cycle that includes infections of humans or other vertebrates and transmission between vertebrates by infected arthropods, most commonly mosquitos. Arboviruses can cause serious, sometimes fatal diseases in humans and other vertebrates but cause little pathology in their mosquito vectors. Knowledge of the interactions between mosquito vectors and the arboviruses that they transmit is an important facet of developing schemes to control transmission. Mosquito innate immune responses to virus infection modulate virus replication in the vector, and understanding the components and mechanisms of the immune response could lead to improved methods for interrupting the transmission cycle. The most important aspect of mosquito antiviral defense is the exogenous small interfering RNA (exo-siRNA) pathway, one arm of the RNA interference (RNAi) silencing response. Our research as well as that of many other groups over the past 25 years to define this pathway are reviewed here. A more recently recognized but less well-understood RNA-mediated mosquito defense against arbovirus infections, the PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway, is also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol D Blair
- Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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4
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Viljakainen L, Fürst MA, Grasse AV, Jurvansuu J, Oh J, Tolonen L, Eder T, Rattei T, Cremer S. Antiviral immune response reveals host-specific virus infections in natural ant populations. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1119002. [PMID: 37007485 PMCID: PMC10060816 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1119002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hosts can carry many viruses in their bodies, but not all of them cause disease. We studied ants as a social host to determine both their overall viral repertoire and the subset of actively infecting viruses across natural populations of three subfamilies: the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile, Dolichoderinae), the invasive garden ant (Lasius neglectus, Formicinae) and the red ant (Myrmica rubra, Myrmicinae). We used a dual sequencing strategy to reconstruct complete virus genomes by RNA-seq and to simultaneously determine the small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) by small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq), which constitute the host antiviral RNAi immune response. This approach led to the discovery of 41 novel viruses in ants and revealed a host ant-specific RNAi response (21 vs. 22 nt siRNAs) in the different ant species. The efficiency of the RNAi response (sRNA/RNA read count ratio) depended on the virus and the respective ant species, but not its population. Overall, we found the highest virus abundance and diversity per population in Li. humile, followed by La. neglectus and M. rubra. Argentine ants also shared a high proportion of viruses between populations, whilst overlap was nearly absent in M. rubra. Only one of the 59 viruses was found to infect two of the ant species as hosts, revealing high host-specificity in active infections. In contrast, six viruses actively infected one ant species, but were found as contaminants only in the others. Disentangling spillover of disease-causing infection from non-infecting contamination across species is providing relevant information for disease ecology and ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumi Viljakainen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- *Correspondence: Lumi Viljakainen,
| | - Matthias A. Fürst
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Anna V. Grasse
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jaana Jurvansuu
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jinook Oh
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Lassi Tolonen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Thomas Eder
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Computational System Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rattei
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Computational System Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sylvia Cremer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria
- Sylvia Cremer,
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Santos D, Feng M, Kolliopoulou A, Taning CNT, Sun J, Swevers L. What Are the Functional Roles of Piwi Proteins and piRNAs in Insects? INSECTS 2023; 14:insects14020187. [PMID: 36835756 PMCID: PMC9962485 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Research on Piwi proteins and piRNAs in insects has focused on three experimental models: oogenesis and spermatogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster, the antiviral response in Aedes mosquitoes and the molecular analysis of primary and secondary piRNA biogenesis in Bombyx mori-derived BmN4 cells. Significant unique and complementary information has been acquired and has led to a greater appreciation of the complexity of piRNA biogenesis and Piwi protein function. Studies performed in other insect species are emerging and promise to add to the current state of the art on the roles of piRNAs and Piwi proteins. Although the primary role of the piRNA pathway is genome defense against transposons, particularly in the germline, recent findings also indicate an expansion of its functions. In this review, an extensive overview is presented of the knowledge of the piRNA pathway that so far has accumulated in insects. Following a presentation of the three major models, data from other insects were also discussed. Finally, the mechanisms for the expansion of the function of the piRNA pathway from transposon control to gene regulation were considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dulce Santos
- Research Group of Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction, Division of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Min Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Anna Kolliopoulou
- Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences & Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Aghia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Clauvis N. T. Taning
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jingchen Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Luc Swevers
- Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Biosciences & Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Aghia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
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Culex Mosquito Piwi4 Is Antiviral against Two Negative-Sense RNA Viruses. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122758. [PMID: 36560761 PMCID: PMC9781653 DOI: 10.3390/v14122758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Culex spp. mosquitoes transmit several pathogens concerning public health, including West Nile virus and Saint Louis encephalitis virus. Understanding the antiviral immune system of Culex spp. mosquitoes is important for reducing the transmission of these viruses. Mosquitoes rely on RNA interference (RNAi) to control viral replication. While the siRNA pathway in mosquitoes is heavily studied, less is known about the piRNA pathway. The piRNA pathway in mosquitoes has recently been connected to mosquito antiviral immunity. In Aedes aegypti, Piwi4 has been implicated in antiviral responses. The antiviral role of the piRNA pathway in Culex spp. mosquitoes is understudied compared to Ae. aegypti. Here, we aimed to identify the role of PIWI genes and piRNAs in Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex tarsalis cells during virus infection. We examined the effect of PIWI gene silencing on virus replication of two arboviruses and three insect-specific viruses in Cx. quinquefasciatus derived cells (Hsu) and Cx. tarsalis derived (CT) cells. We show that Piwi4 is antiviral against the La Crosse orthobunyavirus (LACV) in Hsu and CT cells, and the insect-specific rhabdovirus Merida virus (MERDV) in Hsu cells. None of the silenced PIWI genes impacted replication of the two flaviviruses Usutu virus (USUV) and Calbertado virus, or the phasivirus Phasi-Charoen-like virus. We further used small RNA sequencing to determine that LACV-derived piRNAs, but not USUV-derived piRNAs were generated in Hsu cells and that PIWI gene silencing resulted in a small reduction in vpiRNAs. Finally, we determined that LACV-derived DNA was produced in Hsu cells during infection, but whether this viral DNA is required for vpiRNA production remains unclear. Overall, we expanded our knowledge on the piRNA pathway and how it relates to the antiviral response in Culex spp mosquitoes.
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Torres TZB, Prince BC, Robison A, Rückert C. Optimized In Vitro CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing Tool in the West Nile Virus Mosquito Vector, Culex quinquefasciatus. INSECTS 2022; 13:856. [PMID: 36135557 PMCID: PMC9502113 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes are a globally widespread vector of multiple human and animal pathogens, including West Nile virus, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and lymphatic filariasis. Since the introduction of West Nile virus to the United States in 1999, a cumulative 52,532 cases have been reported to the CDC, including 25,849 (49.2%) neuroinvasive cases and 2456 (5%) deaths. Viral infections elicit immune responses in their mosquito vectors, including the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway considered to be the cornerstone antiviral response in insects. To investigate mosquito host genes involved in pathogen interactions, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-editing can be used for functional studies of mosquito-derived cell lines. Yet, the tools available for the study of Cx. quinquefasciatus-derived (Hsu) cell lines remain largely underdeveloped compared to other mosquito species. In this study, we constructed and characterized a Culex-optimized CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid for use in Hsu cell cultures. By comparing it to the original Drosophila melanogaster CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid, we showed that the Culex-optimized plasmid demonstrated highly efficient editing of the genomic loci of the RNAi proteins Dicer-2 and PIWI4 in Hsu cells. These new tools support our ability to investigate gene targets involved in mosquito antiviral response, and thus the future development of gene-based vector control strategies.
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8
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Huang Y, Chu X, Zhang Y, Yang S, Shi Y, Wu J, Qiusheng C. Duck Tembusu virus infection causes testicular atrophy. Theriogenology 2022; 188:52-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Williams AE, Shrivastava G, Gittis AG, Ganesan S, Martin-Martin I, Valenzuela Leon PC, Olson KE, Calvo E. Aedes aegypti Piwi4 Structural Features Are Necessary for RNA Binding and Nuclear Localization. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312733. [PMID: 34884537 PMCID: PMC8657434 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway provides an RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism known from Drosophila studies to maintain the integrity of the germline genome by silencing transposable elements (TE). Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are the key vectors of several arthropod-borne viruses, exhibit an expanded repertoire of Piwi proteins involved in the piRNA pathway, suggesting functional divergence. Here, we investigate RNA-binding dynamics and subcellular localization of A. aegypti Piwi4 (AePiwi4), a Piwi protein involved in antiviral immunity and embryonic development, to better understand its function. We found that AePiwi4 PAZ (Piwi/Argonaute/Zwille), the domain that binds the 3′ ends of piRNAs, bound to mature (3′ 2′ O-methylated) and unmethylated RNAs with similar micromolar affinities (KD = 1.7 ± 0.8 μM and KD of 5.0 ± 2.2 μM, respectively; p = 0.05) in a sequence independent manner. Through site-directed mutagenesis studies, we identified highly conserved residues involved in RNA binding and found that subtle changes in the amino acids flanking the binding pocket across PAZ proteins have significant impacts on binding behaviors, likely by impacting the protein secondary structure. We also analyzed AePiwi4 subcellular localization in mosquito tissues. We found that the protein is both cytoplasmic and nuclear, and we identified an AePiwi4 nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the N-terminal region of the protein. Taken together, these studies provide insights on the dynamic role of AePiwi4 in RNAi and pave the way for future studies aimed at understanding Piwi interactions with diverse RNA populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline E. Williams
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (A.E.W.); (G.S.); (A.G.G.); (S.G.); (I.M.-M.); (P.C.V.L.)
- Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Gaurav Shrivastava
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (A.E.W.); (G.S.); (A.G.G.); (S.G.); (I.M.-M.); (P.C.V.L.)
| | - Apostolos G. Gittis
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (A.E.W.); (G.S.); (A.G.G.); (S.G.); (I.M.-M.); (P.C.V.L.)
| | - Sundar Ganesan
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (A.E.W.); (G.S.); (A.G.G.); (S.G.); (I.M.-M.); (P.C.V.L.)
| | - Ines Martin-Martin
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (A.E.W.); (G.S.); (A.G.G.); (S.G.); (I.M.-M.); (P.C.V.L.)
| | - Paola Carolina Valenzuela Leon
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (A.E.W.); (G.S.); (A.G.G.); (S.G.); (I.M.-M.); (P.C.V.L.)
| | - Ken E. Olson
- Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Correspondence: (K.E.O.); (E.C.)
| | - Eric Calvo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (A.E.W.); (G.S.); (A.G.G.); (S.G.); (I.M.-M.); (P.C.V.L.)
- Correspondence: (K.E.O.); (E.C.)
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Calle-Tobón A, Holguin-Rocha AF, Moore C, Rippee-Brooks M, Rozo-Lopez P, Harrod J, Fatehi S, Rua-Uribe GL, Park Y, Londoño-Rentería B. Blood Meals With Active and Heat-Inactivated Serum Modifies the Gene Expression and Microbiome of Aedes albopictus. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:724345. [PMID: 34566927 PMCID: PMC8458951 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.724345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian "tiger mosquito" Aedes albopictus is currently the most widely distributed disease-transmitting mosquito in the world. Its geographical expansion has also allowed the expansion of multiple arboviruses like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, to higher latitudes. Due to the enormous risk to global public health caused by mosquitoes species vectors of human disease, and the challenges in slowing their expansion, it is necessary to develop new and environmentally friendly vector control strategies. Among these, host-associated microbiome-based strategies have emerged as promising options. In this study, we performed an RNA-seq analysis on dissected abdomens of Ae. albopictus females from Manhattan, KS, United States fed with sugar and human blood containing either normal or heat-inactivated serum, to evaluate the effect of heat inactivation on gene expression, the bacteriome transcripts and the RNA virome of this mosquito species. Our results showed at least 600 genes with modified expression profile when mosquitoes were fed with normal vs. heat-inactivated-containing blood. These genes were mainly involved in immunity, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and oogenesis. Also, we observed bacteriome changes with an increase in transcripts of Actinobacteria, Rhodospirillaceae, and Anaplasmataceae at 6 h post-feeding. We also found that feeding with normal blood seems to particularly influence Wolbachia metabolism, demonstrated by a significant increase in transcripts of this bacteria in mosquitoes fed with blood containing normal serum. However, no differences were observed in the virome core of this mosquito population. These results suggest that heat and further inactivation of complement proteins in human serum may have profound effect on mosquito and microbiome metabolism, which could influence interpretation of the pathogen-host interaction findings when using this type of reagents specially when measuring the effect of Wolbachia in vector competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arley Calle-Tobón
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
- Grupo Entomología Médica, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Celois Moore
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Meagan Rippee-Brooks
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, United States
| | - Paula Rozo-Lopez
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Jania Harrod
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Soheila Fatehi
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | | | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
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Rosendo Machado S, van der Most T, Miesen P. Genetic determinants of antiviral immunity in dipteran insects - Compiling the experimental evidence. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 119:104010. [PMID: 33476667 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The genetic basis of antiviral immunity in dipteran insects is extensively studied in Drosophila melanogaster and advanced technologies for genetic manipulation allow a better characterization of immune responses also in non-model insect species. Especially, immunity in vector mosquitoes is recently in the spotlight, due to the medical impact that these insects have by transmitting viruses and other pathogens. Here, we review the current state of experimental evidence that supports antiviral functions for immune genes acting in different cellular pathways. We discuss the well-characterized RNA interference mechanism along with the less well-defined JAK-STAT, Toll, and IMD signaling pathways. Furthermore, we highlight the initial evidence for antiviral activity observed for the autophagy pathway, transcriptional pausing, as well as piRNA production from endogenous viral elements. We focus our review on studies from Drosophila and mosquito species from the lineages Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles, which contain major vector species responsible for virus transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samara Rosendo Machado
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tom van der Most
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Pascal Miesen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Marconcini M, Pischedda E, Houé V, Palatini U, Lozada-Chávez N, Sogliani D, Failloux AB, Bonizzoni M. Profile of Small RNAs, vDNA Forms and Viral Integrations in Late Chikungunya Virus Infection of Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes. Viruses 2021; 13:553. [PMID: 33806250 PMCID: PMC8066115 DOI: 10.3390/v13040553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is contributing to the (re)-emergence of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). To gain insights into the molecular underpinning of viral persistence, which renders a mosquito a life-long vector, we coupled small RNA and whole genome sequencing approaches on carcasses and ovaries of mosquitoes sampled 14 days post CHIKV infection and investigated the profile of small RNAs and the presence of vDNA fragments. Since Aedes genomes harbor nonretroviral Endogenous Viral Elements (nrEVEs) which confers tolerance to cognate viral infections in ovaries, we also tested whether nrEVEs are formed after CHIKV infection. We show that while small interfering (si)RNAs are evenly distributed along the full viral genome, PIWI-interacting (pi)RNAs mostly arise from a ~1000 bp window, from which a unique vDNA fragment is identified. CHIKV infection does not result in the formation of new nrEVEs, but piRNAs derived from existing nrEVEs correlate with differential expression of an endogenous transcript. These results demonstrate that all three RNAi pathways contribute to the homeostasis during the late stage of CHIKV infection, but in different ways, ranging from directly targeting the viral sequence to regulating the expression of mosquito transcripts and expand the role of nrEVEs beyond immunity against cognate viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Marconcini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (U.P.); (N.L.-C.); (D.S.)
| | - Elisa Pischedda
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (U.P.); (N.L.-C.); (D.S.)
| | - Vincent Houé
- Arbovirus and Insect Vectors Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France; (V.H.); (A.-B.F.)
| | - Umberto Palatini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (U.P.); (N.L.-C.); (D.S.)
| | - Nabor Lozada-Chávez
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (U.P.); (N.L.-C.); (D.S.)
| | - Davide Sogliani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (U.P.); (N.L.-C.); (D.S.)
| | - Anna-Bella Failloux
- Arbovirus and Insect Vectors Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France; (V.H.); (A.-B.F.)
| | - Mariangela Bonizzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (U.P.); (N.L.-C.); (D.S.)
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13
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Elrefaey AME, Abdelnabi R, Rosales Rosas AL, Wang L, Basu S, Delang L. Understanding the Mechanisms Underlying Host Restriction of Insect-Specific Viruses. Viruses 2020; 12:E964. [PMID: 32878245 PMCID: PMC7552076 DOI: 10.3390/v12090964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod-borne viruses contribute significantly to global mortality and morbidity in humans and animals. These viruses are mainly transmitted between susceptible vertebrate hosts by hematophagous arthropod vectors, especially mosquitoes. Recently, there has been substantial attention for a novel group of viruses, referred to as insect-specific viruses (ISVs) which are exclusively maintained in mosquito populations. Recent discoveries of novel insect-specific viruses over the past years generated a great interest not only in their potential use as vaccine and diagnostic platforms but also as novel biological control agents due to their ability to modulate arbovirus transmission. While arboviruses infect both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, the replication of insect-specific viruses is restricted in vertebrates at multiple stages of virus replication. The vertebrate restriction factors include the genetic elements of ISVs (structural and non-structural genes and the untranslated terminal regions), vertebrate host factors (agonists and antagonists), and the temperature-dependent microenvironment. A better understanding of these bottlenecks is thus warranted. In this review, we explore these factors and the complex interplay between ISVs and their hosts contributing to this host restriction phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rana Abdelnabi
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (R.A.); (A.L.R.R.); (L.W.)
| | - Ana Lucia Rosales Rosas
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (R.A.); (A.L.R.R.); (L.W.)
| | - Lanjiao Wang
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (R.A.); (A.L.R.R.); (L.W.)
| | - Sanjay Basu
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking GU24 0NF, UK;
| | - Leen Delang
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (R.A.); (A.L.R.R.); (L.W.)
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14
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Suzuki Y, Baidaliuk A, Miesen P, Frangeul L, Crist AB, Merkling SH, Fontaine A, Lequime S, Moltini-Conclois I, Blanc H, van Rij RP, Lambrechts L, Saleh MC. Non-retroviral Endogenous Viral Element Limits Cognate Virus Replication in Aedes aegypti Ovaries. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3495-3506.e6. [PMID: 32679098 PMCID: PMC7522710 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) are viral sequences integrated in host genomes. A large number of non-retroviral EVEs was recently detected in Aedes mosquito genomes, leading to the hypothesis that mosquito EVEs may control exogenous infections by closely related viruses. Here, we experimentally investigated the role of an EVE naturally found in Aedes aegypti populations and derived from the widespread insect-specific virus, cell-fusing agent virus (CFAV). Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, we created an Ae. aegypti line lacking the CFAV EVE. Absence of the EVE resulted in increased CFAV replication in ovaries, possibly modulating vertical transmission of the virus. Viral replication was controlled by targeting of viral RNA by EVE-derived P-element-induced wimpy testis-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). Our results provide evidence that antiviral piRNAs are produced in the presence of a naturally occurring EVE and its cognate virus, demonstrating a functional link between non-retroviral EVEs and antiviral immunity in a natural insect-virus interaction. Aedes aegypti harbors EVEs with high sequence identity to a contemporary RNA virus EVE-derived piRNAs target genomic viral RNA in infected mosquitoes Ablation of EVE results in increased viral replication in Aedes aegypti ovaries piRNA pathway fulfills antiviral function in presence of EVE and cognate virus
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasutsugu Suzuki
- Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Artem Baidaliuk
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France; Collège Doctoral, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Pascal Miesen
- Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569, CNRS, Paris, France; Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lionel Frangeul
- Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Anna B Crist
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sarah H Merkling
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Albin Fontaine
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sebastian Lequime
- Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Hervé Blanc
- Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Ronald P van Rij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Louis Lambrechts
- Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France.
| | - Maria-Carla Saleh
- Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Institut Pasteur, UMR3569, CNRS, Paris, France.
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15
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aBravo Is a Novel Aedes aegypti Antiviral Protein that Interacts with, but Acts Independently of, the Exogenous siRNA Pathway Effector Dicer 2. Viruses 2020; 12:v12070748. [PMID: 32664591 PMCID: PMC7411624 DOI: 10.3390/v12070748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, can transmit arboviruses to humans. The exogenous short interfering RNA (exo-siRNA) pathway plays a major antiviral role in controlling virus infection in mosquito cells. The Dicer 2 (Dcr2) nuclease is a key effector protein in this pathway, which cleaves viral double-stranded RNA into virus-derived siRNAs that are further loaded onto an effector called Argonaute 2 (Ago2), which as part of the multiprotein RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) targets and cleaves viral RNA. In order to better understand the effector protein Dcr2, proteomics experiments were conducted to identify interacting cellular partners. We identified several known interacting partners including Ago2, as well as two novel and previously uncharacterized Ae. aegypti proteins. The role of these two proteins was further investigated, and their interactions with Dcr2 verified by co-immunoprecipitation. Interestingly, despite their ability to interact with Ago2 and Piwi4, neither of these proteins was found to affect exo-siRNA silencing in a reporter assay. However, one of these proteins, Q0IFK9, subsequently called aBravo (aedine broadly active antiviral protein), was found to mediate antiviral activity against positive strand RNA arboviruses. Intriguingly the presence of Dcr2 was not necessary for this effect, suggesting that this interacting antiviral effector may act as part of protein complexes with potentially separate antiviral activities.
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