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The Journal of General Virology Sep 2023is a family for ambisense RNA viruses with genomes of about 10.5 kb that infect mammals, snakes, and fish. The arenavirid genome consists of two or three...
is a family for ambisense RNA viruses with genomes of about 10.5 kb that infect mammals, snakes, and fish. The arenavirid genome consists of two or three single-stranded RNA segments and encodes a nucleoprotein (NP), a glycoprotein (GP) and a large (L) protein containing RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRP) domains; some arenavirids encode a zinc-binding protein (Z). This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) report on the family , which is available at www.ictv.global/report/arenaviridae.
Topics: Animals; Arenaviridae; Nucleoproteins; RNA; RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase; Mammals
PubMed: 37698490
DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001891 -
Virulence Dec 2023
Topics: Humans; Arenaviridae; Viral Proteins; Arenaviridae Infections
PubMed: 37968871
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2279353 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2023Emerging zoonoses of wildlife origin caused by previously unknown agents are one of the most important challenges for human health. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau represents...
Emerging zoonoses of wildlife origin caused by previously unknown agents are one of the most important challenges for human health. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau represents a unique ecological niche with diverse wildlife that harbours several human pathogens and numerous previously uncharacterized pathogens. In this study, we identified and characterized a novel arenavirus (namely, plateau pika virus, PPV) from plateau pikas () on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau by virome analysis. Isolated PPV strains could replicate in several mammalian cells. We further investigated PPV pathogenesis using animal models. PPV administered via an intraventricular route caused trembling and sudden death in IFNαβR mice, and pathological inflammatory lesions in brain tissue were observed. According to a retrospective serological survey in the geographical region where PPV was isolated, PPV-specific IgG antibodies were detected in 8 (2.4%) of 335 outpatients with available sera. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that this virus was clearly separated from previously reported New and Old World mammarenaviruses. Under the co-speciation framework, the estimated divergence time of PPV was 77-88 million years ago (MYA), earlier than that of OW and NW mammarenaviruses (26-34 MYA).
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mice; Arenaviridae; Phylogeny; Retrospective Studies; Tibet; Animals, Wild; Lagomorpha
PubMed: 36939609
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2192816 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Oct 2023CD8 T cells play an essential role in antitumor immunity and chronic viral infections. Recent findings have delineated the differentiation pathway of CD8 T cells in...
CD8 T cells play an essential role in antitumor immunity and chronic viral infections. Recent findings have delineated the differentiation pathway of CD8 T cells in accordance with the progenitor-progeny relationship of TCF1 stem-like and Tim-3TCF1 more differentiated T cells. Here, we investigated the characteristics of stem-like and differentiated CD8 T cells isolated from several murine tumor models and human lung cancer samples in terms of phenotypic and transcriptional features as well as their location compared to virus-specific CD8 T cells in the chronically lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-infected mice. We found that CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in both murine and human tumors exhibited overall similar phenotypic and transcriptional characteristics compared to corresponding subsets in the spleen of chronically infected mice. Moreover, stem-like CD8 TILs exclusively responded and produced effector-like progeny CD8 T cells in vivo after antigenic restimulation, confirming their lineage relationship and the proliferative potential of stem-like CD8 TILs. Most importantly, similar to the preferential localization of PD-1 stem-like CD8 T cells in T cell zones of the spleen during chronic LCMV infection, we found that the PD-1 stem-like CD8 TILs in lung cancer samples are preferentially located not in the tumor parenchyma but in tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). The stem-like CD8 T cells are present in TLSs located within and at the periphery of the tumor, as well as in TLSs closely adjacent to the tumor parenchyma. These findings suggest that TLSs provide a protective niche to support the quiescence and maintenance of stem-like CD8 T cells in the tumor.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; Persistent Infection; Lung Neoplasms; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 37782797
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221985120 -
Bioinformation 2024Iron, an essential constituent of cell metabolism, is transported intra-cellularly bound to the ubiquitous 76 kDa blood glycoprotein transferrin via the transferrin...
Iron, an essential constituent of cell metabolism, is transported intra-cellularly bound to the ubiquitous 76 kDa blood glycoprotein transferrin via the transferrin receptor, CD71. Because of its structure, CD71 facilitates the binding and penetration of a large variety of viruses into the host. Among which the hemorrhagic fever-causing New World mammarena viruses (family of single stranded ambisense segmented RNA Arenaviridae), the single stranded positive sense RNA hepatitis C virus, the single stranded negative sense segmented influenza A virus, the single stranded negative sense RNA rabies virus, the single stranded positive sense SARS-CoV2 and possibly many others. In this process, CD71 is associated with the target of the anti-proliferative antibody-1 (CD81) viral co-receptor. In light of the plethora of novel and ancient viruses and microbes emerging from melting eternal glacier ice and permafrost, it is timely and critical to define and characterize interventions, besides the soluble form of CD71 (sCD71), that can abrogate or minimize this novice non-canonical function of CD71.
PubMed: 38711995
DOI: 10.6026/973206300200208 -
Viruses Mar 2024The order includes at least fourteen families with diverse but related viruses, which are transmitted to vertebrate hosts by arthropod or rodent vectors. These viruses... (Review)
Review
The order includes at least fourteen families with diverse but related viruses, which are transmitted to vertebrate hosts by arthropod or rodent vectors. These viruses are responsible for an increasing number of outbreaks worldwide and represent a threat to public health. Infection in humans can be asymptomatic, or it may present with a range of conditions from a mild, febrile illness to severe hemorrhagic syndromes and/or neurological complications. There is a need to develop safe and effective vaccines, a process requiring better understanding of the adaptive immune responses involved during infection. This review highlights the most recent findings regarding T cell and antibody responses to the five families with known human pathogens (, , , , and ). Future studies that define and characterize mechanistic correlates of protection against infections or disease will help inform the development of effective vaccines.
Topics: Humans; RNA Viruses; Arenaviridae; Adaptive Immunity; Vaccines
PubMed: 38543848
DOI: 10.3390/v16030483 -
Nature Oct 2023Effective pandemic preparedness relies on anticipating viral mutations that are able to evade host immune responses to facilitate vaccine and therapeutic design....
Effective pandemic preparedness relies on anticipating viral mutations that are able to evade host immune responses to facilitate vaccine and therapeutic design. However, current strategies for viral evolution prediction are not available early in a pandemic-experimental approaches require host polyclonal antibodies to test against, and existing computational methods draw heavily from current strain prevalence to make reliable predictions of variants of concern. To address this, we developed EVEscape, a generalizable modular framework that combines fitness predictions from a deep learning model of historical sequences with biophysical and structural information. EVEscape quantifies the viral escape potential of mutations at scale and has the advantage of being applicable before surveillance sequencing, experimental scans or three-dimensional structures of antibody complexes are available. We demonstrate that EVEscape, trained on sequences available before 2020, is as accurate as high-throughput experimental scans at anticipating pandemic variation for SARS-CoV-2 and is generalizable to other viruses including influenza, HIV and understudied viruses with pandemic potential such as Lassa and Nipah. We provide continually revised escape scores for all current strains of SARS-CoV-2 and predict probable further mutations to forecast emerging strains as a tool for continuing vaccine development ( evescape.org ).
Topics: Humans; Drug Design; Evolution, Molecular; Forecasting; HIV Infections; Immune Evasion; Influenza, Human; Lassa virus; Mutation; Nipah Virus; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; Viral Vaccines; Viruses
PubMed: 37821700
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06617-0 -
Nature Communications Aug 2023Effective infectious disease surveillance in high-risk regions is critical for clinical care and pandemic preemption; however, few clinical diagnostics are available for...
Effective infectious disease surveillance in high-risk regions is critical for clinical care and pandemic preemption; however, few clinical diagnostics are available for the wide range of potential human pathogens. Here, we conduct unbiased metagenomic sequencing of 593 samples from febrile Nigerian patients collected in three settings: i) population-level surveillance of individuals presenting with symptoms consistent with Lassa Fever (LF); ii) real-time investigations of outbreaks with suspected infectious etiologies; and iii) undiagnosed clinically challenging cases. We identify 13 distinct viruses, including the second and third documented cases of human blood-associated dicistrovirus, and a highly divergent, unclassified dicistrovirus that we name human blood-associated dicistrovirus 2. We show that pegivirus C is a common co-infection in individuals with LF and is associated with lower Lassa viral loads and favorable outcomes. We help uncover the causes of three outbreaks as yellow fever virus, monkeypox virus, and a noninfectious cause, the latter ultimately determined to be pesticide poisoning. We demonstrate that a local, Nigerian-driven metagenomics response to complex public health scenarios generates accurate, real-time differential diagnoses, yielding insights that inform policy.
Topics: Humans; Nigeria; Metagenomics; Lassa Fever; Lassa virus; Viruses
PubMed: 37542071
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40247-4 -
Virulence Dec 2023Mammarenaviruses, a genus of the family , are capable of infecting mammals and are primarily found in rodent reservoirs worldwide. Mammarenaviruses can be transmitted to...
Mammarenaviruses, a genus of the family , are capable of infecting mammals and are primarily found in rodent reservoirs worldwide. Mammarenaviruses can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents, and though infection is often asymptomatic, some members of this genus can cause viral haemorrhagic fever which has mortality rates ranging from 1% to 50%. These viruses are typically restricted geographically, based on the geographical range of their host reservoirs. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) was previously thought to be the only mammarenavirus found across the globe. However, recent discoveries of two novel human mammarenaviruses, Wenzhou Virus (WENV) and Plateau Pika Virus (PPV), in Asia and Southeast Asia show that mammarenaviruses are more widespread than previously thought. This editorial article aims to raise awareness about these emerging viruses, their genetic and ecological diversities, and clinical significance, and to encourage further study of these emerging viruses.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Arenaviridae; Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus; Asia, Southeastern; Asia; Mammals
PubMed: 37394841
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2231392