Showing papers on "Virus published in 2010"
TL;DR: Treatment of chronically infected chimpanzees with a locked nucleic acid (LNA)–modified oligonucleotide (SPC3649) complementary to miR-122 leads to long-lasting suppression of HCV viremia, with no evidence of viral resistance or side effects in the treated animals.
Abstract: The liver-expressed microRNA-122 (miR-122) is essential for hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA accumulation in cultured liver cells, but its potential as a target for antiviral intervention has not been assessed. We found that treatment of chronically infected chimpanzees with a locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified oligonucleotide (SPC3649) complementary to miR-122 leads to long-lasting suppression of HCV viremia, with no evidence of viral resistance or side effects in the treated animals. Furthermore, transcriptome and histological analyses of liver biopsies demonstrated derepression of target mRNAs with miR-122 seed sites, down-regulation of interferon-regulated genes, and improvement of HCV-induced liver pathology. The prolonged virological response to SPC3649 treatment without HCV rebound holds promise of a new antiviral therapy with a high barrier to resistance.
1,708 citations
TL;DR: A central role is identified in regulating caspase-1-dependent maturation of IL-1β and IL-18, as well as pyroptosis, in response to synthetic double-stranded DNA, demonstrating the importance of AIM2 in the sensing of both bacterial and viral pathogens and in triggering innate immunity.
Abstract: Inflammasomes regulate the activity of caspase-1 and the maturation of interleukin 1 (IL-1) and IL-18. AIM2 has been shown to bind DNA and engage the caspase-1-activating adaptor protein ASC to form a caspase-1-activating inflammasome. Using Aim2-deficient mice, we identify a central role for AIM2 in regulating caspase-1-dependent maturation of IL-1 and IL-18, as well as pyroptosis, in response to synthetic double-stranded DNA. AIM2 was essential for inflammasome activation in response to Francisella tularensis, vaccinia virus and mouse cytomegalovirus and had a partial role in the sensing of Listeria monocytogenes. Moreover, production of IL-18 and natural killer cell–dependent production of interferon-, events critical in the early control of virus replication, were dependent on AIM2 during mouse cytomegalovirus infection in vivo. Collectively, our observations demonstrate the importance of AIM2 in the sensing of both bacterial and viral pathogens and in triggering innate immunity. A r t i c l e s
1,168 citations
TL;DR: There appears to be a negative correlation between mutation rate and genome size among RNA viruses, and nucleotide substitutions are on average four times more common than insertions/deletions (indels) in retroviruses.
Abstract: Accurate estimates of virus mutation rates are important to understand the evolution of the viruses and to combat them. However, methods of estimation are varied and often complex. Here, we critically review over 40 original studies and establish criteria to facilitate comparative analyses. The mutation rates of 23 viruses are presented as substitutions per nucleotide per cell infection (s/n/c) and corrected for selection bias where necessary, using a new statistical method. The resulting rates range from 10 8 to10 6 s/n/c for DNA viruses and from 10 6 to 10 4 s/n/c for RNA viruses. Similar to what has been shown previously for DNA viruses, there appears to be a negative correlation between mutation rate and genome size among RNA viruses, but this result requires further experimental testing. Contrary to some suggestions, the mutation rate of retroviruses is not lower than that of other RNA viruses. We also show that nucleotide substitutions are on average four times more common than insertions/deletions (indels). Finally, we provide estimates of the mutation rate per nucleotide per strand copying, which tends to be lower than that per cell infection because some viruses undergo several rounds of copying per cell, particularly double-stranded DNA viruses. A regularly updated virus mutation rate data set will be available at www.uv.es/rsanjuan/virmut.
1,096 citations
TL;DR: Enterovirus 71 is a major public health issue across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, with new outbreaks occurring across Asia in regular cycles, and virus gene subgroups seem to differ in clinical epidemiological properties.
Abstract: First isolated in California, USA, in 1969, enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major public health issue across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The virus, which is closely related to polioviruses, mostly affects children and causes hand, foot, and mouth disease with neurological and systemic complications. Specific receptors for this virus are found on white blood cells, cells in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, and dendritic cells. Being an RNA virus, EV71 lacks a proofreading mechanism and is evolving rapidly, with new outbreaks occurring across Asia in regular cycles, and virus gene subgroups seem to differ in clinical epidemiological properties. The pathogenesis of the severe cardiopulmonary manifestations and the relative contributions of neurogenic pulmonary oedema, cardiac dysfunction, increased vascular permeability, and cytokine storm are controversial. Public health interventions to control outbreaks involve social distancing measures, but their effectiveness has not been fully assessed. Vaccines being developed include inactivated whole-virus, live attenuated, subviral particle, and DNA vaccines.
1,050 citations
TL;DR: These results provide the first clinical validation of an inhibitor of HCV NS5A, a protein with no known enzymatic function, as an approach to the suppression of virus replication that offers potential as part of a therapeutic regimen based on combinations ofHCV inhibitors.
Abstract: The worldwide prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is estimated to be approaching 200 million people. Current therapy relies upon a combination of pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin, a poorly tolerated regimen typically associated with less than 50% sustained virological response rate in those infected with genotype 1 virus. The development of direct-acting antiviral agents to treat HCV has focused predominantly on inhibitors of the viral enzymes NS3 protease and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase NS5B. Here we describe the profile of BMS-790052, a small molecule inhibitor of the HCV NS5A protein that exhibits picomolar half-maximum effective concentrations (EC(50)) towards replicons expressing a broad range of HCV genotypes and the JFH-1 genotype 2a infectious virus in cell culture. In a phase I clinical trial in patients chronically infected with HCV, administration of a single 100-mg dose of BMS-790052 was associated with a 3.3 log(10) reduction in mean viral load measured 24 h post-dose that was sustained for an additional 120 h in two patients infected with genotype 1b virus. Genotypic analysis of samples taken at baseline, 24 and 144 h post-dose revealed that the major HCV variants observed had substitutions at amino-acid positions identified using the in vitro replicon system. These results provide the first clinical validation of an inhibitor of HCV NS5A, a protein with no known enzymatic function, as an approach to the suppression of virus replication that offers potential as part of a therapeutic regimen based on combinations of HCV inhibitors.
920 citations
TL;DR: The finding that the first effective immune responses drive the selection of virus escape mutations provides insight into the earliest immune responses against the transmitted virus and their contributions to the control of acute viraemia.
Abstract: The early immune response to HIV-1 infection is likely to be an important factor in determining the clinical course of disease. Recent data indicate that the HIV-1 quasispecies that arise following a mucosal infection are usually derived from a single transmitted virus. Moreover, the finding that the first effective immune responses drive the selection of virus escape mutations provides insight into the earliest immune responses against the transmitted virus and their contributions to the control of acute viraemia. Strong innate and adaptive immune responses occur subsequently but they are too late to eliminate the infection. In this Review, we discuss recent studies on the kinetics and quality of early immune responses to HIV-1 and their implications for developing a successful preventive HIV-1 vaccine.
867 citations
TL;DR: This work uses an integrative systems approach, based on genome-wide RNA interference screening, to identify 295 cellular cofactors required for early-stage influenza virus replication, and identifies those involved in kinase-regulated signalling, ubiquitination and phosphatase activity as the most highly enriched.
Abstract: Influenza A virus is an RNA virus that encodes up to 11 proteins and this small coding capacity demands that the virus use the host cellular machinery for many aspects of its life cycle. Knowledge of these host cell requirements not only informs us of the molecular pathways exploited by the virus but also provides further targets that could be pursued for antiviral drug development. Here we use an integrative systems approach, based on genome-wide RNA interference screening, to identify 295 cellular cofactors required for early-stage influenza virus replication. Within this group, those involved in kinase-regulated signalling, ubiquitination and phosphatase activity are the most highly enriched, and 181 factors assemble into a highly significant host-pathogen interaction network. Moreover, 219 of the 295 factors were confirmed to be required for efficient wild-type influenza virus growth, and further analysis of a subset of genes showed 23 factors necessary for viral entry, including members of the vacuolar ATPase (vATPase) and COPI-protein families, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) proteins, and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)-beta. Furthermore, 10 proteins were confirmed to be involved in post-entry steps of influenza virus replication. These include nuclear import components, proteases, and the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) IIbeta (CAMK2B). Notably, growth of swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus is also dependent on the identified host factors, and we show that small molecule inhibitors of several factors, including vATPase and CAMK2B, antagonize influenza virus replication.
799 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the combination of Zn2+ and PT at low concentrations reduces the replication of SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and equine arteritis virus (EAV) in cell culture and efficiently inhibits the RNA-synthesizing activity of the RTCs of both viruses.
Abstract: Increasing the intracellular Zn2+ concentration with zinc-ionophores like pyrithione (PT) can efficiently impair the replication of a variety of RNA viruses, including poliovirus and influenza virus. For some viruses this effect has been attributed to interference with viral polyprotein processing. In this study we demonstrate that the combination of Zn2+ and PT at low concentrations (2 µM Zn2+ and 2 µM PT) inhibits the replication of SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and equine arteritis virus (EAV) in cell culture. The RNA synthesis of these two distantly related nidoviruses is catalyzed by an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is the core enzyme of their multiprotein replication and transcription complex (RTC). Using an activity assay for RTCs isolated from cells infected with SARS-CoV or EAV—thus eliminating the need for PT to transport Zn2+ across the plasma membrane—we show that Zn2+ efficiently inhibits the RNA-synthesizing activity of the RTCs of both viruses. Enzymatic studies using recombinant RdRps (SARS-CoV nsp12 and EAV nsp9) purified from E. coli subsequently revealed that Zn2+ directly inhibited the in vitro activity of both nidovirus polymerases. More specifically, Zn2+ was found to block the initiation step of EAV RNA synthesis, whereas in the case of the SARS-CoV RdRp elongation was inhibited and template binding reduced. By chelating Zn2+ with MgEDTA, the inhibitory effect of the divalent cation could be reversed, which provides a novel experimental tool for in vitro studies of the molecular details of nidovirus replication and transcription.
715 citations
TL;DR: This is the first report of TMPRSS2 being required in the target cell for activation of a viral fusion protein but not for the S protein synthesized in and transported to the surface of cells.
Abstract: The distribution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) receptor, an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), does not strictly correlate with SARS-CoV cell tropism in lungs; therefore, other cellular factors have been predicted to be required for activation of virus infection. In the present study, we identified transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), whose expression does correlate with SARS-CoV infection in the upper lobe of the lung. In Vero cells expressing TMPRSS2, large syncytia were induced by SARS-CoV infection. Further, the lysosome-tropic reagents failed to inhibit, whereas the heptad repeat peptide efficiently inhibited viral entry into cells, suggesting that TMPRSS2 affects the S protein at the cell surface and induces virus-plasma membrane fusion. On the other hand, production of virus in TMPRSS2-expressing cells did not result in S-protein cleavage or increased infectivity of the resulting virus. Thus, TMPRSS2 affects the entry of virus but not other phases of virus replication. We hypothesized that the spatial orientation of TMPRSS2 vis-a-vis S protein is a key mechanism underling this phenomenon. To test this, the TMPRSS2 and S proteins were expressed in cells labeled with fluorescent probes of different colors, and the cell-cell fusion between these cells was tested. Results indicate that TMPRSS2 needs to be expressed in the opposing (target) cell membrane to activate S protein rather than in the producer cell, as found for influenza A virus and metapneumoviruses. This is the first report of TMPRSS2 being required in the target cell for activation of a viral fusion protein but not for the S protein synthesized in and transported to the surface of cells. Our findings suggest that the TMPRSS2 expressed in lung tissues may be a determinant of viral tropism and pathogenicity at the initial site of SARS-CoV infection.
684 citations
TL;DR: The discovery of 287 human host cell genes influencing influenza A virus replication in a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen is reported, and SON DNA binding protein was found to be important for normal trafficking of influenza virions to late endosomes early in infection.
Abstract: Influenza A virus has developed strategies to exploit and in some cases subvert cellular proteins and pathways to promote its own replication and to suppress antiviral immune responses. Identification of these host factors would expand the number of potential drug targets far beyond the 11 proteins encoded in the viral genome. Recently, several laboratories have set out to provide an insight into the interface between influenza virus and its host by performing genome-wide siRNA silencing screens to characterize these host proteins and to monitor the effects on viral infectivity. Initial hits from each study were used to search databases of protein–protein interactions, allowing prediction of host-cell pathways likely to be involved either in the viral replicative cycle or in the immune response to viral infection. The results of these screens will promote our understanding of influenza virus biology as well as identify potential targets for the rational design of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs such as siRNA and small molecules.
662 citations
TL;DR: The increasingly diverse populations at risk and the recent discovery of the presence of the JC virus in the grey matter invite us to reappraise the pathogenesis of thisirus in the CNS.
Abstract: Summary Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare but often fatal brain disease caused by reactivation of the polyomavirus JC. Knowledge of the characteristics of PML has substantially expanded since the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy during the HIV epidemic and the development of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in patients with PML. Recently, the monoclonal antibodies natalizumab, efalizumab, and rituximab—used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, haematological malignancies, Crohn's disease, and rheumatic diseases—have been associated with PML. Additionally, the JC virus can also lead to novel neurological disorders such as JC virus granule cell neuronopathy and JC virus encephalopathy, and might also cause meningitis. The increasingly diverse populations at risk and the recent discovery of the presence of the JC virus in the grey matter invite us to reappraise the pathogenesis of this virus in the CNS.
TL;DR: In this review, the complete picture from epidemiology and virology to clinical impact and immunology is explored, finding that both the virus and the immune response contribute to damage to the lungs and subsequent disease, and therefore, any prevention or treatment needs to address both of these factors.
Abstract: Summary: In global terms, respiratory viral infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Infancy, in particular, is a time of increased disease susceptibility and severity. Early-life viral infection causes acute illness and can be associated with the development of wheezing and asthma in later life. The most commonly detected viruses are respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus (RV), and influenza virus. In this review we explore the complete picture from epidemiology and virology to clinical impact and immunology. Three striking aspects emerge. The first is the degree of similarity: although the infecting viruses are all different, the clinical outcome, viral evasion strategies, immune response, and long-term sequelae share many common features. The second is the interplay between the infant immune system and viral infection: the immaturity of the infant immune system alters the outcome of viral infection, but at the same time, viral infection shapes the development of the infant immune system and its future responses. Finally, both the virus and the immune response contribute to damage to the lungs and subsequent disease, and therefore, any prevention or treatment needs to address both of these factors.
TL;DR: The present data suggest that LGP2 facilitates viral RNA recognition by RIG-I and MDA5 through its ATPase domain.
Abstract: RNA virus infection is recognized by retinoic acid-inducible gene (RIG)-I-like receptors (RLRs), RIG-I, and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) in the cytoplasm RLRs are comprised of N-terminal caspase-recruitment domains (CARDs) and a DExD/H-box helicase domain The third member of the RLR family, LGP2, lacks any CARDs and was originally identified as a negative regulator of RLR signaling In the present study, we generated mice lacking LGP2 and found that LGP2 was required for RIG-I- and MDA5-mediated antiviral responses In particular, LGP2 was essential for type I IFN production in response to picornaviridae infection Overexpression of the CARDs from RIG-I and MDA5 in Lgp2(-/-) fibroblasts activated the IFN-beta promoter, suggesting that LGP2 acts upstream of RIG-I and MDA5 We further examined the role of the LGP2 helicase domain by generating mice harboring a point mutation of Lys-30 to Ala (Lgp2 (K30A/K30A)) that abrogated the LGP2 ATPase activity Lgp2 (K30A/K30A) dendritic cells showed impaired IFN-beta productions in response to various RNA viruses to extents similar to those of Lgp2(-/-) cells Lgp2(-/-) and Lgp2 (K30A/K30A) mice were highly susceptible to encephalomyocarditis virus infection Nevertheless, LGP2 and its ATPase activity were dispensable for the responses to synthetic RNA ligands for MDA5 and RIG-I Taken together, the present data suggest that LGP2 facilitates viral RNA recognition by RIG-I and MDA5 through its ATPase domain
TL;DR: The construction of a novel immunogen comprising the conserved influenza HA stalk domain and lacking the globular head is described, which shows that vaccination of mice with a headless HA confers protection to these animals against a lethal influenza virus challenge, and predicts that a single immunization with aHeadless HA vaccine will offer effective protection through several influenza epidemics.
Abstract: Although highly effective in the general population when well matched to circulating influenza virus strains, current influenza vaccines are limited in their utility due to the narrow breadth of protection they provide. The strain specificity of vaccines presently in use mirrors the exquisite specificity of the neutralizing antibodies that they induce, that is, antibodies which bind to the highly variable globular head domain of hemagglutinin (HA). Herein, we describe the construction of a novel immunogen comprising the conserved influenza HA stalk domain and lacking the globular head. Vaccination of mice with this headless HA construct elicited immune sera with broader reactivity than those obtained from mice immunized with a full-length HA. Furthermore, the headless HA vaccine provided full protection against death and partial protection against disease following lethal viral challenge. Our results suggest that the response induced by headless HA vaccines is sufficiently potent to warrant their further development toward a universal influenza virus vaccine.
TL;DR: The results show a mechanism by which influenza virus infection activates inflammasomes and identify the sensing of disturbances in intracellular ionic concentrations as a previously unknown pathogen-recognition pathway.
Abstract: Influenza virus, a negative-stranded RNA virus that causes severe illness in humans and animals, stimulates the inflammasome through the Nod-like receptor NLRP3. However, the mechanism by which influenza virus activates the NLRP3 inflammasome is unknown. Here we show that the influenza virus M2 protein, a proton-selective ion channel important in viral pathogenesis, stimulates the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. M2 channel activity was required for the activation of inflammasomes by influenza and was sufficient to activate inflammasomes in primed macrophages and dendritic cells. M2-induced activation of inflammasomes required its localization to the Golgi apparatus and was dependent on the pH gradient. Our results show a mechanism by which influenza virus infection activates inflammasomes and identify the sensing of disturbances in intracellular ionic concentrations as a previously unknown pathogen-recognition pathway.
TL;DR: Resistance to one of the two main antiviral drugs is differentially acquired by the two distinct subsets of neuraminidase as a consequence of structural differences in the enzyme active site between the two phylogenetic groups.
TL;DR: It is shown that RIG-I agonists are exclusively generated by the process of virus replication and correspond to full-length virus genomes, and nongenomic viral transcripts, short replication intermediates, and cleaved self-RNA do not contribute substantially to interferon induction in cells infected with these negative strand RNA viruses.
TL;DR: It is shown that M2 localizes to the neck of budding virions and that mutation of the M2 amphipathic helix results in failure of the virus to undergo membrane scission and virion release, suggesting that M1 mediates the final steps of budding for influenza viruses, bypassing the need for host ESCRT proteins.
TL;DR: A rapid innate immune antiviral response was demonstrated by robust dendritic/NK/CD4/CD8 cell activation and accompanied by a rather weak Th1/Th2 cytokine response in both groups, and Interestingly, the antiviral immune response witnessed by high levels of IFN-α mRNA in PBMCs and circulating IL-12 persisted for months only in the chronic group.
Abstract: Alphaviruses, including Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), produce a transient illness in humans, but severe forms leading to chronic incapacitating arthralgia/arthritis have been reported by mechanisms largely ill-characterized. The pathogenesis of CHIKV was addressed in a prospective cohort study of 49 hospitalized patients from Reunion Island subsequently categorized into two distinct groups at 12 mo postinfection. Comprehensive analyses of the clinical and immunological parameters throughout the disease course were analyzed in either the “recovered” or the “chronic” groups to identify prognostic markers of arthritis-like pathology after CHIKV disease. We found that the chronic group consisted mainly of more elderly patients (\textgreater60 y) and with much higher viral loads (up to 1010 viruses per milliliter of blood) during the acute phase. Remarkably, a rapid innate immune antiviral response was demonstrated by robust dendritic/NK/CD4/CD8 cell activation and accompanied by a rather weak Th1/Th2 cytokine response in both groups. Interestingly, the antiviral immune response witnessed by high levels of IFN-α mRNA in PBMCs and circulating IL-12 persisted for months only in the chronic group. CHIKV (RNA and proteins) was found in perivascular synovial macrophages in one chronic patient 18 mo postinfection surrounded by infiltrating NK and T cells (CD4++ but rare cytotoxic CD8). Fibroblast hyperplasia, strong angiogenesis, tissue lesions given the high levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2, and acute cell death [high cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase staining] were observed in the injured synovial tissue. These observed cellular and molecular events may contribute to chronic arthralgia/arthritis targeted by methotrexate used empirically for effective treatment but with immunosuppressive function in a context of viral persistence.
TL;DR: Findings reveal that seasonal influenza vaccination can induce polyclonal heterosubtypic neutralizing antibodies that cross-react with the swine-origin pandemic H1N1 influenza virus and with the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.
Abstract: The target of neutralizing antibodies that protect against influenza virus infection is the viral protein HA Genetic and antigenic variation in HA has been used to classify influenza viruses into subtypes (H1-H16) The neutralizing antibody response to influenza virus is thought to be specific for a few antigenically related isolates within a given subtype However, while heterosubtypic antibodies capable of neutralizing multiple influenza virus subtypes have been recently isolated from phage display libraries, it is not known whether such antibodies are produced in the course of an immune response to influenza virus infection or vaccine Here we report that, following vaccination with seasonal influenza vaccine containing H1 and H3 influenza virus subtypes, some individuals produce antibodies that cross-react with H5 HA By immortalizing IgG-expressing B cells from 4 individuals, we isolated 20 heterosubtypic mAbs that bound and neutralized viruses belonging to several HA subtypes (H1, H2, H5, H6, and H9), including the pandemic A/California/07/09 H1N1 isolate The mAbs used different VH genes and carried a high frequency of somatic mutations With the exception of a mAb that bound to the HA globular head, all heterosubtypic mAbs bound to acid-sensitive epitopes in the HA stem region Four mAbs were evaluated in vivo and protected mice from challenge with influenza viruses representative of different subtypes These findings reveal that seasonal influenza vaccination can induce polyclonal heterosubtypic neutralizing antibodies that cross-react with the swine-origin pandemic H1N1 influenza virus and with the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus
TL;DR: This Review focuses on host factors that influence the outcome of viral infection, including genetic susceptibility, the age of the host when infected, the dose and route of infection, the induction of anti-inflammatory cells and proteins, as well as the presence of concurrent infections and past exposure to cross-reactive agents.
Abstract: Many viruses infect humans and most are controlled satisfactorily by the immune system with limited damage to host tissues. Some viruses, however, do cause overt damage to the host, either in isolated cases or as a reaction that commonly occurs after infection. The outcome is influenced by properties of the infecting virus, the circumstances of infection and several factors controlled by the host. In this Review, we focus on host factors that influence the outcome of viral infection, including genetic susceptibility, the age of the host when infected, the dose and route of infection, the induction of anti-inflammatory cells and proteins, as well as the presence of concurrent infections and past exposure to cross-reactive agents.
TL;DR: An intracellular arm of adaptive immunity in which the protection mediated by antibodies does not end at the cell membrane but continues inside the cell to provide a last line of defense against infection is revealed.
Abstract: Antibodies provide effective antiviral immunity despite the fact that viruses escape into cells when they infect. Here we show that antibodies remain attached to viruses after cell infection and mediate an intracellular immune response that disables virions in the cytosol. We have discovered that cells possess a cytosolic IgG receptor, tripartite motif-containing 21 (TRIM21), which binds to antibodies with a higher affinity than any other IgG receptor in the human body. TRIM21 rapidly recruits to incoming antibody-bound virus and targets it to the proteasome via its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Proteasomal targeting leads to rapid degradation of virions in the cytosol before translation of virally encoded genes. Infection experiments demonstrate that at physiological antibody concentrations TRIM21 neutralizes viral infection. These results reveal an intracellular arm of adaptive immunity in which the protection mediated by antibodies does not end at the cell membrane but continues inside the cell to provide a last line of defense against infection.
TL;DR: This study provides a powerful culture-independent approach for virus discovery in invertebrates by assembling viral genomes directly from host immune response products without prior virus enrichment or amplification, and proposes that invertebrate viruses discovered by this approach may include previously undescribed human and vertebrate viral pathogens that are transmitted by arthropod vectors.
Abstract: In response to infection, invertebrates process replicating viral RNA genomes into siRNAs of discrete sizes to guide virus clearance by RNA interference. Here, we show that viral siRNAs sequenced from fruit fly, mosquito, and nematode cells were all overlapping in sequence, suggesting a possibility of using siRNAs for viral genome assembly and virus discovery. To test this idea, we examined contigs assembled from published small RNA libraries and discovered five previously undescribed viruses from cultured Drosophila cells and adult mosquitoes, including three with a positive-strand RNA genome and two with a dsRNA genome. Notably, four of the identified viruses exhibited only low sequence similarities to known viruses, such that none could be assigned into an existing virus genus. We also report detection of virus-derived PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in Drosophila melanogaster that have not been previously described in any other host species and demonstrate viral genome assembly from viral piRNAs in the absence of viral siRNAs. Thus, this study provides a powerful culture-independent approach for virus discovery in invertebrates by assembling viral genomes directly from host immune response products without prior virus enrichment or amplification. We propose that invertebrate viruses discovered by this approach may include previously undescribed human and vertebrate viral pathogens that are transmitted by arthropod vectors.
TL;DR: A new vaccine that protects against CHIKV infection of nonhuman primates is described and it is shown that selective expression of viral structural proteins gives rise to virus-like particles (VLPs) in vitro that resemble replication-competent alphaviruses.
Abstract: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has infected millions of people in Africa, Europe and Asia since this alphavirus reemerged from Kenya in 2004. The severity of the disease and the spread of this epidemic virus present a serious public health threat in the absence of vaccines or antiviral therapies. Here, we describe a new vaccine that protects against CHIKV infection of nonhuman primates. We show that selective expression of viral structural proteins gives rise to virus-like particles (VLPs) in vitro that resemble replication-competent alphaviruses. Immunization with these VLPs elicited neutralizing antibodies against envelope proteins from alternative CHIKV strains. Monkeys immunized with VLPs produced high-titer neutralizing antibodies that protected against viremia after high-dose challenge. We transferred these antibodies into immunodeficient mice, where they protected against subsequent lethal CHIKV challenge, indicating a humoral mechanism of protection. Immunization with alphavirus VLP vaccines represents a strategy to contain the spread of CHIKV and related pathogenic viruses in humans.
TL;DR: It is found that RIG-I expression is induced 200 fold, early in an innate immune response in ducks challenged with the H5N1 virus A/Vietnam/1203/04, which opens the possibility of increasing influenza resistance through creation of a transgenic chicken.
Abstract: Ducks and wild waterfowl perpetuate all strains of influenza viruses in nature. In their natural host, influenza viruses typically cause asymptomatic infection and little pathology. Ducks are often resistant to influenza viruses capable of killing chickens. Here, we show that the influenza virus sensor, RIG-I, is present in ducks and plays a role in clearing an influenza infection. We show evidence suggesting that RIG-I may be absent in chickens, providing a plausible explanation for their increased susceptibility to influenza viruses compared with ducks. RIG-I detects RNA ligands derived from uncapped viral transcripts and initiates the IFN response. In this study, we show that the chicken embryonic fibroblast cell line, DF-1, cannot respond to a RIG-I ligand. However, transfection of duck RIG-I into DF-1 cells rescues the detection of ligand and induces IFN-β promoter activity. Additionally, DF-1 cells expressing duck RIG-I have an augmented IFN response resulting in decreased influenza replication after challenge with either low or highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. Implicating RIG-I in the antiviral response to an infection in vivo, we found that RIG-I expression is induced 200 fold, early in an innate immune response in ducks challenged with the H5N1 virus A/Vietnam/1203/04. Finding this natural disease resistance gene in ducks opens the possibility of increasing influenza resistance through creation of a transgenic chicken.
TL;DR: The generation of a recombinant influenza virus carrying a GFP reporter gene in the NS segment (NS1-GFP virus) is reported, although attenuated when compared with wild-type virus, which replicates efficiently in murine lungs and shows pathogenicity in mice.
Abstract: Influenza A virus is being extensively studied because of its major impact on human and animal health. However, the dynamics of influenza virus infection and the cell types infected in vivo are poorly understood. These characteristics are challenging to determine, partly because there is no efficient replication-competent virus expressing an easily traceable reporter gene. Here, we report the generation of a recombinant influenza virus carrying a GFP reporter gene in the NS segment (NS1-GFP virus). Although attenuated when compared with wild-type virus, the NS1-GFP virus replicates efficiently in murine lungs and shows pathogenicity in mice. Using whole-organ imaging and flow cytometry, we have tracked the dynamics of influenza virus infection progression in mice. Imaging of murine lungs shows that infection starts in the respiratory tract in areas close to large conducting airways and later spreads to deeper sections of the lungs. In addition to epithelial cells, we found GFP-positive antigen-presenting cells, such as CD11b+CD11c−, CD11b−CD11c+, and CD11b+CD11c+, as early as 24 h after intranasal infection. In addition, a significant proportion of NK and B cells were GFP positive, suggesting active infection of these cells. We next tested the effects of the influenza virus inhibitors oseltamivir and amantadine on the kinetics of in vivo infection progression. Treatment with oseltamivir dramatically reduced influenza infection in all cell types, whereas, surprisingly, amantadine treatment more efficiently blocked infection in B and NK cells. Our results demonstrate high levels of immune cells harboring influenza virus antigen during viral infection and cell-type–specific effects upon treatment with antiviral agents, opening additional avenues of research in the influenza virus field.
Rockefeller University1, Charité2, Max Planck Society3, New York University4, Northwestern University5, Massachusetts Institute of Technology6, Free University of Berlin7, National Institutes of Health8, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center9, University of Chicago10, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center11, Howard Hughes Medical Institute12
TL;DR: It is shown that during the human antibody response to HIV, somatic mutations that increase antibody affinity also increase breadth and neutralizing potency.
Abstract: During immune responses, antibodies are selected for their ability to bind to foreign antigens with high affinity, in part by their ability to undergo homotypic bivalent binding. However, this type of binding is not always possible. For example, the small number of gp140 glycoprotein spikes displayed on the surface of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disfavours homotypic bivalent antibody binding. Here we show that during the human antibody response to HIV, somatic mutations that increase antibody affinity also increase breadth and neutralizing potency. Surprisingly, the responding naive and memory B cells produce polyreactive antibodies, which are capable of bivalent heteroligation between one high-affinity anti-HIV-gp140 combining site and a second low-affinity site on another molecular structure on HIV. Although cross-reactivity to self-antigens or polyreactivity is strongly selected against during B-cell development, it is a common serologic feature of certain infections in humans, including HIV, Epstein-Barr virus and hepatitis C virus. Seventy-five per cent of the 134 monoclonal anti-HIV-gp140 antibodies cloned from six patients with high titres of neutralizing antibodies are polyreactive. Despite the low affinity of the polyreactive combining site, heteroligation demonstrably increases the apparent affinity of polyreactive antibodies to HIV.
TL;DR: Vaccination with plasmid DNA encoding H1N1 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) and boosting with seasonal vaccine or replication-defective adenovirus 5 vector encoding HA stimulated the production of broadly neutralizing influenza antibodies, which were directed to the conserved stem region of HA and were also elicited in nonhuman primates.
Abstract: The rapid dissemination of the 2009 pandemic influenza virus underscores the need for universal influenza vaccines that elicit protective immunity to diverse viral strains. Here, we show that vaccination with plasmid DNA encoding H1N1 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) and boosting with seasonal vaccine or replication-defective adenovirus 5 vector encoding HA stimulated the production of broadly neutralizing influenza antibodies. This prime/boost combination increased the neutralization of diverse H1N1 strains dating from 1934 to 2007 as compared to either component alone and conferred protection against divergent H1N1 viruses in mice and ferrets. These antibodies were directed to the conserved stem region of HA and were also elicited in nonhuman primates. Cross-neutralization of H1N1 subtypes elicited by this approach provides a basis for the development of a universal influenza vaccine for humans.
TL;DR: It is found that IFN-λ plays an important role in the defense against several human pathogens that infect the respiratory tract, such as influenza A virus, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus.
Abstract: Virus-infected cells secrete a broad range of interferons (IFN) which confer resistance to yet uninfected cells by triggering the synthesis of antiviral factors. The relative contribution of the various IFN subtypes to innate immunity against virus infections remains elusive. IFN-alpha, IFN-beta and other type I IFN molecules signal through a common universally expressed cell surface receptor, whereas type III IFN (IFN-lambda) uses a distinct cell type-specific receptor complex for signaling. Using mice lacking functional receptors for type I IFN, type III IFN, or both, we found that IFN-lambda plays an important role in the defense against several human pathogens that infect the respiratory tract such as influenza A virus, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus and SARS coronavirus. These viruses were more pathogenic and replicated to higher titers in the lung of mice lacking both IFN receptors than in mice with single IFN receptor defects. By contrast, Lassa fever virus, which infects via the respiratory tract but primarily replicates in the liver, was not influenced by the IFN-lambda receptor defect. Careful analysis revealed that expression of functional IFN-lambda receptor complexes in lung and intestinal tract is restricted to epithelial cells and few other undefined cell types. Interestingly, we found that SARS coronavirus was present in feces from infected mice lacking receptors for both type I and type III IFN but not from mice lacking single receptors, supporting the view that IFN-lambda contributes to the control of viral infections in epithelial cells of both respiratory and gastrointestinal tract.
TL;DR: A new adult wild-type mouse model of chikungunya virus arthritis is described, which recapitulates the self-limiting arthritis, tenosynovitis, and myositis seen in humans and provides insights into pathogenesis and a simple and convenient system to test potential new interventions.
Abstract: Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne arthrogenic alphavirus that has recently reemerged to produce the largest epidemic ever documented for this virus. Here we describe a new adult wild-type mouse model of chikungunya virus arthritis, which recapitulates the self-limiting arthritis, tenosynovitis, and myositis seen in humans. Rheumatic disease was associated with a prolific infiltrate of monocytes, macrophages, and NK cells and the production of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Infection with a virus isolate from the recent Reunion Island epidemic induced significantly more mononuclear infiltrates, proinflammatory mediators, and foot swelling than did an Asian isolate from the 1960s. Primary mouse macrophages were shown to be productively infected with chikungunya virus; however, the depletion of macrophages ameliorated rheumatic disease and prolonged the viremia. Only 1 μg of an unadjuvanted, inactivated, whole-virus vaccine derived from the Asian isolate completely protected against viremia and arthritis induced by the Reunion Island isolate, illustrating that protection is not strain specific and that low levels of immunity are sufficient to mediate protection. IFN-α treatment was able to prevent arthritis only if given before infection, suggesting that IFN-α is not a viable therapy. Prior infection with Ross River virus, a related arthrogenic alphavirus, and anti-Ross River virus antibodies protected mice against chikungunya virus disease, suggesting that individuals previously exposed to Ross River virus should be protected from chikungunya virus disease. This new mouse model of chikungunya virus disease thus provides insights into pathogenesis and a simple and convenient system to test potential new interventions.