1
|
Korhonen EM, Truong Nguyen PT, Faolotto G, Suvanto MT, Nicosia AM, Crobu MG, Grasso I, Vapalahti O, Smura T, Ravanini P, Huhtamo E. Complete coding sequence of an Aedes flavivirus strain isolated from Aedes albopictus collected in Northern Italy. Microbiol Resour Announc 2024; 13:e0014624. [PMID: 38917449 PMCID: PMC11256834 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00146-24] [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: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Complete genome data for the globally distributed Aedes flavivirus (AEFV) is scarce. We analyzed a new Italian AEFV strain isolated from Aedes albopictus. The results demonstrated genetic diversity among Italian AEFVs. The high similarity between AEFV genomes across geographically distant regions suggests long distance spreading via invasive host mosquito species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Essi M. Korhonen
- Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Giulia Faolotto
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Maggiore Della Carità Di Novara, Italy, Piemonte, Novara
| | - Maija T. Suvanto
- Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Maria Nicosia
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Maggiore Della Carità Di Novara, Italy, Piemonte, Novara
| | - Maria Grazia Crobu
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Maggiore Della Carità Di Novara, Italy, Piemonte, Novara
| | - Ivan Grasso
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Maggiore Della Carità Di Novara, Italy, Piemonte, Novara
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Virology and Immunology, Helsinki University Hospital Diagnostic Center, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teemu Smura
- Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paolo Ravanini
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Maggiore Della Carità Di Novara, Italy, Piemonte, Novara
| | - Eili Huhtamo
- Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Farías AA, Laberdolive V, Stein M, Juri MJD, Visintin A, Almirón WR, Contigiani MS, Re VE, Diaz A. Diversity and molecular characterization of insect-specific flaviviruses in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected in central and northern Argentina. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2024; 96:e20230452. [PMID: 38922274 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202420230452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The genus Flavivirus comprises approximately 80 different viruses. Phylogenetic relationships among its members indicate a clear ecological separation between those viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, with no known vector, and insect-specific Flaviviruses. The diversity and phylogenetic relationships among insect-specific flaviviruses circulating in the central and northern regions of Argentina were studied by performing molecular detection and characterization of the NS5 protein gene in mosquitoes collected in Córdoba, Chaco and Tucumán provinces. Overall, 68 out of 1776 pools were positive. CxFV, KRV and CFAV circulate in the 3 studied provinces. Several mosquito species (Aedes aegypti, Culex bidens, Cx. dolosus, Cx. interfor, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. saltanensis, Haemagogus spegazzini) were found infected. A wide circulation of CxFV was observed in the central-northern region of Argentina. CxFV strains detected in our study clustered with strains circulating in Santa Fe and Buenos Aires provinces (Argentina), and other countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, Uganda and Taiwan. The presence of these viruses in mosquitoes could play an important role from the public health perspective, because it has been shown that previous CxFV infection can increase or block the infection of the mosquito by other pathogenic flaviviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrián A Farías
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laboratorio de Arbovirus, Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 5016, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Victoria Laberdolive
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laboratorio de Arbovirus, Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 5016, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marina Stein
- Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Departamento de Entomología, Instituto de Medicina Regional, Avenida Las Heras 727, CP 3500, Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
| | - María Julia Dantur Juri
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (CONICET-Fundación Miguel Lillo), Miguel Lillo 251, CP 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Andrés Visintin
- Universidad Nacional de la Rioja, Instituto de Biología de la Conservación y Paleobiología (IBiCoPa), Centro de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (CENIIT), Avenida Luis Vernet y Apóstol Felipe s/n, F5200, La Rioja, Argentina
| | - Walter R Almirón
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), CONICET- Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, X5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marta S Contigiani
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laboratorio de Arbovirus, Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 5016, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Viviana E Re
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laboratorio de Arbovirus, Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 5016, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
| | - Adrián Diaz
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laboratorio de Arbovirus, Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 5016, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, CABA, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ergunay K, Bourke BP, Achee N, Jiang L, Grieco J, Linton YM. Vector-borne pathogen surveillance in a metagenomic world. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011943. [PMID: 38386620 PMCID: PMC10883548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Koray Ergunay
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU), Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center, Suitland, Maryland, United States of America
- One Health Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution–National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Brian P. Bourke
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU), Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center, Suitland, Maryland, United States of America
- One Health Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution–National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Nicole Achee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Le Jiang
- Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC), Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John Grieco
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU), Smithsonian Institution, Museum Support Center, Suitland, Maryland, United States of America
- One Health Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution–National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Washington, DC, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tanelus M, López K, Smith S, Muller JA, Porier DL, Auguste DI, Stone WB, Paulson SL, Auguste AJ. Exploring the immunogenicity of an insect-specific virus vectored Zika vaccine candidate. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19948. [PMID: 37968443 PMCID: PMC10651913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47086-9] [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: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an important re-emerging flavivirus that presents a significant threat to human health worldwide. Despite its importance, no vaccines are approved for use in humans. Insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFVs) have recently garnered attention as an antigen presentation platform for vaccine development and diagnostic applications. Here, we further explore the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of a chimeric ISFV-Zika vaccine candidate, designated Aripo-Zika (ARPV/ZIKV). Our results show a near-linear relationship between increased dose and immunogenicity, with 1011 genome copies (i.e., 108 focus forming units) being the minimum dose required for protection from ZIKV-induced morbidity and mortality in mice. Including boosters did not significantly increase the short-term efficacy of ARPV/ZIKV-vaccinated mice. We also show that weanling mice derived from ARPV/ZIKV-vaccinated dams were completely protected from ZIKV-induced morbidity and mortality upon challenge, suggesting efficient transfer of maternally-derived protective antibodies. Finally, in vitro coinfection studies of ZIKV with Aripo virus (ARPV) and ARPV/ZIKV in African green monkey kidney cells (i.e., Vero-76) showed that ARPV and ARPV/ZIKV remain incapable of replication in vertebrate cells, despite the presence of active ZIKV replication. Altogether, our data continue to support ISFV-based vaccines, and specifically the ARPV backbone is a safe, immunogenic and effective vaccine strategy for flaviviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manette Tanelus
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Krisangel López
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Shaan Smith
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - John A Muller
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Danielle L Porier
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Dawn I Auguste
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - William B Stone
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Sally L Paulson
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Albert J Auguste
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Casades-Martí L, Cuadrado-Matías R, Peralbo-Moreno A, Baz-Flores S, Fierro Y, Ruiz-Fons F. Insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of West Nile virus transmission in emerging scenarios. One Health 2023; 16:100557. [PMID: 37363231 PMCID: PMC10288089 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of West Nile fever (WNF) is highly variable in emerging areas, making it difficult to identify risk periods. Using clinical case records has important biases in understanding the transmission dynamics of West Nile virus (WNV) because asymptomatic infections are frequent. However, estimating virus exposure in sentinel species could help achieve this goal at varying spatiotemporal scales. To identify the determinants of inter-annual variation in WNV transmission rates, we designed a 15-year longitudinal seroepidemiological study (2005-2020) in five environmentally diverse areas of southwestern Spain. We modeled individual annual area-dependent exposure risk based on potential environmental and host predictors using generalized linear mixed models. Further, we analyzed the weight of predictors on exposure probability by variance partitioning of the model components. The analysis of 2418 wild ungulate sera (1168 red deer - Cervus elaphus - and 1250 Eurasian wild boar - Sus scrofa) with a highly sensitive commercial blocking ELISA identified an average seroprevalence of 24.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 23.2-26.7%). Antibody prevalence was slightly higher in wild boar (27.5%; CI: 25.1-30.1%) than in deer (22.2%; CI: 19.8-24.7%). We observed a spatial trend in exposure, with higher frequency in the southernmost areas and a slight, although area-dependent, increasing temporal trend. Host-related predictors were important drivers of exposure risk. The environmental predictor with the highest weight was annual cumulative precipitation, while temperature variations were also relevant but with less weight. We observed a coincidence of spatiotemporal changes in exposure with the notification of WNF outbreaks in horses and humans. That indicates the usefulness of wild ungulates as sentinels for WNV transmission and as models to understand its spatiotemporal dynamics. These results will allow the development of more accurate predictive models of spatiotemporal variations in transmission risk that can inform health authorities to take appropriate action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laia Casades-Martí
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC–UCLM–JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC–UCLM–JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC–UCLM–JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sara Baz-Flores
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC–UCLM–JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC–UCLM–JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Leal É, Ribeiro ESD'A, Monteiro FJC, Marques JP, Dos Santos Mendes D, Morais VS, Araújo ELL, Pandey RP, Chang CM, Deng X, Delwart E, da Costa AC, Lima K. Aedes aegypti Totivirus identified in mosquitoes in the Brazilian Amazon region. Virus Genes 2023; 59:167-172. [PMID: 36394716 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-022-01955-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The totiviridae family contains viruses with double-stranded RNA genomes of 4.6-7.0 kpb, which encode a capsid protein (CP) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and they are approximately 40 nm in diameter with icosahedral symmetry. Totiviruses were first isolated from mosquitoes collected in Shaanxi Province (China). Here, we report a new Aedes aegypti Totivirus (AaTV) identified in mosquitoes from the Amazon rainforest. Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) were collected from a forest reserve belonging to the Amazon forest in the city of Macapá, Amapá state, Northern Brazil. A viral sequence with a 5748 nucleotide length that was nearly identical to Aedes aegypti Totivirus (AaTV), here named Aedes aegypti Totivirus BR59AP, was detected. A detailed molecular analysis was performed and shows that AaTV-BR59AP is highly related to the AaTV strain from the Caribbean region. We emphasize the importance of the characterization of new viruses in mosquitoes to deepen our understanding of viral diversity in insects and their potential role in disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Élcio Leal
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Pará, Belem, Pará, 66075-000, Brazil
| | | | - Fred Julio Costa Monteiro
- Public Health Laboratory of Amapa-LACEN/AP, Health Surveillance Superintendence of Amapa, Macapa, 68905-230, Brazil
| | - Julia Pantoja Marques
- Public Health Laboratory of Amapa-LACEN/AP, Health Surveillance Superintendence of Amapa, Macapa, 68905-230, Brazil
| | - Diuliana Dos Santos Mendes
- Public Health Laboratory of Amapa-LACEN/AP, Health Surveillance Superintendence of Amapa, Macapa, 68905-230, Brazil
| | - Vanessa S Morais
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Emerson Luiz Lima Araújo
- General Coordination of Public Health Laboratories of the Strategic Articulation, Department of the Health Surveillance, Secretariat of the Ministry of Health (CGLAB/DAEVS/SVS-MS), Brasília, 70719-040, Brazil
| | - Ramendra Pati Pandey
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat, Haryana, 131029, India
| | - Chung-Ming Chang
- Master & Ph.D. Program in Biotechnology Industry, Chang Gung University, No.259, Wenhua 1St Rd., Guishan Dist, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Xutao Deng
- Vitalant Research Institute, 270 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94118-4417, USA.,Department Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Eric Delwart
- Vitalant Research Institute, 270 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94118-4417, USA.,Department Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Antonio Charlys da Costa
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Kledoaldo Lima
- Hospital das Clínicas, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil. .,European Virus Bioinformatics Center, Leutragraben 1, 07743, Jena, Germany. .,Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde, Recife, PE, 51150-000, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Casades-Martí L, Holgado-Martín R, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Llorente F, Pérez-Ramírez E, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Ruiz-Fons F. Risk Factors for Exposure of Wild Birds to West Nile Virus in A Gradient of Wildlife-Livestock Interaction. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010083. [PMID: 36678431 PMCID: PMC9864363 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010083] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) transmission rate is shaped by the interaction between virus reservoirs and vectors, which may be maximized in farm environments. Based on this hypothesis, we screened for WNV in wild birds in three scenarios with decreasing gradient of interaction with horses: (i) the farm (A1); (ii) the neighborhood (A2); and (iii) a wild area (A3). We captured wild birds and analyzed their sera for WNV antibodies by blocking ELISA and micro-virus neutralization test. Flavivirus infections were tested with generic and specific PCR protocols. We parameterized linear mixed models with predictors (bird abundance and diversity, vector abundance, vector host abundance, and weather quantities) to identify Flavivirus spp. and WNV exposure risk factors. We detected a low rate of Flavivirus infections by PCR (0.8%) and 6.9% of the birds were seropositive by ELISA. Exposure to Flavivirus spp. was higher in A1 (9%) than in A2 and A3 (5.6% and 5.8%, respectively). Bird diversity was the most relevant predictor of exposure risk and passerines dominated the on-farm bird community. Our results suggest that measures deterring the use of the farm by passerines should be implemented because the environmental favorability of continental Mediterranean environments for WNV is increasing and more outbreaks are expected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laia Casades-Martí
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Rocío Holgado-Martín
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), INIA-CSIC, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Elisa Pérez-Ramírez
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), INIA-CSIC, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), INIA-CSIC, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
- CIBERINFEC—CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Is the Intergenic Region of Aedes aegypti Totivirus a Recombination Hotspot? Viruses 2022; 14:v14112467. [PMID: 36366565 PMCID: PMC9699231 DOI: 10.3390/v14112467] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus totivirus in the family Totiviridae contains double-stranded RNA viruses. Their genome has two open reading frames (ORFs) that encode capsid protein (CP) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The toti-like viruses recently identified in Anopheles sp. and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (AaTV) share the same genome organization as other totiviruses. The AaTVs that have been described in distinct geographical regions are monophyletic. In this study, we show that AaTV sequences can be grouped into at least three phylogenetic clades (named A, B, and C). Clades A and B are composed of AaTV sequences from mosquitoes collected in the Caribbean region (Guadeloupe), and clade C contains sequences from the USA. These clades may represent AaTV lineages that are locally adapted to their host populations. We also identified three recombinant AaTV strains circulating in mosquitoes in Guadeloupe. Although these strains have different chimeric patterns, the position of the recombination breakpoint was identical in all strains. Interestingly, this breakpoint is located in a hairpin-like structure in the intergenic region of the AaTV genome. This RNA structure may stall RNA polymerase processivity and consequently induce template switching. In vitro studies should be conducted to further investigate the biological significance of AaTV's intergenic region as a recombination hotspot.
Collapse
|
9
|
Calzolari M, Bonilauri P, Grisendi A, Dalmonte G, Vismarra A, Lelli D, Chiapponi C, Bellini R, Lavazza A, Dottori M. Arbovirus Screening in Mosquitoes in Emilia-Romagna (Italy, 2021) and Isolation of Tahyna Virus. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0158722. [PMID: 36165787 PMCID: PMC9602283 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01587-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Several viruses can be transmitted by mosquitoes. We searched some of these viruses in 20,778 mosquitoes, collected in 95 traps on the plains of Emilia-Romagna (North of Italy) in 2021. We detected West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in pools of Culex (Cx.) pipiens. In addition, we detected two insect-specific flaviviruses in three pools of Aedes (Ae.) caspius and in two of Ae. vexans. Tahyna virus (TAHV) was detected in six pools, three of Ae. caspius and three of Cx. pipiens, and one isolated strain was obtained from one of the Ae. caspius pools. Moreover, we detected TAHV in pools of several mosquito species (Ae. caspius, Ae. vexans, Ae. albopictus, Anopheles maculipennis s.l.) collected in the previous year of surveillance. Our data indicate Ae. caspius as the species most infected with TAHV in the surveyed area. Together with the likely plasticity of the cycle, we reported strong genome stability of the TAHV, probably linked to a successful adaptation of the virus to its ecological niche. Interestingly, in six pools of Cx. pipiens we detected two associated viruses among USUV, WNV, TAHV and all the three viruses in two pools. This result allows us to assume the presence of particular conditions that prompt the circulation of arboviruses, creating the conditions for viral hot spots. While no human diseases related to Tahyna virus were reported in Italy, its detection over the years suggests that it is worth investigating this virus as a potential cause of disease in humans in order to assess its health burden. IMPORTANCE We reported in this work the detection of three Arboviruses (Arthropod-borne viruses) in mosquitoes collected in Emilia-Romagna in 2021. In addition to West Nile and Usutu viruses, which were reported from more than 10 years in the study area, we detected and isolated Tahyna virus (TAHV). We also reported detections of TAHV obtained in previous years of surveillance in different species of mosquitoes. TAHV is the potential causative agent of summer influenza-like diseases and also of meningitis. Even if human cases of disease referable to this virus are not reported in Italy, its relevant presence in mosquitoes suggests investigating the possibility they could.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonilauri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Annalisa Grisendi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Gastone Dalmonte
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Alice Vismarra
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, UO di Parassitologia e Malattie Parassitarie, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Chiapponi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G.Nicoli,” Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Michele Dottori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
He X, Wang X, Fan G, Li F, Wu W, Wang Z, Fu M, Wei X, Ma S, Ma X. Metagenomic analysis of viromes in tissues of wild Qinghai vole from the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17239. [PMID: 36241909 PMCID: PMC9562062 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22134-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents are natural reservoirs of diverse zoonotic viruses and widely distributed on the Tibetan Plateau. A comprehensive understanding of the virome in local rodent species could provide baseline of viral content and assist in efforts to reduce the risk for future emergence of rodent related zoonotic diseases. A total of 205 tissue and fecal samples from 41 wild Qinghai voles were collected. Metagenomic analyses were performed to outline the characteristics of the viromes, and phylogenetic analyses were used to identify the novel viral genomes. The virome distribution among five tissues (liver, lung, spleen, small intestine with content and feces) was also compared. We identified sequences related to 46 viral families. Novel viral genomes from distinct evolutionary lineages with known viruses were characterized for their genomic and evolutionary characteristics, including Hepatovirus, Hepacivirus, Rotavirus, and Picobirnavirus. Further analyses revealed that the core virome harbored by rodent internal tissues were quite different from the virome found in intestine and fecal samples. These findings provide an overview of the viromes in wild Qinghai voles, which are unique and the most common rodent species in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. A high diversity of viruses is likely present in rodent species in this area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhou He
- grid.198530.60000 0000 8803 2373NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People’s Republic of China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Joint Research Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xu Wang
- grid.508378.1National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guohao Fan
- grid.198530.60000 0000 8803 2373NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People’s Republic of China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Joint Research Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Li
- grid.198530.60000 0000 8803 2373NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weiping Wu
- grid.508378.1National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhenghuan Wang
- grid.22069.3f0000 0004 0369 6365School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meihua Fu
- grid.430328.eShanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xu Wei
- grid.22069.3f0000 0004 0369 6365School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuo Ma
- grid.22069.3f0000 0004 0369 6365School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuejun Ma
- grid.198530.60000 0000 8803 2373NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People’s Republic of China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Joint Research Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Huang Y, Zhang H, Li X, Zhao L, Cai D, Wang S, Ren N, Ma H, Huang D, Wang F, Yuan Z, Zhang B, Xia H. In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of a New Strain of Mosquito Flavivirus Derived from Culicoides. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061298. [PMID: 35746769 PMCID: PMC9229015 DOI: 10.3390/v14061298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-specific flaviviruses comprise a group of insect-specific viruses with a single positive RNA, which can affect the duplication of mosquito-borne viruses and the life growth of mosquitoes, and which have the potential to be developed as a vaccine platform for mosquito-borne viruses. In this study, a strain of mosquito flavivirus (MFV) YN15-283-02 was detected in Culicoides collected from Yunnan, China. The isolation of the purified MFV YN15-283-02 from cell culture failed, and the virus was then rescued by an infectious clone. To study the biological features of MFV YN15-283-02 in vitro and in vivo, electron microscopy, phylogenetic tree, and viral growth kinetic analyses were performed in both cell lines and mosquitoes. The rescued MFV (rMFV) YN15-283-02 duplicated and reached a peak in C6/36 cells at 6 d.p.i. with approximately 2 × 106 RNA copies/μL (RNA to cell ratio of 0.1), but without displaying a cytopathic effect. In addition, the infection rate for the rMFV in Ae.aegypti show a low level in both larvae (≤15%) and adult mosquitoes (≤12%).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hongqing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaodan Li
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Lu Zhao
- Westlake Disease Modeling Lab, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China;
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Dirui Cai
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China;
| | - Shunlong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Nanjie Ren
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haixia Ma
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Doudou Huang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Fei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
| | - Zhiming Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence: (B.Z.); (H.X.); Tel.: +86-27-87197607 (B.Z.); +86-27-87198120 (H.X.)
| | - Han Xia
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (Y.H.); (H.Z.); (X.L.); (S.W.); (N.R.); (H.M.); (D.H.); (F.W.); (Z.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence: (B.Z.); (H.X.); Tel.: +86-27-87197607 (B.Z.); +86-27-87198120 (H.X.)
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Peinado SA, Aliota MT, Blitvich BJ, Bartholomay LC. Biology and Transmission Dynamics of Aedes flavivirus. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:659-666. [PMID: 35064663 PMCID: PMC8924967 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes transmit pathogenic arthropod-borne viruses, including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, with significant global health consequences. Both Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti also are susceptible to Aedes flavivirus (AEFV), an insect-specific flavivirus (ISF) first isolated in Japan from Ae. albopictus and Ae. flavopictus. ISFs infect only insect hosts and evidence suggests that they are maintained by vertical transmission. In some cases, ISFs interfere with pathogenic flavivirus infection, and may have potential use in disease control. We explored the host range of AEFV in 4 genera of mosquitoes after intrathoracic injection and observed greater than 95% prevalence in the species of Aedes and Toxorhynchites tested. Anopheles and Culex species were less permissive to infection. Vertical transmission studies revealed 100% transovarial transmission and a filial infection rate of 100% for AEFV in a persistently-infected colony of Ae. albopictus. Horizontal transmission potential was assessed for adult and larval mosquitoes following per os exposures and in venereal transmission experiments. No mosquitoes tested positive for AEFV infection after blood feeding, and infection with AEFV after sucrose feeding was rare. Similarly, 2% of adult mosquitoes tested positive for AEFV after feeding on infected cells in culture as larvae. Venereal transmission of AEFV was most frequently observed from infected males to uninfected females as compared with transmission from infected females to uninfected males. These results reveal new information on the infection potential of AEFV in mosquitoes and expand our understanding of both vertical and horizontal transmission of ISFs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A Peinado
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Matthew T Aliota
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, USA
| | - Bradley J Blitvich
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Lyric C Bartholomay
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tavčar Verdev P, Potokar M, Korva M, Resman Rus K, Kolenc M, Avšič Županc T, Zorec R, Jorgačevski J. In human astrocytes neurotropic flaviviruses increase autophagy, yet their replication is autophagy-independent. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:566. [PMID: 36283999 PMCID: PMC9596533 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04578-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes, an abundant type of glial cells, are the key cells providing homeostasis in the central nervous system. Due to their susceptibility to infection, combined with high resilience to virus-induced cell death, astrocytes are now considered one of the principal types of cells, responsible for virus retention and dissemination within the brain. Autophagy plays an important role in elimination of intracellular components and in maintaining cellular homeostasis and is also intertwined with the life cycle of viruses. The physiological significance of autophagy in astrocytes, in connection with the life cycle and transmission of viruses, remains poorly investigated. In the present study, we investigated flavivirus-induced modulation of autophagy in human astrocytes by monitoring a tandem fluorescent-tagged LC3 probe (mRFP-EGFP-LC3) with confocal and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Astrocytes were infected with tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) or West Nile virus (WNV), both pathogenic flaviviruses, and with mosquito-only flavivirus (MOF), which is considered non-pathogenic. The results revealed that human astrocytes are susceptible to infection with TBEV, WNV and to a much lower extent also to MOF. Infection and replication rates of TBEV and WNV are paralleled by increased rate of autophagy, whereas autophagosome maturation and the size of autophagic compartments are not affected. Modulation of autophagy by rapamycin and wortmannin does not influence TBEV and WNV replication rate, whereas bafilomycin A1 attenuates their replication and infectivity. In human astrocytes infected with MOF, the low infectivity and the lack of efficient replication of this flavivirus are mirrored by the absence of an autophagic response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petra Tavčar Verdev
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Potokar
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia ,grid.433223.7Celica Biomedical, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Miša Korva
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Resman Rus
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marko Kolenc
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tatjana Avšič Županc
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Robert Zorec
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia ,grid.433223.7Celica Biomedical, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jernej Jorgačevski
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia ,grid.433223.7Celica Biomedical, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bonica MB, Balcazar DE, Chuchuy A, Barneche JA, Torres C, Micieli MV. Detection of Flaviviral-Like DNA Sequences in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Collected From Argentina. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:2406-2411. [PMID: 33939805 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Diseases caused by flaviviruses are a major public health burden across the world. In the past decades, South America has suffered dengue epidemics, the re-emergence of yellow fever and St. Louis encephalitis viruses, and the introduction of West Nile and Zika viruses. Many insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) that cannot replicate in vertebrate cells have recently been described. In this study, we analyzed field-collected mosquito samples from six different ecoregions of Argentina to detect flaviviruses. We did not find any RNA belonging to pathogenic flaviviruses or ISFs in adults or immature stages. However, flaviviral-like DNA similar to flavivirus NS5 region was detected in 83-100% of Aedes aegypti (L.). Despite being previously described as an ancient element in the Ae. aegypti genome, the flaviviral-like DNA sequence was not detected in all Ae. aegypti samples and sequences obtained did not form a monophyletic group, possibly reflecting the genetic diversity of mosquito populations in Argentina.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melisa B Bonica
- Laboratorio de Insectos Vectores, Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT La Plata-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dario E Balcazar
- Laboratorio de Insectos Vectores, Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT La Plata-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ailen Chuchuy
- Laboratorio de Insectos Vectores, Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT La Plata-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge A Barneche
- Laboratorio de Insectos Vectores, Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT La Plata-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Torres
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Bacteriología y Virología Molecular (IBaViM), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María V Micieli
- Laboratorio de Insectos Vectores, Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CCT La Plata-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Endale A, Medhin G, Darfiro K, Kebede N, Legesse M. Magnitude of Antibody Cross-Reactivity in Medically Important Mosquito-Borne Flaviviruses: A Systematic Review. Infect Drug Resist 2021; 14:4291-4299. [PMID: 34703255 PMCID: PMC8541746 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s336351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Flaviviruses are a genus of enveloped single-stranded RNA viruses that include dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus, West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus, and Zika virus. Nowadays, diverse serological assays are available to diagnose flaviviruses. However, infection with flaviviruses induces cross-reactive antibodies, which are a challenge for serological diagnosis. Objective This systematic review aimed to assess the magnitude of medically important mosquito-borne flavivirus–induced antibody cross-reactivity and its influence on serological test outcomes. Methods This study was designed based on the PRISMA guidelines. It includes original research articles published between 1994 and 2019 that reported serological cross-reactions between medically important mosquito-borne flaviviruses. Articles were searched on PubMed using controlled vocabulary. Eligibility was assessed by title, abstract, and finally by reading the full paper. The articles included are compared, evaluated, and summarized narratively. Results A total of 2,911 articles were identified, and finally 14 were included. About 15.4%–84% of antibodies produced against non-DENV flaviviruses were cross-reactive with DENV on different assays. Up to 30% IgM and up to 60% IgG antibodies produced against non-WNV flaviviruses were cross-reactive with WNV on EIA assays. The magnitude of antibodies produced against flaviviruses that are cross-reactive with chikungunya virus (Alphavirus) was minimal (only about 7%). The highest antibody cross-reactivity of flaviviruses was reported in IgG-based assays compared to IgM-based assays and assays based on E-specific immunoglobulin compared to NS1-specific immunoglobulin. It was found that preexisting immunity due to vaccination or prior flavivirus exposure to antigenetically related species enhanced the cross-reactive antibody titer. Conclusion This review found the highest cross-reaction between DENV and non-DENV flaviviruses, especially yellow fever virus, and the least between chikungunya virus and DENV. Moreover, cross-reaction was higher on IgG assays than IgM ones and assays based on Eprotein compared to NS1protein. This implies that the reliability of serological test results in areas where more than one flavivirus exists is questionable. Therefore, interpretation of the existing serological assays should be undertaken with a great caution. Furthermore, research on novel diagnostic signatures for differential diagnosis of flaviviruses is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adugna Endale
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
| | - Girmay Medhin
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Koyamo Darfiro
- Department of External Quality Assessment, Hossaena Public Health Institute Laboratory, Hossaena, Ethiopia
| | - Nigatu Kebede
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Mengistu Legesse
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Harrison JJ, Hobson-Peters J, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Hall RA. Chimeric Vaccines Based on Novel Insect-Specific Flaviviruses. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:1230. [PMID: 34835160 PMCID: PMC8623431 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne flaviviruses are responsible for nearly half a billion human infections worldwide each year, resulting in millions of cases of debilitating and severe diseases and approximately 115,000 deaths. While approved vaccines are available for some of these viruses, the ongoing efficacy, safety and supply of these vaccines are still a significant problem. New technologies that address these issues and ideally allow for the safe and economical manufacture of vaccines in resource-poor countries where flavivirus vaccines are in most demand are urgently required. Preferably a new vaccine platform would be broadly applicable to all flavivirus diseases and provide new candidate vaccines for those diseases not yet covered, as well as the flexibility to rapidly pivot to respond to newly emerged flavivirus diseases. Here, we review studies conducted on novel chimeric vaccines derived from insect-specific flaviviruses that provide a potentially safe and simple system to produce highly effective vaccines against a broad spectrum of flavivirus diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J. Harrison
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.H.-P.); (H.B.-O.); (R.A.H.)
| | - Jody Hobson-Peters
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.H.-P.); (H.B.-O.); (R.A.H.)
| | - Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.H.-P.); (H.B.-O.); (R.A.H.)
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - Roy A. Hall
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.H.-P.); (H.B.-O.); (R.A.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zecchin B, Fusaro A, Milani A, Schivo A, Ravagnan S, Ormelli S, Mavian C, Michelutti A, Toniolo F, Barzon L, Monne I, Capelli G. The central role of Italy in the spatial spread of USUTU virus in Europe. Virus Evol 2021; 7:veab048. [PMID: 34513027 PMCID: PMC8427344 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
USUTU virus (USUV) is an arbovirus maintained in the environment through a bird-mosquito enzootic cycle. Previous surveillance plans highlighted the endemicity of USUV in North-eastern Italy. In this work, we sequenced 138 new USUV full genomes from mosquito pools (Culex pipiens) and wild birds collected in North-eastern Italy and we investigated the evolutionary processes (phylogenetic analysis, selection pressure and evolutionary time-scale analysis) and spatial spread of USUV strains circulating in the European context and in Italy, with a particular focus on North-eastern Italy. Our results confirmed the circulation of viruses belonging to four different lineages in Italy (EU1, EU2, EU3 and EU4), with the newly sequenced viruses from the North-eastern regions, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, belonging to the EU2 lineage and clustering into two different sub-lineages, EU2-A and EU2-B. Specific mutations characterize each European lineage and geographic location seem to have shaped their phylogenetic structure. By investigating the spatial spread in Europe, we were able to show that Italy acted mainly as donor of USUV to neighbouring countries. At a national level, we identified two geographical clusters mainly circulating in Northern and North-western Italy, spreading both northward and southward. Our analyses provide important information on the spatial and evolutionary dynamics of USUTU virus that can help to improve surveillance plans and control strategies for this virus of increasing concern for human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Zecchin
- Department of Research and Innovation, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - A Fusaro
- Department of Research and Innovation, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - A Milani
- Department of Research and Innovation, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - A Schivo
- Department of Research and Innovation, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - S Ravagnan
- National Reference Centre/OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - S Ormelli
- Department of Research and Innovation, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - C Mavian
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - A Michelutti
- National Reference Centre/OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - F Toniolo
- National Reference Centre/OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - L Barzon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - I Monne
- Department of Research and Innovation, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - G Capelli
- National Reference Centre/OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Morais P, Trovão NS, Abecasis AB, Parreira R. Genetic lineage characterization and spatiotemporal dynamics of classical insect-specific flaviviruses: outcomes and limitations. Virus Res 2021; 303:198507. [PMID: 34271039 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2021.198507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The genus Flavivirus incorporates bona fide arboviruses, as well as others viruses with restricted replication in insect cells. Among the latter, a large monophyletic cluster of viruses, known as cISF (classical insect-specific flaviviruses), has been sampled in many species of mosquitoes collected over a large geographic range. In this study, we investigated nucleotide and protein sequences with a suite of molecular characterization approaches including genetic distance, Shannon entropy, selective pressure analysis, polymorphism identification, principal coordinate analysis, likelihood mapping, phylodynamic reconstruction, and spatiotemporal dispersal, to further characterize this diverse group of insect-viruses. The different lineages and sub-lineages of viral sequences presented low sequence diversity and entropy (though some displayed lineage-specific polymorphisms), did not show evidence of frequent recombination and evolved under strong purifying selection. Moreover, the reconstruction of the evolutionary history and spatiotemporal dispersal was highly impacted by overall low signals of sequence divergence throughout time but suggested that cISF distribution in space and time is dynamic and may be dependent on human activities, including commercial trading and traveling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Morais
- Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), Lisboa, Portugal/Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nídia S Trovão
- Division of International Epidemiology and Population Studies, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ana B Abecasis
- Unidade de Saúde Pública Internacional e Bioestatística, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), Lisboa, Portugal/Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Parreira
- Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), Lisboa, Portugal/Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Lisboa, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
White AV, Fan M, Mazzara JM, Roper RL, Richards SL. Mosquito-infecting virus Espirito Santo virus inhibits replication and spread of dengue virus. J Med Virol 2021; 93:3362-3373. [PMID: 33219544 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The primary vector of dengue virus (DENV) is Aedes aegypti. The mosquito-infecting virus, Espirito Santo virus (ESV), does not infect Vero (mammalian) cells and grows in mosquito (C6/36) cells without cytopathic effects. Effects of ESV infection on replication of DENV were explored in vitro and in vivo, analyzing protein, RNA genome expression, and plaque formation. ESV and DENV simultaneous coinfection did not block protein synthesis from either virus but did result in inhibition of DENV replication in mosquito cells. Furthermore, ESV superinfected with DENV resulted in inhibition of DENV replication and spread in A. aegypti, thus reducing vector competence. Tissue culture experiments on viral kinetics of ESV and DENV coinfection showed that neither virus significantly affects the replication of the other in Vero, HeLa, or HEK cells. Hence, ESV blocks DENV replication in insect cells, but not the mammalian cells evaluated here. Our study provides new insights into ESV-induced suppression of DENV, a globally important pathogen impacting public health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avian V White
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, Environmental Health Sciences Program, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ming Fan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jordan M Mazzara
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, Environmental Health Sciences Program, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rachel L Roper
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephanie L Richards
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, Environmental Health Sciences Program, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Blasdell KR, Wynne JW, Perera D, Firth C. First detection of a novel 'unknown host' flavivirus in a Malaysian rodent. Access Microbiol 2021; 3:000223. [PMID: 34151174 PMCID: PMC8208762 DOI: 10.1099/acmi.0.000223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Current phylogenetic analysis of the flavivirus genus has identified a group of mosquito-borne viruses for which the vertebrate hosts are currently unknown. Here we report the identification of a novel member of this group from a peridomestic rodent species (Sundamys muelleri) collected in Sarawak, Malaysia in 2016. We propose to name this novel flavivirus Batu Kawa virus after the location in which it was identified, with the abbreviation BKWV. Characterization of the BKWV genome allowed identification of putative mature peptides, potential enzyme motifs and conserved structural elements. Phylogenetic analysis found BKWV to be most closely related to Nhumirim virus (from Brazil) and Barkedji virus (from Senegal and Israel). Both of these viruses have been identified in Culex mosquitoes and belong to a group of viruses with unknown vertebrate hosts. This is the first known report of a member of this group of viruses from a potential mammalian host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim R Blasdell
- Health and Biosecurity Business Unit, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - James W Wynne
- Agriculture and Food Business Unit, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - David Perera
- The Institute of Health and Community Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Cadhla Firth
- Health and Biosecurity Business Unit, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.,Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Fang Y, Zhang W, Xue JB, Zhang Y. Monitoring Mosquito-Borne Arbovirus in Various Insect Regions in China in 2018. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:640993. [PMID: 33791242 PMCID: PMC8006455 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.640993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Increases in global travel and trade are changing arbovirus distributions worldwide. Arboviruses can be introduced by travelers, migratory birds, or vectors transported via international trade. Arbovirus surveillance in field-collected mosquitoes may provide early evidence for mosquito-borne disease transmission. Methods During the seasons of high mosquito activity of 2018, 29,285 mosquitoes were sampled from seven sentinel sites in various insect regions. The mosquitoes were analyzed by RT-PCR for alphaviruses, flaviviruses, and orthobunyaviruses. Results We detected three strains of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), five strains of Getah virus (GETV), and 45 strains of insect-specific flaviviruses including Aedes flavivirus (AeFV, 1), Chaoyang virus (CHAOV, 1), Culex flavivirus (CxFV, 17), Hanko virus (HANKV, 2), QuangBinh virus (QBV, 22), and Yunnan Culex flavivirus (YNCxFV, 2). Whole genomes of one strain each of GETV, CxFV, CHAOV, and AeFV were successfully amplified. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the new JEV strains detected in the Shanghai and Hubei Provinces belong to the GI-b strain and are phylogenetically close to the NX1889 strain (MT134112) isolated from a patient during a JE outbreak in Ningxia in 2018. GETVs were found in Inner Mongolia, Hubei, and Hainan and belonged to Group III. They were closely related to strains isolated from swine. HANKV was recorded for the first time in China and other ISFVs were newly detected at several sentinel sites. The bias-corrected maximum likelihood estimation value for JEV in Jinshan, Shanghai was 4.52/1,000 (range 0.80-14.64). Hence, there is a potential risk of a JEV epidemic in that region. Conclusion GI-b is the dominant circulating JEV genotype in nature and poses a health risk to animals and humans. The potential threat of widespread GETV distribution as a zoonosis is gradually increasing. The present study also disclosed the dispersion and host range of ISFVs. These findings highlight the importance of tracing the movements of the vectors and hosts of mosquito-borne pathogens in order to prevent and control arbovirus outbreaks in China.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Fang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
- Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
- National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Zichuan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zibo, China
| | - Jing-Bo Xue
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
- Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
- National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
- Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
- National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Fang Y, Tambo E, Xue JB, Zhang Y, Zhou XN, Khater EIM. Detection of DENV-2 and Insect-Specific Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes Collected From Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:626368. [PMID: 33718273 PMCID: PMC7947193 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.626368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mosquito-borne diseases are rapidly spreading due to increasing international travel and trade. Routine mosquito surveillance and screening for mosquito-borne pathogens can be early indicators for local disease transmission and outbreaks. However, arbovirus detection in mosquito vectors has rarely been reported in Saudi Arabia. Methods A total of 769,541 Aedes and Culex mosquitoes were collected by Black Hole traps during routine mosquito surveillance in the first half of 2016. Culex. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti were the most prevalent species observed. Twenty-five and 24 randomly selected pools of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively, were screened for arboviruses by RT-PCR. Results Dengue 2 (DENV-2) and four strains of insect-specific flaviviruses, including one of cell-fusing agent virus (CFAV) and three of Phlebotomus-associated flavivirus (PAFV) were detected in pools of Ae. aegypti. We also detected 10 strains of Culex flavivirus (CxFV) in pools of Cx. quinquefasciatus. Phylogenetic analysis using whole genome sequences placed the DENV strain into the cosmopolitan 1 sub-DENV-2 genotype, and the CxFVs into the African/Caribbean/Latin American genotype. These analyses also showed that the DENV-2 strain detected in the present study was closely related to strains detected in China in 2014 and in Japan in 2018, which suggests frequent movement of DENV-2 strains among these countries. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis suggested at least five introductions of DENV-2 into Saudi Arabia from 2014 through 2018, most probably from India. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study reports the first detection of four arboviruses DENV, CFAV, PAFV, and CxFV in mosquitoes in Saudi Arabia, which shows that they are co-circulating in Jeddah. Our findings show a need for widespread mosquito-based arbovirus surveillance programs in Saudi Arabia, which will improve our understanding of the transmission dynamics of the mosquito-borne arboviruses within the country and help early predict and mitigate the risk of human infections and outbreaks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Fang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China.,Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai, China.,WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China.,National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention-Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention Joint Laboratory for Imported Tropical Disease Control, Shanghai, China
| | - Ernest Tambo
- Public Health Pests Laboratory, Municipality of Jeddah Governorate, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jing-Bo Xue
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China.,Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai, China.,WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China.,National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention-Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention Joint Laboratory for Imported Tropical Disease Control, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China.,Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai, China.,WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China.,National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention-Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention Joint Laboratory for Imported Tropical Disease Control, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China.,Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai, China.,WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China.,National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention-Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention Joint Laboratory for Imported Tropical Disease Control, Shanghai, China
| | - Emad I M Khater
- Public Health Pests Laboratory, Municipality of Jeddah Governorate, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
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.
Collapse
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.)
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Kubacki J, Flacio E, Qi W, Guidi V, Tonolla M, Fraefel C. Viral Metagenomic Analysis of Aedes albopictus Mosquitos from Southern Switzerland. Viruses 2020; 12:v12090929. [PMID: 32846980 PMCID: PMC7552062 DOI: 10.3390/v12090929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A metagenomic study was performed on 498 female and 40 male Aedes albopictus mosquitos collected in August and September 2019 in Ticino, a region in southern Switzerland, to address the question regarding the risk of the local transmission of zoonotic viruses. A total of 13 viruses from seven different virus families and several unclassified viral taxa were identified. Reads of insect-specific flaviviruses were present in all pools, and a complete genome of aedes flavivirus was assembled and phylogenetically analysed. The most abundant virus was Wenzhou sobemo-like virus, assembled from 1.3 × 105 to 3.6 × 106 reads in each pool. In a pool of male mosquitos, a complete genome of aedes Iflavi-like virus was detected and phylogenetically analysed. Most importantly, genomes of human pathogenic viruses were not found. This is the first study to determine the virome of Ae. albopictus from Switzerland and forms a baseline for future longitudinal investigations concerning the potential role of Ae. albopictus as a vector of clinically relevant viruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Kubacki
- Institute of Virology, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (C.F.)
| | - Eleonora Flacio
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department for Environment Constructions and Design, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, CH-6500 Manno, Switzerland; (E.F.); (V.G.); (M.T.)
| | - Weihong Qi
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Valeria Guidi
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department for Environment Constructions and Design, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, CH-6500 Manno, Switzerland; (E.F.); (V.G.); (M.T.)
| | - Mauro Tonolla
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Department for Environment Constructions and Design, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, CH-6500 Manno, Switzerland; (E.F.); (V.G.); (M.T.)
| | - Cornel Fraefel
- Institute of Virology, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (C.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abílio AP, Silva M, Kampango A, Narciso I, Gudo ES, das Neves LCB, Sidat M, Fafetine JM, de Almeida APG, Parreira R. A survey of RNA viruses in mosquitoes from Mozambique reveals novel genetic lineages of flaviviruses and phenuiviruses, as well as frequent flavivirus-like viral DNA forms in Mansonia. BMC Microbiol 2020; 20:225. [PMID: 32723369 PMCID: PMC7385898 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01905-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquito-borne diseases involving arboviruses represent expanding threats to sub-Saharan Africa imposing as considerable burden to human and veterinary public health. In Mozambique over one hundred species of potential arbovirus mosquito vectors have been identified, although their precise role in maintaining such viruses in circulation in the country remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to screen for the presence of flaviviruses, alphaviruses and bunyaviruses in mosquitoes from different regions of Mozambique. RESULTS Our survey analyzed 14,519 mosquitoes, and the results obtained revealed genetically distinct insect-specific flaviviruses, detected in multiple species of mosquitoes from different genera. In addition, smaller flavivirus-like NS5 sequences, frequently detected in Mansonia seemed to correspond to defective viral sequences, present as viral DNA forms. Furthermore, three lineages of putative members of the Phenuiviridae family were also detected, two of which apparently corresponding to novel viral genetic lineages. CONCLUSION This study reports for the first-time novel insect-specific flaviviruses and novel phenuiviruses, as well as frequent flavivirus-like viral DNA forms in several widely known vector species. This unique work represents recent investigation of virus screening conducted in mosquitoes from Mozambique and an important contribution to inform the establishment of a vector control program for arbovirus in the country and in the region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Abílio
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS)-Ministry of Health (MISAU), Vila de Marracuene, Estrada Nacional N°1, Parcela N°3943, P.O. Box: 264, Maputo, Mozambique.
- Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Maputo, Mozambique.
| | - Manuel Silva
- Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT)/Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), and Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM) Research Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ayubo Kampango
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS)-Ministry of Health (MISAU), Vila de Marracuene, Estrada Nacional N°1, Parcela N°3943, P.O. Box: 264, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Inácio Narciso
- Unidade de Parasitologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT)/Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), and Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM) Research Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Eduardo Samo Gudo
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS)-Ministry of Health (MISAU), Vila de Marracuene, Estrada Nacional N°1, Parcela N°3943, P.O. Box: 264, Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Mohsin Sidat
- Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - António Paulo Gouveia de Almeida
- Unidade de Parasitologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT)/Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), and Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM) Research Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Parreira
- Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT)/Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), and Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM) Research Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Ramos-Nino ME, Fitzpatrick DM, Eckstrom KM, Tighe S, Hattaway LM, Hsueh AN, Stone DM, Dragon JA, Cheetham S. Metagenomic analysis of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes from Grenada, West Indies. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231047. [PMID: 32282857 PMCID: PMC7153883 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Culex quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 (Diptera: Culicidae) are two major vectors of arthropod-borne pathogens in Grenada, West Indies. As conventional vector control methods present many challenges, alternatives are urgently needed. Manipulation of mosquito microbiota is emerging as a field for the development of vector control strategies. Critical to this vector control approach is knowledge of the microbiota of these mosquitoes and finding candidate microorganisms that are common to the vectors with properties that could be used in microbiota modification studies. Results showed that bacteria genera including Asaia, Escherichia, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, and Serratia are common to both major arboviral vectors in Grenada and have previously been shown to be good candidates for transgenetic studies. Also, for the first time, the presence of Grenada mosquito rhabdovirus 1 is reported in C. quinquefasciatus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria E. Ramos-Nino
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
| | - Daniel M. Fitzpatrick
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
| | - Korin M. Eckstrom
- University of Vermont Massively Parallel Sequencing Facility, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Scott Tighe
- University of Vermont Massively Parallel Sequencing Facility, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Lindsey M. Hattaway
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
| | - Andy N. Hsueh
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
| | - Diana M. Stone
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
| | - Julie A. Dragon
- University of Vermont Massively Parallel Sequencing Facility, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Sonia Cheetham
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Wipf NC, Guidi V, Tonolla M, Ruinelli M, Müller P, Engler O. Evaluation of honey-baited FTA cards in combination with different mosquito traps in an area of low arbovirus prevalence. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:554. [PMID: 31753035 PMCID: PMC6873520 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3798-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The threat of mosquito-borne diseases is increasing in continental Europe as demonstrated by several autochthonous chikungunya, dengue and West Nile virus outbreaks. In Switzerland, despite the presence of competent vectors, routine surveillance of arboviruses in mosquitoes is not being carried out, mainly due to the high costs associated with the need of a constant cold chain and laborious processing of thousands of mosquitoes. An alternative approach is using honey-baited nucleic acid preserving cards (FTA cards) to collect mosquito saliva that may be analysed for arboviruses. Here, we evaluate whether FTA cards could be used to detect potentially emerging viruses in an area of low virus prevalence in combination with an effective mosquito trap. Methods In a field trial in southern Switzerland we measured side-by-side the efficacy of the BG-Sentinel 2, the BG-GAT and the Box gravid trap to catch Aedes and Culex mosquitoes in combination with honey-baited FTA cards during 80 trapping sessions of 48 hours. We then screened both the mosquitoes and the FTA cards for the presence of arboviruses using reverse-transcription PCR. The efficacy of the compared trap types was evaluated using generalized linear mixed models. Results The Box gravid trap collected over 11 times more mosquitoes than the BG-GAT and BG-Sentinel 2 trap. On average 75.9% of the specimens fed on the honey-bait with no significant difference in feeding rates between the three trap types. From the total of 1401 collected mosquitoes, we screened 507 Aedes and 500 Culex females for the presence of arboviruses. A pool of six Cx. pipiens/Cx. torrentium mosquitoes and also the FTA card from the same Box gravid trap were positive for Usutu virus. Remarkably, only two of the six Culex mosquitoes fed on the honey-bait, emphasising the high sensitivity of the method. In addition, two Ae. albopictus collections but no FTA cards were positive for mosquito-only flaviviruses. Conclusions Based on our results we conclude that honey-baited FTA cards, in combination with the Box gravid trap, are an effective method for arbovirus surveillance in areas of low prevalence, particularly where resources are limited for preservation and screening of individual mosquitoes.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadja C Wipf
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, P.O. Box, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, P.O. Box, 4001, Basel, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied, Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Mirasole 22a, 6501, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Guidi
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied, Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Mirasole 22a, 6501, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Tonolla
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied, Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Mirasole 22a, 6501, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Michela Ruinelli
- Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied, Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Via Mirasole 22a, 6501, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Pie Müller
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, P.O. Box, 4002, Basel, Switzerland. .,University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, P.O. Box, 4001, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Olivier Engler
- Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, Austrasse, 3700, Spiez, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Miranda J, Mattar S, Gonzalez M, Hoyos-López R, Aleman A, Aponte J. First report of Culex flavivirus infection from Culex coronator (Diptera: Culicidae), Colombia. Virol J 2019; 16:1. [PMID: 30606229 PMCID: PMC6318882 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-018-1108-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flaviviruses are important pathogens for humans and animals (Dengue viruses, Yellow fever virus, Zika virus and West Nile virus). Culex flavivirus (CxFV) is an insect-specific virus of the genus Flavivirus, detected in a wide variety of mosquito species. OBJECTIVE To detect Flavivirus in mosquitoes of a tropical region of the Colombian Caribbean. METHODS In 2014, an entomological surveillance of arboviruses was conducted in the department of Cordoba area of the Caribbean, Colombia. A total of 8270 mosquitoes were captured as follow: Mansonia (n = 3271/39.5%), Culex (n = 2668/32.26%), Anopheles (n = 840/10.15%), Aedeomyia (n = 411/4.9%), Psorophora (n = 397/4.8%), Coquilletidia (n = 369/4.46%), Uranotaenia (n = 261/3.15%) and Aedes (n = 53/0.6%). All mosquito species were collected in dry tropical forest of the Caribbean area. Universal primers for NS5 gene (958 pb), RT-PCR for flavivirus and sequencing were used for molecular identification of viruses detected. RESULTS Two pools belonging to Culex coronator were positive for flavivirus RNA sequence by RT-PCR. The sequences of the PCR amplicons, matched that of the Culex flaviviruses, CxFv COL PM_149 (GenBank: KR014201) and CxFv COL PM_212 (GenBank: KT307717). Phylogenetic analysis of the NS5 protein sequences of the Culex flaviviruses sequences with those of reference sequences available in GenBank indicated viruses of Genotype II, closely related to the Brazilian strain, BR_SJRP_01_ (GenBank: KT726939), from Culex sp. The alignment of Culex flavivirus sequences CxFv COL_ PM 212 and CxFv COL_ PM 149 with sequences of strains detected in different geographical regions grouped the strains in a Latin American clade reported in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. CONCLUSIONS The present work illustrated that CxFV was circulating among vectors of human pathogenic arboviruses in Colombia, but the impact of CxFV on other flaviviruses which are endemic in the study area still remains to be explored.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Miranda
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| | - Salim Mattar
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| | - Marco Gonzalez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| | - Richard Hoyos-López
- Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales y Resistencia Bacteriana, Universidad del Sinú, Montería, Colombia
| | - Ader Aleman
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| | - Jose Aponte
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Gravina HD, Suzukawa AA, Zanluca C, Cardozo Segovia FM, Tschá MK, Martins da Silva A, Faoro H, da Silva Ribeiro R, Mendoza Torres LP, Rojas A, Ferrerira L, Costa Ribeiro MCVD, Delfraro A, Duarte Dos Santos CN. Identification of insect-specific flaviviruses in areas of Brazil and Paraguay experiencing endemic arbovirus transmission and the description of a novel flavivirus infecting Sabethes belisarioi. Virology 2018; 527:98-106. [PMID: 30476788 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Viral infection was examined with pan-flavivirus and pan-alphavirus sets of primers in mosquitoes collected in four South American regions with confirmed pathogenic arbovirus circulation. Positive pools for flavivirus infection were sequenced and screened for specific arboviruses, which were not detected. However, NS5 gene sequencing showed that most sequences corresponded to the insect-specific Culex flavivirus. One sequence retrieved from an Aedes albopictus pool grouped with the insect-specific Aedes flavivirus and two Sabethes belisarioi pools were infected by a previously unknown flavivirus, tentatively named Sabethes flavivirus (SbFV). Phylogenetic inference placed SbFV as ancestral to a clade formed by Culiseta flavivirus, Mercadeo, and Calbertado. SbFV polyprotein showed an average aminoacidic identity of 51% in comparison to these flaviviruses. In vitro studies suggest that SbFV infects insect cells, but not vertebrate cells, therefore, we propose it as a new insect-specific flavivirus. These results highlight the wide distribution of insect-specific flaviviruses concomitant with the circulation of emergent arboviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreia Akemi Suzukawa
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Camila Zanluca
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Fatima María Cardozo Segovia
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), Paraguay
| | - Marcel Kruchelski Tschá
- Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Allan Martins da Silva
- Laboratório Central, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde (SESA), São José dos Pinhais, PR, Brazil
| | - Helisson Faoro
- Laboratório de Regulação da Expressão Gênica (LRGEN), Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Ricardo da Silva Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Vigilância Ambiental, Centro de Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental (CVSA), Secretaria de Estado de Saúde (SESA), Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Laura Patricia Mendoza Torres
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), Paraguay
| | - Alejandra Rojas
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS), Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), Paraguay
| | - Luis Ferrerira
- Servicio Nacional de Erradicación del Paludismo (SENEPA), Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, Asunción, Paraguay
| | | | - Adriana Delfraro
- Sección Virología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Sadeghi M, Altan E, Deng X, Barker CM, Fang Y, Coffey LL, Delwart E. Virome of > 12 thousand Culex mosquitoes from throughout California. Virology 2018; 523:74-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2018.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
|
31
|
Fang Y, Zhang Y, Zhou ZB, Shi WQ, Xia S, Li YY, Wu JT, Liu Q, Lin GY. Co-circulation of Aedes flavivirus, Culex flavivirus, and Quang Binh virus in Shanghai, China. Infect Dis Poverty 2018; 7:75. [PMID: 30021614 PMCID: PMC6052644 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-018-0457-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With increases in global travel and trade, the spread of arboviruses is undoubtedly alarming. Pathogen detection in field-caught mosquitoes can provide the earliest possible warning of transmission. Insect-specific flavivirus (ISFV) has been first detected in 1991 and documented worldwide in the latest ten years. Although infection with ISFVs is apparently limited to insects, an increase in the infection rate of mosquito-borne flaviviruses may be able to induce cytopathic effects in vertebrate cells during co-infection with other human pathogens. However, little is known whether ISFVs persist in most regions of China. Methods During the mosquito activity season in 2016, a surveillance program was carried out to detect ISFVs in mosquitoes in metropolitan Shanghai, China. The presence of ISFVs was randomly tested in different species of mosquitoes using RT-PCR-based and hemi-nested PCR assays, following by the sequencing of PCR products. Sequences from positive pooled samples were compared with those deposited in GenBank. Thereafter, sequences of representative insect flaviviruses were used for further phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analyses. Results Our investigations showed: (1) the presence of Aedes flavivirus (AEFV) in 11/161 pooled samples (nine pools in Songjiang District, one pool in Huangpu District, and one pool in Qingpu District) of Aedes albopictus, (2) the presence of Quang Binh virus (QBV) in 10/195 pooled samples (all in Chongming District) of Culex tritaeniorhynchus; and (3) the presence of Culex flavivirus (CxFV) in 9/228 pooled samples (six pools in Pudong New Area, two pools in Huangpu District, and one pool in Chongming District) of Cx. pipiens. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses of the gene sequences of envelope proteins indicated that Shanghai CxFV strains belonged to the Asia/USA genotype. The overall maximum likelihood estimation values (and 95% confidence interval) for CxFV, QBV, and AEFV in mosquitoes collected in Shanghai in 2016 were 1.34 (0.66–2.45), 1.65 (0.87–2.85), and 1.51 (0.77–2.70) per 1000, respectively. Conclusions This study reveals the presence and the geographical distribution of ISFVs, and determines the genetic variation and the infection rate of ISFVs in Shanghai, China. At least, three insect flaviviruses including ISFVs, AEFV, CxFV, and QBV, co-circulate in this area. To our knowledge, this is the first report of AEFV in China. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40249-018-0457-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Fang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Zhang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zheng-Bin Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Qi Shi
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Shang Xia
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Li
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Tong Wu
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin Liu
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Science and Technology; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, 207 Rui Jin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Guang-Yi Lin
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Guégan M, Zouache K, Démichel C, Minard G, Tran Van V, Potier P, Mavingui P, Valiente Moro C. The mosquito holobiont: fresh insight into mosquito-microbiota interactions. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:49. [PMID: 29554951 PMCID: PMC5859429 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0435-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The holobiont concept was first developed for coral ecosystems but has been extended to multiple organisms, including plants and other animals. Studies on insect-associated microbial communities have produced strong evidence that symbiotic bacteria play a major role in host biology. However, the understanding of these symbiotic relationships has mainly been limited to phytophagous insects, while the role of host-associated microbiota in haematophagous insect vectors remains largely unexplored. Mosquitoes are a major global public health concern, with a concomitant increase in people at risk of infection. The global emergence and re-emergence of mosquito-borne diseases has led many researchers to study both the mosquito host and its associated microbiota. Although most of these studies have been descriptive, they have led to a broad description of the bacterial communities hosted by mosquito populations. This review describes key advances and progress in the field of the mosquito microbiota research while also encompassing other microbes and the environmental factors driving their composition and diversity. The discussion includes recent findings on the microbiota functional roles and underlines their interactions with the host biology and pathogen transmission. Insight into the ecology of multipartite interactions, we consider that conferring the term holobiont to the mosquito and its microbiota is useful to get a comprehensive understanding of the vector pathosystem functioning so as to be able to develop innovative and efficient novel vector control strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Guégan
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
- INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Karima Zouache
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
- INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Colin Démichel
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
- INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Guillaume Minard
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
- INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Van Tran Van
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
- INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Patrick Potier
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
- INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Patrick Mavingui
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
- INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
- Université de La Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM U1187, IRD 249, Unité Mixte Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), Plateforme Technologique CYROI, Sainte-Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Claire Valiente Moro
- Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
- CNRS, UMR 5557, Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France
- INRA, UMR1418, Villeurbanne, France
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zakrzewski M, Rašić G, Darbro J, Krause L, Poo YS, Filipović I, Parry R, Asgari S, Devine G, Suhrbier A. Mapping the virome in wild-caught Aedes aegypti from Cairns and Bangkok. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4690. [PMID: 29549363 PMCID: PMC5856816 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22945-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Medically important arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses are primarily transmitted by the globally distributed mosquito Aedes aegypti. Increasing evidence suggests that transmission can be influenced by mosquito viromes. Herein RNA-Seq was used to characterize RNA metaviromes of wild-caught Ae. aegypti from Bangkok (Thailand) and from Cairns (Australia). The two mosquito populations showed a high degree of similarity in their viromes. BLAST searches of assembled contigs suggest up to 27 insect-specific viruses may infect Ae. aegypti, with up to 23 of these currently uncharacterized and up to 16 infecting mosquitoes from both Cairns and Bangkok. Three characterized viruses dominated, Phasi Charoen-like virus, Humaita-Tubiacanga virus and Cell fusing agent virus, and comparisons with other available RNA-Seq datasets suggested infection levels with these viruses may vary in laboratory-reared mosquitoes. As expected, mosquitoes from Bangkok showed higher mitochondrial diversity and carried alleles associated with knock-down resistance to pyrethroids. Blood meal reads primarily mapped to human genes, with a small number also showing homology with rat/mouse and dog genes. These results highlight the wide spectrum of data that can be obtained from such RNA-Seq analyses, and suggests differing viromes may need to be considered in arbovirus vector competence studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martha Zakrzewski
- Medical Genomics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, 4029, Australia
| | - Gordana Rašić
- Mosquito Control, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, 4029, Australia
| | - Jonathan Darbro
- Mosquito Control, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, 4029, Australia.,Metro North Public Health Unit, Bryden Street, Windsor, QLD, 4030, Australia
| | - Lutz Krause
- Medical Genomics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, 4029, Australia.,The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Yee S Poo
- Inflammation Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, 4029, Australia
| | - Igor Filipović
- Mosquito Control, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, 4029, Australia
| | - Rhys Parry
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4029, Australia
| | - Sassan Asgari
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4029, Australia
| | - Greg Devine
- Mosquito Control, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, 4029, Australia
| | - Andreas Suhrbier
- Inflammation Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld, 4029, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Guzman H, Contreras-Gutierrez MA, Travassos da Rosa APA, Nunes MRT, Cardoso JF, Popov VL, Young KI, Savit C, Wood TG, Widen SG, Watts DM, Hanley KA, Perera D, Fish D, Vasilakis N, Tesh RB. Characterization of Three New Insect-Specific Flaviviruses: Their Relationship to the Mosquito-Borne Flavivirus Pathogens. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2018; 98:410-419. [PMID: 29016330 PMCID: PMC5929187 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Three novel insect-specific flaviviruses, isolated from mosquitoes collected in Peru, Malaysia (Sarawak), and the United States, are characterized. The new viruses, designated La Tina, Kampung Karu, and Long Pine Key, respectively, are antigenically and phylogenetically more similar to the mosquito-borne flavivirus pathogens, than to the classical insect-specific viruses like cell fusing agent and Culex flavivirus. The potential implications of this relationship and the possible uses of these and other arbovirus-related insect-specific flaviviruses are reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hilda Guzman
- Department of Pathology and Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Maria Angelica Contreras-Gutierrez
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales – PECET – SIU – Sede de Investigacion Universitaria – Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Amelia P. A. Travassos da Rosa
- Department of Pathology and Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Marcio R. T. Nunes
- Center for Technological Innovation, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ministry of Health, Ananindeua, Para, Brazil
| | - Jedson F. Cardoso
- Center for Technological Innovation, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ministry of Health, Ananindeua, Para, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Virology, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ministry of Health, Ananindeua, Para, Brazil
| | - Vsevolod L. Popov
- Department of Pathology and Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Katherine I. Young
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
| | - Chelsea Savit
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Thomas G. Wood
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Steven G. Widen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Douglas M. Watts
- U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit-6, Callao, Peru
- Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Kathryn A. Hanley
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
| | - David Perera
- Institute of Health and Community Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Durland Fish
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nikos Vasilakis
- Department of Pathology and Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Robert B. Tesh
- Department of Pathology and Institute for Human Infection and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Development of Antibody Therapeutics against Flaviviruses. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 19:ijms19010054. [PMID: 29295568 PMCID: PMC5796004 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) highlight the urgent need to develop efficacious interventions against flaviviruses, many of which cause devastating epidemics around the world. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have been at the forefront of treatment for cancer and a wide array of other diseases due to their specificity and potency. While mammalian cell-produced mAbs have shown promise as therapeutic candidates against several flaviviruses, their eventual approval for human application still faces several challenges including their potential risk of predisposing treated patients to more severe secondary infection by a heterologous flavivirus through antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). The high cost associated with mAb production in mammalian cell cultures also poses a challenge for the feasible application of these drugs to the developing world where the majority of flavivirus infection occurs. Here, we review the current therapeutic mAb candidates against various flaviviruses including West Nile (WNV), Dengue virus (DENV), and ZIKV. The progress of using plants for developing safer and more economical mAb therapeutics against flaviviruses is discussed within the context of their expression, characterization, downstream processing, neutralization, and in vivo efficacy. The progress of using plant glycoengineering to address ADE, the major impediment of flavivirus therapeutic development, is highlighted. These advancements suggest that plant-based systems are excellent alternatives for addressing the remaining challenges of mAb therapeutic development against flavivirus and may facilitate the eventual commercialization of these drug candidates.
Collapse
|
36
|
Öncü C, Brinkmann A, Günay F, Kar S, Öter K, Sarıkaya Y, Nitsche A, Linton YM, Alten B, Ergünay K. West Nile virus, Anopheles flavivirus, a novel flavivirus as well as Merida-like rhabdovirus Turkey in field-collected mosquitoes from Thrace and Anatolia. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2017; 57:36-45. [PMID: 29128516 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mosquitoes are involved in the transmission and maintenance of several viral diseases with significant health impact. Biosurveillance efforts have also revealed insect-specific viruses, observed to cocirculate with pathogenic strains. This report describes the findings of flavivirus and rhabdovirus screening, performed in eastern Thrace and Aegean region of Anatolia during 2016, including and expanding on locations with previously-documented virus activity. A mosquito cohort of 1545 individuals comprising 14 species were collected and screened in 108 pools via generic and specific amplification and direct metagenomics by next generation sequencing. Seven mosquito pools (6.4%) were positive in the flavivirus screening. West Nile virus lineage 1 clade 1a sequences were characterized in a pool Culex pipiens sensu lato specimens, providing the initial virus detection in Aegean region following 2010 outbreak. In an Anopheles maculipennis sensu lato pool, sequences closely-related to Anopheles flaviviruses were obtained, with similarities to several African and Australian strains of this new insect-specific flavivirus clade. In pools comprising Uranotaenia unguiculata (n=3), Cx. pipiens s.l. (n=1) and Aedes caspius (n=1) mosquitoes, sequences of a novel flavivirus, distantly-related to Flavivirus AV2011, identified previously in Spain and Turkey, were characterized. Moreover, DNA forms of the novel flavivirus were detected in two Ur. unguiculata pools. These sequences were highly-similar to the sequences amplified from viral RNA, with undisrupted reading frames, suggest the occurrence of viral DNA forms in natural conditions within mosquito hosts. Rhabdovirus screening revealed sequences of a recently-described novel virus, named the Merida-like virus Turkey (MERDLVT) in 5 Cx. pipiens s.l. pools (4.6%). Partial L and N gene sequences of MERDLVT were well-conserved among strains, with evidence for geographical clustering in phylogenetic analyses. Metagenomics provided the near-full genomic sequence in a specimen, revealing an identical genome organization and limited divergence from the prototype MERDLVT isolate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ceren Öncü
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Annika Brinkmann
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS-1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Filiz Günay
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sırrı Kar
- Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Tekirdağ, Turkey
| | - Kerem Öter
- Istanbul University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Turkey
| | - Yasemen Sarıkaya
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Andreas Nitsche
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS-1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, MD, USA; Department of Entomology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA; Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Bülent Alten
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Koray Ergünay
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS-1), Berlin, Germany; Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Ankara, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Contreras-Gutierrez MA, Guzman H, Thangamani S, Vasilakis N, Tesh RB. Experimental Infection with and Maintenance of Cell Fusing Agent Virus ( Flavivirus) in Aedes aegypti. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 97:299-304. [PMID: 28719335 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
During the past two decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the recognition and characterization of novel insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFVs). Some of these agents are closely related to important mosquito-borne flavivirus pathogens. Results of experimental studies suggest that mosquitoes and mosquito cell cultures infected with some ISFVs are refractory to superinfection with related flavivirus pathogens; and it has been proposed that ISFVs potentially could be used to alter the vector competence of mosquitoes and reduce transmission of specific flavivirus pathogens, such as dengue, West Nile, or Zika viruses. In order for an ISFV to be used in such a control strategy, the virus would have to be vertically transmitted at a high rate in the target vector population to insure its continued maintenance. This study compared the vertical transmission rates of an ISFV, cell fusing agent virus (CFAV), in two Aedes aegypti colonies: one naturally infected with CFAV and the other experimentally infected but previously free of the virus. CFAV filial infection rates in progeny of female mosquitoes from both colonies were > 90% after two generations of selection, indicating the feasibility of introducing an ISFV into a mosquito population. This and other considerations for evaluating the feasibility of using ISFVs as an arbovirus control strategy are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Angelica Contreras-Gutierrez
- Grupo de Investigacion en Sistematica Molecular (GSM), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin, Colombia.,Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales (PECET), Sede de Investigacion Universitaria (SIU), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Hilda Guzman
- Department of Pathology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Saravanan Thangamani
- Department of Pathology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Nikos Vasilakis
- Department of Pathology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Robert B Tesh
- Department of Pathology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Lee M, Etebari K, Hall-Mendelin S, van den Hurk AF, Hobson-Peters J, Vatipally S, Schnettler E, Hall R, Asgari S. Understanding the role of microRNAs in the interaction of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with an insect-specific flavivirus. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:1892-1903. [PMID: 28699859 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The Flavivirus genus contains some of the most prevalent vector-borne viruses, such as the dengue, Zika and yellow fever viruses that cause devastating diseases in humans. However, the insect-specific clade of flaviviruses is restricted to mosquito hosts, albeit they have retained the general features of the genus, such as genome structure and replication. The interactions between insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) and their mosquito hosts are largely unknown. Pathogenic flaviviruses are known to modulate host-derived microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs that are important in controlling gene expression. Alterations in miRNAs may represent changes in host gene expression and promote understanding of virus-host interactions. The role of miRNAs in ISF-mosquito interactions is largely unknown. A recently discovered Australian ISF, Palm Creek virus (PCV), has the ability to suppress medically relevant flaviviruses. Here, we investigated the potential involvement of miRNAs in PCV infection using the model mosquito Aedes aegypti. By combining small-RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, differentially expressed miRNAs were determined. Our results indicated that PCV infection hardly affects host miRNAs. Out of 101 reported miRNAs of Ae. aegypti, only aae-miR-2940-5p had a significantly altered expression over the course of infection. However, further analysis of aae-miR-2940-5p revealed that this miRNA does not have any direct impact on PCV replication in vitro. Thus, overall the results suggest that PCV infection has a limited effect on the mosquito miRNA profile and therefore miRNAs may not play a significant role in the PCV-Ae. aegypti interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morris Lee
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Kayvan Etebari
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sonja Hall-Mendelin
- Public Health Virology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Department of Health, Queensland Government, PO Box 594, Archerfield, QLD 4108, Australia
| | - Andrew F van den Hurk
- Public Health Virology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Department of Health, Queensland Government, PO Box 594, Archerfield, QLD 4108, Australia
| | - Jody Hobson-Peters
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sreenu Vatipally
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow G61 1QH, Scotland, UK
| | - Esther Schnettler
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow G61 1QH, Scotland, UK
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Roy Hall
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sassan Asgari
- Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Interaction of Flavivirus with their mosquito vectors and their impact on the human health in the Americas. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 492:541-547. [PMID: 28499872 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.05.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Some of the major arboviruses with public health importance, such as dengue, yellow fever, Zika and West Nile virus are mosquito-borne or mosquito-transmitted Flavivirus. Their principal vectors are from the family Culicidae, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus being responsible of the urban cycles of dengue, Zika and yellow fever virus. These vectors are highly competent for transmission of many arboviruses. The genetic variability of the vectors, the environment and the viral diversity modulate the vector competence, in this context, it is important to determine which vector species is responsible of an outbreak in areas where many vectors coexist. As some vectors can transmit several flaviviruses and some flaviviruses can be transmitted by different species of vectors, through this review we expose importance of yellow fever, dengue and Zika virus in the world and the Americas, as well as the updated knowledge about these flaviviruses in their interaction with their mosquito vectors, guiding us on what is probably the beginning of a new stage in which the simultaneity of outbreaks will occur more frequently.
Collapse
|
40
|
A novel flavivirus detected in two Aedes spp. collected near the demilitarized zone of the Republic of Korea. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:1122-1131. [DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
|
41
|
Ergünay K, Litzba N, Brinkmann A, Günay F, Sarıkaya Y, Kar S, Örsten S, Öter K, Domingo C, Erisoz Kasap Ö, Özkul A, Mitchell L, Nitsche A, Alten B, Linton YM. Co-circulation of West Nile virus and distinct insect-specific flaviviruses in Turkey. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:149. [PMID: 28320443 PMCID: PMC5360070 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2087-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Active vector surveillance provides an efficient tool for monitoring the presence or spread of emerging or re-emerging vector-borne viruses. This study was undertaken to investigate the circulation of flaviviruses. Mosquitoes were collected from 58 locations in 10 provinces across the Aegean, Thrace and Mediterranean Anatolian regions of Turkey in 2014 and 2015. Following morphological identification, mosquitoes were pooled and screened by nested and real-time PCR assays. Detected viruses were further characterised by sequencing. Positive pools were inoculated onto cell lines for virus isolation. Next generation sequencing was employed for genomic characterisation of the isolates. RESULTS A total of 12,711 mosquito specimens representing 15 species were screened in 594 pools. Eleven pools (2%) were reactive in the virus screening assays. Sequencing revealed West Nile virus (WNV) in one Culex pipiens (s.l.) pool from Thrace. WNV sequence corresponded to lineage one clade 1a but clustered distinctly from the Turkish prototype isolate. In 10 pools, insect-specific flaviviruses were characterised as Culex theileri flavivirus in 5 pools of Culex theileri and one pool of Cx. pipiens (s.l.), Ochlerotatus caspius flavivirus in two pools of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius, Flavivirus AV-2011 in one pool of Culiseta annulata, and an undetermined flavivirus in one pool of Uranotaenia unguiculata from the Aegean and Thrace regions. DNA forms or integration of the detected insect-specific flaviviruses were not observed. A virus strain, tentatively named as "Ochlerotatus caspius flavivirus Turkey", was isolated from an Ae. caspius pool in C6/36 cells. The viral genome comprised 10,370 nucleotides with a putative polyprotein of 3,385 amino acids that follows the canonical flavivirus polyprotein organisation. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses revealed the close relationship of this strain with Ochlerotatus caspius flavivirus from Portugal and Hanko virus from Finland. Several conserved structural and amino acid motifs were identified. CONCLUSIONS We identified WNV and several distinct insect-specific flaviviruses during an extensive biosurveillance study of mosquitoes in various regions of Turkey in 2014 and 2015. Ongoing circulation of WNV is revealed, with an unprecedented genetic diversity. A probable replicating form of an insect flavivirus identified only in DNA form was detected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koray Ergünay
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. .,Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS-1), Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nadine Litzba
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS-1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Annika Brinkmann
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS-1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Filiz Günay
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yasemen Sarıkaya
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sırrı Kar
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Namık Kemal University, Tekirdağ, Turkey
| | - Serra Örsten
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kerem Öter
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cristina Domingo
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS-1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Özge Erisoz Kasap
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Aykut Özkul
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Luke Mitchell
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, Maryland, USA
| | - Andreas Nitsche
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS-1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Bülent Alten
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, Maryland, USA.,Department of Entomology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.,Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Ergünay K, Litzba N, Brinkmann A, Günay F, Kar S, Öter K, Örsten S, Sarıkaya Y, Alten B, Nitsche A, Linton YM. Isolation and genomic characterization of Culex theileri flaviviruses in field-collected mosquitoes from Turkey. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 46:138-147. [PMID: 27840255 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Vector surveillance for the arthropod-borne infections has resulted in the isolation of a growing number of novel viruses, including several flavivirus strains that exclusively replicate in insects. This report describes the isolation and genomic characterization of four insect-specific flaviviruses from mosquitoes, previously collected from various locations in Turkey. C6/36 Aedes albopictus and Vero cell lines were inoculated with mosquito pools. On C6/36 cells, mild cytopathic effects, characterized as rounding and detachment, were observed in four pools that comprised female Culex theileri mosquitoes. Complete (3 isolates, 10,697 nucleotides) or near-complete (1 isolate, 10,452 nucleotides) genomic characterization was performed in these culture supernatants via next generation sequencing. All strains demonstrated high genetic similarities, with over 99% identity match on nucleotide and amino acid alignments, revealing them to be different isolates of the same virus. Sequence comparisons identified the closest relative to be the Culex theileri flavivirus (CTFV) strains, originally characterized in Portugal. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the isolates remained distinct as a cluster but formed a monophyletic group with CTFV strains, and shared a common ancestor with Quang Binh or related Culex flaviviruses. The organization of the viral genome was consistent with the universal flavivirus structure and stem-loops; conserved motifs and imperfect tandem repeats were identified in the non-coding ends of the viral genomes. A potential ribosomal shifting site, resulting in the translation of an additional reading frame, was detected. The deduced viral polyprotein comprised 3357 amino acids and was highly-conserved. Amino acid variations, presumably associated with adaptive environmental pressures, were identified. These isolates comprise the first fully characterized insect-specific flaviviruses in Turkey. Their impact on West Nile virus circulation, which is also endemic in the study region, remains to be explored.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koray Ergünay
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Ankara, Turkey; Robert Koch Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS 1), Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nadine Litzba
- Robert Koch Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS 1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Annika Brinkmann
- Robert Koch Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS 1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Filiz Günay
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sırrı Kar
- Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Tekirdağ, Turkey
| | - Kerem Öter
- Istanbul University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Serra Örsten
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology Unit, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yasemen Sarıkaya
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Bülent Alten
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Division of Ecology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Andreas Nitsche
- Robert Koch Institute, Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens 1 (ZBS 1), Berlin, Germany
| | - Yvonne-Marie Linton
- Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Museum Support Center MRC-534, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD, USA; Department of Entomology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA; Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Conway MJ. Identification of a Flavivirus Sequence in a Marine Arthropod. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0146037. [PMID: 26717191 PMCID: PMC4699914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic analysis has yet to uncover the early origins of flaviviruses. In this study, I mined a database of expressed sequence tags in order to discover novel flavivirus sequences. Flavivirus sequences were identified in a pool of mRNA extracted from the sea spider Endeis spinosa (Pycnogonida, Pantopoda). Reconstruction of the translated sequences and BLAST analysis matched the sequence to the flavivirus NS5 gene. Additional sequences corresponding to envelope and the NS5 MTase domain were also identified. Phylogenetic analysis of homologous NS5 sequences revealed that Endeis spinosa NS5 (ESNS5) is likely related to classical insect-specific flaviviruses. It is unclear if ESNS5 represents genetic material from an active viral infection or an integrated viral genome. These data raise the possibility that classical insect-specific flaviviruses and perhaps medically relevant flaviviruses, evolved from progenitors that infected marine arthropods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Conway
- Foundational Sciences, Central Michigan University, College of Medicine, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, 48859, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|