Skin mucus of Cyprinus carpio inhibits cyprinid herpesvirus 3 binding to epidermal cells

in Veterinary Research (2011), 42(92),

Malignant catarrhal fever induced by Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 is characterized by an expansion of activated CD3+CD8+CD4- T cells expressing a cytotoxic phenotype in both lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues.

in Veterinary research (2011), 42(1), 95

ABSTRACT: Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) is carried by wildebeest asymptomatically. It causes a fatal lymphoproliferative disease named wildebeest-derived malignant catarrhal fever (WD-MCF) when cross ... [more ▼]

ABSTRACT: Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) is carried by wildebeest asymptomatically. It causes a fatal lymphoproliferative disease named wildebeest-derived malignant catarrhal fever (WD-MCF) when cross-species transmitted to a variety of susceptible species of the Artiodactyla order. WD-MCF can be reproduced experimentally in rabbits. In a previous report, we demonstrated that WD-MCF induced by AlHV-1 is associated with a severe proliferation of CD8+ T cells in the lymphoid tissues. Here, we further studied the mononuclear leukocytic populations in both the lymphoid (throughout the infection and at time of euthanasia) and non-lymphoid (at time of euthanasia) organs during WD-MCF induced experimentally in rabbits. To reach that goal, we performed multi-colour flow cytometry stainings. The results obtained demonstrate that the development of WD-MCF correlates in peripheral blood with a severe increase of CD8+ cell percentages; and that CD3+CD8+CD4- T cells were the predominant cell type in both lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs at time of euthanasia. Further characterization of the mononuclear leukocytes isolated from both lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues revealed that the CD8+ T cells express high levels of the activation markers CD25 and CD44, produce high amount of gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) and perforin, and showed a reduction of interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene expression. These data demonstrate that the development of WD-MCF is associated with the expansion and infiltration of activated and cytotoxic CD3+CD8+CD4- T cells secreting high amount of IFN-gamma but low IL-2. [less ▲]

Characterization of ovine herpesvirus 2-induced malignant catarrhal fever in rabbits

in Veterinary Microbiology (2011)

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a frequently fatal lymphoproliferative disease syndrome primarily of ruminant species, caused by gammaherpesviruses in the genus Macavirus. Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2 ... [more ▼]

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a frequently fatal lymphoproliferative disease syndrome primarily of ruminant species, caused by gammaherpesviruses in the genus Macavirus. Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2), carried by sheep, causes sheep-associated MCF worldwide, while Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1), carried by wildebeest, causes wildebeest-associated MCF, mainly in Africa. Diseases in rabbits can be induced by both viruses, which are clinically and pathologically similar; however, recent studies revealed different expression of viral genes associated with latency or lytic replication during clinical disease between the two viruses. In this study, we further characterized experimentally induced MCF in rabbits by nebulization with OvHV-2 from sheep nasal secretions to elucidate the course of viral replication, along with in vivo incorporation of 5-Bromo-2’-Deoxyuridine (BrdU), to evaluate lymphoproliferation. All six rabbits nebulized with OvHV-2 developed MCF between 24 and 29 days post infection. OvHV-2 DNA levels in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) remained undetectable during the incubation period and increased dramatically a few days before onset of clinical signs. During the clinical stage, we found that predominantly lytic gene expression was detected in PBL and tissues, and both T and B cells were proliferating. The data showed that the viral gene expression profile and lymphoproliferation in rabbits with OvHV-2 induced MCF were different from that in rabbits with AlHV-1 induced MCF, suggesting that OvHV-2 and AlHV-1 may play a different role in MCF pathogenesis. [less ▲]

The A3 gene of Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 encodes a viral semaphorin that is non-essential for the induction of malignant catarrhal fever

Conference (2010, November)

Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) is a γ-Herpesvirus carried by wildebeest asymptomatically. AlHV-1 is however responsible for the development of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) when cross-species ... [more ▼]

Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) is a γ-Herpesvirus carried by wildebeest asymptomatically. AlHV-1 is however responsible for the development of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) when cross-species transmitted to a variety of ruminant susceptible species. Wildebeest-derived (WD)-MCF is a frequently fatal lymphoproliferative and degenerative disease of ruminants. Experimentally, WD-MCF can be reproduced in rabbits. The A3 open reading frame (ORF) of the AlHV-1 encodes a putative semaphorin homolog protein, thereafter named AlHV-sema. Semaphorins are secreted and membrane-associated proteins characterized by a conserved amino-terminal ‘Sema’ domain. Initially identified as guidance factors that assist axons pathfinding during neural development, semaphorins have been shown over the last decade to have significant functions in various processes of immunoregulation. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that AlHV-sema has a high homology to the cellular Sema7A. Besides its roles in neural development, Sema7A has been shown to play pivotal functions in the regulation of cytokine secretion and as a tumor suppressor. In order to investigate whether AlHV-Sema could play a role in the pathogenesis of WD-MCF, we used the AlHV-1 BAC clone and produced a strain deleted for A3 and a revertant strain. The strain deleted for A3 replicated comparably to the wild-type parental strain in vitro. In vivo, rabbits infected with the strain deleted for A3 developed WD-MCF similarly to that observed with the parental strain with both severely increased CD8+ T cell frequencies and viral genomic charge over time in peripheral blood and in lymph nodes at time of death, as well as indistinguishable histopathological lesions in lymphoid organs and in liver, lung and kidney. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that AlHV-sema is not essential for the induction of WD-MCF in rabbits. [less ▲]

BCL-3 degradation involves its polyubiquitination through a FBW7-independent pathway and its binding to the proteasome subunit PSMB1.

in Journal of Biological Chemistry (2010), 285(33), 2583125840

The oncogenic protein BCL-3 activates or represses gene transcription through binding with the NF-kappaB proteins p50 and p52 and is degraded through a phospho- and GSK3-dependent pathway. However, the ... [more ▼]

The oncogenic protein BCL-3 activates or represses gene transcription through binding with the NF-kappaB proteins p50 and p52 and is degraded through a phospho- and GSK3-dependent pathway. However, the mechanisms underlying its degradation remain poorly understood. Yeast-two-hybrid analysis led to the identification of the proteasome subunit PSMB1 as a BCL-3-associated protein. The binding of BCL-3 to PSMB1 is required for its degradation through the proteasome. Indeed, PSMB1-depleted cells are defective in degrading polyubiquitinated BCL-3. The N-terminal part of BCL-3 includes lysines 13 and 26 required for the K48-linked polyubiquitination of BCL-3. Moreover, the E3 ligase FBW7 known to polyubiquitinate a variety of substrates phosphorylated by GSK3 is dispensable for BCL-3 degradation. Thus, our data defined an unique motif of BCL-3 that is needed for its recruitment to the proteasome and identified PSMB1 as a key protein required for the proteasome-mediated degradation of a nuclear and oncogenic IkappaB protein. [less ▲]

Comparative study of Murid gamma-herpesvirus 4 infection in mice and in a natural host, the bank voles.

in Journal of General Virology (The) (2010)

Gamma-herpesviruses are archetypal pathogenic persistent viruses. The known human gamma-herpesviruses (Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus) are host-specific and therefore lack ... [more ▼]

Gamma-herpesviruses are archetypal pathogenic persistent viruses. The known human gamma-herpesviruses (Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus) are host-specific and therefore lack a convenient in vivo infection model. This makes related animal gamma-herpesviruses an important source of information. We are studying Murid herpesvirus 4 (MuHV-4), a virus originally isolated from bank voles (Myodes glareolus). MuHV-4 infection of inbred laboratory mouse strains (Mus musculus) is commonly used as a general model of gamma-herpesvirus pathogenesis. However, MuHV-4 has not been isolated from house mice, and no systematic comparison has been made between experimental MuHV-4 infections of mice and bank voles. We have therefore characterized MuHV-4 (strain MHV-68) infection of bank voles, both through global luciferase imaging and through classical virological methods. As in mice, intranasal virus inoculation led to productive replication in bank vole lungs, accompanied by massive cellular infiltrates. However, the extent of lytic virus replication was ~1000 fold lower in bank voles than in mice. Peak latency titers in lymphoid tissue were also lower, although latency was still established. Finally, we tested viral transmission between animals maintained in captivity. However, as observed in mice, MuHV-4 did not transmit between voles in these conditions. In conclusion, this study revealed that despite quantitative differences, replication and latency sites of MuHV-4 are comparable in bank voles and in mice. It appears therefore so far that Mus musculus represents a suitable host for studying gamma-herpesvirus pathogenesis with MuHV-4. Establishing transmission conditions in captivity will be a vital step for further research in that field. [less ▲]

Comparative study of Murid gammaherpesvirus 4 infection in mice and in its natural host, the bank voles.

Poster (2009, December 11)

Gammaherpesviruses are the archetypes of persistent viruses that have been identified in a range of animals from mice to man. They are host-range specific and establish persistent, productive infections ... [more ▼]

Gammaherpesviruses are the archetypes of persistent viruses that have been identified in a range of animals from mice to man. They are host-range specific and establish persistent, productive infections of immunocompetent hosts. Thus, infected individuals simultaneously both elicit antiviral protective immune response and secrete infectious virions. The best studied gammaherpesviruses are Human herpesvirus 4 and Human herpesvirus 8. As these viruses have no well-established in vivo infection model, related animal gammaherpesviruses are an important source of information. We are studying Murid herpesvirus 4 (MuHV-4), a virus that has originally been isolated from bank voles (Myodes glareolus). Although MuHV-4 has not been isolated from house mice (Mus musculus), infection of inbred laboratory mouse strains is commonly accepted as a good model for studying gammaherpesviruses in vivo. It has however never been possible to monitor viral reexcretion and virus transmission in this species suggesting that this model could be imperfect. In this study, we therefore characterized MuHV-4 infection in its natural host, the bank voles, through classical virological methods but also through global luciferase imaging for an anatomical complete view of the infection. Results obtained show that, after intra-nasal infection, the natural route of infection is similar in mice and voles. Following nasal productive infection, the virus spreads to the lung where the infection is accompanied by massive cellular infiltrates. By opposition to extensive viral replication observed in mice, the different analyses indicated that the viral replication was ~1000 fold lower in bank voles. This lower replication did however not affect colonization of latency sites in superficial cervical lymph nodes and spleen as measured by real-time PCR quantification of viral genomes in these organs. In conclusion, this study revealed that MuHV-4 can experimentally infect bank voles, the supposed natural host, but with a lower replicative power. As, gammaherpesvirus epidemiology indicates that transmission correlates with the latent load, our results suggest that gammaherpesviruses may have evolved to infect their hosts without extensive lytic spread. In the future, establishment of experimental transmission in a population of Myodes glareolus should help us to better understand mechanisms used by gammaherpesviruses to evade immune response. [less ▲]

Malignant catarrhal fever induced by alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 is associated with proliferation of CD8+ T cells supporting a latent infection

Poster (2009, September 11)

Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV 1), carried by wildebeest asymptomatically, causes malignant catarrhal fever (WD MCF) when cross species transmitted to a variety of susceptible species of the Artiodactyla ... [more ▼]

Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV 1), carried by wildebeest asymptomatically, causes malignant catarrhal fever (WD MCF) when cross species transmitted to a variety of susceptible species of the Artiodactyla order. Experimentally, WD-MCF can be induced in rabbits. The lesions observed are very similar to those described in natural host species. Here, we used the rabbit model and in vivo 5-Bromo-2’-Deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation to study WD-MCF pathogenesis. The results obtained can be summarized as follows. (i) AlHV-1 infection induces CD8+ T cell proliferation detectable as early as 15 days post-inoculation. (ii) While the viral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells remains below the detection level during most of the incubation period, it increases drastically few days before death. At that time, at least 10% of CD8+ cells carry the viral genome; while CD11b+, IgM+ and CD4+ cells do not. (iii) RT-PCR analyses of mononuclear cells isolated from the spleen and the popliteal lymph node of infected rabbits revealed no expression of ORF25 and ORF9, low or no expression of ORF50, and high or no expression of ORF73. Based on these data, we propose a new model for the pathogenesis of WD-MCF. This model relies on proliferation of infected CD8+ cells supporting a predominantly latent infection. [less ▲]

Interstitial macrophages are essential for maintaining immune homeostasis in the lung

in Proceedings of The Allergy & Asthma Symposium: Bridging Innate and Adaptive Immunity (2009)

Co-infection with two closely related alphaherpesviruses results in a highly diversified recombination mosaic displaying negative genetic interference

in Journal of Virology (2009), 83(7), 3127-3137

Phylogenetic studies of the emergence and spread of natural recombinants in herpesviruses infecting humans and animals have been reported recently. However, despite an ever-increasing amount of evidence ... [more ▼]

Phylogenetic studies of the emergence and spread of natural recombinants in herpesviruses infecting humans and animals have been reported recently. However, despite an ever-increasing amount of evidence of recombination in herpesvirus history, the recombination process and the consequences on the genetic diversity of the progeny remain poorly characterized. We addressed this issue by using multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) differentiating the two subtypes of an alphaherpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1). Analysis of a large sample of progeny virions obtained in a single growth cycle of coinfected BoHV-1 strains provided a prospective investigation of the recombination dynamics by using SNPs as recombination markers. We found that the simultaneous infection with two closely related herpesviruses results in a highly diversified recombination mosaic. From the analysis of multiple recombinants arising in the progeny, we provide the first evidence of genetic interference influencing the recombination process in herpesviruses. In addition, we report striking differences in the levels of recombination frequency observed along the BoHV-1 genome. With particular emphasis on the genetic structure of a progeny virus population rising in vitro, our data show to which extent recombination participates to the genetic diversification of herpesviruses [less ▲]