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Mahsoub HM, Heffron CL, Hassebroek AM, Sooryanarain H, Wang B, LeRoith T, Rodríguez GR, Tian D, Meng XJ. Fetal Loss in Pregnant Rabbits Infected with Genotype 3 Hepatitis E Virus Is Associated with Altered Inflammatory Responses, Enhanced Virus Replication, and Extrahepatic Virus Dissemination with Positive Correlations with Increased Estradiol Level. mBio 2023; 14:e0041823. [PMID: 36939322 PMCID: PMC10128027 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00418-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes adverse clinical outcomes in pregnant women, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. To delineate the mechanisms of pregnancy-associated adverse effects during HEV infection, we utilized a genotype 3 HEV from rabbit (HEV-3ra) and its cognate host (rabbits) to systematically investigate the clinical consequences, viral replication dynamics, and host immune and hormonal responses of HEV infection during pregnancy. We found a significant fetal loss of 23% in HEV-infected pregnant rabbits, indicating an early-stage miscarriage. HEV infection in pregnant rabbits was characterized by higher viral loads in feces, intestinal contents, liver, and spleen tissues, as well as a longer and earlier onset of viremia than in infected nonpregnant rabbits. HEV infection altered the pattern of cytokine gene expressions in the liver of pregnant rabbits and caused a transient increase of serum interferon gamma (IFN-γ) shortly after a notable increase in viral replication, which may contribute to early fetal loss. Histological lesions in the spleen were more pronounced in infected pregnant rabbits, although moderate liver lesions were seen in both infected pregnant and nonpregnant rabbits. Total bilirubin was elevated in infected pregnant rabbits. The serum levels of estradiol (E2) in HEV-infected pregnant rabbits were significantly higher than those in mock-infected pregnant rabbits at 14 days postinoculation (dpi) and correlated positively with higher viral loads in feces, liver, and spleen tissues at 28 dpi, suggesting that it may play a role in extrahepatic virus dissemination. The results have important implications for understanding the severe diseases associated with HEV infection during pregnancy. IMPORTANCE HEV causes adverse pregnancy outcomes, with a mortality rate of >30% in pregnant women, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we utilized HEV-3ra and its cognate host (pregnant rabbit) to delineate the potential underlying mechanisms of pregnancy-associated adverse outcomes during HEV infection. We found that infected pregnant rabbits had a fetal loss of 23%, which coincided with enhanced viral replication and an elevated systemic IFN-γ response, followed by longer viremia duration and extrahepatic viral dissemination. Estradiol levels were increased in infected pregnant rabbits and correlated positively with higher fecal viral shedding and higher viral loads in liver and spleen tissues. Infected pregnant rabbits had more pronounced splenic lesions, higher serum total bilirubin, and an altered cytokine gene expression profile in the liver. The results will contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of HEV-associated adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan M. Mahsoub
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - C. Lynn Heffron
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Anna M. Hassebroek
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Harini Sooryanarain
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Tanya LeRoith
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Guillermo Raimundi Rodríguez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Debin Tian
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Xiang-Jin Meng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Pereira da Costa JH, Rodríguez GR, Pratta GR, Picardi LA, Zorzoli R. Pericarp polypeptides and SRAP markers associated with fruit quality traits in an interspecific tomato backcross. Genet Mol Res 2014; 13:2539-47. [PMID: 24615080 DOI: 10.4238/2014.january.24.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to detect polypeptides and genomic regions associated with fruit quality traits in a backcross generation using as parent the Argentinean cultivated tomato Caimanta of Solanum lycopersicum and the wild accession LA722 of S. pimpinellifolium. We tested two types of molecular marker: polypeptide profile (at two ripening stages, mature green and red ripe) and SRAP (sequence-related amplified polymorphism). A polypeptide of 45 kDa present in the wild parents at the mature green stage was associated with larger fruit and long shelf life. Some amplification fragments from SRAP markers were associated with more than one quality trait such as fruit color, firmness, titratable acidity, and fruit soluble solids content. This study demonstrated for the first time the usefulness of the polypeptide profiles of pericarp and SRAP markers in finding associations with quality fruit traits in a tomato backcross generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Pereira da Costa
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - G R Rodríguez
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - G R Pratta
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - L A Picardi
- Cátedra de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Zavalla, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - R Zorzoli
- Cátedra de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Zavalla, Santa Fe, Argentina
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