Characterization of a Novel Rat Hepatitis E Virus Isolated from an Asian Musk Shrew (Suncus murinus)

The Asian musk shrew (shrew) is a new reservoir of a rat hepatitis E virus (HEV) that has been classified into genotype HEV-C1 in the species Orthohepevirus C. However, there is no information regarding classification of the new rat HEV based on the entire genome sequences, and it remains unclear whether rat HEV transmits from shrews to humans. We herein inoculated nude rats (Long-Evans rnu/rnu) with a serum sample from a shrew trapped in China, which was positive for rat HEV RNA, to isolate and characterize the rat HEV distributed in shrews. A rat HEV strain, S1129, was recovered from feces of the infected nude rat, indicating that rat HEV was capable of replicating in rats. S1129 adapted and grew well in PLC/PRF/5 cells, and the recovered virus (S1129c1) infected Wistar rats. The entire genomes of S1129 and S1129c1 contain four open reading frames and share 78.3–81.8% of the nucleotide sequence identities with known rat HEV isolates, demonstrating that rat HEVs are genetically diverse. We proposed that genotype HEV-C1 be further classified into subtypes HEV-C1a to HEV-C1d and that the S1129 strain circulating in the shrew belonged to the new subtype HEV-C1d. Further studies should focus on whether the S1129 strain infects humans.

Recent H5N1 avian Influenza A virus increases rapidly in virulence to mice after a single passage in mice

To evaluate the potential pathogenicity to mammals of the recent H5N1 avian Influenza A virus, viruses recovered from dead mice infected with A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004 isolated in Japan were examined. All recovered viruses from the brains of dead mice infected with this strain (without any prior adaptation to mice) had substituted the amino acid at position 627 of the PB2 protein from glutamic acid to lysine. Their mouse lethality had increased by approximately 5×104 times over that of the original virus. Histopathological analysis reinforced the finding that these variants caused more rapid and severe damage to mice than the original virus. This revealed that it might be useful to characterize the recovered virus to assess its potential pathogenicity to mammals.

Reverse Genetics System for Porcine Enteric Calicivirus, a Prototype Sapovirus in the Caliciviridae

ABSTRACT A porcine enteric calicivirus (PEC), strain Cowden in the genus Sapovirus of the Caliciviridae family, can be propagated in a porcine kidney continuous cell line (LLC-PK) in the presence of bile acids in the cell culture medium. A full-length cDNA copy of the Cowden PEC genome was cloned into a plasmid vector directly downstream from the T7 RNA polymerase promoter, and capped RNA transcripts derived from this clone were infectious when transfected into LLC-PK cells. The recovery of PEC after transfection of RNA transcripts was dependent on the presence of bile acids, consistent with our recent identification of a bile acid-mediated signaling pathway required for PEC replication (Chang et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:8733-8788, 2004). Recovery of virus was verified by detection of PEC antigen in transfected cells by immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, direct observation of recovered viral particles by electron microscopy, and partial sequence analysis of their genomes (first 1,070 nucleotides) to differentiate them from tissue culture-adapted parental virus. The recovered virus retained its ability to infect piglets when administered by the oral route and showed an attenuated phenotype similar to that of the tissue culture-adapted parental virus. This reverse genetics system for PEC provides a new tool to study the molecular basis of replication and pathogenesis for caliciviruses associated with diarrheal disease.

Generation of Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus from Cloned cDNA

ABSTRACT We developed a reverse genetics system for infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), a prototype virus of theBirnaviridae family, with the use of plus-stranded RNA transcripts derived from cloned cDNA. Full-length cDNA clones of the IPNV genome that contained the entire coding and noncoding regions of RNA segments A and B were constructed. Segment A encodes a 106-kDa precursor protein which is cleaved to yield mature VP2, nonstructural protease, and VP3 proteins, whereas segment B encodes the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase VP1. Plus-sense RNA transcripts of both segments were prepared by in vitro transcription of linearized plasmids with T7 RNA polymerase. Transfection of chinook salmon embryo (CHSE) cells with combined transcripts of segments A and B generated infectious IPNV particles 10 days posttransfection. Furthermore, a transfectant virus containing a genetically tagged sequence was generated to confirm the feasibility of this system. The presence and specificity of the recovered virus were ascertained by immunofluorescence staining of infected CHSE cells with rabbit anti-IPNV serum and by nucleotide sequence analysis. In addition, 3′-terminal sequence analysis of RNA from the recovered virus showed that extraneous nucleotides synthesized at the 3′ end during in vitro transcription were precisely trimmed or excluded during replication, and hence these were not incorporated into the genome. An attempt was made to determine if RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of IPNV and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), another birnavirus, can support virus rescue in heterologous combinations. Thus, CHSE cells were transfected with transcripts derived from IPNV segment A and IBDV segment B and Vero cells were transfected with transcripts derived from IBDV segment A and IPNV segment B. In either case, no infectious IPNV or IBDV particles were generated even after a third passage in cell culture, suggesting that viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is species specific. However, the reverse genetics system for IPNV that we developed will greatly facilitate studies of viral replication and pathogenesis and the design of a new generation of live attenuated vaccines.

Comparison between the viral transforming gene (src) of recovered avian sarcoma virus and its cellular homolog.

Recovered avian sarcoma viruses are recombinants between transformation-defective mutants of Rous sarcoma virus and the chicken cellular gene homologous to the src gene of Rous sarcoma virus. We have constructed and analyzed molecular clones of viral deoxyribonucleic acid from recovered avian sarcoma virus and its transformation-competent progenitor, the Schmidt-Ruppin A strain of Rous sarcoma virus. A 2.0-megadalton EcoRI fragment containing the entire src gene from each of these clones was subcloned and characterized. These fragments were also used as probes to isolate recombinant phage clones containing the cellular counterpart of the viral src gene, termed cellular src, from a lambda library of chicken deoxyribonucleic acid. The structure of cellular src was analyzed by restriction endonuclease mapping and electron microscopy. Restriction endonuclease mapping revealed extensive similarity between the src regions of Rous sarcoma virus and recovered avian sarcoma virus, but striking differences between the viral src's and cellular src. Electron microscopic analysis of heteroduplexes between recovered virus src and cellular src revealed a 1.8-kilobase region of homology. In the cellular gene, the homologous region was interrupted by seven nonhomologous regions which we interpret to be intervening sequences. We estimate the minimum length of cellular src to be about 7.2 kilobases. These findings have implications concerning the mechanism of formation of recovered virus src and possibly other cell-derived retrovirus transforming genes.

Comparison between the viral transforming gene (src) of recovered avian sarcoma virus and its cellular homolog

Recovered avian sarcoma viruses are recombinants between transformation-defective mutants of Rous sarcoma virus and the chicken cellular gene homologous to the src gene of Rous sarcoma virus. We have constructed and analyzed molecular clones of viral deoxyribonucleic acid from recovered avian sarcoma virus and its transformation-competent progenitor, the Schmidt-Ruppin A strain of Rous sarcoma virus. A 2.0-megadalton EcoRI fragment containing the entire src gene from each of these clones was subcloned and characterized. These fragments were also used as probes to isolate recombinant phage clones containing the cellular counterpart of the viral src gene, termed cellular src, from a lambda library of chicken deoxyribonucleic acid. The structure of cellular src was analyzed by restriction endonuclease mapping and electron microscopy. Restriction endonuclease mapping revealed extensive similarity between the src regions of Rous sarcoma virus and recovered avian sarcoma virus, but striking differences between the viral src's and cellular src. Electron microscopic analysis of heteroduplexes between recovered virus src and cellular src revealed a 1.8-kilobase region of homology. In the cellular gene, the homologous region was interrupted by seven nonhomologous regions which we interpret to be intervening sequences. We estimate the minimum length of cellular src to be about 7.2 kilobases. These findings have implications concerning the mechanism of formation of recovered virus src and possibly other cell-derived retrovirus transforming genes.

The effect of reserpine upon experimental coxsackievirus B-3 infection in mice

Coxsackievirus (cox.) B-3 pathogenicity was markedly augmented in weanling and adult mice during a reserpine treatment. In both age groups the mortality rose to 100% after the 1st week of inoculation.In the olfactory bulb of the reserpine-treated weanling mice the score of viral lesions was 80% compared to 2% in the non-treated. In the heart of the reserpine-treated infected mice it was 62%, while it was 40% without reserpine. In the adult mice the viral tissue damage was aggravated in the interscapular brown adipose pad and the olfactory bulb. Moreover, the viral lesions in the reserpine-treated mice in both age groups showed some striking morphological differences when compared with mice injected with the virus only.The recovered virus yielded higher titers in the reserpine-treated mice in both age groups. In the adult reserpine-treated mice the LD50 of the cox. B-3 recovered from the brain and heart were as high as in the weanlings.