Host Range Restriction of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Occurs at Several Levels of the Viral Life Cycle

ABSTRACT The genus Flavivirus contains emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) infecting vertebrates, as well as insect-specific viruses (ISVs) (i.e., viruses whose host range is restricted to insects). ISVs are evolutionary precursors to arboviruses. Knowledge of the nature of the ISV infect...

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Autores principales: Sandra Junglen, Marvin Korries, Wolfgang Grasse, Janett Wieseler, Anne Kopp, Kyra Hermanns, Moises León-Juárez, Christian Drosten, Beate Mareike Kümmerer
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Publicado: American Society for Microbiology 2017
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:75e3c29c6fc94d5d83aaf0218cd4eba62021-11-15T15:22:03ZHost Range Restriction of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Occurs at Several Levels of the Viral Life Cycle10.1128/mSphere.00375-162379-5042https://doaj.org/article/75e3c29c6fc94d5d83aaf0218cd4eba62017-02-01T00:00:00Zhttps://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00375-16https://doaj.org/toc/2379-5042ABSTRACT The genus Flavivirus contains emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) infecting vertebrates, as well as insect-specific viruses (ISVs) (i.e., viruses whose host range is restricted to insects). ISVs are evolutionary precursors to arboviruses. Knowledge of the nature of the ISV infection block in vertebrates could identify functions necessary for the expansion of the host range toward vertebrates. Mapping of host restrictions by complementation of ISV and arbovirus genome functions could generate knowledge critical to predicting arbovirus emergence. Here we isolated a novel flavivirus, termed Niénokoué virus (NIEV), from mosquitoes sampled in Côte d’Ivoire. NIEV groups with insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) in phylogeny and grows in insect cells but not in vertebrate cells. We generated an infectious NIEV cDNA clone and a NIEV reporter replicon to study growth restrictions of NIEV in comparison to yellow fever virus (YFV), for which the same tools are available. Efficient RNA replication of the NIEV reporter replicon was observed in insect cells but not in vertebrate cells. Initial translation of the input replicon RNA in vertebrate cells was functional, but RNA replication did not occur. Chimeric YFV carrying the envelope proteins of NIEV was recovered via electroporation in C6/36 insect cells but did not infect vertebrate cells, indicating a block at the level of entry. Since the YF/NIEV chimera readily produced infectious particles in insect cells but not in vertebrate cells despite efficient RNA replication, restriction is also determined at the level of assembly/release. Taking the results together, the ability of ISF to infect vertebrates is blocked at several levels, including attachment/entry and RNA replication as well as assembly/release. IMPORTANCE Most viruses of the genus Flavivirus, e.g., YFV and dengue virus, are mosquito borne and transmitted to vertebrates during blood feeding of mosquitoes. Within the last decade, an increasing number of viruses with a host range exclusively restricted to insects in close relationship to the vertebrate-pathogenic flaviviruses were discovered in mosquitoes. To identify barriers that could block the arboviral vertebrate tropism, we set out to identify the steps at which the ISF replication cycle fails in vertebrates. Our studies revealed blocks at several levels, suggesting that flavivirus host range expansion from insects to vertebrates was a complex process that involved overcoming multiple barriers.Sandra JunglenMarvin KorriesWolfgang GrasseJanett WieselerAnne KoppKyra HermannsMoises León-JuárezChristian DrostenBeate Mareike KümmererAmerican Society for Microbiologyarticleinsect-specific flavivirushost range restrictioninfection barriersMicrobiologyQR1-502ENmSphere, Vol 2, Iss 1 (2017)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic insect-specific flavivirus
host range restriction
infection barriers
Microbiology
QR1-502
spellingShingle insect-specific flavivirus
host range restriction
infection barriers
Microbiology
QR1-502
Sandra Junglen
Marvin Korries
Wolfgang Grasse
Janett Wieseler
Anne Kopp
Kyra Hermanns
Moises León-Juárez
Christian Drosten
Beate Mareike Kümmerer
Host Range Restriction of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Occurs at Several Levels of the Viral Life Cycle
description ABSTRACT The genus Flavivirus contains emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) infecting vertebrates, as well as insect-specific viruses (ISVs) (i.e., viruses whose host range is restricted to insects). ISVs are evolutionary precursors to arboviruses. Knowledge of the nature of the ISV infection block in vertebrates could identify functions necessary for the expansion of the host range toward vertebrates. Mapping of host restrictions by complementation of ISV and arbovirus genome functions could generate knowledge critical to predicting arbovirus emergence. Here we isolated a novel flavivirus, termed Niénokoué virus (NIEV), from mosquitoes sampled in Côte d’Ivoire. NIEV groups with insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) in phylogeny and grows in insect cells but not in vertebrate cells. We generated an infectious NIEV cDNA clone and a NIEV reporter replicon to study growth restrictions of NIEV in comparison to yellow fever virus (YFV), for which the same tools are available. Efficient RNA replication of the NIEV reporter replicon was observed in insect cells but not in vertebrate cells. Initial translation of the input replicon RNA in vertebrate cells was functional, but RNA replication did not occur. Chimeric YFV carrying the envelope proteins of NIEV was recovered via electroporation in C6/36 insect cells but did not infect vertebrate cells, indicating a block at the level of entry. Since the YF/NIEV chimera readily produced infectious particles in insect cells but not in vertebrate cells despite efficient RNA replication, restriction is also determined at the level of assembly/release. Taking the results together, the ability of ISF to infect vertebrates is blocked at several levels, including attachment/entry and RNA replication as well as assembly/release. IMPORTANCE Most viruses of the genus Flavivirus, e.g., YFV and dengue virus, are mosquito borne and transmitted to vertebrates during blood feeding of mosquitoes. Within the last decade, an increasing number of viruses with a host range exclusively restricted to insects in close relationship to the vertebrate-pathogenic flaviviruses were discovered in mosquitoes. To identify barriers that could block the arboviral vertebrate tropism, we set out to identify the steps at which the ISF replication cycle fails in vertebrates. Our studies revealed blocks at several levels, suggesting that flavivirus host range expansion from insects to vertebrates was a complex process that involved overcoming multiple barriers.
format article
author Sandra Junglen
Marvin Korries
Wolfgang Grasse
Janett Wieseler
Anne Kopp
Kyra Hermanns
Moises León-Juárez
Christian Drosten
Beate Mareike Kümmerer
author_facet Sandra Junglen
Marvin Korries
Wolfgang Grasse
Janett Wieseler
Anne Kopp
Kyra Hermanns
Moises León-Juárez
Christian Drosten
Beate Mareike Kümmerer
author_sort Sandra Junglen
title Host Range Restriction of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Occurs at Several Levels of the Viral Life Cycle
title_short Host Range Restriction of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Occurs at Several Levels of the Viral Life Cycle
title_full Host Range Restriction of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Occurs at Several Levels of the Viral Life Cycle
title_fullStr Host Range Restriction of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Occurs at Several Levels of the Viral Life Cycle
title_full_unstemmed Host Range Restriction of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Occurs at Several Levels of the Viral Life Cycle
title_sort host range restriction of insect-specific flaviviruses occurs at several levels of the viral life cycle
publisher American Society for Microbiology
publishDate 2017
url https://doaj.org/article/75e3c29c6fc94d5d83aaf0218cd4eba6
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