Arenavirus Quasispecies and Their Biological Implications (original) (raw)
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Arenavirus Variations Due to Host-Specific Adaptation
Viruses, 2013
Arenavirus particles are enveloped and contain two single-strand RNA genomic segments with ambisense coding. Genetic plasticity of the arenaviruses comes from transcription errors, segment reassortment, and permissive genomic packaging, and results in their remarkable ability, as a group, to infect a wide variety of hosts. In this review, we discuss some in vitro studies of virus genetic and phenotypic variation after exposure to selective pressures such as high viral dose, mutagens and antivirals. Additionally, we discuss the variation in vivo of selected isolates of Old World arenaviruses, particularly after infection of different animal species. We also discuss the recent emergence of new arenaviruses in the context of our observations of sequence variations that appear to be host-specific.
Virus Research, 1997
Arenaviruses are enveloped viruses with a genome composed of two ssRNA species, designated L and S. The arenaviruses were divided in two major groups (Old World and New World), based on serological properties and genetic data, as well as geographic distribution. A sequence alignment analysis of all reported arenavirus S RNAs yielded 17 conserved regions in addition to a reported conserved region at the end of both RNAs. The consensus sequences of these regions were used to design generalized primers suitable for RT-PCR amplification of a set of overlapping nucleotide sequence fragments comprising the complete S RNA of any arenavirus. A restriction analysis (RFLP) was designed to rapidly typify the amplified fragments. This RT-PCR-RFLP approach was tested with Old World (LCM) and New World (Junín and Tacaribe) arenaviruses. Furthermore, using this procedure the whole S RNA of a novel arenavirus isolate obtained from a rodent trapped in central Argentina, was amplified and characterized. Partial nucleotide sequence data were used for phylogenetic analyses that showed the relationships between this arenavirus and the rest of the members of the family. This relatively simple methodology will be useful both in basic studies and epidemiological survey programs. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.
Arenavirus phylogeny: a new insight
Virus genes, 1998
Arenaviridae is a worldwide distributed family, of enveloped, single stranded, RNA viruses. The arenaviruses were divided in two major groups (Old World and New World), based on serological properties and genetic data, as well as the geographic distribution. In this study the phylogenetic relationship among the members of the Arenaviridae was examined, using the reported genomic sequences. The comparison of the aligned nucleotide sequences of the S RNA and the predicted amino acid sequences of the GPC and N proteins, together with the phylogenetic analysis, strongly suggest a possible kinship of Pichindé and Oliveros viruses, with the Old World arenavirus group. This analysis points at the evolutive relationships between the arenaviruses of the Americas and can be used to evaluate the different hypotheses about their origin.
Past, present, and future of arenavirus taxonomy
Archives of Virology, 2015
Until recently, members of the monogeneric family Arenaviridae (arenaviruses) have been known to infect only muroid rodents and, in one case, possibly phyllostomid bats. The paradigm of arenaviruses exclusively infecting small mammals shifted dramatically when several groups independently published the detection and isolation of a divergent group of arenaviruses in captive alethinophidian snakes. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses suggest that these reptilian arenaviruses constitute a sister clade to mammalian arenaviruses. Here, the members of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Arenaviridae Study Group, together with other experts, outline the taxonomic reorganization of the family Arenaviridae to accommodate reptilian arenaviruses and other recently discovered mammalian arenaviruses and to improve compliance with the Rules of the International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature (ICVCN). PAirwise Sequence Comparison (PASC) of arenavirus genomes and NP amino acid pairwise distances support the modification of the present classification. As a result, the current genus Arenavirus is replaced by two genera, Mammarenavirus and Reptarenavirus, which are established to accommodate mammalian and reptilian arenaviruses, respectively, in the same family. The current species landscape among mammalian arenaviruses is upheld, with two new species added for Lunk and Merino Walk viruses and minor corrections to the spelling of some names. The published snake arenaviruses are distributed among three new separate reptarenavirus species. Finally, a non-Latinized binomial species name scheme is adopted for all arenavirus species. In addition, the current virus abbreviations have been evaluated, and some changes are
The Role of Arena Virus Protein and Their Molar Ratio
The current investigates the role of Arenavirus protein and their molar ratio. The arenavirus L protein has the characteristic sequence motifs conserved among the RdRp (L proteins) of NS RNA virus. The proposed polymerase module of L is located within domain 3 which contains highly conserved amino acids within motifs designated A and C. The L RNA segment encodes a high-molecular-mass protein (L; ca. 200 kDa) which has the characteristic motifs conserved in all the viral RNA dependent RNA polymerases and a small polypeptide Z (ca.11 kDa) which contains a RING finger motif and whose function is unknown (1, 19, 33). The L RNA segment codes for the virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L, ca 200 kDa) (19) and a small (11-kDa) RING finger protein (Z) (17).
PLOS Pathogens, 2015
Arenaviruses are one of the largest families of human hemorrhagic fever viruses and are known to infect both mammals and snakes. Arenaviruses package a large (L) and small (S) genome segment in their virions. For segmented RNA viruses like these, novel genotypes can be generated through mutation, recombination, and reassortment. Although it is believed that an ancient recombination event led to the emergence of a new lineage of mammalian arenaviruses, neither recombination nor reassortment has been definitively documented in natural arenavirus infections. Here, we used metagenomic sequencing to survey the viral diversity present in captive arenavirus-infected snakes. From 48 infected animals, we determined the complete or near complete sequence of 210 genome segments that grouped into 23 L and 11 S genotypes. The majority of snakes were multiply infected, with up to 4 distinct S and 11 distinct L segment genotypes in individual animals. This S/L imbalance was typical: in all cases intrahost L segment genotypes outnumbered S genotypes, and a particular S segment genotype dominated in individual animals and at a population level. We corroborated sequencing results by qRT-PCR and virus isolation, and isolates replicated as ensembles in culture. Numerous instances of recombination and reassortment were detected, including recombinant segments with unusual organizations PLOS Pathogens |
Arenavirus reverse genetics for vaccine development
Journal of General Virology, 2013
Arenaviruses are important human pathogens with no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)licensed vaccines available and current antiviral therapy being limited to an off-label use of the nucleoside analogue ribavirin of limited prophylactic efficacy. The development of reverse genetics systems represented a major breakthrough in arenavirus research. However, rescue of recombinant arenaviruses using current reverse genetics systems has been restricted to rodent cells. In this study, we describe the rescue of recombinant arenaviruses from human 293T cells and Vero cells, an FDA-approved line for vaccine development. We also describe the generation of novel vectors that mediate synthesis of both negative-sense genome RNA and positive-sense mRNA species of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) directed by the human RNA polymerases I and II, respectively, within the same plasmid. This approach reduces by half the number of vectors required for arenavirus rescue, which could facilitate virus rescue in cell lines approved for human vaccine production but that cannot be transfected at high efficiencies. We have shown the feasibility of this approach by rescuing both the Old World prototypic arenavirus LCMV and the live-attenuated vaccine Candid # 1 strain of the New World arenavirus Junín. Moreover, we show the feasibility of using these novel strategies for efficient rescue of recombinant tri-segmented both LCMV and Candid # 1.