Authors:Thomas C. Mettenleiter; Margaret Kielian; Marilyn J. Roossinck Abstract: Publication date: 2018 Source:Advances in Virus Research, Volume 100 Author(s): Thomas C. Mettenleiter, Margaret Kielian, Marilyn J. Roossinck
Authors:Maria Bottermann; Leo C. James Abstract: Publication date: Available online 16 February 2018 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Maria Bottermann, Leo C. James Innate immunity is traditionally thought of as the first line of defense against pathogens that enter the body. It is typically characterized as a rather weak defense mechanism, designed to restrict pathogen replication until the adaptive immune response generates a tailored response and eliminates the infectious agent. However, intensive research in recent years has resulted in better understanding of innate immunity as well as the discovery of many effector proteins, revealing its numerous powerful mechanisms to defend the host. Furthermore, this research has demonstrated that it is simplistic to strictly separate adaptive and innate immune functions since these two systems often work synergistically rather than sequentially. Here, we provide a broad overview of innate pattern recognition receptors in antiviral defense, with a focus on the TRIM family, and discuss their signaling pathways and mechanisms of action with special emphasis on the intracellular antibody receptor TRIM21.
Authors:Geoffrey L. Smith; Callum Talbot-Cooper; Yongxu Lu Abstract: Publication date: Available online 16 February 2018 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Geoffrey L. Smith, Callum Talbot-Cooper, Yongxu Lu Interferons (IFNs) are secreted glycoproteins that are produced by cells in response to virus infection and other stimuli and induce an antiviral state in cells bearing IFN receptors. In this way, IFNs restrict virus replication and spread before an adaptive immune response is developed. Viruses are very sensitive to the effects of IFNs and consequently have evolved many strategies to interfere with interferon. This is particularly well illustrated by poxviruses, which have large dsDNA genomes and encode hundreds of proteins. Vaccinia virus is the prototypic poxvirus and expresses many proteins that interfere with IFN and are considered in this review. These proteins act either inside or outside the cell and within the cytoplasm or nucleus. They function by restricting the production of IFN by blocking the signaling pathways leading to transcription of IFN genes, stopping IFNs binding to their receptors, blocking IFN-induced signal transduction leading to expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), or inhibiting the antiviral activity of ISG products.
Authors:Victor M. Corman; Doreen Muth; Daniela Niemeyer; Christian Drosten Abstract: Publication date: Available online 16 February 2018 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Victor M. Corman, Doreen Muth, Daniela Niemeyer, Christian Drosten The four endemic human coronaviruses HCoV-229E, -NL63, -OC43, and -HKU1 contribute a considerable share of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in adults and children. While their clinical representation resembles that of many other agents of the common cold, their evolutionary histories, and host associations could provide important insights into the natural history of past human pandemics. For two of these viruses, we have strong evidence suggesting an origin in major livestock species while primordial associations for all four viruses may have existed with bats and rodents. HCoV-NL63 and -229E may originate from bat reservoirs as assumed for many other coronaviruses, but HCoV-OC43 and -HKU1 seem more likely to have speciated from rodent-associated viruses. HCoV-OC43 is thought to have emerged from ancestors in domestic animals such as cattle or swine. The bovine coronavirus has been suggested to be a possible ancestor, from which HCoV-OC43 may have emerged in the context of a pandemic recorded historically at the end of the 19th century. New data suggest that HCoV-229E may actually be transferred from dromedary camels similar to Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus. This scenario provides important ecological parallels to the present prepandemic pattern of host associations of the MERS coronavirus.
Authors:George P. Lomonossoff Abstract: Publication date: Available online 1 February 2018 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): George P. Lomonossoff The discovery of a new class of pathogen, viruses, in the late 19th century, ushered in a period of study of the biochemical and structural properties of these entities in which plant viruses played a prominent role. This was, in large part, due to the relative ease with which sufficient quantities of material could be produced for such analyses. As analytical techniques became increasingly sensitive, similar studies could be performed on the viruses from other organisms. However, plant viruses continued to play an important role in the development of molecular biology, including the demonstration that RNA can be infectious, the determination of the genetic code, the mechanism by which viral RNAs are translated, and some of the early studies on gene silencing. Thus, the study of plant viruses should not be considered a “niche” subject but rather part of the mainstream of virology and molecular biology.
Authors:Kristin Pfeffermann; Mareike Dörr; Florian Zirkel; Veronika von Messling Abstract: Publication date: Available online 1 February 2018 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Kristin Pfeffermann, Mareike Dörr, Florian Zirkel, Veronika von Messling Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines against measles and several animal morbilliviruses, they continue to cause regular outbreaks and epidemics in susceptible populations. Morbilliviruses are highly contagious and share a similar pathogenesis in their respective hosts. This review provides an overview of morbillivirus history and the general replication cycle and recapitulates Morbillivirus pathogenesis focusing on common and unique aspects seen in different hosts. It also summarizes the state of knowledge regarding virus–host interactions on the cellular level with an emphasis on viral interference with innate immune response activation, and highlights remaining knowledge gaps.
Authors:Jackson Emanuel; Andrea Marzi; Heinz Feldmann Abstract: Publication date: Available online 1 February 2018 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Jackson Emanuel, Andrea Marzi, Heinz Feldmann The Filoviridae are a family of negative-strand RNA viruses that include several important human pathogens. Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus are well-known filoviruses which cause life-threatening viral hemorrhagic fever in human and nonhuman primates. In addition to severe pathogenesis, filoviruses also exhibit a propensity for human-to-human transmission by close contact, posing challenges to containment and crisis management. Past outbreaks, in particular the recent West African EBOV epidemic, have been responsible for thousands of deaths and vaulted the filoviruses into public consciousness. Both national and international health agencies continue to regard potential filovirus outbreaks as critical threats to global public health. To develop effective countermeasures, a basic understanding of filovirus biology is needed. This review encompasses the epidemiology, ecology, molecular biology, and evolution of the filoviruses.
Authors:Kerstin Wernike; Martin Beer Pages: 39 - 60 Abstract: Publication date: 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research, Volume 99 Author(s): Kerstin Wernike, Martin Beer In late 2011, unspecific clinical symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, and decreased milk production were observed in dairy cattle in the Dutch/German border region. After exclusion of classical endemic and emerging viruses by targeted diagnostic systems, blood samples from acutely diseased cows were subjected to metagenomics analysis. An insect-transmitted orthobunyavirus of the Simbu serogroup was identified as the causative agent and named Schmallenberg virus (SBV). It was one of the first detections of the introduction of a novel virus of veterinary importance to Europe using the new technology of next-generation sequencing. The virus was subsequently isolated from identical samples as used for metagenomics analysis in insect and mammalian cell lines and disease symptoms were reproduced in calves experimentally infected with both, this culture-grown virus and blood samples of diseased cattle. Since its emergence, SBV spread very rapidly throughout the European ruminant population causing mild unspecific disease in adult animals, but also premature birth or stillbirth and severe fetal malformation when naive dams were infected during a critical phase of gestation. In the following years, SBV recirculated regularly to a larger extend; in the 2014 and 2016 vector seasons the virus was again repeatedly detected in the blood of adult ruminants, and in the following winter and spring months, a number of malformed calves and lambs was born. The genome of viruses present in viremic adult animals showed a very high sequence stability; in sequences generated between 2012 and 2016, only a few amino acid substitutions in comparison to the initial SBV isolate could be detected. In contrast, a high sequence variability was identified in the aminoterminal part of the glycoprotein Gc-encoding region of viruses present in the brain of malformed newborns. This mutation hotspot is independent of the region or host species from which the samples originated and is potentially involved in immune evasion mechanisms.
Authors:Yolanda Revilla; Daniel Pérez-Núñez; Juergen A. Richt Abstract: Publication date: Available online 21 November 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Yolanda Revilla, Daniel Pérez-Núñez, Juergen A. Richt African swine fever (ASF) is an acute and often fatal disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boar, with severe economic consequences for affected countries. ASF is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and the island of Sardinia, Italy. Since 2007, the virus emerged in the republic of Georgia, and since then spread throughout the Caucasus region and Russia. Outbreaks have also been reported in Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Moldova, Czech Republic, and Poland, threatening neighboring West European countries. The causative agent, the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a large, enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus that enters the cell by macropinocytosis and a clathrin-dependent mechanism. ASFV is able to interfere with various cellular signaling pathways resulting in immunomodulation, thus making the development of an efficacious vaccine very challenging. Inactivated preparations of ASFV do not confer protection, and the role of antibodies in protection remains unclear. The use of live-attenuated vaccines, although rendering suitable levels of protection, presents difficulties due to safety and side effects in the vaccinated animals. Several ASFV proteins have been reported to induce neutralizing antibodies in immunized pigs, and vaccination strategies based on DNA vaccines and recombinant proteins have also been explored, however, without being very successful. The complexity of the virus particle and the ability of the virus to modulate host immune responses are most likely the reason for this failure. Furthermore, no permanent cell lines able to sustain productive virus infection by both virulent and naturally attenuated ASFV strains exist so far, thus impairing basic research and the commercial production of attenuated vaccine candidates.
Authors:Juan A. Mondotte; Maria-Carla Saleh Abstract: Publication date: Available online 21 November 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Juan A. Mondotte, Maria-Carla Saleh The use of Drosophila as a model organism has made an important contribution to our understanding of the function and regulation of innate immunity in insects. Indeed, insects can discriminate between different types of pathogens and mount specific and effective responses. Strikingly, the same pathogen can trigger a different immune response in the same organism, depending solely on the route of infection by which the pathogen is delivered. In this review, we recapitulate what is known about antiviral responses in Drosophila, and how they are triggered depending on the route and the mode used for the virus to infect its host.
Authors:Rogier Bodewes; Thijs Kuiken Abstract: Publication date: Available online 21 November 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Rogier Bodewes, Thijs Kuiken Waterbirds are the main reservoir for low pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (LPAIV), from which occasional spillover to poultry occurs. When circulating among poultry, LPAIV may become highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (HPAIV). In recent years, the epidemiology of HPAIV viruses has changed drastically. HPAIV H5N1 are currently endemic among poultry in a number of countries. In addition, global spread of HPAIV H5Nx viruses has resulted in major outbreaks among wild birds and poultry worldwide. Using data collected during these outbreaks, the role of migratory birds as a vector became increasingly clear. Here we provide an overview of current data about various aspects of the changing role of wild birds in the epidemiology of avian influenza A viruses.
Authors:Bradley I. Hillman; Aulia Annisa; Nobuhiro Suzuki Abstract: Publication date: Available online 21 November 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Bradley I. Hillman, Aulia Annisa, Nobuhiro Suzuki Plant-associated fungi are infected by viruses at the incidence rates from a few % to over 90%. Multiple viruses often coinfect fungal hosts, and occasionally alter their phenotypes, but most of the infections are asymptomatic. Phenotypic alterations are grouped into two types: harmful or beneficial to the host fungi. Harmful interactions between viruses and hosts include hypovirulence and/or debilitation that are documented in a number of phytopathogenic fungi, exemplified by the chestnut blight, white root rot, and rapeseed rot fungi. Beneficial interactions are observed in a limited number of plant endophytic and pathogenic fungi where heat tolerance and virulence are enhanced, respectively. Coinfections of fungi provided a platform for discoveries of interesting virus/virus interactions that include synergistic, as in the case for those in plants, and unique antagonistic and mutualistic interactions between unrelated RNA viruses. Also discussed here are coinfection-induced genome rearrangements and frequently observed coinfections by the simplest positive-strand RNA virus, the mitoviruses.
Authors:Caitlin Milligan; Jennifer A. Slyker; Julie Overbaugh Abstract: Publication date: Available online 16 November 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Caitlin Milligan, Jennifer A. Slyker, Julie Overbaugh HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) represents a success story in the HIV/AIDS field given the significant reduction in number of transmission events with the scale-up of antiretroviral treatment and other prevention methods. Nevertheless, MTCT still occurs and better understanding of the basic biology and immunology of transmission will aid in future prevention and treatment efforts. MTCT is a unique setting given that the transmission pair is known and the infant receives passively transferred HIV-specific antibodies from the mother while in utero. Thus, infant exposure to HIV occurs in the face of HIV-specific antibodies, especially during delivery and breastfeeding. This review highlights the immune correlates of protection in HIV MTCT including humoral (neutralizing antibodies, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and binding epitopes), cellular, and innate immune factors. We further discuss the future implications of this research as it pertains to opportunities for passive and active vaccination with the ultimate goal of eliminating HIV MTCT.
Authors:Danica M. Sutherland; Pavithra Aravamudhan; Terence S. Dermody Abstract: Publication date: Available online 13 November 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Danica M. Sutherland, Pavithra Aravamudhan, Terence S. Dermody Viruses are constantly engaged in a molecular arms race with the host, where efficient and tactical use of cellular receptors benefits critical steps in infection. Receptor use dictates initiation, establishment, and spread of viral infection to new tissues and hosts. Mammalian orthoreoviruses (reoviruses) are pervasive pathogens that use multiple receptors to overcome protective host barriers to disseminate from sites of initial infection and cause disease in young mammals. In particular, reovirus invades the central nervous system (CNS) with serotype-dependent tropism and disease. A single viral gene, encoding the attachment protein σ1, segregates with distinct patterns of CNS injury. Despite the identification and characterization of several reovirus receptors, host factors that dictate tropism via interaction with σ1 remain undefined. Here, we summarize the state of the reovirus receptor field and discuss open questions toward understanding how the reovirus attachment protein dictates CNS tropism.
Authors:Michael M. Goodin Abstract: Publication date: Available online 2 November 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Michael M. Goodin Protein interaction and localization studies in plants are a fundamental component of achieving mechanistic understanding of virus:plant interactions at the systems level. Many such studies are conducted using transient expression assays in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana, the most widely used experimental plant host in virology, examined by laser-scanning confocal microscopy. This chapter provides a workflow for protein interaction and localization experiments, with particular attention to the many control and supporting assays that may also need to be performed. Basic principles of microscopy are introduced to aid researchers in the early stages of adding imaging techniques to their experimental repertoire. Three major types of imaging-based experiments are discussed in detail: (i) protein localization using autofluorescent proteins, (ii) colocalization studies, and (iii) bimolecular fluorescence complementation, with emphasis on judicious interpretation of the data obtained from these approaches. In addition to establishing a general framework for protein localization experiments in plants, the need for proteome-scale localization projects is discussed, with emphasis on nuclear-localized proteins.
Authors:Marc H.V. Van Regenmortel Abstract: Publication date: Available online 2 November 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Marc H.V. Van Regenmortel Virus classification deals with conceptual species classes that have viruses as their members. A virus species cannot be described but can only be defined by listing certain species-defining properties of its member. However, it is not possible to define a virus species by using a single species-defining property. The new 2013 official definition of virus species is not appropriate because it applies equally to virus genera. A nucleotide motif is a chemical part of a viral genome and is not a species-defining property that could be used for establishing new virus species. A virus classification based solely on nucleotide sequences is a classification of viral genomes and not of viruses. The variable distribution of species-defining properties of a polythetic species class is not itself a single common property of all the members of the class, since this would lead to the paradox that every polythetic class is also a monothetic one.
Authors:Stephan Drewes; Petra Straková; Jan F. Drexler; Jens Jacob; Rainer G. Ulrich Abstract: Publication date: Available online 28 September 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Stephan Drewes, Petra Straková, Jan F. Drexler, Jens Jacob, Rainer G. Ulrich Rodents are distributed throughout the world and interact with humans in many ways. They provide vital ecosystem services, some species are useful models in biomedical research and some are held as pet animals. However, many rodent species can have adverse effects such as damage to crops and stored produce, and they are of health concern because of the transmission of pathogens to humans and livestock. The first rodent viruses were discovered by isolation approaches and resulted in break-through knowledge in immunology, molecular and cell biology, and cancer research. In addition to rodent-specific viruses, rodent-borne viruses are causing a large number of zoonotic diseases. Most prominent examples are reemerging outbreaks of human hemorrhagic fever disease cases caused by arena- and hantaviruses. In addition, rodents are reservoirs for vector-borne pathogens, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus and Borrelia spp., and may carry human pathogenic agents, but likely are not involved in their transmission to human. In our days, next-generation sequencing or high-throughput sequencing (HTS) is revolutionizing the speed of the discovery of novel viruses, but other molecular approaches, such as generic RT-PCR/PCR and rolling circle amplification techniques, contribute significantly to the rapidly ongoing process. However, the current knowledge still represents only the tip of the iceberg, when comparing the known human viruses to those known for rodents, the mammalian taxon with the largest species number. The diagnostic potential of HTS-based metagenomic approaches is illustrated by their use in the discovery and complete genome determination of novel borna- and adenoviruses as causative disease agents in squirrels. In conclusion, HTS, in combination with conventional RT-PCR/PCR-based approaches, resulted in a drastically increased knowledge of the diversity of rodent viruses. Future improvements of the used workflows, including bioinformatics analysis, will further enhance our knowledge and preparedness in case of the emergence of novel viruses. Classical virological and additional molecular approaches are needed for genome annotation and functional characterization of novel viruses, discovered by these technologies, and evaluation of their zoonotic potential.
Authors:Martin Hölzer; Manja Marz Abstract: Publication date: Available online 28 September 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Martin Hölzer, Manja Marz Computer-assisted technologies of the genomic structure, biological function, and evolution of viruses remain a largely neglected area of research. The attention of bioinformaticians to this challenging field is currently unsatisfying in respect to its medical and biological importance. The power of new genome sequencing technologies, associated with new tools to handle “big data”, provides unprecedented opportunities to address fundamental questions in virology. Here, we present an overview of the current technologies, challenges, and advantages of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) in relation to the field of virology. We present how viral sequences can be detected de novo out of current short-read NGS data. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and applications of viral quasispecies and how secondary structures, commonly shaped by RNA viruses, can be computationally predicted. The phylogenetic analysis of viruses, as another ubiquitous field in virology, forms an essential element of describing viral epidemics and challenges current algorithms. Recently, the first specialized virus-bioinformatic organizations have been established. We need to bring together virologists and bioinformaticians and provide a platform for the implementation of interdisciplinary collaborative projects at local and international scales. Above all, there is an urgent need for dedicated software tools to tackle various challenges in virology.
Authors:Guillaume Belbis; Stéphan Zientara; Emmanuel Bréard; Corinne Sailleau; Grégory Caignard; Damien Vitour; Houssam Attoui Abstract: Publication date: Available online 22 September 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Guillaume Belbis, Stéphan Zientara, Emmanuel Bréard, Corinne Sailleau, Grégory Caignard, Damien Vitour, Houssam Attoui Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the type species of genus Orbivirus within family Reoviridae. Bluetongue virus is transmitted between its ruminant hosts by the bite of Culicoides spp. midges. Severe BT cases are characterized by symptoms including hemorrhagic fever, particularly in sheep, loss of productivity, and death. To date, 27 BTV serotypes have been documented. These include novel isolates of atypical BTV, which have been almost fully characterized using deep sequencing technologies and do not rely on Culicoides vectors for their transmission among hosts. Due to its high economic impact, BT is an Office International des Epizooties (OIE) listed disease that is strictly controlled in international commercial exchanges. During the 20th century, BTV has been endemic in subtropical regions. In the last 15 years, novel strains of nine “typical” BTV serotypes (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, and 16) invaded Europe, some of which caused disease in naive sheep and unexpectedly in bovine herds (particularly serotype 8). Over the past few years, three novel “atypical” serotypes (25–27) were characterized during sequencing studies of animal samples from Switzerland, Kuwait, and France, respectively. Classical serotype-specific inactivated vaccines, although expensive, were very successful in controlling outbreaks as shown with the northern European BTV-8 outbreak which started in the summer of 2006. Technological jumps in deep sequencing methodologies made rapid full characterizations of BTV genome from isolates/tissues feasible. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches are powerful tools to study the variability of BTV genomes on a fine scale. This paper provides information on how NGS impacted our knowledge of the BTV genome.
Authors:Céline L. Boujon; Michel C. Koch; Torsten Seuberlich Abstract: Publication date: Available online 22 September 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Céline L. Boujon, Michel C. Koch, Torsten Seuberlich Astroviruses are best known as being one of the leading causes of diarrhea in infants and were first described in this context in 1975. In its first years, astrovirus research was mainly restricted to electron microscopy and serology studies. The ability to culture some of these viruses in vitro allowed a first consequent step forward, especially at the molecular level. Since the emergence of more powerful genetic methods, though, the face of this research field has dramatically changed and evolved. From the exponential number of discoveries of new astrovirus strains in the most varied of animal species to their association with atypical diseases, these viruses revealed a lot of surprises, and many more are probably still waiting to be uncovered. This chapter summarizes the most important knowledge about astroviruses and discusses the implication of the latest findings in this area of research.
Authors:Dirk Höper; Claudia Wylezich; Martin Beer Abstract: Publication date: Available online 21 September 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Dirk Höper, Claudia Wylezich, Martin Beer A new world of possibilities for “virus discovery” was opened up with high-throughput sequencing becoming available in the last decade. While scientifically metagenomic analysis was established before the start of the era of high-throughput sequencing, the availability of the first second-generation sequencers was the kick-off for diagnosticians to use sequencing for the detection of novel pathogens. Today, diagnostic metagenomics is becoming the standard procedure for the detection and genetic characterization of new viruses or novel virus variants. Here, we provide an overview about technical considerations of high-throughput sequencing-based diagnostic metagenomics together with selected examples of “virus discovery” for animal diseases or zoonoses and metagenomics for food safety or basic veterinary research.
Authors:Thomas Mettenleiter Abstract: Publication date: Available online 9 September 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Thomas C. Mettenleiter The history of virology is a history of conceptual and technological inventions and breakthroughs. The development of filters made of porcelain or kieselgur by the end of the 19th century which withheld bacteria allowed the identification of infectious agents smaller than bacteria and noncultivable on the media known at that time and used to grow bacteria. Even finer-grain filters resulted in the observation that the ultravisible novel infectious agents are in fact of particulate nature. Infections of plants and animals were the first to be attributed to these tiny entities. Proof resulted from experimental infection of the natural hosts (including humans). Thus, of the first 30 viruses identified, 20 are veterinary viruses, i.e. infectious agents of poultry and livestock. The discovery that bacteria also have viruses in the 1910s expanded the viral universe which continues today. Filterability and ultravisibility remained a hallmark for the identification of viruses until the advent of the electron microscope in the late 1930s marking another technological breakthrough in virology. Cell culture techniques allowed virus propagation outside the infected organism. In the past decades, the advent and development of molecular biology has brought more innovations culminating in the rapid and accurate determination of genomic material of a variety of living beings including viruses in a hitherto unknown speed and depth using next-generation sequencing and metagenomic analyses. Thus, it is no surprise that new viruses are detected constantly including specimens of unprecedented size and shape. Virologists agree that the viral universe is immense, and only a small fraction has been explored yet.
Authors:Elisa Eggerbauer; Cécile Troupin; Karsten Passior; Florian Pfaff; Dirk Höper; Antonie Neubauer-Juric; Stephanie Haberl; Christiane Bouchier; Thomas C. Mettenleiter; Hervé Bourhy; Thomas Müller; Laurent Dacheux; Conrad M. Freuling Abstract: Publication date: Available online 9 September 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Elisa Eggerbauer, Cécile Troupin, Karsten Passior, Florian Pfaff, Dirk Höper, Antonie Neubauer-Juric, Stephanie Haberl, Christiane Bouchier, Thomas C. Mettenleiter, Hervé Bourhy, Thomas Müller, Laurent Dacheux, Conrad M. Freuling In 2010, a novel lyssavirus named Bokeloh bat lyssavirus (BBLV) was isolated from a Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri) in Germany. Two further viruses were isolated in the same country and in France in recent years, all from the same bat species and all found in moribund or dead bats. Here we report the description and the full-length genome sequence of five additional BBLV isolates from Germany (n =4) and France (n =1). Interestingly, all of them were isolated from the Natterer's bat, except one from Germany, which was found in a common Pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), a widespread and abundant bat species in Europe. The latter represents the first case of transmission of BBLV to another bat species. Phylogenetic analysis clearly demonstrated the presence of two different lineages among this lyssavirus species: lineages A and B. The spatial distribution of these two lineages remains puzzling, as both of them comprised isolates from France and Germany; although clustering of isolates was observed on a regional scale, especially in Germany. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b (CYTB) gene from positive Natterer's bat did not suggest a circulation of the respective BBLV sublineages in specific Natterer's bat subspecies, as all of them were shown to belong to the M. nattereri sensu stricto clade/subspecies and were closely related (German and French positive bats). At the bat host level, we demonstrated that the distribution of BBLV at the late stage of the disease seems large and massive, as viral RNA was detected in many different organs.
Authors:Sandra Blome; Martin Beer; Kerstin Wernike Abstract: Publication date: Available online 9 September 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Sandra Blome, Martin Beer, Kerstin Wernike Pestiviruses are a group of viruses of veterinary importance infecting livestock animals like pigs, cattle, and sheep, and also wildlife animals like wild boar and different deer species. While for decades only four classical species (Classical swine fever virus, Bovine viral diarrhea virus types 1 and 2, Border disease virus), and a few so-called atypical pestiviruses were known (e.g., Giraffe virus, Pronghorn virus, HoBi virus), a series of novel pestiviruses was identified in the last years (Bungowannah virus, Bat pestivirus, Norway rat pestivirus, Atypical porcine pestivirus, LINDA virus). The Australian Bungowannah virus could be isolated and further characterized by classical sequencing, but all the other latest novel pestiviruses were identified by metagenomics using next-generation sequencing technologies. Here, we describe these new viruses and their discovery and characterization. Differentiation is made between the occurrence of classical pestiviruses in new species and novel viruses or virus types.
Authors:Pablo Guardado-Calvo; Félix A. Rey Abstract: Publication date: Available online 8 April 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Pablo Guardado-Calvo, Félix A. Rey The Bunyavirales Order encompasses nine families of enveloped viruses containing a single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome divided into three segments. The small (S) and large (L) segments encode proteins participating in genome replication in the infected cell cytoplasm. The middle (M) segment encodes the viral glycoproteins Gn and Gc, which are derived from a precursor polyprotein by host cell proteases. Entry studies are available only for a few viruses in the Order, and in each case they were shown to enter cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. The acidic endosomal pH triggers the fusion of the viral envelope with the membrane of an endosome. Structural studies on two members of this Order, the phleboviruses and the hantaviruses, have shown that the membrane fusion protein Gc displays a class II fusion protein fold and is homologous to its counterparts in flaviviruses and alphaviruses, which are positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses. We analyze here recent data on the structure and function of the structure of the phlebovirus Gc and hantavirus Gn and Gc glycoproteins, and extrapolate common features identified in the amino acid sequences to understand also the structure and function of their counterparts in other families of the Bunyavirales Order. Our analysis also identified clear structural homology between the hantavirus Gn and alphavirus E2 glycoproteins, which make a heterodimer with the corresponding fusion proteins Gc and E1, respectively, revealing that not only the fusion protein has been conserved across viral families.
Authors:Marianne Manchester; Anisha Anand Abstract: Publication date: Available online 31 March 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): Marianne Manchester, Anisha Anand Metabolomics is an analytical profiling technique for measuring and comparing large numbers of metabolites present in biological samples. Combining high-throughput analytical chemistry and multivariate data analysis, metabolomics offers a window on metabolic mechanisms. Because they intimately utilize and often rewire host metabolism, viruses are an excellent choice to study by metabolomics techniques. Studies of the effects of viruses on metabolism during replication in vitro and infection in animal models or human subjects have provided novel insights into these networks and provided new targets for therapy and biomarker development. Identifying the common metabolic pathways utilized by viruses has the potential to reveal those that can be targeted by broad-spectrum antiviral and vaccine approaches.
Authors:P.A. Thibault; R.E. Watkinson; A. Moreira-Soto; J.F. Drexler; B. Lee Abstract: Publication date: Available online 2 February 2017 Source:Advances in Virus Research Author(s): P.A. Thibault, R.E. Watkinson, A. Moreira-Soto, J.F. Drexler, B. Lee The risk of spillover of enzootic paramyxoviruses and the susceptibility of recipient human and domestic animal populations are defined by a broad collection of ecological and molecular factors that interact in ways that are not yet fully understood. Nipah and Hendra viruses were the first highly lethal zoonotic paramyxoviruses discovered in modern times, but other paramyxoviruses from multiple genera are present in bats and other reservoirs that have unknown potential to spillover into humans. We outline our current understanding of paramyxovirus reservoir hosts and the ecological factors that may drive spillover, and we explore the molecular barriers to spillover that emergent paramyxoviruses may encounter. By outlining what is known about enzootic paramyxovirus receptor usage, mechanisms of innate immune evasion, and other host-specific interactions, we highlight the breadth of unexplored avenues that may be important in understanding paramyxovirus emergence.
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