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The Journal of Infectious Diseases Oct 2023Lassa virus (LASV), Junin virus (JUNV), and several other members of the Arenaviridae family are capable of zoonotic transfer to humans and induction of severe viral...
Lassa virus (LASV), Junin virus (JUNV), and several other members of the Arenaviridae family are capable of zoonotic transfer to humans and induction of severe viral hemorrhagic fevers. Despite the importance of arenaviruses as potential pandemic pathogens, numerous gaps exist in scientific knowledge pertaining to this diverse family, including gaps in understanding replication, immunosuppression, receptor usage, and elicitation of neutralizing antibody responses, that in turn complicates development of medical countermeasures. A further challenge to the development of medical countermeasures for arenaviruses is the requirement for use of animal models at high levels of biocontainment, where each model has distinct advantages and limitations depending on, availability of space, animals species-specific reagents, and most importantly the ability of the model to faithfully recapitulate human disease. Designation of LASV and JUNV as prototype pathogens can facilitate progress in addressing the public health challenges posed by members of this important virus family.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Arenaviridae; Virus Replication; Junin virus; Lassa virus; Models, Animal
PubMed: 37849403
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac266 -
Viruses Jul 2020is a family of viruses harbouring important emerging pathogens belonging to the order. Like in other segmented negative strand RNA viruses, the nucleoprotein (NP) is a... (Review)
Review
is a family of viruses harbouring important emerging pathogens belonging to the order. Like in other segmented negative strand RNA viruses, the nucleoprotein (NP) is a major actor of the viral life cycle being both (i) the necessary co-factor of the polymerase present in the L protein, and (ii) the last line of defence of the viral genome (vRNA) by physically hiding its presence in the cytoplasm. The NP is also one of the major players interfering with the immune system. Several structural studies of NP have shown that it features two domains: a globular RNA binding domain (NP-core) in its N-terminal and an exonuclease domain (ExoN) in its C-terminal. Further studies have observed that significant conformational changes are necessary for RNA encapsidation. In this review we revisited the most recent structural and functional data available on NP, compared to other nucleoproteins and explored the structural and functional implications. We review the variety of structural motif extensions involved in NP-NP binding mode. We also evaluate the major functional implications of NP interactome and the role of ExoN, thus making the NP a target of choice for future vaccine and antiviral therapy.
Topics: Arenaviridae; Nucleocapsid Proteins; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 32708976
DOI: 10.3390/v12070772 -
Virulence Dec 2023
Topics: Humans; Arenaviridae; Viral Proteins; Arenaviridae Infections
PubMed: 37968871
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2279353 -
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 -
Current Opinion in Structural Biology Apr 2023Viruses are obligatory parasites that can replicate only inside host cells. Therefore, the evolutionary drive to enter cells is immense, leading to diversification in... (Review)
Review
Viruses are obligatory parasites that can replicate only inside host cells. Therefore, the evolutionary drive to enter cells is immense, leading to diversification in the cell-entry strategies of viruses. One of the most critical steps for cell entry is the recognition of the target cell, a process driven by the formation of viral/host macromolecular complexes. The accumulation of recent structural data for viruses within the arenaviridae family allows us to examine how different viral species from the same viral family utilize evolutionarily-related viral glycoproteins to engage with a variety of different cellular receptors. These structural data, compared to other viruses from the coronaviridae family, hint about possible routes that such viruses use for evolving new receptor-binding capabilities, allowing them to switch from one receptor to another.
Topics: Arenaviridae; Viruses; Receptors, Cell Surface; Protein Binding; Macromolecular Substances
PubMed: 36857816
DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102561 -
The Journal of General Virology Aug 2019Members of the family Arenaviridae produce enveloped virions containing genomes consisting of two or three single-stranded RNA segments totalling about 10.5 kb....
Members of the family Arenaviridae produce enveloped virions containing genomes consisting of two or three single-stranded RNA segments totalling about 10.5 kb. Arenaviruses can infect mammals, including humans and other primates, snakes, and fish. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Arenaviridae, which is available at www.ictv.global/report/arenaviridae.
Topics: Animals; Arenaviridae; Arenaviridae Infections; Fishes; Genome, Viral; Humans; Phylogeny; RNA, Viral; Reptiles; Viral Proteins
PubMed: 31192784
DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001280 -
Virus Research Apr 2017Bunyaviridae and Arenaviridae virus families include an important number of highly pathogenic viruses for humans. They are enveloped viruses with negative stranded RNA... (Review)
Review
Bunyaviridae and Arenaviridae virus families include an important number of highly pathogenic viruses for humans. They are enveloped viruses with negative stranded RNA genomes divided into three (bunyaviruses) or two (arenaviruses) segments. Each genome segment is coated by the viral nucleoproteins (NPs) and the polymerase (L protein) to form a functional ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. The viral RNP provides the necessary context on which the L protein carries out the biosynthetic processes of RNA replication and gene transcription. Decades of research have provided a good understanding of the molecular processes underlying RNA synthesis, both RNA replication and gene transcription, for these two families of viruses. In this review we will provide a global view of the common features, as well as differences, of the molecular biology of Bunyaviridae and Arenaviridae. We will also describe structures of protein and protein-RNA complexes so far determined for these viral families, mainly focusing on the L protein, and discuss their implications for understanding the mechanisms of viral RNA replication and gene transcription within the architecture of viral RNPs, also taking into account the cellular context in which these processes occur. Finally, we will discuss the implications of these structural findings for the development of antiviral drugs to treat human diseases caused by members of the Bunyaviridae and Arenaviridae families.
Topics: Arenaviridae; Bunyaviridae; Humans; Nucleoproteins; RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase; Transcription, Genetic; Viral Proteins; Virus Replication
PubMed: 28137457
DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.01.018 -
Archives of Virology Jun 2023In this study, a novel mammarenavirus (family Arenaviridae) was identified in a hedgehog (family Erinaceidae) in Hungary and genetically characterized. Mecsek Mountains...
In this study, a novel mammarenavirus (family Arenaviridae) was identified in a hedgehog (family Erinaceidae) in Hungary and genetically characterized. Mecsek Mountains virus (MEMV, OP191655, OP191656) was detected in nine (45%) out of 20 faecal specimens collected from a Northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus). The L-segment proteins (RdRp and Z) and S-segment proteins (NP and GPC) of MEMV had 67.5%/70% and 74.6%/65.6% amino acid sequence identity, respectively, to the corresponding proteins of Alxa virus (species Mammarenavirus alashanense) identified recently in an anal swab from a three-toed jerboa (Dipus sagitta) in China. MEMV is the second known arenavirus endemic in Europe.
Topics: Animals; Hedgehogs; Arenaviridae; Europe; Hungary; China
PubMed: 37291370
DOI: 10.1007/s00705-023-05804-8 -
Viruses Apr 2021Rodent-borne arenaviruses have been traditionally predominantly associated with certain muroid species from genera (African arenaviruses) or with species that belong to...
Rodent-borne arenaviruses have been traditionally predominantly associated with certain muroid species from genera (African arenaviruses) or with species that belong to murid subfamily (New World arenaviruses) [...].
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Arenaviridae Infections; Arenavirus; Fishes; Humans; Rodentia; Snakes
PubMed: 33919632
DOI: 10.3390/v13040703 -
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