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Butic AB, Katz ZE, Jin G, Fukushima K, Hazama M, Lukacher AE, Lauver MD. Brincidofovir inhibits polyomavirus infection in vivo. mBio 2024; 15:e0104924. [PMID: 38953354 PMCID: PMC11323531 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01049-24] [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: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyomaviruses are species-specific DNA viruses that can cause disease in immunocompromised individuals. Despite their role as the causative agents for several diseases, there are no currently approved antivirals for treating polyomavirus infection. Brincidofovir (BCV) is an antiviral approved for the treatment of poxvirus infections and has shown activity against other double-stranded DNA viruses. In this study, we tested the efficacy of BCV against polyomavirus infection in vitro and in vivo using mouse polyomavirus (MuPyV). BCV inhibited virus production in primary mouse kidney cells and brain cortical cells. BCV treatment of cells transfected with MuPyV genomic DNA resulted in a reduction in virus levels, indicating that viral inhibition occurs post-entry. Although in vitro BCV treatment had a limited effect on viral DNA and RNA levels, drug treatment was associated with a reduction in viral protein, raising the possibility that BCV acts post-transcriptionally to inhibit MuPyV infection. In mice, BCV treatment was well tolerated, and prophylactic treatment resulted in a reduction in viral DNA levels and a potent suppression of infectious virus production in the kidney and brain. In mice with chronic polyomavirus infection, therapeutic administration of BCV decreased viremia and reduced infection in the kidney. These data demonstrate that BCV exerts antiviral activity against polyomavirus infection in vivo, supporting further investigation into the use of BCV to treat clinical polyomavirus infections. IMPORTANCE Widespread in the human population and able to persist asymptomatically for the life of an individual, polyomavirus infections cause a significant disease burden in the immunocompromised. Individuals undergoing immune suppression, such as kidney transplant patients or those treated for autoimmune diseases, are particularly at high risk for polyomavirus-associated diseases. Because no antiviral agent exists for treating polyomavirus infections, management of polyomavirus-associated diseases typically involves reducing or discontinuing immunomodulatory therapy. This can be perilous due to the risk of transplant rejection and the potential development of adverse immune reactions. Thus, there is a pressing need for the development of antivirals targeting polyomaviruses. Here, we investigate the effects of brincidofovir, an FDA-approved antiviral, on polyomavirus infection in vivo using mouse polyomavirus. We show that the drug is well-tolerated in mice, reduces infectious viral titers, and limits viral pathology, indicating the potential of brincidofovir as an anti-polyomavirus therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arrienne B. Butic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zoe E. Katz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ge Jin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Koji Fukushima
- SymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited, Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Aron E. Lukacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matthew D. Lauver
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
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Butic AB, Spencer SA, Shaheen SK, Lukacher AE. Polyomavirus Wakes Up and Chooses Neurovirulence. Viruses 2023; 15:2112. [PMID: 37896889 PMCID: PMC10612099 DOI: 10.3390/v15102112] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) is a human-specific polyomavirus that establishes a silent lifelong infection in multiple peripheral organs, predominantly those of the urinary tract, of immunocompetent individuals. In immunocompromised settings, however, JCPyV can infiltrate the central nervous system (CNS), where it causes several encephalopathies of high morbidity and mortality. JCPyV-induced progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a devastating demyelinating brain disease, was an AIDS-defining illness before antiretroviral therapy that has "reemerged" as a complication of immunomodulating and chemotherapeutic agents. No effective anti-polyomavirus therapeutics are currently available. How depressed immune status sets the stage for JCPyV resurgence in the urinary tract, how the virus evades pre-existing antiviral antibodies to become viremic, and where/how it enters the CNS are incompletely understood. Addressing these questions requires a tractable animal model of JCPyV CNS infection. Although no animal model can replicate all aspects of any human disease, mouse polyomavirus (MuPyV) in mice and JCPyV in humans share key features of peripheral and CNS infection and antiviral immunity. In this review, we discuss the evidence suggesting how JCPyV migrates from the periphery to the CNS, innate and adaptive immune responses to polyomavirus infection, and how the MuPyV-mouse model provides insights into the pathogenesis of JCPyV CNS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aron E. Lukacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; (A.B.B.); (S.A.S.); (S.K.S.)
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Meister TL, Brüggemann Y, Nocke MK, Ulrich RG, Schuhenn J, Sutter K, Gömer A, Bader V, Winklhofer KF, Broering R, Verhoye L, Meuleman P, Vondran FWR, Camuzet C, Cocquerel L, Todt D, Steinmann E. A ribavirin-induced ORF2 single-nucleotide variant produces defective hepatitis E virus particles with immune decoy function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202653119. [PMID: 35969792 PMCID: PMC9407633 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202653119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of hepatitis E in humans and is the leading cause of enterically transmitted viral hepatitis worldwide. Ribavirin (RBV) is currently the only treatment option for many patients; however, cases of treatment failures or posttreatment relapses have been frequently reported. RBV therapy was shown to be associated with an increase in HEV genome heterogeneity and the emergence of distinct HEV variants. In this study, we analyzed the impact of eight patient-derived open reading frame 2 (ORF2) single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), which occurred under RBV treatment, on the replication cycle and pathogenesis of HEV. The parental HEV strain and seven ORF2 variants showed comparable levels of RNA replication in human hepatoma cells and primary human hepatocytes. However, a P79S ORF2 variant demonstrated reduced RNA copy numbers released in the supernatant and an impairment in the production of infectious particles. Biophysical and biochemical characterization revealed that this SNV caused defective, smaller HEV particles with a loss of infectiousness. Furthermore, the P79S variant displayed an altered subcellular distribution of the ORF2 protein and was able to interfere with antibody-mediated neutralization of HEV in a competition assay. In conclusion, an SNV in the HEV ORF2 could be identified that resulted in altered virus particles that were noninfectious in vitro and in vivo, but could potentially serve as immune decoys. These findings provide insights in understanding the biology of circulating HEV variants and may guide development of personalized antiviral strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Luise Meister
- Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
| | - Yannick Brüggemann
- Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
| | - Maximilian K. Nocke
- Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
| | - Rainer G. Ulrich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Disease, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, Partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Jonas Schuhenn
- University Hospital Essen, Institute for Virology, University Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Essen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Sutter
- University Hospital Essen, Institute for Virology, University Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Essen, Germany
| | - André Gömer
- Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
| | - Verian Bader
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
- Department of Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
| | - Konstanze F. Winklhofer
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
- Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Ruth Broering
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Transplant Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 47057 Essen, Germany
| | - Lieven Verhoye
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Laboratory of Liver Infectious Diseases, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Philip Meuleman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Laboratory of Liver Infectious Diseases, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Florian W. R. Vondran
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Charline Camuzet
- Pasteur Institute of Lille, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Lille, CNRS, INSERM, University of Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Laurence Cocquerel
- Pasteur Institute of Lille, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Lille, CNRS, INSERM, University of Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Daniel Todt
- Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
- European Virus Bioinformatics Center, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Eike Steinmann
- Department for Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, 44801 Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, External Partner Site, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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Goetschius DJ, Hartmann SR, Organtini LJ, Callaway H, Huang K, Bator CM, Ashley RE, Makhov AM, Conway JF, Parrish CR, Hafenstein SL. High-resolution asymmetric structure of a Fab-virus complex reveals overlap with the receptor binding site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2025452118. [PMID: 34074770 PMCID: PMC8201801 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025452118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Canine parvovirus is an important pathogen causing severe diseases in dogs, including acute hemorrhagic enteritis, myocarditis, and cerebellar disease. Overlap on the surface of parvovirus capsids between the antigenic epitope and the receptor binding site has contributed to cross-species transmission, giving rise to closely related variants. It has been shown that Mab 14 strongly binds and neutralizes canine but not feline parvovirus, suggesting this antigenic site also controls species-specific receptor binding. To visualize the conformational epitope at high resolution, we solved the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the Fab-virus complex. We also created custom software, Icosahedral Subparticle Extraction and Correlated Classification, to solve a Fab-virus complex with only a few Fab bound per capsid and visualize local structures of the Fab-bound and -unbound antigenic sites extracted from the same complex map. Our results identified the antigenic epitope that had significant overlap with the receptor binding site, and the structures revealed that binding of Fab induced conformational changes to the virus. We were also able to assign the order and position of attached Fabs to allow assessment of complementarity between the Fabs bound to different positions. This approach therefore provides a method for using cryo-EM to investigate complementarity of antibody binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Goetschius
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Samantha R Hartmann
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Lindsey J Organtini
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Heather Callaway
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Kai Huang
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Carol M Bator
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Robert E Ashley
- Department of Medicine, Penn State University College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033
| | - Alexander M Makhov
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - James F Conway
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Colin R Parrish
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Susan L Hafenstein
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802;
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Medicine, Penn State University College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033
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5
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Nath A, Johnson TP. Mechanisms of viral persistence in the brain and therapeutic approaches. FEBS J 2021; 289:2145-2161. [PMID: 33844441 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
There is growing recognition of the diversity of viruses that can infect the cells of the central nervous system (CNS). While the majority of CNS infections are successfully cleared by the immune response, some viral infections persist in the CNS. As opposed to resolved infections, persistent viruses can contribute to ongoing tissue damage and neuroinflammatory processes. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of the current understanding of factors that lead to viral persistence in the CNS including how viruses enter the brain, how these pathogens evade antiviral immune system responses, and how viruses survive and transmit within the CNS. Further, as the CNS may serve as a unique viral reservoir, we examine the ways in which persistent viruses in the CNS are being targeted therapeutically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avindra Nath
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tory P Johnson
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Lauver MD, Lukacher AE. JCPyV VP1 Mutations in Progressive MultifocalLeukoencephalopathy: Altering Tropismor Mediating Immune Evasion? Viruses 2020; 12:v12101156. [PMID: 33053912 PMCID: PMC7600905 DOI: 10.3390/v12101156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyomaviruses are ubiquitous human pathogens that cause lifelong, asymptomatic infections in healthy individuals. Although these viruses are restrained by an intact immune system, immunocompromised individuals are at risk for developing severe diseases driven by resurgent viral replication. In particular, loss of immune control over JC polyomavirus can lead to the development of the demyelinating brain disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Viral isolates from PML patients frequently carry point mutations in the major capsid protein, VP1, which mediates virion binding to cellular glycan receptors. Because polyomaviruses are non-enveloped, VP1 is also the target of the host's neutralizing antibody response. Thus, VP1 mutations could affect tropism and/or recognition by polyomavirus-specific antibodies. How these mutations predispose susceptible individuals to PML and other JCPyV-associated CNS diseases remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we review the current understanding of polyomavirus capsid mutations and their effects on viral tropism, immune evasion, and virulence.
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