scholarly journals The S2 Gene of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Is a Highly Conserved Determinant of Viral Replication and Virulence Properties in Experimentally Infected Ponies

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 573-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Li ◽  
Caroline Leroux ◽  
Jodi K. Craigo ◽  
Sheila J. Cook ◽  
Charles J. Issel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Replication ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia Virus ◽  
Parental Virus ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Viral Gene ◽  
Viral Virulence ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia ◽  
Anemia Virus

ABSTRACT Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is genetically one of the simplest lentiviruses in that the viral genome encodes only three accessory genes, tat, rev, and S2. Although serological analyses demonstrate the expression of the S2 protein in persistently infected horses, the role of this viral gene remains undefined. We recently reported that the S2 gene is not essential for EIAV replication in primary equine macrophages, as EIAV mutants lacking the S2 gene replicate to levels similar to those of the parental virus (F. Li, B. A. Puffer, and R. C. Montelaro, J. Virol. 72:8344–8348, 1998). We now describe in vivo studies that examine the evolution and role of theS2 gene in ponies experimentally infected with EIAV. The results of these studies reveal for the first time that theS2 gene is highly conserved during persistent infection and that deletion of the S2 gene reduces viral virulence and virus replication levels compared to those of the parental virus containing a functional S2 gene. These data indicate that the EIAV S2 gene is in fact an important determinant of viral replication and pathogenic properties in vivo, despite the evident lack of S2 influence on viral replication levels in vitro. Thus, these observations suggest in vivo functions of EIAVS2 that are not adequately reflected in simple infections of cultured cells, including natural target macrophages.

scholarly journals The S2 Gene of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Is Dispensable for Viral Replication In Vitro

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 8344-8348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Li ◽  
Bridget A. Puffer ◽  
Ronald C. Montelaro
Keyword(s):  
Equine Infectious Anemia Virus ◽  
Parental Virus ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Monocyte Differentiation ◽  
Cell Culture Systems ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia ◽  
Anemia Virus ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACT Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) contains the simplest genome among lentiviruses in that it encodes only three putative regulatory genes (S1, S2, S3) in addition to the canonical gag, pol, and envgenes, presumably reflecting its limited tropism to cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage. Tat and Rev functions have been assigned to S1 and S3, respectively, but the specific function for the S2 gene has yet to be determined. Thus, the function of S2 in virus replication in vitro was investigated by using an infectious molecular viral clone, EIAVUK. Various EIAVUK mutants lackingS2 were constructed, and their replication kinetics were examined in several equine cell culture systems, including the natural in vivo target equine macrophage cells. The EIAV S2 mutants showed replication kinetics similar to those of the parental virus in all of the tested primary and transformed equine cell cultures, without any detectable reversion of mutant genomes. The EIAVUKmutants also showed replication kinetics similar to those of the parental virus in an equine blood monocyte differentiation-maturation system. These results demonstrate for the first time that the EIAVS2 gene is not essential and does not appear to affect virus infection and replication properties in target cells in vitro.

scholarly journals Subpopulations of Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Rev Coexist In Vivo and Differ in Phenotype

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (22) ◽  
pp. 12122-12131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prasith Baccam ◽  
Robert J. Thompson ◽  
Yuxing Li ◽  
Wendy O. Sparks ◽  
Michael Belshan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Nuclear Export ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia Virus ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia ◽  
Anemia Virus

ABSTRACT Lentiviruses exist in vivo as a population of related, nonidentical genotypes, commonly referred to as quasispecies. The quasispecies structure is characteristic of complex adaptive systems and contributes to the high rate of evolution in lentiviruses that confounds efforts to develop effective vaccines and antiviral therapies. Here, we describe analyses of genetic data from longitudinal studies of genetic variation in a lentivirus regulatory protein, Rev, over the course of disease in ponies experimentally infected with equine infectious anemia virus. As observed with other lentivirus data, the Rev variants exhibited a quasispecies character. Phylogenetic and partition analyses suggested that the Rev quasispecies comprised two distinct subpopulations that coexisted during infection. One subpopulation appeared to accumulate changes in a linear, time-dependent manner, while the other evolved radially from a common variant. Over time, the two subpopulations cycled in predominance coincident with changes in the disease state, suggesting that the two groups differed in selective advantage. Transient expression assays indicated the two populations differed significantly in Rev nuclear export activity. Chimeric proviral clones containing Rev genotypes representative of each population differed in rate and overall level of virus replication in vitro. The coexistence of genetically distinct viral subpopulations that differ in phenotype provides great adaptability to environmental changes within the infected host. A quasispecies model with multiple subpopulations may provide additional insight into the nature of lentivirus reservoirs and the evolution of antigenic and drug-resistant variants.

scholarly journals Transient kinetics of ligand binding and role of the C-terminus in the dUTPase from equine infectious anemia virus

FEBS Letters ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 472 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 312-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Nord ◽  
Martin Kiefer ◽  
Hans-Werner Adolph ◽  
Michael M. Zeppezauer ◽  
Per-Olof Nyman
Keyword(s):  
Ligand Binding ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia Virus ◽  
Transient Kinetics ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia ◽  
Anemia Virus ◽  
Kinetics Of

scholarly journals Effects of Long Terminal Repeat Sequence Variation on Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Replication in Vitro and in Vivo

Virology ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 263 (2) ◽  
pp. 408-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drew L. Lichtenstein ◽  
Jodi K. Craigo ◽  
Caroline Leroux ◽  
Keith E. Rushlow ◽  
R.Frank Cook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Long Terminal Repeat ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Sequence Variation ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia Virus ◽  
Repeat Sequence ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia ◽  
Anemia Virus ◽  
Terminal Repeat Sequence

scholarly journals Evolution of the Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Long Terminal Repeat during the Alteration of Cell Tropism

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 5653-5664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Maury ◽  
Robert J. Thompson ◽  
Quentin Jones ◽  
Sarahann Bradley ◽  
Tara Denke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Long Terminal Repeat ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia Virus ◽  
Terminal Repeat ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Cell Tropism ◽  
Transcription Factor Binding Motif ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia ◽  
Anemia Virus

ABSTRACT Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a lentivirus with in vivo cell tropism primarily for tissue macrophages; however, in vitro the virus can be adapted to fibroblasts and other cell types. Tropism adaptation is associated with both envelope and long terminal repeat (LTR) changes, and findings strongly suggest that these regions of the genome influence cell tropism and virulence. Furthermore, high levels of genetic variation have been well documented in both of these genomic regions. However, specific EIAV nucleotide or amino acid changes that are responsible for cell tropism changes have not been identified. A study was undertaken with the highly virulent, macrophage-tropic strain of virus EIAVwyo to identify LTR changes associated with alterations in cell tropism. We found the stepwise generation of a new transcription factor binding motif within the enhancer that was associated with adaptation of EIAV to endothelial cells and fibroblasts. An LTR that contained the new motif had enhanced transcriptional activity in fibroblasts, whereas the new site did not alter LTR activity in a macrophage cell line. This finding supports a previous prediction that selection for new LTR genetic variants may be a consequence of cell-specific selective pressures. Additional investigations of the EIAVwyo LTR were performed in vivo to determine if LTR evolution could be detected over the course of a 3-year infection. Consistent with previous in vivo findings, we observed no changes in the enhancer region of the LTR over that time period, indicating that the EIAVwyo LTR was evolutionarily stable in vivo.

scholarly journals A Live Attenuated Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Proviral Vaccine with a Modified S2 Gene Provides Protection from Detectable Infection by Intravenous Virulent Virus Challenge of Experimentally Inoculated Horses

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (13) ◽  
pp. 7244-7253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Li ◽  
Jodi K. Craigo ◽  
Laryssa Howe ◽  
Jonathan D. Steckbeck ◽  
Sheila Cook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Responses ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia Virus ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Accessory Gene ◽  
Virus Challenge ◽  
Equine Infectious Anemia ◽  
Anemia Virus ◽  
Vaccine Immunity

ABSTRACT Previous evaluations of inactivated whole-virus and envelope subunit vaccines to equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) have revealed a broad spectrum of efficacy ranging from highly type-specific protection to severe enhancement of viral replication and disease in experimentally immunized equids. Among experimental animal lentivirus vaccines, immunizations with live attenuated viral strains have proven most effective, but the vaccine efficacy has been shown to be highly dependent on the nature and severity of the vaccine virus attenuation. We describe here for the first time the characterization of an experimental attenuated proviral vaccine, EIAVUKΔS2, based on inactivation of the S2 accessory gene to down regulate in vivo replication without affecting in vitro growth properties. The results of these studies demonstrated that immunization with EIAVUKΔS2 elicited mature virus-specific immune responses by 6 months and that this vaccine immunity provided protection from disease and detectable infection by intravenous challenge with a reference virulent biological clone, EIAVPV. This level of protection was observed in each of the six experimental horses challenged with the reference virulent EIAVPV by using a low-dose multiple-exposure protocol (three administrations of 10 median horse infectious doses [HID50], intravenous) designed to mimic field exposures and in all three experimentally immunized ponies challenged intravenously with a single inoculation of 3,000 HID50. In contrast, naïve equids subjected to the low- or high-dose challenge develop a detectable infection of challenge virus and acute disease within several weeks. Thus, these data demonstrate that the EIAV S2 gene provides an optimal site for modification to achieve the necessary balance between attenuation to suppress virulence and replication potential to sufficiently drive host immune responses to produce vaccine immunity to viral exposure.

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