-
Viruses Jun 2024Since it was first reported in 2013, the NADC30-like PRRSV has been epidemic in China. Hubei Province is known as China's key hog-exporting region. To understand the...
Since it was first reported in 2013, the NADC30-like PRRSV has been epidemic in China. Hubei Province is known as China's key hog-exporting region. To understand the prevalence and genetic variation of PRRSV, herein, we detected and analyzed 317 lung tissue samples from pigs with respiratory disease in Hubei Province, and demonstrated that the NADC30-like strain was the second-most predominant strain during 2017-2018, following the highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV). Additionally, we isolated a new NADC30-like PRRSV strain, named CHN-HB-2018, which could be stably passaged in Marc-145 cells. Genetic characterization analysis showed that compared with the NADC30 strain, the CHN-HB-2018 strain had several amino acid variations in glycoprotein (GP) 3, GP5, and nonstructural protein 2 (NSP2). Moreover, the CHN-HB-2018 strain showed a unique 5-amino acid (aa) deletion in NSP2, which has not previously been reported. Gene recombination analysis identified the CHN-HB-2018 strain as a potentially recombinant PRRSV of the NADC30-like strain and HP-PRRSV. Animal experiments indicated that the CHN-HB-2018 strain has a mild pathogenicity, with no mortality and only mild fever observed in piglets. This study contributes to defining the evolutionary characteristics of PRRSV and its molecular epidemiology in Hubei Province, and provides a potential candidate strain for PRRSV vaccine development.
Topics: Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus; Animals; Swine; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome; China; Phylogeny; Virulence; Genome, Viral; Recombination, Genetic; Genetic Variation; Lung
PubMed: 38932283
DOI: 10.3390/v16060993 -
Viruses Jun 2024Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) presents a significant threat to the global swine industry. The development of highly effective subunit...
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) presents a significant threat to the global swine industry. The development of highly effective subunit nanovaccines is a promising strategy for preventing PRRSV variant infections. In this study, two different types of ferritin (Ft) nanovaccines targeting the major glycoprotein GP5, named GP5m-Ft and (Bp-IVp)-Ft, were constructed and evaluated as vaccine candidates for PRRSV. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) demonstrated that both purified GP5m-Ft and (Bp-IVp)-Ft proteins could self-assemble into nanospheres. A comparison of the immunogenicity of GP5m-Ft and (Bp-IVp)-Ft with an inactivated PRRSV vaccine in BALB/c mice revealed that mice immunized with GP5m-Ft exhibited the highest ELISA antibody levels, neutralizing antibody titers, the lymphocyte proliferation index, and IFN-γ levels. Furthermore, vaccination with the GP5m-Ft nanoparticle effectively protected piglets against a highly pathogenic PRRSV challenge. These findings suggest that GP5m-Ft is a promising vaccine candidate for controlling PRRS.
Topics: Animals; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus; Ferritins; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Swine; Mice; Antibodies, Viral; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Nanoparticles; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome; Viral Vaccines; Viral Envelope Proteins; Female; Interferon-gamma; Nanovaccines
PubMed: 38932282
DOI: 10.3390/v16060991 -
Viruses Jun 2024The envelope glycoprotein (Env) of retroviruses, such as the Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), is the main target of neutralizing humoral response, and therefore, a...
The envelope glycoprotein (Env) of retroviruses, such as the Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), is the main target of neutralizing humoral response, and therefore, a promising vaccine candidate, despite its reported poor immunogenicity. The incorporation of mutations that stabilize analogous proteins from other viruses in their prefusion conformation (e.g., HIV Env, SARS-CoV-2 S, or RSV F glycoproteins) has improved their capability to induce neutralizing protective immune responses. Therefore, we have stabilized the FeLV Env protein following a strategy based on the incorporation of a disulfide bond and an Ile/Pro mutation (SOSIP) previously used to generate soluble HIV Env trimers. We have characterized this SOSIP-FeLV Env in its soluble form and as a transmembrane protein present at high density on the surface of FeLV Gag-based VLPs. Furthermore, we have tested its immunogenicity in DNA-immunization assays in C57BL/6 mice. Low anti-FeLV Env responses were detected in SOSIP-FeLV soluble protein-immunized animals; however, unexpectedly no responses were detected in the animals immunized with SOSIP-FeLV Gag-based VLPs. In contrast, high humoral response against FeLV Gag was observed in the animals immunized with control Gag VLPs lacking SOSIP-FeLV Env, while this response was significantly impaired when the VLPs incorporated SOSIP-FeLV Env. Our data suggest that FeLV Env can be stabilized as a soluble protein and can be expressed in high-density VLPs. However, when formulated as a DNA vaccine, SOSIP-FeLV Env remains poorly immunogenic, a limitation that must be overcome to develop an effective FeLV vaccine.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Antibodies, Viral; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Viral Envelope Proteins; Leukemia Virus, Feline; Gene Products, gag; Female; Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle; Humans; Cats; Viral Vaccines; Immunogenicity, Vaccine
PubMed: 38932278
DOI: 10.3390/v16060987 -
Viruses Jun 2024Here, we report the discovery of two viruses associated with a disease characterized by severe diarrhea on a large-scale goat farm in Jilin province. Electron Microscopy...
Here, we report the discovery of two viruses associated with a disease characterized by severe diarrhea on a large-scale goat farm in Jilin province. Electron Microscopy observations revealed two kinds of virus particles with the sizes of 150-210 nm and 20-30 nm, respectively. Detection of 276 fecal specimens from the diseased herds showed the extensive infection of peste des petits ruminants virus (63.77%, 176/276) and caprine enterovirus (76.81%, 212/276), with a co-infection rate of 57.97% (160/276). These results were partially validated with RT-PCR, where all five PPRV-positive and CEV-positive specimens yielded the expected size of fragments, respectively, while no fragments were amplified from PPRV-negative and CEV-negative specimens. Moreover, corresponding PPRV and CEV fragments were amplified in PPRV and CEV double-positive specimens. Histopathological examinations revealed severe microscopic lesions such as degeneration, necrosis, and detachment of epithelial cells in the bronchioles and intestine. An immunohistochemistry assay detected PPRV antigens in bronchioles, cartilage tissue, intestine, and lymph nodes. Simultaneously, caprine enterovirus antigens were detected in lung, kidney, and intestinal tissues from the goats infected by the peste des petits ruminants virus. These results demonstrated the co-infection of peste des petits ruminants virus with caprine enterovirus in goats, revealing the tissue tropism for these two viruses, thus laying a basis for the future diagnosis, prevention, and epidemiological survey for these two virus infections.
Topics: Animals; Goats; Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants; Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus; Goat Diseases; China; Coinfection; Enterovirus Infections; Diarrhea; Enterovirus; Feces; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38932277
DOI: 10.3390/v16060986 -
Viruses Jun 2024Viral tropism is most commonly linked to receptor use, but host cell protease use can be a notable factor in susceptibility to infection. Here we review the use of host... (Review)
Review
Viral tropism is most commonly linked to receptor use, but host cell protease use can be a notable factor in susceptibility to infection. Here we review the use of host cell proteases by human viruses, focusing on those with primarily respiratory tropism, particularly SARS-CoV-2. We first describe the various classes of proteases present in the respiratory tract, as well as elsewhere in the body, and incorporate the targeting of these proteases as therapeutic drugs for use in humans. Host cell proteases are also linked to the systemic spread of viruses and play important roles outside of the respiratory tract; therefore, we address how proteases affect viruses across the spectrum of infections that can occur in humans, intending to understand the extrapulmonary spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Topics: Humans; Respiratory Tract Infections; SARS-CoV-2; Peptide Hydrolases; Viral Tropism; COVID-19; Virus Diseases; Antiviral Agents; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Protease Inhibitors
PubMed: 38932275
DOI: 10.3390/v16060984 -
Viruses Jun 2024Honey bees () play a crucial role in agriculture through their pollination activities. However, they have faced significant health challenges over the past decades that...
Honey bees () play a crucial role in agriculture through their pollination activities. However, they have faced significant health challenges over the past decades that can limit colony performance and even lead to collapse. A primary culprit is the parasitic mite , known for transmitting harmful bee viruses. Among these viruses is deformed wing virus (DWV), which impacts bee pupae during their development, resulting in either pupal demise or in the emergence of crippled adult bees. In this study, we focused on DWV master variant B. DWV-B prevalence has risen sharply in recent decades and appears to be outcompeting variant A of DWV. We generated a molecular clone of a typical DWV-B strain to compare it with our established DWV-A clone, examining RNA replication, protein expression, and virulence. Initially, we analyzed the genome using RACE-PCR and RT-PCR techniques. Subsequently, we conducted full-genome RT-PCR and inserted the complete viral cDNA into a bacterial plasmid backbone. Phylogenetic comparisons with available full-length sequences were performed, followed by functional analyses using a live bee pupae model. Upon the transfection of in vitro-transcribed RNA, bee pupae exhibited symptoms of DWV infection, with detectable viral protein expression and stable RNA replication observed in subsequent virus passages. The DWV-B clone displayed a lower virulence compared to the DWV-A clone after the transfection of synthetic RNA, as evidenced by a reduced pupal mortality rate of only 20% compared to 80% in the case of DWV-A and a lack of malformations in 50% of the emerging bees. Comparable results were observed in experiments with low infection doses of the passaged virus clones. In these tests, 90% of bees infected with DWV-B showed no clinical symptoms, while 100% of pupae infected with DWV-A died. However, at high infection doses, both DWV-A and DWV-B caused mortality rates exceeding 90%. Taken together, we have generated an authentic virus clone of DWV-B and characterized it in animal experiments.
Topics: Animals; Bees; RNA Viruses; Phylogeny; Genome, Viral; Virus Replication; Pupa; Virulence; Varroidae; RNA, Viral
PubMed: 38932270
DOI: 10.3390/v16060980 -
Viruses Jun 2024Hepatitis A virus (HAV), a member of the genus ( HepV), remains a significant viral pathogen, frequently causing enterically transmitted hepatitis worldwide. In this...
Hepatitis A virus (HAV), a member of the genus ( HepV), remains a significant viral pathogen, frequently causing enterically transmitted hepatitis worldwide. In this study, we conducted an epidemiological survey of HepVs carried by small terrestrial mammals in the wild in Yunnan Province, China. Utilizing HepV-specific broad-spectrum RT-PCR, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and QNome nanopore sequencing (QNS) techniques, we identified and characterized two novel HepVs provisionally named EpMa-HAV and EpLe-HAV, discovered in the long-tailed mountain shrew () and long-tailed brown-toothed shrew (), respectively. Our sequence and phylogenetic analyses of EpMa-HAV and EpLe-HAV indicated that they belong to the species (HepV-I) clade II, also known as the Chinese shrew HepV clade. Notably, the codon usage bias pattern of novel shrew HepVs is consistent with that of previously identified Chinese shrew HepV. Furthermore, our structural analysis demonstrated that shrew HepVs differ from other mammalian HepVs in RNA secondary structure and exhibit variances in key protein sites. Overall, the discovery of two novel HepVs in shrews expands the host range of HepV and underscores the existence of genetically diverse animal homologs of human HAV within the genus HepV.
Topics: Animals; Shrews; China; Phylogeny; Genome, Viral; RNA, Viral; Genomics; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Picornaviridae Infections
PubMed: 38932262
DOI: 10.3390/v16060969 -
Viruses Jun 2024Soon after its birth in 1985, following a short lag period [...].
Soon after its birth in 1985, following a short lag period [...].
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms; Cell Surface Display Techniques; Peptide Library; Animals
PubMed: 38932260
DOI: 10.3390/v16060968 -
Viruses Jun 2024Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) poses a threat to cattle health worldwide, contributing to both respiratory and enteric diseases. However, few contemporary strains have been...
Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) poses a threat to cattle health worldwide, contributing to both respiratory and enteric diseases. However, few contemporary strains have been isolated. In this study, 71 samples (10 nasal and 61 fecal) were collected from one farm in Ohio in 2021 and three farms in Georgia in 2023. They were screened by BCoV-specific real-time reverse transcription-PCR, and 15 BCoV-positive samples were identified. Among them, five BCoV strains from fecal samples were isolated using human rectal tumor-18 (HRT-18) cells. The genomic sequences of five strains were obtained. The phylogenetic analysis illustrated that these new strains clustered with US BCoVs that have been detected since the 1990s. Sequence analyses of the spike proteins of four pairs of BCoVs, with each pair originally collected from the respiratory and enteric sites of one animal, revealed the potential amino acid residue patterns, such as D1180 for all four enteric BCoVs and G1180 for three of four respiratory BCoVs. This project provides new BCoV isolates and sequences and underscores the genetic diversity of BcoVs, the unknown mechanisms of disease types, and the necessity of sustained surveillance and research for BCoVs.
Topics: Cattle; Animals; Coronavirus, Bovine; Phylogeny; Feces; Cattle Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Genome, Viral; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; Humans; Genetic Variation; Ohio
PubMed: 38932257
DOI: 10.3390/v16060965 -
Viruses Jun 2024The emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has led to significant interest in its potential transmission between animals and humans, especially pets. This review... (Review)
Review
The emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has led to significant interest in its potential transmission between animals and humans, especially pets. This review article summarises the literature on coronavirus infections in domestic animals, emphasising epidemiology, transmission dynamics, clinical manifestations, and public health implications. This article highlights current understandings of the relationship between infections in companion animals and humans, identifies research gaps, and suggests directions for future research. Cases of disease in cats, dogs, and other domestic animals, often occurring through close contact with infected owners, are reviewed, raising concerns about possible zoonotic and reverse zoonotic transmission. Precautions and recommendations for pet owners and healthcare workers are also discussed. The scientific evidence presented in the article highlights the need for a One Health approach that considers the health of people, animals, and the environment to combat future pandemics.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Pets; Humans; Public Health; SARS-CoV-2; Zoonoses; Cats; Animals, Wild; Dogs; Animals, Domestic; One Health; Viral Zoonoses
PubMed: 38932248
DOI: 10.3390/v16060956