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Equine Coital Exanthema: New Insights on the Knowledge and Leading Perspectives for Treatment and Prevention. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10081055. [PMID: 34451519 PMCID: PMC8398825 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10081055] [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: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Equine coital exanthema (ECE) is a highly contagious, venereally-transmitted mucocutaneous disease, characterized by the formation of papules, vesicles, pustules and ulcers on the external genital organs of mares and stallions, and caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3). The infection is endemic worldwide and the virus is transmitted mainly through direct contact during sexual intercourse and by contaminated instruments during reproductive maneuvers in breeding facilities. The disease does not result in systemic illness, infertility or abortion, yet it does have a negative impact on the equine industry as it forces the temporary withdrawal of affected animals with the consequent disruption of mating activities in breeding facilities. The purpose of this review is to provide up-to-date relevant information on the knowledge of EHV-3 infection and to analyze new approaches on diagnostics, treatment and prevention in the interest of minimizing the negative consequences of ECE in light of the current situation of the equine industry.
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Tsai MS, Fogarty U, Byrne AW, O’Keeffe J, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Effects of Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) Reactivation in European Badger ( Meles meles) Genital Tracts on Reproductive Fitness. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9090769. [PMID: 32962280 PMCID: PMC7559395 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9090769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of latent Gammaherpesvirus in the genital tract can lead to reproductive failure in domestic animals. Nevertheless, this pathophysiology has not received formal study in wild mammals. High prevalence of Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) DNA detected in the genital tracts of European badgers (Meles meles) implies that this common pathogen may be a sexual transmitted infection. Here we used PCR to test MusGHV-1 DNA prevalence in genital swabs collected from 144 wild badgers in Ireland (71 males, 73 females) to investigate impacts on male fertility indicators (sperm abundance and testes weight) and female fecundity (current reproductive output). MusGHV-1 reactivation had a negative effect on female reproduction, but not on male fertility; however males had a higher risk of MusGHV-1 reactivation than females, especially during the late-winter mating season, and genital MusGHV-1 reactivation differed between age classes, where 3–5 year old adults had significantly lower reactivation rates than younger or older ones. Negative results in foetal tissues from MusGHV-1 positive mothers indicated that cross-placental transmission was unlikely. This study has broader implications for how wide-spread gammaherpesvirus infections could affect reproductive performance in wild Carnivora species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-shan Tsai
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ursula Fogarty
- Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare W91 RH93, Ireland;
| | - Andrew W. Byrne
- One-Health Scientific Support Unit, Department of Agriculture, Agriculture House, Dublin 2 DO2 WK12, Ireland;
| | - James O’Keeffe
- Department of Agriculture, Agriculture House, Dublin 2 DO2 WK1, Ireland;
- Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 D04 W6F6, Ireland
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
- Cook’s Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, NS B0J 2H0, Canada
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
| | - Christina D. Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
- Cook’s Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, NS B0J 2H0, Canada
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Vissani MA, Perglione CO, Zabal O, Alvarez G, Thiry E, Barrandeguy M, Parreño V. Topical Ganciclovir Reduces Viral Excretion in Mares With Equine Coital Exanthema. J Equine Vet Sci 2020; 94:103199. [PMID: 33077066 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) is the etiological agent of equine coital exanthema (ECE). Because no vaccines or antiviral therapies are available, prevention consists of clinical examination of mares and stallions before mating or semen collection and resting from breeding activities when lesions are present. However, this methodology does not identify subclinically infected animals. Ganciclovir is the most potent compound known to reduce EHV-3 replication. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical ganciclovir application to reduce EHV-3 replication in experimentally infected mares. A pilot study, after a double-blind completely randomized design, was carried out. Twenty mares were randomly divided into five groups (three treated with ganciclovir with different regimen of doses, one treated with a placebo, and one nontreated). Mares were experimentally infected with EHV-3 on day 0. Rectal temperature, clinical signs, and lesions were recorded. Daily perineal and vaginal swabs were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for virus detection. The antibody response was assessed by a virus neutralization test in serum samples collected weekly. Mares experimentally infected with EHV-3 and treated with ganciclovir twice a day for 13 days showed reduced levels and duration of viral excretion and less severe lesions. The viral excretion period was reduced from 18 to nine days compared with the untreated groups. We concluded that ganciclovir had an antiviral effect on EHV-3 replication when topically administered in mares showing clinical signs of ECE. Further trials should be performed to optimize the dose of the antiviral for a definitive formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Aldana Vissani
- Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas (IVIT), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Escuela de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) scientific career, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Cecilia Olguin Perglione
- Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas (IVIT), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Osvaldo Zabal
- Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas (IVIT), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Escuela de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Alvarez
- Dirección de Remonta y Veterinaria, Ejército Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Etienne Thiry
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, FARAH Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege (B-4000), Liege, Belgium
| | - María Barrandeguy
- Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas (IVIT), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Escuela de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Viviana Parreño
- Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas (IVIT), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) scientific career, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Toishi Y, Tsunoda N, Kirisawa R. Period of excretion of equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) from a stallion before showing clinical signs of equine coital exanthema and the effect of acyclovir treatment on the duration of EHV-3 excretion. J Vet Med Sci 2020; 82:1299-1305. [PMID: 32684614 PMCID: PMC7538329 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.20-0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In 2017, two Thoroughbred stallions, A and B in Farms A and B, respectively, in Hokkaido in Japan showed clinical signs of equine coital exanthema (ECE). In 2020, stallion C in
Farm B showed clinical signs of ECE. Eighteen mares were mated within five days before stallion A developed ECE. Ten mares that mated within 3 days before onset showed clinical
signs of ECE on the external genitalia. Equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) was isolated from vaginal swabs from three mares that mated within 2 days before onset. Swabs from 12 mares
that mated within 4 days before onset were real-time PCR (rPCR)-positive and nine of those mares had an increased EHV-3 antibody titer. The three stallions were administered
valaciclovir orally and topical acyclovir ointment was applied. Treatment started on the next day after onset in stallion A and on the day of onset in stallions B and C. EHV-3 was
firstly isolated from penis swabs of stallions A and B before treatment and from penis swabs of stallion C 2 days after treatment. EHV-3 was not isolated after 8, 5 and 8 days from
onset in stallions A, B and C, respectively. However, swabs were rPCR-positive for at least 12, 9 and 15 days after onset of stallions A, B and C, respectively. EHV-3 was excreted
from the stallions at least within 4 days before the onset of ECE, and acyclovir treatment resulted in the termination of excretion within 8 days after onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Toishi
- Shadai Stallion Station, 275 Hayakita-Genbu, Abira-cho, Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido 059-1432, Japan
| | - Nobuo Tsunoda
- Shadai Stallion Station, 275 Hayakita-Genbu, Abira-cho, Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido 059-1432, Japan
| | - Rikio Kirisawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Virology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Bunkyoudai-Midorimachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan
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Vissani MA, Zabal O, Tordoya MS, Parreño V, Thiry E, Barrandeguy M. In vitro comparison of acyclovir, ganciclovir and cidofovir against equid alphaherpesvirus 3 and evaluation of their efficacy against six field isolates. Rev Argent Microbiol 2018; 50:380-390. [PMID: 29779880 DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV3) is the etiological agent of equine coital exanthema (ECE), which is a venereal, highly contagious disease, characterized by the formation of papules, vesicles, pustules and ulcers on the external genitalia of mares and stallions. EHV3 remains in a latent state after a successful infection and there are latently infected animals in which the virus is reactivated and generally re-excreted subclinically. There are no available vaccines for this condition and prevention is based on the clinical examination of mares prior to mating, which allows to segregate those showing clinical signs. As this approach does not eliminate the risk of contagion in stallions from subclinically infected mares, there is a need for a specific EHV3 treatment. Nowadays, there exist various antiviral compounds of proven effectiveness for other alphaherpesviruses affecting humans and animals. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of three antiviral compounds, acyclovir, ganciclovir and cidofovir against EHV3 in vitro, and to assess their efficacy against six EHV3 Argentinian field isolates. To determine the efficacy of these compounds in vitro, three parameters were analyzed: reduction of plaque number, reduction of plaque size and reduction of viral production. Additionally, the effectiveness of the three compounds at an optimum concentration previously determined in this study was investigated for the EHV3 field isolates. Based on our results, ganciclovir was the most potent antiviral compound to reduce EHV3 replication in vitro and may thus be a valuable candidate for treatment and prevention of ECE in mares and stallions.
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Affiliation(s)
- María A Vissani
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar (1712), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Osvaldo Zabal
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar (1712), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Escuela de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Champagnat 1599, Ruta Panamericana km54.5 (B1630AHU), Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María S Tordoya
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar (1712), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Viviana Parreño
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar (1712), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Etienne Thiry
- Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, FARAH Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
| | - María Barrandeguy
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar (1712), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Escuela de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Champagnat 1599, Ruta Panamericana km54.5 (B1630AHU), Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Vissani MA, Tordoya MS, Tsai YL, Lee PYA, Shen YH, Lee FC, Wang HTT, Parreño V, Barrandeguy M. On-site detection of equid alphaherpesvirus 3 in perineal and genital swabs of mares and stallions. J Virol Methods 2018; 257:29-32. [PMID: 29627335 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Equine coital exanthema (ECE) is an infectious, venereally transmitted muco-cutaneous disease affecting mares and stallions, caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV3). Diagnostic tools for rapid identification of EHV3 are of primary importance to diminish the risk of EHV3 dissemination at the time of breeding. In the last years, it has been shown that the performance of the insulated-isothermal polymerase chain reaction (iiPCR) is comparable to virus isolation, nested PCR and real-time PCR (qPCR) in detecting pathogens of various animal species. Analytical sensitivity and specificity of the iiPCR were compared with a qPCR, using a plasmid containing the target region of the EHV3 glycoprotein G gene and an Argentinian EHV3 isolate (E/9283/07 C3A). In order to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the iiPCR, nucleic acids of 85 perineal and genital swabs (PGS) of mares and stallions were extracted by tacoTM mini and tested by both techniques. EHV3 was detected in 46 and 45 of the 85 PGS by the iiPCR and qPCR, respectively. There was almost perfect agreement between the two diagnostic methods (98.82%; 95% CI: 95.03-100%; κ = 0.98). The iiPCR had a limit of detection of 95.00% at 6 genome equivalents per reaction and a detection endpoint for viral DNA comparable to that of the qPCR, and did not react with six non-targeted equine pathogens. The iiPCR represents a sensitive and specific method for the rapid on-site diagnosis of EHV3 infection. Its routinely implementation in breeding facilities, and artificial insemination and embryo transfer centers, will contribute to prevent the dissemination of this venereal, highly contagious disease in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Vissani
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Instituto de Virología, Argentina
| | - M S Tordoya
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Instituto de Virología, Argentina
| | - Y-L Tsai
- GeneReach USA, Lexington, MA, USA
| | | | - Y-H Shen
- GeneReach USA, Lexington, MA, USA
| | - F-C Lee
- GeneReach USA, Lexington, MA, USA
| | | | - V Parreño
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Instituto de Virología, Argentina
| | - M Barrandeguy
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Instituto de Virología, Argentina; Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Escuela de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Champagnat 1599, Ruta Panamericana km54.5 (B1630AHU), Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Kirisawa R, Toishi Y, Akamatsu A, Soejima K, Miyashita T, Tsunoda N. Isolation of equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) from equine coital exanthema of two stallions and sero-epidemiology of EHV-3 infection in Japan. J Vet Med Sci 2017; 79:636-643. [PMID: 28132964 PMCID: PMC5383190 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.16-0518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the spring of 2015, two stallions reared in Farms A and B in Hokkaido in Japan showed symptoms of equine coital exanthema. Equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) was
isolated from penis swab samples of both stallions, and the isolates from each stallion in Farms A and B were designated as SS-1 and YS-1 strains, respectively.
BamHI restriction profiles of SS-1 and Japanese reference strain Iwate-1 were indistinguishable, but the BamHI-A fragment of
YS-1 was larger than those of SS-1 and Iwate-1 by 1.9 kbp because of the lack of two BamHI sites. Nucleotide sequence analyses of glycoprotein
G (gG), gB, gC and VP13/14 coding regions revealed that SS-1 and YS-1 had 99.77% to 100% identities to each other. These results suggested that the origins of
SS-1 and YS-1 were different. For a sero-epidemiological survey, serum neutralizing tests using SS-1 against 319 sera of horses from eight farms in Hokkaido
were conducted. Six of the eight farms were EHV-3 antibody-positive, and positive rates ranged from 2.6% to 17.6%. To determine the infection time of four EHV-3
antibody-positive horses, a retrospective study was conducted. Infection time of the four horses was in the breeding season, and re-infection or reactivation of
latently infected EHV-3 might have occurred in one horse. However, these four horses had never shown any clinical symptoms. The results suggested that several
EHV-3 strains are distributed in Japan and that infection is maintained widely in horses without clinical symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikio Kirisawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Virology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Bunkyoudai-Midorimachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan
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Toishi Y, Tsunoda N, Kirisawa R. Occurrence of equine coital exanthema (ECE) in stallions in Japan and effectiveness of treatment with valacyclovir for ECE. J Vet Med Sci 2017; 79:632-635. [PMID: 28123140 PMCID: PMC5383189 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.16-0511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Equine coital exanthema (ECE) has been reported in many countries, but equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) has been isolated only once in Japan. In 2015, symptoms of ECE were found, and EHV-3 was isolated in two stallions. Valacyclovir, an anti-herpesvirus agent, was administered orally. The stallions rested from mating for more than two weeks, causing enormous financial losses because of their high fees. This is the first study in which valacyclovir was administered for ECE. Though valacyclovir treatment did not shorten the duration of healing, the affected area did not expand after administration of valacyclovir. Valacyclovir therefore seems to be effective for suppression of EHV-3 infection. Further investigation about the administration protocol might be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Toishi
- Shadai Stallion Station, 275 Hayakita-Genbu, Abira-cho, Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido 059-1501, Japan
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Diseases Primarily Affecting the Reproductive System. Vet Med (Auckl) 2017. [PMCID: PMC7150237 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-7020-5246-0.00018-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Construction and manipulation of a full-length infectious bacterial artificial chromosome clone of equine herpesvirus type 3 (EHV-3). Virus Res 2016; 228:30-38. [PMID: 27865864 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2016.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Equine herpesvirus type 3 (EHV-3) is the causal agent of equine coital exanthema, a disease characterized by pox-like lesions on the penis of stallions and the vulva of mares. Although the complete genomic sequence of EHV-3 has been recently made available, its genomic content remains poorly characterized and the molecular mechanisms of disease development not yet elucidated. In an attempt to facilitate genetic manipulation of EHV-3, we describe here the construction of a full-length infectious bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone of EHV-3. Mini-F vector sequences were inserted into the intergenic region between ORF19 and ORF20 (UL41 and UL40, respectively) of EHV-3 strain C175 by homologous recombination in equine dermal cells (NBL-6). DNA of the resulting recombinant virus was electroporated into E. coli and a full-length EHV-3 BAC clone was recovered. Virus reconstituted after transfection of the EHV-3 BAC into NBL-6 cells showed growth properties in vitro that were indistinguishable from those of the parental virus. To assess the feasibility of mutagenesis of the cloned EHV-3 genome, recombinant viruses targeting the glycoprotein E (gE) gene were generated using Red recombination in E. coli and in vitro growth properties of the recombinant viruses were evaluated. We first repaired the gE (ORF74) coding region, since the parental virus used for BAC cloning specifies a truncated version of the gene, and then created gE-tagged and gE-null versions of the virus. Our results demonstrated that: (i) EHV-3 can be efficiently cloned as a BAC allowing easy manipulation of its genome; (ii) gE is dispensable for EHV-3 growth in vitro and is expressed as a product of approximately 110-kDa in infected cells; (iii) viruses having a deletion compromising gE expression or with a truncation of the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains are significantly compromised with regard cell-to-cell spread. The cloning of EHV-3 as a BAC simplifies future studies to identify the role of its coding genes in viral pathogenesis and host immune responses.
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Negussie H, Li Y, Tessema TS, Nauwynck HJ. Replication characteristics of equine herpesvirus 1 and equine herpesvirus 3: comparative analysis using ex vivo tissue cultures. Vet Res 2016; 47:19. [PMID: 26768993 PMCID: PMC4714513 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-016-0305-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Replication kinetics and invasion characteristics of equine herpesvirus-1 and -3 (EHV-1/-3) in nasal and vaginal mucosae were compared using explants. The explants were cultured during 96 h with little change in viability. The tissues were inoculated with EHV-1 03P37 (neuropathogenic), 97P70 (abortigenic) and EHV-3 04P57, collected at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h post inoculation (pi) and stained for viral antigens. Both EHV-1 and EHV-3 replicated in a plaquewise manner. The plaques were already observed at 24 h pi, their size increased over time and did not directly cross the basement membrane (BM). However, EHV-1 infected the monocytic cells (MC) and hijacked these cells to invade the lamina propria. In contrast, EHV-3 replication was fully restricted to epithelial cells; the virus did not breach the BM via a direct cell-to-cell spread nor used infected MC. EHV-1-induced plaques were larger in nasal mucosa compared to vaginal mucosa. The opposite was found for EHV-3-induced plaques. Both EHV-1 strains replicated with comparable kinetics in nasal mucosa. However, the extent of replication of the abortigenic strain in vaginal mucosa was significantly higher than that of the neuropathogenic strain. Two-to-five-fold lower numbers of EHV-1-infected MC underneath the BM were found in vaginal mucosa than in nasal mucosa. Our study has shown that (i) EHV-1 has developed in evolution a predisposition for respiratory mucosa and EHV-3 for vaginal mucosa, (ii) abortigenic EHV-1 replicates better in vaginal mucosa than neuropathogenic EHV-1 and (iii) EHV-3 demonstrated a strict epithelial tropism whereas EHV-1 in addition hijacked MC to invade the lamina propria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haileleul Negussie
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. .,College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 34, Debre Ziet, Ethiopia.
| | - Yewei Li
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Tesfaye Sisay Tessema
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Hans J Nauwynck
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Vissani MA, Thiry E, Dal Pozzo F, Barrandeguy M. Antiviral agents against equid alphaherpesviruses: Current status and perspectives. Vet J 2015; 207:38-44. [PMID: 26654843 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2013] [Revised: 06/07/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Equid herpesvirus infections cause respiratory, neurological and reproductive syndromes. Despite preventive and control measures and the availability of vaccines and immunostimulants, herpesvirus infections still constitute a major threat to equine health and for the equine industry worldwide. Antiviral drugs, particularly nucleoside analogues and foscarnet, are successfully used for the treatment of human alphaherpesvirus infections. In equine medicine, the use of antiviral medications in alphaherpesvirus infections would decrease the excretion of virus and diminish the risk of contagion and the convalescent time in affected horses, and would also improve the clinical outcome of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy. The combined use of antiviral compounds, along with vaccines, immune modulators, and effective preventive and control measures, might be beneficial in diminishing the negative impact of alphaherpesvirus infections in horses. The purpose of this review is to analyse the available information regarding the use of antiviral agents against alphaherpesviruses, with particular emphasis on equine alphaherpesvirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- María A Vissani
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar 1712, Argentina.
| | - Etienne Thiry
- Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases and UREAR, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
| | - Fabiana Dal Pozzo
- Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases and UREAR, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
| | - María Barrandeguy
- Instituto de Virología, CICVyA, INTA, Las Cabañas y Los Reseros s/n, Castelar 1712, Argentina; Carrera de Veterinaria, Universidad del Salvador, Champagnat 1599, Ruta Panamericana km 54.5 (B1630AHU), Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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The equine immune responses to infectious and allergic disease: a model for humans? Mol Immunol 2014; 66:89-96. [PMID: 25457878 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2014.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Revised: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The modern horse, Equus caballus has historically made important contributions to the field of immunology, dating back to Emil von Behring's description of curative antibodies in equine serum over a century ago. While the horse continues to play an important role in human serotherapy, the mouse has replaced the horse as the predominant experimental animal in immunology research. Nevertheless, continuing efforts have led to an improved understanding of the equine immune response in a variety of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Based on this information, we can begin to identify specific situations where the horse may provide a unique immunological model for certain human diseases.
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