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Liu J, Jaijyan DK, Chen Y, Feng C, Yang S, Xu Z, Zhan N, Hong C, Li S, Cheng T, Zhu H. Cytomegalovirus-vectored COVID-19 vaccines elicit neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (BA.2) in mice. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0246323. [PMID: 37971259 PMCID: PMC10883801 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02463-23] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been used as a novel viral vector for vaccine development and gene therapy. Coronavirus disease 2019 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is highly mutable and is still circulating globally. The study showed that the CMV viral vector caused transient systemic infection and induced robust transgene expression in vivo. CMV vectors expressing different SARS-CoV-2 proteins were immunogenic and could elicit neutralizing antibodies against a highly mutated Omicron variant (BA.2). The expression level of receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein was higher than that of full-length S protein using CMV as a vaccine vector, and CMV vector expression RBD protein elicited higher RBD-binding and neutralizing antibodies. Moreover, the study showed that CMV-vectored vaccines would not cause unexpected viral transmission, and pre-existing immunity might impair the immunogenicity of subsequent CMV-vectored vaccines. These works provide meaningful insights for the development of a CMV-based vector vaccine platform and the prevention and control strategies for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Liu
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University , Zhangzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Dabbu Kumar Jaijyan
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School , Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yanling Chen
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University , Zhangzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Changcan Feng
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University , Zhangzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Shaomin Yang
- Shenzhen Municipal Key Laboratory for Pain Medicine, Department of Pain Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital , Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenglong Xu
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University , Zhangzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Nichun Zhan
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University , Zhangzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Congming Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Shuxuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Tong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School , Newark, New Jersey, USA
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2
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Barry PA, Iyer SS, Gibson L. Re-Evaluating Human Cytomegalovirus Vaccine Design: Prediction of T Cell Epitopes. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1629. [PMID: 38005961 PMCID: PMC10674879 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11111629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
HCMV vaccine development has traditionally focused on viral antigens identified as key targets of neutralizing antibody (NAb) and/or T cell responses in healthy adults with chronic HCMV infection, such as glycoprotein B (gB), the glycoprotein H-anchored pentamer complex (PC), and the unique long 83 (UL83)-encoded phosphoprotein 65 (pp65). However, the protracted absence of a licensed HCMV vaccine that reduces the risk of infection in pregnancy regardless of serostatus warrants a systematic reassessment of assumptions informing vaccine design. To illustrate this imperative, we considered the hypothesis that HCMV proteins infrequently detected as targets of T cell responses may contain important vaccine antigens. Using an extant dataset from a T cell profiling study, we tested whether HCMV proteins recognized by only a small minority of participants encompass any T cell epitopes. Our analyses demonstrate a prominent skewing of T cell responses away from most viral proteins-although they contain robust predicted CD8 T cell epitopes-in favor of a more restricted set of proteins. Our findings raise the possibility that HCMV may benefit from evading the T cell recognition of certain key proteins and that, contrary to current vaccine design approaches, including them as vaccine antigens could effectively take advantage of this vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Barry
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Smita S. Iyer
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA;
| | - Laura Gibson
- Departments of Medicine and of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
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3
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Hansen SG, Womack JL, Perez W, Schmidt KA, Marshall E, Iyer RF, Cleveland Rubeor H, Otero CE, Taher H, Vande Burgt NH, Barfield R, Randall KT, Morrow D, Hughes CM, Selseth AN, Gilbride RM, Ford JC, Caposio P, Tarantal AF, Chan C, Malouli D, Barry PA, Permar SR, Picker LJ, Früh K. Late gene expression-deficient cytomegalovirus vectors elicit conventional T cells that do not protect against SIV. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e164692. [PMID: 36749635 PMCID: PMC10070102 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.164692] [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: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhesus cytomegalovirus-based (RhCMV-based) vaccine vectors induce immune responses that protect ~60% of rhesus macaques (RMs) from SIVmac239 challenge. This efficacy depends on induction of effector memory-based (EM-biased) CD8+ T cells recognizing SIV peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex-E (MHC-E) instead of MHC-Ia. The phenotype, durability, and efficacy of RhCMV/SIV-elicited cellular immune responses were maintained when vector spread was severely reduced by deleting the antihost intrinsic immunity factor phosphoprotein 71 (pp71). Here, we examined the impact of an even more stringent attenuation strategy on vector-induced immune protection against SIV. Fusion of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) degradation domain to Rh108, the orthologue of the essential human CMV (HCMV) late gene transcription factor UL79, generated RhCMV/SIV vectors that conditionally replicate only when the FK506 analog Shield-1 is present. Despite lacking in vivo dissemination and reduced innate and B cell responses to vaccination, Rh108-deficient 68-1 RhCMV/SIV vectors elicited high-frequency, durable, EM-biased, SIV-specific T cell responses in RhCMV-seropositive RMs at doses of ≥ 1 × 106 PFU. Strikingly, elicited CD8+ T cells exclusively targeted MHC-Ia-restricted epitopes and failed to protect against SIVmac239 challenge. Thus, Rh108-dependent late gene expression is required for both induction of MHC-E-restricted T cells and protection against SIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott G. Hansen
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Jennie L. Womack
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Wilma Perez
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Emily Marshall
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Ravi F. Iyer
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Hillary Cleveland Rubeor
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Claire E. Otero
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical School, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Husam Taher
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Nathan H. Vande Burgt
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Richard Barfield
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Systems Immunology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kurt T. Randall
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - David Morrow
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Colette M. Hughes
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Andrea N. Selseth
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Roxanne M. Gilbride
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Julia C. Ford
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Patrizia Caposio
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Alice F. Tarantal
- California National Primate Research Center, UCD, Davis, California, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, School of Medicine, UCD, Davis, California, USA
| | - Cliburn Chan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Systems Immunology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel Malouli
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Peter A. Barry
- California National Primate Research Center, UCD, Davis, California, USA
| | - Sallie R. Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical School, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Louis J. Picker
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Klaus Früh
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
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4
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Griffiths ME, Broos A, Bergner LM, Meza DK, Suarez NM, da Silva Filipe A, Tello C, Becker DJ, Streicker DG. Longitudinal deep sequencing informs vector selection and future deployment strategies for transmissible vaccines. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001580. [PMID: 35439242 PMCID: PMC9017877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is a powerful tool in combating infectious diseases of humans and companion animals. In most wildlife, including reservoirs of emerging human diseases, achieving sufficient vaccine coverage to mitigate disease burdens remains logistically unattainable. Virally vectored "transmissible" vaccines that deliberately spread among hosts are a potentially transformative, but still theoretical, solution to the challenge of immunising inaccessible wildlife. Progress towards real-world application is frustrated by the absence of frameworks to guide vector selection and vaccine deployment prior to major in vitro and in vivo investments in vaccine engineering and testing. Here, we performed deep sequencing on field-collected samples of Desmodus rotundus betaherpesvirus (DrBHV), a candidate vector for a transmissible vaccine targeting vampire bat-transmitted rabies. We discovered 11 strains of DrBHV that varied in prevalence and geographic distribution across Peru. The phylogeographic structure of DrBHV strains was predictable from both host genetics and landscape topology, informing long-term DrBHV-vectored vaccine deployment strategies and identifying geographic areas for field trials where vaccine spread would be naturally contained. Multistrain infections were observed in 79% of infected bats. Resampling of marked individuals over 4 years showed within-host persistence kinetics characteristic of latency and reactivation, properties that might boost individual immunity and lead to sporadic vaccine transmission over the lifetime of the host. Further, strain acquisitions by already infected individuals implied that preexisting immunity and strain competition are unlikely to inhibit vaccine spread. Our results support the development of a transmissible vaccine targeting a major source of human and animal rabies in Latin America and show how genomics can enlighten vector selection and deployment strategies for transmissible vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Griffiths
- MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Broos
- MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Laura M. Bergner
- MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Diana K. Meza
- MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas M. Suarez
- MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ana da Silva Filipe
- MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Tello
- Association for the Conservation and Development of Natural Resources, Lima, Peru
- Yunkawasi, Lima, Peru
| | - Daniel J. Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Daniel G. Streicker
- MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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5
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Pathogenesis of wild-type-like rhesus cytomegalovirus strains following oral exposure of immune-competent rhesus macaques. J Virol 2021; 96:e0165321. [PMID: 34788083 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01653-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) infection of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) is a valuable nonhuman primate model of human CMV (HCMV) persistence and pathogenesis. In vivo studies predominantly use tissue culture-adapted variants of RhCMV that contain multiple genetic mutations compared to wild-type (WT) RhCMV. In many studies, animals have been inoculated by non-natural routes (e.g., subcutaneous, intravenous) that do not recapitulate disease progression via the normative route of mucosal exposure. Accordingly, the natural history of RhCMV would be more accurately reproduced by infecting macaques with strains of RhCMV that reflect the WT genome using natural routes of mucosal transmission. Herein, we tested two WT-like RhCMV strains, UCD52 and UCD59, and demonstrated that systemic infection and frequent, high-titer viral shedding in bodily fluids occurred following oral inoculation. RhCMV disseminated to a broad range of tissues, including the central nervous system and reproductive organs. Commonly infected tissues included the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, kidneys, bladder, and salivary glands. Histological examination revealed prominent nodular hyperplasia in spleens and variable levels of lymphoid lymphofollicular hyperplasia in lymph nodes. One of six inoculated animals had limited viral dissemination and shedding, with commensurately weak antibody responses to RhCMV antigens. These data suggest that long-term RhCMV infection parameters might be restricted by local innate factors and/or de novo host immune responses in a minority of primary infections. Together, we have established an oral RhCMV infection model that mimics natural HCMV infection. The virological and immunological parameters characterized in this study will greatly inform HCMV vaccine designs for human immunization. IMPORTANCE Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is globally ubiquitous with high seroprevalence rates in all communities. HCMV infections can occur vertically following mother-to-fetus transmission across the placenta and horizontally following shedding of virus in bodily fluids in HCMV infected hosts and subsequent exposure of susceptible individuals to virus-laden fluids. Intrauterine HCMV has long been recognized as an infectious threat to fetal growth and development. Since vertical HCMV infections occur following horizontal HCMV transmission to the pregnant mother, the nonhuman primate model of HCMV pathogenesis was used to characterize the virological and immunological parameters of infection following primary mucosal exposures to rhesus cytomegalovirus.
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6
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A recombinant measles virus vaccine strongly reduces SHIV viremia and virus reservoir establishment in macaques. NPJ Vaccines 2021; 6:123. [PMID: 34686669 PMCID: PMC8536681 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-021-00385-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Replicative vectors derived from live-attenuated measles virus (MV) carrying additional non-measles vaccine antigens have long demonstrated safety and immunogenicity in humans despite pre-existing immunity to measles. Here, we report the vaccination of cynomolgus macaques with MV replicative vectors expressing simian-human immunodeficiency virus Gag, Env, and Nef antigens (MV-SHIV Wt) either wild type or mutated in the immunosuppressive (IS) domains of Nef and Env antigens (MV-SHIV Mt). We found that the inactivation of Nef and Env IS domains by targeted mutations led to the induction of significantly enhanced post-prime cellular immune responses. After repeated challenges with low doses of SHIV-SF162p3, vaccinees were protected against high viremia, resulting in a 2-Log reduction in peak viremia, accelerated viral clearance, and a decrease -even complete protection for nearly half of the monkeys- in reservoir cell infection. This study demonstrates the potential of a replicative viral vector derived from the safe and widely used measles vaccine in the development of a future human vaccine against HIV-1.
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7
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Méndez-Lagares G, Chin N, Chang WLW, Lee J, Rosás-Umbert M, Kieu HT, Merriam D, Lu W, Kim S, Adamson L, Brander C, Luciw PA, Barry PA, Hartigan-O'Connor DJ. Cytomegalovirus mediates expansion of IL-15-responsive innate-memory cells with SIV killing function. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:e148542. [PMID: 34153005 DOI: 10.1172/jci148542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Interindividual immune variability is driven predominantly by environmental factors, including exposure to chronic infectious agents such as cytomegalovirus (CMV). We investigated the effects of rhesus CMV (RhCMV) on composition and function of the immune system in young macaques. Within months of infection, RhCMV was associated with impressive changes in antigen presenting cells, T cells, and NK cells-and marked expansion of innate-memory CD8+ T cells. These cells express high levels of NKG2A/C and the IL-2 and IL-15 receptor beta chain, CD122. IL-15 was sufficient to drive differentiation of the cells in vitro and in vivo. Expanded NKG2A/C+CD122+CD8+ T cells in RhCMV-infected macaques, but not their NKG2-negative counterparts, were endowed with cytotoxicity against class I-deficient K562 targets and prompt IFN-γ production in response to stimulation with IL-12 and IL-18. Because RhCMV clone 68-1 forms the viral backbone of RhCMV-vectored SIV vaccines, we also investigated immune changes following administration of RhCMV 68-1-vectored SIV vaccines. These vaccines led to impressive expansion of NKG2A/C+CD8+ T cells with capacity to inhibit SIV replication ex vivo. Thus, CMV infection and CMV-vectored vaccination drive expansion of functional innate-like CD8 cells via host IL-15 production, suggesting that innate-memory expansion could be achieved by other vaccine platforms expressing IL-15.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gema Méndez-Lagares
- California National Primate Research Center.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Ning Chin
- California National Primate Research Center.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
| | - W L William Chang
- California National Primate Research Center.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Jaewon Lee
- Graduate Group in Immunology, and.,Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | | | - Hung T Kieu
- California National Primate Research Center.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
| | - David Merriam
- California National Primate Research Center.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Wenze Lu
- California National Primate Research Center.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
| | - Sungjin Kim
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.,Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Lourdes Adamson
- Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Christian Brander
- IrsiCaixa - AIDS Research Institute, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC), Vic, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paul A Luciw
- California National Primate Research Center.,Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Peter A Barry
- California National Primate Research Center.,Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Dennis J Hartigan-O'Connor
- California National Primate Research Center.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.,Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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8
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Taher H, Mahyari E, Kreklywich C, Uebelhoer LS, McArdle MR, Moström MJ, Bhusari A, Nekorchuk M, E X, Whitmer T, Scheef EA, Sprehe LM, Roberts DL, Hughes CM, Jackson KA, Selseth AN, Ventura AB, Cleveland-Rubeor HC, Yue Y, Schmidt KA, Shao J, Edlefsen PT, Smedley J, Kowalik TF, Stanton RJ, Axthelm MK, Estes JD, Hansen SG, Kaur A, Barry PA, Bimber BN, Picker LJ, Streblow DN, Früh K, Malouli D. In vitro and in vivo characterization of a recombinant rhesus cytomegalovirus containing a complete genome. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008666. [PMID: 33232376 PMCID: PMC7723282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) are highly adapted to their host species resulting in strict species specificity. Hence, in vivo examination of all aspects of CMV biology employs animal models using host-specific CMVs. Infection of rhesus macaques (RM) with rhesus CMV (RhCMV) has been established as a representative model for infection of humans with HCMV due to the close evolutionary relationships of both host and virus. However, the only available RhCMV clone that permits genetic modifications is based on the 68-1 strain which has been passaged in fibroblasts for decades resulting in multiple genomic changes due to tissue culture adaptations. As a result, 68-1 displays reduced viremia in RhCMV-naïve animals and limited shedding compared to non-clonal, low passage isolates. To overcome this limitation, we used sequence information from primary RhCMV isolates to construct a full-length (FL) RhCMV by repairing all mutations affecting open reading frames (ORFs) in the 68-1 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). Inoculation of adult, immunocompetent, RhCMV-naïve RM with the reconstituted virus resulted in significant viremia in the blood similar to primary isolates of RhCMV and furthermore led to high viral genome copy numbers in many tissues at day 14 post infection. In contrast, viral dissemination was greatly reduced upon deletion of genes also lacking in 68-1. Transcriptome analysis of infected tissues further revealed that chemokine-like genes deleted in 68-1 are among the most highly expressed viral transcripts both in vitro and in vivo consistent with an important immunomodulatory function of the respective proteins. We conclude that FL-RhCMV displays in vitro and in vivo characteristics of a wildtype virus while being amenable to genetic modifications through BAC recombineering techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Husam Taher
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Eisa Mahyari
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Craig Kreklywich
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Luke S Uebelhoer
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Matthew R McArdle
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Matilda J Moström
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, Covington, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Amruta Bhusari
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael Nekorchuk
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Xiaofei E
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Travis Whitmer
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A Scheef
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, Covington, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Lesli M Sprehe
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, Covington, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Dawn L Roberts
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Colette M Hughes
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Kerianne A Jackson
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Andrea N Selseth
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Abigail B Ventura
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Hillary C Cleveland-Rubeor
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Yujuan Yue
- Center for Comparative Medicine and Department of Medical Pathology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Kimberli A Schmidt
- Center for Comparative Medicine and Department of Medical Pathology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jason Shao
- Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Paul T Edlefsen
- Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jeremy Smedley
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Timothy F Kowalik
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Richard J Stanton
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Michael K Axthelm
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Jacob D Estes
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Scott G Hansen
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Amitinder Kaur
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, Covington, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Peter A Barry
- Center for Comparative Medicine and Department of Medical Pathology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Benjamin N Bimber
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Louis J Picker
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Daniel N Streblow
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Klaus Früh
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Daniel Malouli
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America
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