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Kariyawasam R, Lau R, Valencia BM, Llanos-Cuentas A, Boggild AK. Novel detection of Leishmania RNA virus-1 (LRV-1) in clinical isolates of Leishmania Viannia panamensis. Parasitology 2024; 151:151-156. [PMID: 38031433 PMCID: PMC10941039 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023001221] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
American tegumentary leishmaniasis comprises a discrete set of clinical presentations endemic to Latin America. Leishmania RNA virus-1 (LRV-1) is a double-stranded RNA virus identified in 20–25% of the Leishmania Viannia braziliensis and L. V. guyanensis, however not in L. V. panamensis. This is the first report of LRV-1 in L. V. panamensis and its associations with clinical phenotypes of ATL. Unique surplus discard clinical isolates of L. V. panamensis were identified from the Public Health Ontario Laboratory (PHOL) and the Leishmania Clinic of the Instituto de Medicina Tropical ‘Alexander von Humboldt’ between 2012 and 2019 and screened for LRV-1 by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Patient isolates were stratified according to clinical phenotype. Of 30 patients with L. V. panamensis, 14 (47%) and 16 (53%) patients had severe and non-severe ATL, respectively. Five (36%) of 14 severe cases and 2 (12%) of 16 non-severe cases were positive for LRV-1, respectively. No differences in sex were observed for clinical phenotype and LRV-1 status. Although an association between LRV-1 status and clinical phenotype was not demonstrated, this is the first description of the novel detection of LRV-1 in L. V. panamensis, a species that has been documented predominantly in Central America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruwandi Kariyawasam
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Alberta Precision Laboratories-Public Health, Edmonton, AB T6G 2J2, Canada
| | - Rachel Lau
- Public Health Ontario Laboratory, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1 Canada
| | - Braulio M. Valencia
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical ‘Alejandro von Humboldt’, Lima, Peru
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Andrea K. Boggild
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Tropical Disease Unit, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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Heeren S, Maes I, Sanders M, Lye LF, Adaui V, Arevalo J, Llanos-Cuentas A, Garcia L, Lemey P, Beverley SM, Cotton JA, Dujardin JC, Van den Broeck F. Diversity and dissemination of viruses in pathogenic protozoa. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8343. [PMID: 38102141 PMCID: PMC10724245 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44085-2] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth and play a significant role in the evolution of many organisms and ecosystems. In pathogenic protozoa, the presence of viruses has been linked to an increased risk of treatment failure and severe clinical outcome. Here, we studied the molecular epidemiology of the zoonotic disease cutaneous leishmaniasis in Peru and Bolivia through a joint evolutionary analysis of Leishmania braziliensis and their dsRNA Leishmania virus 1. We show that parasite populations circulate in tropical rainforests and are associated with single viral lineages that appear in low prevalence. In contrast, groups of hybrid parasites are geographically and ecologically more dispersed and associated with an increased prevalence, diversity and spread of viruses. Our results suggest that parasite gene flow and hybridization increased the frequency of parasite-virus symbioses, a process that may change the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senne Heeren
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ilse Maes
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Lon-Fye Lye
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Vanessa Adaui
- Laboratory of Biomolecules, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru
| | - Jorge Arevalo
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Lineth Garcia
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédicas e Investigación Social, Universidad Mayor de San Simon, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Philippe Lemey
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephen M Beverley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - James A Cotton
- Welcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Comparative Medicine, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Frederik Van den Broeck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Rêgo FD, da Silva ES, Lopes VV, Teixeira-Neto RG, Belo VS, Fonseca AA, Pereira DA, Pena HP, Laurenti MD, Araújo GV, da Matta VLR, Chouman IH, Burrin TB, Sandoval CM, Barrouin-Melo SM, de Pinho FA, de Andrade HM, Nunes RV, Gontijo CMF, Soccol VT, Klocek D, Grybchuk D, Macedo DH, do Monte-Neto RL, Yurchenko V, Soares RP. First report of putative Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) in Leishmania infantum strains from canine and human visceral leishmaniasis cases in the southeast of Brazil. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2023; 118:e230071. [PMID: 37729273 PMCID: PMC10511063 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760230071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1) is commonly found in South American Leishmania parasites belonging to the subgenus Viannia, whereas Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) was previously thought to be restricted to the Old-World pathogens of the subgenus Leishmania. OBJECTIVES In this study, we investigated the presence of LRV2 in strains of Leishmania (L.) infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), originating from different hosts, clinical forms, and geographical regions. METHODS A total of seventy-one isolates were screened for LRV2 using semi-nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. FINDINGS We detected LRV2 in two L. infantum isolates (CUR268 and HP-EMO) from canine and human cases, respectively. MAIN CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detection of LRV2 in the New World.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Dutra Rêgo
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto René Rachou, Grupo de Pesquisa em Biotecnologia Aplicada ao Estudo de Patógenos, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Eduardo Sérgio da Silva
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias e Infecciosas, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
| | - Valeriana Valadares Lopes
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias e Infecciosas, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
| | | | - Vinícius Silva Belo
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias e Infecciosas, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
| | - Antônio Augusto Fonseca
- Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, Laboratório Nacional Agropecuária, Pedro Leopoldo, MG, Brasil
| | - Diego Andrade Pereira
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias e Infecciosas, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
| | - Heber Paulino Pena
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias e Infecciosas, Divinópolis, MG, Brasil
| | - Márcia Dalastra Laurenti
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, Laboratório de Patologia de Moléstias Infecciosas, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Gabriela V Araújo
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, Laboratório de Patologia de Moléstias Infecciosas, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Vânia Lúcia Ribeiro da Matta
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, Laboratório de Patologia de Moléstias Infecciosas, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Islam Hussein Chouman
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, Laboratório de Patologia de Moléstias Infecciosas, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Thainá Bergantin Burrin
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, Laboratório de Patologia de Moléstias Infecciosas, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Carmen M Sandoval
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, Laboratório de Patologia de Moléstias Infecciosas, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Stella Maria Barrouin-Melo
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Departamento de Anatomia, Patologia e Clínicas Veterinárias, Escola de Medicina Veterinária, Laboratório de Infectologia Veterinária, Salvador, BA, Brasil
| | - Flaviane Alves de Pinho
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Departamento de Anatomia, Patologia e Clínicas Veterinárias, Escola de Medicina Veterinária, Laboratório de Infectologia Veterinária, Salvador, BA, Brasil
| | - Hélida Monteiro de Andrade
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitologia, Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Ramon Vieira Nunes
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitologia, Laboratório de Leishmanioses, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Célia Maria Ferreira Gontijo
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto René Rachou, Grupo de Pesquisa em Biotecnologia Aplicada ao Estudo de Patógenos, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Vanete Thomaz Soccol
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Departamento de Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | - Donnamae Klocek
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Life Science Research Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Danyil Grybchuk
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Life Science Research Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Diego Henrique Macedo
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Life Science Research Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Rubens Lima do Monte-Neto
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto René Rachou, Grupo de Pesquisa em Biotecnologia Aplicada ao Estudo de Patógenos, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Life Science Research Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Rodrigo Pedro Soares
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto René Rachou, Grupo de Pesquisa em Biotecnologia Aplicada ao Estudo de Patógenos, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
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Santana MCDO, Chourabi K, Cantanhêde LM, Cupolillo E. Exploring Host-Specificity: Untangling the Relationship between Leishmania ( Viannia) Species and Its Endosymbiont Leishmania RNA Virus 1. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2295. [PMID: 37764139 PMCID: PMC10535429 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A relevant aspect in the epidemiology of Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (TL) are the Leishmania parasites carrying a viral endosymbiont, Leishmania RNA Virus 1 (LRV1), a dsRNA virus. Leishmania parasites carrying LRV1 are prone to causing more severe TL symptoms, increasing the likelihood of unfavorable clinical outcomes. LRV1 has been observed in the cultured strains of five L. (Viannia) species, and host specificity was suggested when studying the LRV1 from L. braziliensis and L. guyanensis strains. The coevolution hypothesis of LRV1 and Leishmania was based on phylogenetic analyses, implying an association between LRV1 genotypes, Leishmania species, and their geographic origins. This study aimed to investigate LRV1 specificity relative to Leishmania (Viannia) species hosts by analyzing LRV1 from L. (Viannia) species. To this end, LRV1 was screened in L. (Viannia) species other than L. braziliensis or L. guyanensis, and it was detected in 11 out of 15 L. naiffi and two out of four L. shawi. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial LRV1 genomic sequencing supported the hypothesis of host specificity, as LRV1 clustered according to their respective Leishmania species' hosts. These findings underscore the importance of investigating Leishmania and LRV1 coevolution and its impact on Leishmania (Viannia) species dispersion and pathogenesis in the American Continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayara Cristhine de Oliveira Santana
- Leishmaniasis Research Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040360, Brazil; (M.C.d.O.S.); (L.M.C.)
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT EpiAmO, Porto Velho 76812100, Brazil
| | - Khaled Chourabi
- Leishmaniasis Research Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040360, Brazil; (M.C.d.O.S.); (L.M.C.)
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT EpiAmO, Porto Velho 76812100, Brazil
| | - Lilian Motta Cantanhêde
- Leishmaniasis Research Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040360, Brazil; (M.C.d.O.S.); (L.M.C.)
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT EpiAmO, Porto Velho 76812100, Brazil
| | - Elisa Cupolillo
- Leishmaniasis Research Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040360, Brazil; (M.C.d.O.S.); (L.M.C.)
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT EpiAmO, Porto Velho 76812100, Brazil
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Zhang P, Zhang Y, Cao L, Li J, Wu C, Tian M, Zhang Z, Zhang C, Zhang W, Li Y. A Diverse Virome Is Identified in Parasitic Flatworms of Domestic Animals in Xinjiang, China. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0070223. [PMID: 37042768 PMCID: PMC10269781 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00702-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic flatworms infect diverse vertebrates and are major threats to animal and even human health; however, little is known about the virome of these lower life forms. Using viral metagenomic sequencing, we characterized the virome of the parasitic flatworms collected from major domestic animals, including Dicrocoelium lanceatum and Taenia hydatigena, Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto and Echinococcus multilocularis. Seven and three different viruses were discovered from D. lanceatum and T. hydatigena, respectively, and no viral sequences were found in adult tapeworms and protoscoleces of E. granulosus sensu stricto and E. multilocularis. Two out of the five parasitic flatworm species carry viruses, showing a host specificity of these viruses. These viruses belong to the Parvoviridae, Circoviridae, unclassified circular, Rep-encoding single-stranded (CRESS) DNA virus, Rhabdoviridae, Endornaviridae, and unclassified RNA viruses. The presence of multiple highly divergent RNA viruses, especially those that cluster with viruses found in marine animals, implies a deep evolutionary history of parasite-associated viruses. In addition, we found viruses with high identity to common pathogens in dogs, including canine circovirus and canine parvovirus 2. The presence of these viruses in the parasites implies that they may infect parasitic flatworms but does not completely exclude the possibility of contamination from host intestinal contents. Furthermore, we demonstrated that certain viruses, such as CRESS DNA virus may integrate into the genome of their host. Our results expand the knowledge of viral diversity in parasites of important domestic animals, highlighting the need for further investigations of their prevalence among other parasites of key animals. IMPORTANCE Characterizing the virome of parasites is important for unveiling the viral diversity, evolution, and ecology and will help to understand the "Russian doll" pattern among viruses, parasites, and host animals. Our data indicate that diverse viruses are present in specific parasitic flatworms, including viruses that may have an ancient evolutionary history and viruses currently circulating in parasite-infected host animals. These data also raise the question of whether parasitic flatworms acquire and/or carry some viruses that may have transmission potential to animals. In addition, through the study of virus-parasite-host interactions, including the influence of viral infection on the life cycle of the parasite, as well as its fitness and pathogenicity to the host, we could find new strategies to prevent and control parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, WHO-Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Care Management of Echinococcosis, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Le Cao
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, WHO-Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Care Management of Echinococcosis, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Chuanchuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, WHO-Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Care Management of Echinococcosis, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Mengxiao Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, WHO-Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Care Management of Echinococcosis, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Zhuangzhi Zhang
- Veterinary Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Chiyu Zhang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenbao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, WHO-Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Care Management of Echinococcosis, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
- Veterinary Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yanpeng Li
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Heeren S, Maes I, Sanders M, Lye LF, Arevalo J, Llanos-Cuentas A, Garcia L, Lemey P, Beverley SM, Cotton JA, Dujardin JC, den Broeck FV. Parasite hybridization promotes spreading of endosymbiotic viruses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.24.534103. [PMID: 36993291 PMCID: PMC10055345 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.24.534103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth and play a significant role in the evolution of many organisms and ecosystems. In pathogenic protozoa, the presence of endosymbiotic viruses has been linked to an increased risk of treatment failure and severe clinical outcome. Here, we studied the molecular epidemiology of the zoonotic disease cutaneous leishmaniasis in Peru and Bolivia through a joint evolutionary analysis of Leishmania braziliensis parasites and their endosymbiotic Leishmania RNA virus. We show that parasite populations circulate in isolated pockets of suitable habitat and are associated with single viral lineages that appear in low prevalence. In contrast, groups of hybrid parasites were geographically and ecologically dispersed, and commonly infected from a pool of genetically diverse viruses. Our results suggest that parasite hybridization, likely due to increased human migration and ecological perturbations, increased the frequency of endosymbiotic interactions known to play a key role in disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senne Heeren
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ilse Maes
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mandy Sanders
- Parasite Genomics Group, Welcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Lon-Fye Lye
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Jorge Arevalo
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Lineth Garcia
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédicas e Investigación Social, Universidad Mayor de San Simon, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | - Philippe Lemey
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephen M Beverley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - James A Cotton
- Parasite Genomics Group, Welcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Frederik Van den Broeck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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7
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Multiple Regulations of Parasitic Protozoan Viruses: A Double-Edged Sword for Protozoa. mBio 2023; 14:e0264222. [PMID: 36633419 PMCID: PMC9973342 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02642-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasite infections affect human and animal health significantly and contribute to a major burden on the global economy. Parasitic protozoan viruses (PPVs) affect the protozoan parasites' morphology, phenotypes, pathogenicity, and growth rates. This discovery provides an opportunity to develop a novel preventive and therapeutic strategy for parasitic protozoan diseases (PPDs). Currently, there is greater awareness regarding PPVs; however, knowledge of viruses and their associations with host diseases remains limited. Parasite-host interactions become more complex owing to PPVs; however, few studies have investigated underlying viral regulatory mechanisms in parasites. In this study, we reviewed relevant studies to identify studies that investigated PPV development and life cycles, the triangular association between viruses, parasites, and hosts, and the effects of viruses on protozoan pathogenicity. This study highlights that viruses can alter parasite biology, and viral infection of parasites may exacerbate the adverse effects of virus-containing parasites on hosts or reduce parasite virulence. PPVs should be considered in the prevention of parasitic epidemics and outbreaks, although their effects on the host and the complexity of the triangular association between PPVs, protozoans, and hosts remain unclear. IMPORTANCE PPVs-based regulation of parasitic protozoa can provide a theoretical basis and direction for PPD prevention and control, although PPVs and PPV regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this review, we investigated the differences between PPVs and the unique properties of each virus regarding virus discovery, structures, and life cycles, focused on the Trichomonas vaginalis virus, Giardia lamblia virus, Leishmania RNA virus, and the Cryptosporidium parvum virus 1. The triangular association between PPVs, parasitic protozoa, and hosts reveals the "double-edged sword" property of PPVs, which maintains a balance between parasitic protozoa and hosts in both positive and negative respects. These studies discuss the complexity of parasitic protozoa and their co-existence with hosts and suggest novel pathways for using PPVs as tools to gain a deeper understanding of protozoal infection and treatment.
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An RNA Interference (RNAi) Toolkit and Its Utility for Functional Genetic Analysis of Leishmania ( Viannia). Genes (Basel) 2022; 14:genes14010093. [PMID: 36672832 PMCID: PMC9858808 DOI: 10.3390/genes14010093] [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: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful tool whose efficacy against a broad range of targets enables functional genetic tests individually or systematically. However, the RNAi pathway has been lost in evolution by a variety of eukaryotes including most Leishmania sp. RNAi was retained in species of the Leishmania subgenus Viannia, and here we describe the development, optimization, and application of RNAi tools to the study of L. (Viannia) braziliensis (Lbr). We developed vectors facilitating generation of long-hairpin or "stem-loop" (StL) RNAi knockdown constructs, using GatewayTM site-specific recombinase technology. A survey of applications of RNAi in L. braziliensis included genes interspersed within multigene tandem arrays such as quinonoid dihydropteridine reductase (QDPR), a potential target or modulator of antifolate sensitivity. Other tests include genes involved in cell differentiation and amastigote proliferation (A600), and essential genes of the intraflagellar transport (IFT) pathway. We tested a range of stem lengths targeting the L. braziliensis hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) and reporter firefly luciferase (LUC) genes and found that the efficacy of RNAi increased with stem length, and fell off greatly below about 128 nt. We used the StL length dependency to establish a useful 'hypomorphic' approach not possible with other gene ablation strategies, with shorter IFT140 stems yielding viable cells with compromised flagellar morphology. We showed that co-selection for RNAi against adenine phosphoryl transferase (APRT1) using 4-aminopyrazolpyrimidine (APP) could increase the efficacy of RNAi against reporter constructs, a finding that may facilitate improvements in future work. Thus, for many genes, RNAi provides a useful tool for studying Leishmania gene function with some unique advantages.
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Procházková M, Füzik T, Grybchuk D, Yurchenko V, Plevka P. Virion structure of Leishmania RNA virus 1. Virology 2022; 577:149-154. [PMID: 36371873 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.09.014] [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: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The presence of Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1) enables Leishmania protozoan parasites to cause more severe disease than the virus-free strains. The structure of LRV1 virus-like particles has been determined previously, however, the structure of the LRV1 virion has not been characterized. Here we used cryo-electron microscopy and single-particle reconstruction to determine the structures of the LRV1 virion and empty particle isolated from Leishmania guyanensis to resolutions of 4.0 Å and 3.6 Å, respectively. The capsid of LRV1 is built from sixty dimers of capsid proteins organized with icosahedral symmetry. RNA genomes of totiviruses are replicated inside the virions by RNA polymerases expressed as C-terminal extensions of a sub-population of capsid proteins. Most of the virions probably contain one or two copies of the RNA polymerase, however, the location of the polymerase domains in LRV1 capsid could not be identified, indicating that it varies among particles. Importance. Every year over 200 000 people contract leishmaniasis and more than five hundred people die of the disease. The mucocutaneous form of leishmaniasis produces lesions that can destroy the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and throat. Leishmania parasites carrying Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1) are predisposed to cause aggravated symptoms in the mucocutaneous form of leishmaniasis. Here, we present the structure of the LRV1 virion determined using cryo-electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Procházková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Tibor Füzik
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Danyil Grybchuk
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, Ostrava, 710 00, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Plevka
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
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10
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Lafleur A, Olivier M. Viral endosymbiotic infection of protozoan parasites: How it influences the development of cutaneous leishmaniasis. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010910. [PMID: 36327251 PMCID: PMC9632828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lafleur
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, and The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Montréal, Canada
| | - Martin Olivier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, and The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Montréal, Canada
- * E-mail:
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11
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Elimination of LRVs Elicits Different Responses in Leishmania spp. mSphere 2022; 7:e0033522. [PMID: 35943162 PMCID: PMC9429963 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00335-22] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniaviruses (LRVs) have been demonstrated to enhance progression of leishmaniasis, a vector-transmitted disease with a wide range of clinical manifestations that is caused by flagellates of the genus Leishmania. Here, we used two previously proposed strategies of the LRV ablation to shed light on the relationships of two Leishmania spp. with their respective viral species (L. guyanensis, LRV1 and L. major, LRV2) and demonstrated considerable difference between two studied systems. LRV1 could be easily eliminated by the expression of exogenous capsids regardless of their origin (the same or distantly related LRV1 strains, or even LRV2), while LRV2 was only partially depleted in the case of the native capsid overexpression. The striking differences were also observed in the effects of complete viral elimination with 2'C-methyladenosine (2-CMA) on the transcriptional profiles of these two Leishmania spp. While virtually no differentially expressed genes were detected after the LRV1 removal from L. guyanensis, the response of L. major after ablation of LRV2 involved 87 genes, the analysis of which suggested a considerable stress experienced even after several passages following the treatment. This effect on L. major was also reflected in a significant decrease of the proliferation rate, not documented in L. guyanensis and naturally virus-free strain of L. major. Our findings suggest that integration of L. major with LRV2 is deeper compared with that of L. guyanensis with LRV1. We presume this determines different effects of the viral presence on the Leishmania spp. infections. IMPORTANCELeishmania spp. represent human pathogens that cause leishmaniasis, a widespread parasitic disease with mild to fatal clinical manifestations. Some strains of leishmaniae bear leishmaniaviruses (LRVs), and this has been shown to aggravate disease course. We investigated the relationships of two distally related Leishmania spp. with their respective LRVs using different strategies of virus removal. Our results suggest the South American L. guyanensis easily loses its virus with no important consequences for the parasite in the laboratory culture. Conversely, the Old-World L. major is refractory to virus removal and experiences a prominent stress if this removal is nonetheless completed. The drastically different levels of integration between the studied Leishmania spp. and their viruses suggest distinct effects of the viral presence on infections in these species of parasites.
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12
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Snäkä T, Bekkar A, Desponds C, Prével F, Claudinot S, Isorce N, Teixeira F, Grasset C, Xenarios I, Lopez-Mejia IC, Fajas L, Fasel N. Sex-Biased Control of Inflammation and Metabolism by a Mitochondrial Nod-Like Receptor. Front Immunol 2022; 13:882867. [PMID: 35651602 PMCID: PMC9150262 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.882867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria regulate steroid hormone synthesis, and in turn sex hormones regulate mitochondrial function for maintaining cellular homeostasis and controlling inflammation. This crosstalk can explain sex differences observed in several pathologies such as in metabolic or inflammatory disorders. Nod-like receptor X1 (NLRX1) is a mitochondria-associated innate receptor that could modulate metabolic functions and attenuates inflammatory responses. Here, we showed that in an infectious model with the human protozoan parasite, Leishmania guyanensis, NLRX1 attenuated inflammation in females but not in male mice. Analysis of infected female and male bone marrow derived macrophages showed both sex- and genotype-specific differences in both inflammatory and metabolic profiles with increased type I interferon production, mitochondrial respiration, and glycolytic rate in Nlrx1-deficient female BMDMs in comparison to wild-type cells, while no differences were observed between males. Transcriptomics of female and male BMDMs revealed an altered steroid hormone signaling in Nlrx1-deficient cells, and a “masculinization” of Nlrx1-deficient female BMDMs. Thus, our findings suggest that NLRX1 prevents uncontrolled inflammation and metabolism in females and therefore may contribute to the sex differences observed in infectious and inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiia Snäkä
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Amel Bekkar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Desponds
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Florence Prével
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | | | - Nathalie Isorce
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Filipa Teixeira
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Coline Grasset
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Ioannis Xenarios
- Agora Center, Center Hospitalier Universitaire (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Lluis Fajas
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Fasel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
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13
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Zakharova A, Albanaz ATS, Opperdoes FR, Škodová-Sveráková I, Zagirova D, Saura A, Chmelová L, Gerasimov ES, Leštinová T, Bečvář T, Sádlová J, Volf P, Lukeš J, Horváth A, Butenko A, Yurchenko V. Leishmania guyanensis M4147 as a new LRV1-bearing model parasite: Phosphatidate phosphatase 2-like protein controls cell cycle progression and intracellular lipid content. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010510. [PMID: 35749562 PMCID: PMC9232130 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic vector-borne disease caused by the protistan flagellates of the genus Leishmania. Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis is one of the most common causative agents of the American tegumentary leishmaniasis. It has previously been shown that L. guyanensis strains that carry the endosymbiotic Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1) cause more severe form of the disease in a mouse model than those that do not. The presence of the virus was implicated into the parasite’s replication and spreading. In this respect, studying the molecular mechanisms of cellular control of viral infection is of great medical importance. Here, we report ~30.5 Mb high-quality genome assembly of the LRV1-positive L. guyanensis M4147. This strain was turned into a model by establishing the CRISPR-Cas9 system and ablating the gene encoding phosphatidate phosphatase 2-like (PAP2L) protein. The orthologue of this gene is conspicuously absent from the genome of an unusual member of the family Trypanosomatidae, Vickermania ingenoplastis, a species with mostly bi-flagellated cells. Our analysis of the PAP2L-null L. guyanensis showed an increase in the number of cells strikingly resembling the bi-flagellated V. ingenoplastis, likely as a result of the disruption of the cell cycle, significant accumulation of phosphatidic acid, and increased virulence compared to the wild type cells. Worldwide, over one million people are getting infected by the parasitic flagellates of the genus Leishmania annually leading to ~30,000 deaths. Notably, there is still no approved vaccine against human leishmaniases. A range of methods of forward and reverse genetics has recently been developed for several model Leishmania species. Unfortunately, these methods are often not transferrable to non-model species, which may be of even greater medical importance. Leishmania guyanensis is one of such cases. It frequently carries a symbiotic RNA virus that contributes to the development of a more aggressive form of leishmaniasis in an experimental murine model. In order to establish and optimize the system for genetic manipulations in L. guyanensis, we sequenced and annotated its genome. Next, we applied the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to target a gene of interest. This approach was validated by ablating a gene encoding a protein involved in lipid metabolism. In this work, we document that deletion of this gene leads to the disturbance of cell cycle and affects the ratio of critical intracellular lipids. We believe that our study will facilitate research into more effective treatment of leishmaniases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Zakharova
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Amanda T. S. Albanaz
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Fred R. Opperdoes
- De Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ingrid Škodová-Sveráková
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Diana Zagirova
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Andreu Saura
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Lˇubomíra Chmelová
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Evgeny S. Gerasimov
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Leštinová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Bečvář
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jovana Sádlová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Anton Horváth
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Anzhelika Butenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
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14
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Farrokhi-Karibozorg M, Ghayour-Najafabadi Z, Hejazi SH, Ataei-Pirkooh A, Mohebali M, Teimouri P, Hajjaran H. Molecular identification of Leishmania RNA virus in cutaneous leishmaniasis patients and rodent reservoirs in Isfahan province, Iran. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 98:105222. [PMID: 35066166 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) is a double-strand RNA virus that was first detected in members of the Leishmania viannia in the New World. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of LRV in the Leishmania species isolated from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients and rodents as reservoirs in Isfahan province an old zoonotic CL focus, center of Iran. Totally, 85 samples were collected from CL patients (n = 80) and rodent reservoirs (n = 5) from different regions of Isfahan province. Species identification was determined using the PCR-RFLP method. Viral dsRNA was extracted and for observation of 5.3 kb dsRNA on an agarose gel. The presence of LRV was surveyed using the Semi-nested PCR method. For phylogenetic analyzes, 6 samples of 13 isolates were sequenced and a phylogenetic tree was drawn by MEGA7 version 7.0.26. Of 80 Leishmania isolates recovered from the patients with CL, 79 and only one were identified as L. major and L. tropica, respectively. Also, the PCR assays detected four L. major and one L. turanica in five assessed Rhombomys opimus as the rodent reservoirs. LRV was detected only in Leishmania species isolated from 13 species of 85 (15.3%) CL including (L. major, n = 12) and (L. tropica, n = 1). Phylogenetic analysis showed that they were belonged to LRV2 and had the highest similarity with Iranian reference LRV2 in GenBank. Our results showed that the LRV2 was present in cutaneous Leishmania species in Isfahan province is the most historical and touristic province of Iran. In the study LRV was not reported from rodent reservoirs, it may be due to the small sample size. Phylogenetic analysis of current sequences demonstrated that these isolates belong to the registered LRV2 of the Old World.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojgan Farrokhi-Karibozorg
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zahra Ghayour-Najafabadi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Seyed Hossein Hejazi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Center for Research in Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Angila Ataei-Pirkooh
- Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parvin Teimouri
- Navab Safavi Health Center, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Homa Hajjaran
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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15
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Valencia BM, Lau R, Kariyawasam R, Jara M, Ramos AP, Chantry M, Lana JT, Boggild AK, Llanos-Cuentas A. Leishmania RNA virus-1 is similarly detected among metastatic and non-metastatic phenotypes in a prospective cohort of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010162. [PMID: 35089930 PMCID: PMC8827429 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) is an endemic and neglected disease of South America. Here, mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) disproportionately affects up to 20% of subjects with current or previous localised cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL). Preclinical and clinical reports have implicated the Leishmania RNA virus-1 (LRV1) as a possible determinant of progression to ML and other severe manifestations such as extensive cutaneous and mucosal disease and treatment failure and relapse. However, these associations were not consistently found in other observational studies and are exclusively based on cross-sectional designs. In the present study, 56 subjects with confirmed ATL were assessed and followed out for 24-months post-treatment. Lesion biopsy specimens were processed for molecular detection and quantification of Leishmania parasites, species identification, and LRV1 detection. Among individuals presenting LRV1 positive lesions, 40% harboured metastatic phenotypes; comparatively 58.1% of patients with LRV1 negative lesions harboured metastatic phenotypes (p = 0.299). We found treatment failure (p = 0.575) and frequency of severe metastatic phenotypes (p = 0.667) to be similarly independent of the LRV1. Parasite loads did not differ according to the LRV1 status (p = 0.330), nor did Leishmanin skin induration size (p = 0.907) or histopathologic patterns (p = 0.780). This study did not find clinical, parasitological, or immunological evidence supporting the hypothesis that LRV1 is a significant determinant of the pathobiology of ATL. The Leishmania RNA virus-1 (LRV1) has been implicated as a possible modulator agent in the pathogenesis of leishmaniasis. In-vivo and in-vitro studies have depicted specific mechanisms of how LRV1 could lead to metastasis. Clinical studies and epidemiological evidence have both supported and rejected the hypothesis that LRV1 is a relevant determinant of progression, treatment failure and clinical severity of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL). This lack of consistency between preclinical and clinical reports requires further longitudinal studies to clarify the role of LRV1 in ATL. Due to the complex nature of ATL, as other frequent human diseases, these studies should tackle multiple determinants of pathogenicity, including LRV1 status, parasite features, immune status, and prevalent comorbidities affecting individuals in endemic settings. Also, critical methodological aspects allowing for the reliable identification and quantification of LRV1 should be guaranteed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braulio Mark Valencia
- Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Sydney, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Rachel Lau
- Public Health Ontario Laboratory, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Marlene Jara
- Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ana Pilar Ramos
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Justin T. Lana
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Andrea K. Boggild
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Tropical Disease Unit, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
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16
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Analyses of Leishmania-LRV Co-Phylogenetic Patterns and Evolutionary Variability of Viral Proteins. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112305. [PMID: 34835111 PMCID: PMC8624691 DOI: 10.3390/v13112305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania spp. are important pathogens causing a vector-borne disease with a broad range of clinical manifestations from self-healing ulcers to the life-threatening visceral forms. Presence of Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) confers survival advantage to these parasites by suppressing anti-leishmanial immunity in the vertebrate host. The two viral species, LRV1 and LRV2 infect species of the subgenera Viannia and Leishmania, respectively. In this work we investigated co-phylogenetic patterns of leishmaniae and their viruses on a small scale (LRV2 in L. major) and demonstrated their predominant coevolution, occasionally broken by intraspecific host switches. Our analysis of the two viral genes, encoding the capsid and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDRP), revealed them to be under the pressure of purifying selection, which was considerably stronger for the former gene across the whole tree. The selective pressure also differs between the LRV clades and correlates with the frequency of interspecific host switches. In addition, using experimental (capsid) and predicted (RDRP) models we demonstrated that the evolutionary variability across the structure is strikingly different in these two viral proteins.
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17
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Medina J, Cruz-Saavedra L, Patiño LH, Muñoz M, Ramírez JD. Comparative analysis of the transcriptional responses of five Leishmania species to trivalent antimony. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:419. [PMID: 34419127 PMCID: PMC8380399 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04915-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by several species of Leishmania. The resistance phenotype of these parasites depends on the characteristics of each species, which contributes to increased therapeutic failures. Understanding the mechanism used by the parasite to survive under treatment pressure in order to identify potential common and specific therapeutic targets is essential for the control of leishmaniasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression profiles and potential shared and specific resistance markers of the main Leishmania species of medical importance [subgenus L. (Leishmania): L. donovani, L. infantum and L. amazonensis; subgenus L. (Viannia): L. panamensis and L. braziliensis)] resistant and sensitive to trivalent stibogluconate (SbIII). METHODS We conducted comparative analysis of the transcriptomic profiles (only coding sequences) of lines with experimentally induced resistance to SbIII from biological replicates of five Leishmania species available in the databases of four articles based on ortholog attribution. Simultaneously, we carried out functional analysis of ontology and reconstruction of metabolic pathways of the resulting differentially expressed genes (DEGs). RESULTS Resistant lines for each species had differential responses in metabolic processes, compound binding, and membrane components concerning their sensitive counterpart. One hundred and thirty-nine metabolic pathways were found, with the three main pathways comprising cysteine and methionine metabolism, glycolysis, and the ribosome. Differentially expressed orthologous genes assigned to species-specific responses predominated, with 899 self-genes. No differentially expressed genes were found in common among the five species. Two common upregulated orthologous genes were found among four species (L. donovani, L. braziliensis, L. amazonensis, and L. panamensis) related to an RNA-binding protein and the NAD(P)H cytochrome-B5-oxidoreductase complex, associated with transcriptional control and de novo synthesis of linoleic acid, critical mechanisms in resistance to antimonials. CONCLUSION Herein, we identified potential species-specific genes related to resistance to SbIII. Therefore, we suggest that future studies consider a treatment scheme that is species-specific. Despite the limitations of our study, this is the first approach toward unraveling the pan-genus genetic mechanisms of resistance in leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julián Medina
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología- UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Lissa Cruz-Saavedra
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología- UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Luz Helena Patiño
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología- UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología- UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología- UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
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18
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Meng Q, Chu Y, Shao C, Chen J, Wang J, Gao Z, Yu J, Kang Y. Roles of host small RNAs in the evolution and host tropism of coronaviruses. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:1096-1105. [PMID: 33587745 PMCID: PMC7929378 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human coronaviruses (CoVs) can cause respiratory infection epidemics that sometimes expand into globally relevant pandemics. All human CoVs have sister strains isolated from animal hosts and seem to have an animal origin, yet the process of host jumping is largely unknown. RNA interference (RNAi) is an ancient mechanism in many eukaryotes to defend against viral infections through the hybridization of host endogenous small RNAs (miRNAs) with target sites in invading RNAs. Here, we developed a method to identify potential RNAi-sensitive sites in the viral genome and discovered that human-adapted coronavirus strains had deleted some of their sites targeted by miRNAs in human lungs when compared to their close zoonic relatives. We further confirmed using a phylogenetic analysis that the loss of RNAi-sensitive target sites could be a major driver of the host-jumping process, and adaptive mutations that lead to the loss-of-target might be as simple as point mutation. Up-to-date genomic data of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and Middle-East respiratory syndromes-CoV strains demonstrate that the stress from host miRNA milieus sustained even after their epidemics in humans. Thus, this study illustrates a new mechanism about coronavirus to explain its host-jumping process and provides a novel avenue for pathogenesis research, epidemiological modeling, and development of drugs and vaccines against coronavirus, taking into consideration these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingren Meng
- Southern University of Science and Technology School of Medicine, China
| | - Yanan Chu
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Changjun Shao
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Jun Yu
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Kang
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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19
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Kostygov AY, Karnkowska A, Votýpka J, Tashyreva D, Maciszewski K, Yurchenko V, Lukeš J. Euglenozoa: taxonomy, diversity and ecology, symbioses and viruses. Open Biol 2021; 11:200407. [PMID: 33715388 PMCID: PMC8061765 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Euglenozoa is a species-rich group of protists, which have extremely diverse lifestyles and a range of features that distinguish them from other eukaryotes. They are composed of free-living and parasitic kinetoplastids, mostly free-living diplonemids, heterotrophic and photosynthetic euglenids, as well as deep-sea symbiontids. Although they form a well-supported monophyletic group, these morphologically rather distinct groups are almost never treated together in a comparative manner, as attempted here. We present an updated taxonomy, complemented by photos of representative species, with notes on diversity, distribution and biology of euglenozoans. For kinetoplastids, we propose a significantly modified taxonomy that reflects the latest findings. Finally, we summarize what is known about viruses infecting euglenozoans, as well as their relationships with ecto- and endosymbiotic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei Y Kostygov
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Karnkowska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jan Votýpka
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daria Tashyreva
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Kacper Maciszewski
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
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20
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Barrow P, Dujardin JC, Fasel N, Greenwood AD, Osterrieder K, Lomonossoff G, Fiori PL, Atterbury R, Rossi M, Lalle M. Viruses of protozoan parasites and viral therapy: Is the time now right? Virol J 2020; 17:142. [PMID: 32993724 PMCID: PMC7522927 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-020-01410-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by protozoan parasites burden the world with huge costs in terms of human and animal health. Most parasitic diseases caused by protozoans are neglected, particularly those associated with poverty and tropical countries, but the paucity of drug treatments and vaccines combined with increasing problems of drug resistance are becoming major concerns for their control and eradication. In this climate, the discovery/repurposing of new drugs and increasing effort in vaccine development should be supplemented with an exploration of new alternative/synergic treatment strategies. Viruses, either native or engineered, have been employed successfully as highly effective and selective therapeutic approaches to treat cancer (oncolytic viruses) and antibiotic-resistant bacterial diseases (phage therapy). Increasing evidence is accumulating that many protozoan, but also helminth, parasites harbour a range of different classes of viruses that are mostly absent from humans. Although some of these viruses appear to have no effect on their parasite hosts, others either have a clear direct negative impact on the parasite or may, in fact, contribute to the virulence of parasites for humans. This review will focus mainly on the viruses identified in protozoan parasites that are of medical importance. Inspired and informed by the experience gained from the application of oncolytic virus- and phage-therapy, rationally-driven strategies to employ these viruses successfully against parasitic diseases will be presented and discussed in the light of the current knowledge of the virus biology and the complex interplay between the viruses, the parasite hosts and the human host. We also highlight knowledge gaps that should be addressed to advance the potential of virotherapy against parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Barrow
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Jean Claude Dujardin
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat, 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Fasel
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Ch. des Boveresses 155, 1066, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Alex D Greenwood
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Virologie, Robert Von Ostertag-Haus - Zentrum Fuer Infektionsmedizin, Robert von Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Osterrieder
- Institut für Virologie, Robert Von Ostertag-Haus - Zentrum Fuer Infektionsmedizin, Robert von Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, 31 To Yuen Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - George Lomonossoff
- Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Pier Luigi Fiori
- Dipartimento Di Scienze Biomedice, Universita Degli Studi Di Sassari, Sardinia, Italy
| | - Robert Atterbury
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Matteo Rossi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Ch. des Boveresses 155, 1066, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Marco Lalle
- Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00186, Rome, Italy.
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21
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Kariyawasam R, Lau R, Valencia BM, Llanos-Cuentas A, Boggild AK. Leishmania RNA Virus 1 (LRV-1) in Leishmania ( Viannia) braziliensis Isolates from Peru: A Description of Demographic and Clinical Correlates. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:280-285. [PMID: 31837129 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA virus 1-1 (LRV-1-1) is a dsRNA virus identified in isolates of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and thought to advance localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) to mucocutaneous or mucosal leishmaniasis (MCL/ML). We examined the prevalence of LRV-1 and its correlation to phenotypes of American tegumentary leishmaniasis caused by L. (V.) braziliensis from Peru to better understand its epidemiology. Clinical isolates of L. (V.) braziliensis were screened for LRV-1 by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and stratified according to the phenotype: LCL (< 4 ulcers in number) MCL/ML; inflammatory ulcers (erythematous, purulent, painful ulcers with or without lymphatic involvement) or multifocal ulcers (≥ 4 in ≥ 2 anatomic sites). Proportionate LRV-1 positivity was compared across phenotypes. Of 78 L. (V.) braziliensis isolates, 26 (54.2%) had an inflammatory phenotype, 22 (28%) had the MCL/ML phenotype, whereas 30 (38.5%) had LCL. Mucocutaneous or mucosal leishmaniasis was found exclusively in adult male enrollees. Leishmania RNA virus 1 positivity by phenotype was as follows: 9/22 (41%) with MCL/ML; 5/26 (19%) with an inflammatory/multifocal cutaneous leishmaniasis phenotype; and 7/30 (23%) with LCL (P = 0.19). Leishmania RNA virus 1 positivity was not associated with age (P = 0.55) or gender (P = 0.49). Relative LRV-1 copy number was greater in those with MCL/ML than those with inflammatory/multifocal CL (P = 0.02). A direct association between LRV-1 status and clinical phenotype was not demonstrated; however, relative LRV-1 copy number was highest in those with MCL/ML. Future analyses to understand the relationship between viral burden and pathogenesis are required to determine if LRV-1 is truly a contributor to the MCL/ML phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel Lau
- Public Health Ontario Laboratory, Toronto, Canada
| | - Braulio M Valencia
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Andrea K Boggild
- Public Health Ontario Laboratory, Toronto, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Tropical Disease Unit, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada
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22
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Charon J, Grigg MJ, Eden JS, Piera KA, Rana H, William T, Rose K, Davenport MP, Anstey NM, Holmes EC. Novel RNA viruses associated with Plasmodium vivax in human malaria and Leucocytozoon parasites in avian disease. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008216. [PMID: 31887217 PMCID: PMC6953888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotes of the genus Plasmodium cause malaria, a parasitic disease responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality in humans. Yet, the nature and abundance of any viruses carried by these divergent eukaryotic parasites is unknown. We investigated the Plasmodium virome by performing a meta-transcriptomic analysis of blood samples taken from patients suffering from malaria and infected with P. vivax, P. falciparum or P. knowlesi. This resulted in the identification of a narnavirus-like sequence, encoding an RNA polymerase and restricted to P. vivax samples, as well as an associated viral segment of unknown function. These data, confirmed by PCR, are indicative of a novel RNA virus that we term Matryoshka RNA virus 1 (MaRNAV-1) to reflect its analogy to a "Russian doll": a virus, infecting a parasite, infecting an animal. Additional screening revealed that MaRNAV-1 was abundant in geographically diverse P. vivax derived from humans and mosquitoes, strongly supporting its association with this parasite, and not in any of the other Plasmodium samples analyzed here nor Anopheles mosquitoes in the absence of Plasmodium. Notably, related bi-segmented narnavirus-like sequences (MaRNAV-2) were retrieved from Australian birds infected with a Leucocytozoon—a genus of eukaryotic parasites that group with Plasmodium in the Apicomplexa subclass hematozoa. Together, these data support the establishment of two new phylogenetically divergent and genomically distinct viral species associated with protists, including the first virus likely infecting Plasmodium parasites. As well as broadening our understanding of the diversity and evolutionary history of the eukaryotic virosphere, the restriction to P. vivax may be of importance in understanding P. vivax-specific biology in humans and mosquitoes, and how viral co-infection might alter host responses at each stage of the P. vivax life-cycle. While parasites are a major cause of human disease, they can themselves be infected by viruses. We asked whether three of the major malaria-causing parasites in humans—Plasmodium vivax, P. falciparum and P. knowlesi—were also infected by viruses. To this end we performed total RNA-Sequencing (“meta-transcriptomics”) on human blood samples infected with these Plasmodium species. This resulted in the discovery of an abundant bi-segmented virus—Matryoshka RNA virus 1 (MaRNAV-1)—in all P. vivax samples tested (but no other Plasmodium species) that contains a replicase segment related to those of narnaviruses, arguably the simplest type of RNA viruses discovered to date. By screening for MaRNAV-1 in a larger set of Plasmodium species we revealed a strong specificity between this virus and P. vivax, as well as the presence of a related virus—MaRNAV-2—in avian Leucocytozoon hematozoa parasites. This is the first discovery of a Plasmodium-associated virus and will assist in revealing the deep evolutionary history of RNA viruses and our understanding of Plasmodium biology and disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Charon
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matthew J. Grigg
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Infectious Disease Society Kota Kinabalu Sabah – Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - John-Sebastian Eden
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Virus Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kim A. Piera
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Hafsa Rana
- Centre for Virus Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Timothy William
- Infectious Disease Society Kota Kinabalu Sabah – Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Clinical Research Centre – Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Gleneagles Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Karrie Rose
- Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Miles P. Davenport
- Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicholas M. Anstey
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Infectious Disease Society Kota Kinabalu Sabah – Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Edward C. Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail:
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23
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Vertical transmission in Caenorhabditis nematodes of RNA molecules encoding a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:24738-24747. [PMID: 31740606 PMCID: PMC6900638 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903903116] [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] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In organisms composed of a single cell, RNAs of viral origin may be transmitted to daughter cells at cell division without passing through an extracellular virion stage. These RNAs usually encode an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase that enables their replication. For some of these agents, such as Narnaviruses, no capsid protein is expressed, and thus, they are called capsidless viruses. Here, we identify putative capsidless viral RNAs in animals, in nematodes closely related to the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that these RNAs are transmitted vertically through the host germline. Our work provides evidence that animal cells harbor capsidless viruses. Here, we report on the discovery in Caenorhabditis nematodes of multiple vertically transmitted RNAs coding for putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerases. Their sequences share similarity to distinct RNA viruses, including bunyaviruses, narnaviruses, and sobemoviruses. The sequences are present exclusively as RNA and are not found in DNA form. The RNAs persist in progeny after bleach treatment of adult animals, indicating vertical transmission of the RNAs. We tested one of the infected strains for transmission to an uninfected strain and found that mating of infected animals with uninfected animals resulted in infected progeny. By in situ hybridization, we detected several of these RNAs in the cytoplasm of the male and female germline of the nematode host. The Caenorhabditis hosts were found defective in degrading exogenous double-stranded RNAs, which may explain retention of viral-like RNAs. Strikingly, one strain, QG551, harbored three distinct virus-like RNA elements. Specific patterns of small RNAs complementary to the different viral-like RNAs were observed, suggesting that the different RNAs are differentially recognized by the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery. While vertical transmission of viruses in the family Narnaviridae, which are known as capsidless viruses, has been described in fungi, these observations provide evidence that multicellular animal cells harbor similar viruses.
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24
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Kleschenko Y, Grybchuk D, Matveeva NS, Macedo DH, Ponirovsky EN, Lukashev AN, Yurchenko V. Molecular Characterization of Leishmania RNA virus 2 in Leishmania major from Uzbekistan. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10100830. [PMID: 31640177 PMCID: PMC6826456 DOI: 10.3390/genes10100830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report sequence and phylogenetic analysis of two new isolates of Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) found in Leishmania major isolated from human patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in south Uzbekistan. These new virus-infected flagellates were isolated in the same region of Uzbekistan and the viral sequences differed by only nineteen SNPs, all except one being silent mutations. Therefore, we concluded that they belong to a single LRV2 species. New viruses are closely related to the LRV2-Lmj-ASKH documented in Turkmenistan in 1995, which is congruent with their shared host (L. major) and common geographical origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya Kleschenko
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Danyil Grybchuk
- Life Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
- CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Nadezhda S Matveeva
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Diego H Macedo
- Life Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Evgeny N Ponirovsky
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alexander N Lukashev
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
- Life Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
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25
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Saberi R, Fakhar M, Mohebali M, Anvari D, Gholami S. Global status of synchronizing Leishmania RNA virus in Leishmania parasites: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 66:2244-2251. [PMID: 31376334 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected tropical diseases caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania. There is much evidence regarding prevalence of Leishmania RNAvirus (LRV) causing Old World leishmaniasis (OWL) and New World leishmaniasis (NWL); however, a combined evidence-based knowledge on this topic is not still available. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to address the global status of synchronizing LRV in Leishmania in the available literature. The data were systematically collected from the English electronic databases up to May 2018. Then, the studies were screened based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The random-effect model was used by forest plot with 95% confidence interval (CI). Overall, 877 samples from 17 articles were included in this study. Given species of Leishmania, the highest prevalence of LRV belonged to Leishmania (L.) Viannia (V.) guyanensis and L. V. braziliensis. Additionally, the virus was detected also in L. V. amazonensis, L. V. panamanensis, L. V. lainsoni, L. aethiopica, L. major and L. infantum. By random-effect model, the global prevalence of LRV was estimated to be 26.2% (95% CI: 14.4% - 40.1%). The high prevalence of LRV among causative agents of NWLisolated from the metastatic clinical forms suggests potential association of LRV with metastatic clinical forms in New World endemic regions. A comprehensive investigation on experimental and clinical aspects of LRV is needed to fully appraise the role of these viruses in pathogenicity of Leishmania parasites and their drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Saberi
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran.,Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mahdi Fakhar
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Anvari
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences, Iranshahr, Iran
| | - Sara Gholami
- Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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26
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Rath CT, Schnellrath LC, Damaso CR, de Arruda LB, Vasconcelos PFDC, Gomes C, Laurenti MD, Calegari Silva TC, Vivarini ÁDC, Fasel N, Pereira RMS, Lopes UG. Amazonian Phlebovirus (Bunyaviridae) potentiates the infection of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis: Role of the PKR/IFN1/IL-10 axis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007500. [PMID: 31216268 PMCID: PMC6602282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmania parasites are transmitted to vertebrate hosts by phlebotomine sandflies and, in humans, may cause tegumentary or visceral leishmaniasis. The role of PKR (dsRNA activated kinase) and Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) activation in the control of Leishmania infection highlights the importance of the engagement of RNA sensors, which are usually involved in the antiviral cell response, in the fate of parasitism by Leishmania. We tested the hypothesis that Phlebovirus, a subgroup of the Bunyaviridae, transmitted by sandflies, would interfere with Leishmania infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We tested two Phlebovirus isolates, Icoaraci and Pacui, from the rodents Nectomys sp. and Oryzomys sp., respectively, both natural sylvatic reservoir of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis from the Amazon region. Phlebovirus coinfection with L. (L.) amazonensis in murine macrophages led to increased intracellular growth of L. (L.) amazonensis. Further studies with Icoaraci coinfection revealed the requirement of the PKR/IFN1 axis on the exacerbation of the parasite infection. L. (L.) amazonensis and Phlebovirus coinfection potentiated PKR activation and synergistically induced the expression of IFNβ and IL-10. Importantly, in vivo coinfection of C57BL/6 mice corroborated the in vitro data. The exacerbation effect of RNA virus on parasite infection may be specific because coinfection with dengue virus (DENV2) exerted the opposite effect on parasite load. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, our data suggest that coinfections with specific RNA viruses shared by vectors or reservoirs of Leishmania may enhance and sustain the activation of host cellular RNA sensors, resulting in aggravation of the parasite infection. The present work highlights new perspectives for the investigation of antiviral pathways as important modulators of protozoan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Torturella Rath
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Laila Castro Schnellrath
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Virus, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Clarissa R. Damaso
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Virus, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciana Barros de Arruda
- Laboratório de Genética e Imunologia das Infecções Virais, Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Claudia Gomes
- Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Teresa Cristina Calegari Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Áislan de Carvalho Vivarini
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Fasel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Renata Meirelles Santos Pereira
- Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail: (RMSP); (UGL)
| | - Ulisses Gazos Lopes
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail: (RMSP); (UGL)
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27
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Borges AF, Gomes RS, Ribeiro-Dias F. Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis in tegumentary leishmaniasis. Pathog Dis 2018; 76:4950396. [PMID: 29722820 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/fty025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis is a causal agent of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL). This protozoan has been poorly investigated; however, it can cause different clinical forms of ATL, ranging from a single cutaneous lesion to severe lesions that can lead to destruction of the nasopharyngeal mucosa. L. (V.) guyanensis and the disease caused by this species can present unique aspects revealing the need to better characterize this parasite species to improve our knowledge of the immunopathological mechanisms and treatment options for ATL. The mechanisms by which some patients develop a more severe form of ATL remain unclear. It is known that the host immune profile and parasite factors may influence the clinical manifestations of the disease. Besides intrinsic parasite factors, Leishmaniavirus RNA 1 (LRV1) infecting L. guyanensis can contribute to ATL immunopathogenesis. In this review, general aspects of L. guyanensis infection in humans and mouse models are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arissa Felipe Borges
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Saar Gomes
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Fátima Ribeiro-Dias
- Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiás, Brazil
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Øvergård AC, Hamre LA, Grotmol S, Nilsen F. Salmon louse rhabdoviruses: Impact on louse development and transcription of selected Atlantic salmon immune genes. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 86:86-95. [PMID: 29747070 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Recently, it has been shown that the salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) is commonly infected by one or two vertically transmitted Lepeophtheirus salmonis rhabdoviruses (LsRVs). As shown in the present study, the viruses have limited effect on louse survival, developmental rate and fecundity. Since the LsRVs were confirmed to be present in the louse salivary glands, the salmon cutaneous immune response towards LsRV positive and negative lice was analyzed. In general, L. salmonis increased the expression of IL1β, IL8 and IL4/13A at the attachment site, in addition to the non-specific cytotoxic cell receptor protein 1 (NCCRP-1). Interestingly, LsRV free lice induced a higher skin expression of IL1β, IL8, and NCCRP-1 than the LsRV infected lice. The inflammatory response is important for louse clearance, and the present results suggest that the LsRVs can be beneficial for the louse by dampening inflammation. Further research is, however; needed to ascertain whether this is a direct modulatory effect of secreted virions, or if virus replication is altering the level of louse salivary gland proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aina-Cathrine Øvergård
- SLRC - Sea Lice Research Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt. 55, Pb. 7803, 5020, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Lars Are Hamre
- SLRC - Sea Lice Research Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt. 55, Pb. 7803, 5020, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Sindre Grotmol
- SLRC - Sea Lice Research Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt. 55, Pb. 7803, 5020, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Frank Nilsen
- SLRC - Sea Lice Research Centre, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgt. 55, Pb. 7803, 5020, Bergen, Norway.
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Minet C, Thévenon S, Chantal I, Solano P, Berthier D. Mini-review on CRISPR-Cas9 and its potential applications to help controlling neglected tropical diseases caused by Trypanosomatidae. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2018; 63:326-331. [PMID: 29486366 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas system, which was originally identified as a prokaryotic defense mechanism, is increasingly being used for the functional study of genes. This technology, which is simple, inexpensive and efficient, has aroused a lot of enthusiasm in the scientific community since its discovery, and every month many publications emanate from very different communities reporting on the use of CRISPR-Cas9. Currently, there are no vaccines to control neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) caused by Trypanosomatidae, particularly Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) and Animal African Trypanosomoses (AAT), and treatments are cumbersome and sometimes not effective enough. CRISPR-Cas9 has the potential to functionally analyze new target molecules that could be used for therapeutic and vaccine purposes. In this review, after briefly describing CRIPSR-Cas9 history and how it works, different applications on diseases, especially on parasitic diseases, are reviewed. We then focus the review on the use of CRISPR-Cas9 editing on Trypanosomatidae parasites, the causative agents of NTDs, which are still a terrible burden for human populations in tropical regions, and their vectors.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Anopheles/genetics
- Anopheles/parasitology
- CRISPR-Associated Protein 9/genetics
- CRISPR-Associated Protein 9/metabolism
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Cattle
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- Disease Models, Animal
- Drosophila/genetics
- Drosophila/parasitology
- Gene Editing/methods
- Genome, Protozoan
- Leishmania/genetics
- Leishmania/pathogenicity
- Leishmaniasis/parasitology
- Leishmaniasis/prevention & control
- Leishmaniasis/transmission
- Neglected Diseases/parasitology
- Neglected Diseases/prevention & control
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/metabolism
- Trypanosoma/genetics
- Trypanosoma/pathogenicity
- Trypanosomiasis, African/parasitology
- Trypanosomiasis, African/prevention & control
- Trypanosomiasis, African/transmission
- Trypanosomiasis, Bovine/parasitology
- Trypanosomiasis, Bovine/prevention & control
- Trypanosomiasis, Bovine/transmission
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Minet
- CIRAD, UMR INTERTRYP, F-34398 Montpellier, France; INTERTRYP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Sophie Thévenon
- CIRAD, UMR INTERTRYP, F-34398 Montpellier, France; INTERTRYP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Isabelle Chantal
- CIRAD, UMR INTERTRYP, F-34398 Montpellier, France; INTERTRYP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Philippe Solano
- IRD, UMR INTERTRYP IRD, CIRAD, University of Montpellier, F-34398 Montpellier, France.
| | - David Berthier
- CIRAD, UMR INTERTRYP, F-34398 Montpellier, France; INTERTRYP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier, France.
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Rossi M, Fasel N. The criminal association of Leishmania parasites and viruses. Curr Opin Microbiol 2018; 46:65-72. [PMID: 30096485 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In nature, humans infected with protozoan parasites can encounter viruses, which could alter their host immune response. The impact of viruses on human parasitic diseases remains largely unexplored due to the highly sterilized environment in experimental studies and the difficulty to draw a correlation between co-infection and pathology. Recent studies show that viral infections exacerbate pathology and promote dissemination of some Leishmania infections, based on a hyper-inflammatory reaction driven by type I interferons. Thus, not only the infecting parasite species, but also bystander viral infections could be a major determinant of the outcome of Leishmania infection. In this review, we focus on the contribution of viral co-infection to the exacerbation of leishmaniasis's pathology and its possible impact on treatment and vaccination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Rossi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Fasel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.
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Cantanhêde LM, Fernandes FG, Ferreira GEM, Porrozzi R, Ferreira RDGM, Cupolillo E. New insights into the genetic diversity of Leishmania RNA Virus 1 and its species-specific relationship with Leishmania parasites. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198727. [PMID: 29912912 PMCID: PMC6005476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic disease that manifests in infected individuals under different phenotypes, with a range of factors contributing to its broad clinical spectrum. One factor, Leishmania RNA Virus 1 (LRV1), has been described as an endosymbiont present in different species of Leishmania. LRV1 significantly worsens the lesion, exacerbating the immune response in both experimentally infected animals and infected individuals. Little is known about the composition and genetic diversity of these viruses. Here, we investigated the relationship between the genetic composition of LRV1 detected in strains of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and L. (V.) guyanensis and the interaction between the endosymbiont and the parasitic species, analyzing an approximately 850 base pair region of the viral genome. We also included one LRV1 sequence detected in L. (V.) shawi, representing the first report of LRV1 in a species other than L. braziliensis and L. guyanensis. The results illustrate the genetic diversity of the LRV1 strains analyzed here, with smaller divergences detected among viral sequences from the same parasite species. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the LRV1 sequences are grouped according to the parasite species and possibly according to the population of the parasite in which the virus was detected, corroborating the hypothesis of joint evolution of the viruses with the speciation of Leishmania parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Motta Cantanhêde
- Laboratório de Epidemiologia Genética, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Flavia Gonçalves Fernandes
- Laboratório de Epidemiologia Genética, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | | | - Renato Porrozzi
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Elisa Cupolillo
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Advances in diagnostic methods mean that co-infections are increasingly being detected in clinical practice, yet their significance is not always obvious. In parallel, basic science studies are increasingly investigating interactions between pathogens to try to explain real-life observations and elucidate biological mechanisms. RECENT FINDINGS Co-infections may be insignificant, detrimental, or even beneficial, and these outcomes can occur through multiple levels of interactions which include modulation of the host response, altering the performance of diagnostic tests, and drug-drug interactions during treatment. The harmful effects of chronic co-infections such as tuberculosis or Hepatitis B and C in association with HIV are well established, and recent studies have focussed on strategies to mitigate these effects. However, consequences of many acute co-infections are much less certain, and recent conflicting findings simply highlight many of the challenges of studying naturally acquired infections in humans. SUMMARY Tackling these challenges, using animal models, or careful prospective studies in humans may prove to be worthwhile. There are already tantalizing examples where identification and treatment of relevant co-infections seems to hold promise for improved health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Turkova
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London
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Robinson JI, Beverley SM. Concentration of 2'C-methyladenosine triphosphate by Leishmania guyanensis enables specific inhibition of Leishmania RNA virus 1 via its RNA polymerase. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:6460-6469. [PMID: 29511088 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania is a widespread trypanosomatid protozoan parasite causing significant morbidity and mortality in humans. The endobiont dsRNA virus Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1) chronically infects some strains, where it increases parasite numbers and virulence in murine leishmaniasis models, and correlates with increased treatment failure in human disease. Previously, we reported that 2'-C-methyladenosine (2CMA) potently inhibited LRV1 in Leishmania guyanensis (Lgy) and Leishmania braziliensis, leading to viral eradication at concentrations above 10 μm Here we probed the cellular mechanisms of 2CMA inhibition, involving metabolism, accumulation, and inhibition of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDRP). Activation to 2CMA triphosphate (2CMA-TP) was required, as 2CMA showed no inhibition of RDRP activity from virions purified on cesium chloride gradients. In contrast, 2CMA-TP showed IC50 values ranging from 150 to 910 μm, depending on the CsCl density of the virion (empty, ssRNA-, and dsRNA-containing). Lgy parasites incubated in vitro with 10 μm 2CMA accumulated 2CMA-TP to 410 μm, greater than the most sensitive RDRP IC50 measured. Quantitative modeling showed good agreement between the degree of LRV1 RDRP inhibition and LRV1 levels. These results establish that 2CMA activity is due to its conversion to 2CMA-TP, which accumulates to levels that inhibit RDRP and cause LRV1 loss. This attests to the impact of the Leishmania purine uptake and metabolism pathways, which allow even a weak RDRP inhibitor to effectively eradicate LRV1 at micromolar concentrations. Future RDRP inhibitors with increased potency may have potential therapeutic applications for ameliorating the increased Leishmania pathogenicity conferred by LRV1.
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Affiliation(s)
- John I Robinson
- From the Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Stephen M Beverley
- From the Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
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Grybchuk D, Kostygov AY, Macedo DH, d'Avila-Levy CM, Yurchenko V. RNA viruses in trypanosomatid parasites: a historical overview. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018. [PMID: 29513877 PMCID: PMC5851034 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses of trypanosomatids are now being extensively studied because of their diversity and the roles they play in flagellates' biology. Among the most prominent examples are leishmaniaviruses implicated in pathogenesis of Leishmania parasites. Here, we present a historical overview of this field, starting with early reports of virus-like particles on electron microphotographs, and culminating in detailed molecular descriptions of viruses obtained using modern next generation sequencing-based techniques. Because of their diversity, different life cycle strategies and host specificity, we believe that trypanosomatids are a fertile ground for further explorations to better understand viral evolution, routes of transitions, and molecular mechanisms of adaptation to different hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyil Grybchuk
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Life Science Research Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Alexei Y Kostygov
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Life Science Research Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Diego H Macedo
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Life Science Research Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Claudia M d'Avila-Levy
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Coleção de Protozoários, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Life Science Research Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
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Brettmann EA, Lye LF, Beverley SM. Spontaneous excision and facilitated recovery as a control for phenotypes arising from RNA interference and other dominant transgenes. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2018; 220:42-45. [PMID: 29357296 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2018.01.004] [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: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
An essential control for genetic manipulation of microbes is the regeneration of the wild-type state and phenotype to validate that any mutant phenotypes are 'on target'. For Leishmania gene knockouts, this is often done by re-expression of the target gene from episomal vectors, often bearing counter-selectable markers. Methods for similarly validating the outcomes from dominant mutations such as those arising from RNA interference (RNAi) are needed. We present here such an approach, relying on facilitated recovery after spontaneous excision - or 'popouts' - of dominant transgenes stably inserted into the ribosomal RNA array, utilizing GFP as a marker and single cell sorting to recover regenerated WT controls. We validate its utility using RNA interference knockdowns of the paraflagellar rod gene PFR2 of L. (Viannia) braziliensis. The method yields stably modified lines suitable for long term studies of Leishmania virulence, relies solely on host rather than introduced genetic machinery, and is thus readily applied in many species and circumstances including functional genetic testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A Brettmann
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Campus Box 8230, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Lon-Fye Lye
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Campus Box 8230, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Stephen M Beverley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Campus Box 8230, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
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Viral discovery and diversity in trypanosomatid protozoa with a focus on relatives of the human parasite Leishmania. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 115:E506-E515. [PMID: 29284754 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717806115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of viral diversity is expanding greatly, but many lineages remain underexplored. We surveyed RNA viruses in 52 cultured monoxenous relatives of the human parasite Leishmania (Crithidia and Leptomonas), as well as plant-infecting PhytomonasLeptomonas pyrrhocoris was a hotbed for viral discovery, carrying a virus (Leptomonas pyrrhocoris ostravirus 1) with a highly divergent RNA-dependent RNA polymerase missed by conventional BLAST searches, an emergent clade of tombus-like viruses, and an example of viral endogenization. A deep-branching clade of trypanosomatid narnaviruses was found, notable as Leptomonas seymouri bearing Narna-like virus 1 (LepseyNLV1) have been reported in cultures recovered from patients with visceral leishmaniasis. A deep-branching trypanosomatid viral lineage showing strong affinities to bunyaviruses was termed "Leishbunyavirus" (LBV) and judged sufficiently distinct to warrant assignment within a proposed family termed "Leishbunyaviridae" Numerous relatives of trypanosomatid viruses were found in insect metatranscriptomic surveys, which likely arise from trypanosomatid microbiota. Despite extensive sampling we found no relatives of the totivirus Leishmaniavirus (LRV1/2), implying that it was acquired at about the same time the Leishmania became able to parasitize vertebrates. As viruses were found in over a quarter of isolates tested, many more are likely to be found in the >600 unsurveyed trypanosomatid species. Viral loss was occasionally observed in culture, providing potentially isogenic virus-free lines enabling studies probing the biological role of trypanosomatid viruses. These data shed important insights on the emergence of viruses within an important trypanosomatid clade relevant to human disease.
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Type I interferons induced by endogenous or exogenous viral infections promote metastasis and relapse of leishmaniasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:4987-4992. [PMID: 28439019 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1621447114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of the endogenous Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1) replicating stably within some parasite species has been associated with the development of more severe forms of leishmaniasis and relapses after drug treatment in humans. Here, we show that the disease-exacerbatory role of LRV1 relies on type I IFN (type I IFNs) production by macrophages and signaling in vivo. Moreover, infecting mice with the LRV1-cured Leishmania guyanensis (LgyLRV1- ) strain of parasites followed by type I IFN treatment increased lesion size and parasite burden, quantitatively reproducing the LRV1-bearing (LgyLRV1+ ) infection phenotype. This finding suggested the possibility that exogenous viral infections could likewise increase pathogenicity, which was tested by coinfecting mice with L. guyanensis and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), or the sand fly-transmitted arbovirus Toscana virus (TOSV). The type I IFN antiviral response increased the pathology of L. guyanensis infection, accompanied by down-regulation of the IFN-γ receptor normally required for antileishmanial control. Further, LCMV coinfection of IFN-γ-deficient mice promoted parasite dissemination to secondary sites, reproducing the LgyLRV1+ metastatic phenotype. Remarkably, LCMV coinfection of mice that had healed from L. guyanensis infection induced reactivation of disease pathology, overriding the protective adaptive immune response. Our findings establish that type I IFN-dependent responses, arising from endogenous viral elements (dsRNA/LRV1), or exogenous coinfection with IFN-inducing viruses, are able to synergize with New World Leishmania parasites in both primary and relapse infections. Thus, viral infections likely represent a significant risk factor along with parasite and host factors, thereby contributing to the pathological spectrum of human leishmaniasis.
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Patterson JL. Role of LRV1 and RNAi in the Pathogenesis of Leishmania. Trends Parasitol 2017; 33:76-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Antiviral screening identifies adenosine analogs targeting the endogenous dsRNA Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1) pathogenicity factor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E811-E819. [PMID: 28096399 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1619114114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The endogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus Leishmaniavirus (LRV1) has been implicated as a pathogenicity factor for leishmaniasis in rodent models and human disease, and associated with drug-treatment failures in Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania guyanensis infections. Thus, methods targeting LRV1 could have therapeutic benefit. Here we screened a panel of antivirals for parasite and LRV1 inhibition, focusing on nucleoside analogs to capitalize on the highly active salvage pathways of Leishmania, which are purine auxotrophs. Applying a capsid flow cytometry assay, we identified two 2'-C-methyladenosine analogs showing selective inhibition of LRV1. Treatment resulted in loss of LRV1 with first-order kinetics, as expected for random virus segregation, and elimination within six cell doublings, consistent with a measured LRV1 copy number of about 15. Viral loss was specific to antiviral nucleoside treatment and not induced by growth inhibitors, in contrast to fungal dsRNA viruses. Comparisons of drug-treated LRV1+ and LRV1- lines recapitulated LRV1-dependent pathology and parasite replication in mouse infections, and cytokine secretion in macrophage infections. Agents targeting Totiviridae have not been described previously, nor are there many examples of inhibitors acting against dsRNA viruses more generally. The compounds identified here provide a key proof-of-principle in support of further studies identifying efficacious antivirals for use in in vivo studies of LRV1-mediated virulence.
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Profile of Stephen Beverley. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14875-14877. [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1618559113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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