Clinical characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of human enteric adenovirus type 41 (HAdV-F41) from children with gastroenteritis during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Human adenovirus type 41 (HAdV-F41) usually causes pediatrics gastroenteritis. However, it was reported to be associated with the outbreaks of severe acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology (SAHUA) in pediatrics during COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of enteric HAdV-F41 in 37,920 paediatric gastroenteritis cases from 2017 to 2022 in Guangzhou, China. All children presented were tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 during the "zero-COVID" period. The main clinical symptom of the children was diarrhea (96.5%). No fatalities nor liver abnormal symptoms was found. In 2021, one year since the pandemic of COVID-19, the prevalence of HAdV-F41 abruptly increased from 3.71% to 8.64% (P < 0.001). All of HAdV-F41 circulating worldwide were classified into eight different subtypes (G1-G8) based on the phylogenetic clustering permutation of the four capsid genes of HAdV-F41. G3 was the predominant subtype (56.2%; 77/137). CRV5 isolates from SAHUA cases belong to this subtype, in which N312D and H335D mutations in the short fiber knob were identified in both Guangzhou and CRV5 isolates, presumably changing the virus tropism by directly interacting with the heparin sulfate (HS) receptor. Additionally, a novel recombinant G6 subtype, which is unique and only circulating in China was first identified in this study. This is the first study highlighting the prevalence of HAdV-F41 in paediatric cases of gastroenteritis during COVID-19 pandemic in China. The clinical and viral evolution finding of HAdV-F41 provide insight into the clinical characteristics of children with HAdV-F41 infections as well as the uncertain role of HAdV-F41 in the cause of SAHUA.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in serum and dried blood spot samples of vaccinated individuals using a sensitive homogeneous proximity extension assay.

A homogeneous PCR-based assay for sensitive and specific detection of antibodies in serum or dried blood spots (DBS) is presented and the method is used to monitor individuals infected with or vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Detection probes were prepared by conjugating the recombinant spike protein subunit 1 (S1), containing the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, to each of a pair of specific oligonucleotides. The same was done for the nucleocapsid protein (NP). Upon incubation with serum or DBS samples, the bi- or multivalency of the antibodies (IgG, IgA or IgM) brings pairs of viral proteins with their conjugated oligonucleotides in proximity, allowing the antibodies to be detected by a modified proximity extension assay (PEA). Anti-S1 and anti-NP antibodies could be detected simultaneously from one incubation reaction. This Antibody PEA (AbPEA) test uses only 1 µl of neat or up to 100,000-fold diluted serum or one ø1.2 mm disc cut from a DBS. All 100 investigated sera and 21 DBS collected prior to the COVID-19 outbreak were negative, demonstrating a 100% specificity. The area under the curve, as evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis reached 0.998 (95%CI: 0.993-1) for samples taken from 11 days after symptoms onset. The kinetics of antibody responses were monitored after a first and second vaccination using serially collected DBS from 14 individuals. AbPEA offers highly specific and sensitive solution-phase antibody detection without requirement for secondary antibodies, no elution step when using DBS sample in a simple procedure that lends itself to multiplex survey of antibody responses.

Retraction: Jiang, H.; Mei, Y.-F. SARS-CoV-2 Spike Impairs DNA Damage Repair and Inhibits V(D)J Recombination In Vitro. Viruses 2021, 13, 2056.

The published article [...].

Susceptibility of Dog, Hamster, and Mouse Cells to the Replication-Competent Adenovirus 11p E1/E3 Green Fluorescence Protein Vector Has Implications for the Selection of Animal Vaccine Models.

Human adenovirus (Ad)-vectored vaccines require viruses that can internalize into host cells and express the vaccine antigen. Evaluation of the expressed antigen in animal cells is a critical step in preclinical trials of viral vaccines. Due to the species specificity of Ads, it is difficult to find a suitable animal model. Thus, in this study, we compared the efficacy of Ad 11 prototype (Ad11p)-mediated green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression in cell lines of dog (MDCK), hamster (CHO), and mouse (McCoy and C127). Although these cell lines did not express the known primary cellular receptors for Ad11p virus infection (i.e., CD46), Ad11pE1GFP could infect and express GFP with various efficacies. For instance, it manifested relatively higher GFP expression in MDCK than in CHO, McCoy, and C127. However, infection leading to efficient viral release was not observed in any of the studied cell lines. The apparent differences were attributed to particularities of mouse and hamster cell lines, which might have led to the repression of viral DNA synthesis and to the low level of GFP expression mediated by Ad11pe3GFP. Moreover, our results revealed that undetectable hexon protein hampered the assembly of virus particles in CHO and MDCK cells. Ad11p differed from Ad5 in the ability for viral DNA synthesis when infecting CHO cells. Although a defective Ad has been successfully developed for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in clinical applications, it has been difficult to generate one that can be used as an oral SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Fortunately, our replication-competent Ad 11p vector might solve this problem. Regarding the use of Ad-vector candidates for vaccine purposes, this study demonstrates the selection of animal cell lines and determination of suitable virus doses in in vitro experiments.

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Impairs DNA Damage Repair and Inhibits V(D)J Recombination In Vitro.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, severely affecting public health and the global economy. Adaptive immunity plays a crucial role in fighting against SARS-CoV-2 infection and directly influences the clinical outcomes of patients. Clinical studies have indicated that patients with severe COVID-19 exhibit delayed and weak adaptive immune responses; however, the mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 impedes adaptive immunity remains unclear. Here, by using an in vitro cell line, we report that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein significantly inhibits DNA damage repair, which is required for effective V(D)J recombination in adaptive immunity. Mechanistically, we found that the spike protein localizes in the nucleus and inhibits DNA damage repair by impeding key DNA repair protein BRCA1 and 53BP1 recruitment to the damage site. Our findings reveal a potential molecular mechanism by which the spike protein might impede adaptive immunity and underscore the potential side effects of full-length spike-based vaccines.

Household Transmission of Human Adenovirus Type 55 in Case of Fatal Acute Respiratory Disease.

We identified a case of fatal acute respiratory disease from household transmission of human adenovirus type 55 (HAdV-55) in Anhui Province, China. Computed tomography showed severe pneumonia. Comparative genomic analysis of HAdV-55 indicated the virus possibly originated in Shanxi Province, China. More attention should be paid to highly contagious HAdV-55.

An oncolytic adenovirus 11p vector expressing adenovirus death protein in the E1 region showed significant apoptosis and tumour-killing ability in metastatic prostate cells.

The usefulness for cancer therapy of replication-competent adenoviral vectors expressing therapeutic genes from the E3 region has been evaluated, but few reports have described replication-competent adenoviruses with insertions at the E1 region in the full viral genome. We investigated in different prostate cancer cells the oncolytic efficacy of the replication-competent adenovirus 11p vectors expressing adenovirus death (RCAd11pADP) and red fluorescence (RCAd11pRFP) proteins from the upstream E1 region. ADP/RFP gene expression was 2-3 logs higher in PC3 and DU145 cells than in LNCaP and RWPE-1 cells. E1A protein expression in PC3 and DU145 cells was notably increased after infection with the RCAd11pADP or RCAd11pRFP vector compared with the Ad11pwt virus. Toxicity assays revealed 2-5-fold greater oncolytic effects of RCAd11pADP compared to Ad11pwt. Although all three viruses suppressed subcutaneous PC3 tumour growth in nude mice, RCAd11pRFP had greater oncolytic effects than did the Ad11pwt virus, and RCAd11pADP exhibited significant anti-tumour effects via apoptosis in a xenograft model. Interestingly, the apoptosis triggered by RCAd11pADP was markedly enhanced in comparison to that by the vector expressing ADP from E3 region. Taken together, our findings suggest that RCAd11pADP can potentially be used for the treatment of prostate metastases in clinical settings.

Measuring Antiviral Capacity of T Cell Responses to Adenovirus.

Adenoviruses are a major cause of infectious mortality in children following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with adoptive transfer of adenovirus-specific T cells being an effective therapeutic approach. We have previously shown that T cells specific for the peptide epitope LTDLGQNLLY were protective. In this study, we aimed to establish a viral dissemination assay to measure the antiviral capacity of T cells specific for this and other peptide epitopes in an infectious setting. We used replication-competent adenovirus 11 (Ad11pGFP) and adenovirus 5 containing adenovirus 35 fiber (Ad5F35GFP) viruses and T cells specific for HLA-A*01-restricted LTDLGQNLLY, HLA-B*07-restricted KPYSGTAYNAL, and HLA-A*02-restricted LLDQLIEEV peptide epitopes. T cells in PBMC from healthy donors were expanded with peptide and IL-2 or treated with IL-2 alone to serve as nonstimulated control cells, and then these expanded or nonstimulated CD8+ cells were purified and cocultured with autologous monocytes infected with adenovirus at low multiplicity of infection. After 3 d, the number of infected GFP+ monocytes and, hence, viral dissemination was quantified by flow cytometry. T cells expanded with LTDLGQNLLY peptide from multiple HLA-A*01+ donors prevented adenovirus dissemination, and nonstimulated T cells did not prevent dissemination, thus, indicating that LTDLGQNLLY-specific T cells have high antiviral capacity. Similarly, expanded KPYSGTAYNAL- and LLDQLIEEV-specific T cells could prevent viral dissemination. However, the frequency of expanded T cells specific for these last two epitopes was variable between donors with consequent variable prevention of adenoviral dissemination. Taken together, we demonstrate that T cells specific for three peptide epitopes, from both structural and nonstructural proteins, can prevent adenoviral dissemination and provide a novel method to measure the antiviral capacity of adenovirus-specific T cell responses.

Immunohistochemical Characterization and Sensitivity to Human Adenovirus Serotypes 3, 5, and 11p of New Cell Lines Derived from Human Diffuse Grade II to IV Gliomas.

BACKGROUND: Oncolytic adenoviruses show promise in targeting gliomas because they do not replicate in normal brain cells. However, clinical responses occur only in a subset of patients. One explanation could be the heterogenic expression level of virus receptors. Another contributing factor could be variable activity of tumor antiviral defenses in different glioma subtypes. METHODS: We established a collection of primary low-passage cell lines from different glioma subtypes (3 glioblastomas, 3 oligoastrocytomas, and 2 oligodendrogliomas) and assessed them for receptor expression and sensitivity to human adenovirus (HAd) serotypes 3, 5, and 11p. To gauge the impact of antiviral defenses, we also compared the infectivity of the oncolytic adenoviruses in interferon (IFN)-pretreated cells with IFN-sensitive Semliki Forest virus (SFV). RESULTS: Immunostaining revealed generally low expression of HAd5 receptor CAR in both primary tumors and derived cell lines. HAd11p receptor CD46 levels were maintained at moderate levels in both primary tumor samples and derived cell lines. HAd3 receptor DSG-2 was reduced in the cell lines compared to the tumors. Yet, at equal multiplicities of infection, the oncolytic potency of HAd5 in vitro in tumor-derived cells was comparable to HAd11p, whereas HAd3 lysed fewer cells than either of the other two HAd serotypes in 72 hours. IFN blocked replication of SFV, while HAds were rather unaffected. CONCLUSIONS: Adenovirus receptor levels on glioma-derived cell lines did not correlate with infection efficacy and may not be a relevant indicator of clinical oncolytic potency. Adenovirus receptor analysis should be preferentially performed on biopsies obtained perioperatively.

Complete replication-competent adenovirus 11p vectors with E1 or E3 insertions show improved heat stability.

Conventional adenovirus vectors harboring E1 or E3 deletions followed by the insertion of an exogenous gene show considerably reduced virion stability. Here, we report strategies to generate complete replication-competent Ad11p(RCAd11p) vectors that overcome the above disadvantage. A GFP cassette was successfully introduced either upstream of E1A or in the E3A region. The resulting vectors showed high expression levels of the hexon and E1genes and also strongly induced the cytopathic effect in targeted cells. When harboring oversized genomes, the RCAd11pE1 and RCAd11pE3 vectors showed significantly improved heat stability in comparison to Ad11pwt;of the three, RCAd11pE3 was the most tolerant to heat treatment. Electron microscopy showed that RCAd11pE3, RCAd11pE1, Ad11pwt, and Ad11pE1 Delmanifested dominant, moderate, minimum, or no full virus particles after heat treatment at 47°C for 5h. Our results demonstrated that both genome size and the insertion site in the viral genome affect virion stability.

Replication-competent human adenovirus 11p vectors can propagate in Vero cells.

The use of continuous cell lines derived from the African green monkey kidney (AGMK) has led to major advances in virus vaccine development. However, to date, these cells have not been used to facilitate the creation of human adenoviruses because most human adenoviruses undergo abortive infections in them. Here, we report the susceptibility of AGMK-derived cells to adenovirus 11p (Ad11p) infection. First, we showed that CD46 molecules, which act as receptors for Ad11p, are expressed in AGMK cells. We then monitored Ad11p replication by measuring GFP expression as an indicator of viral transcription. We found that AGMK-derived cells were as capable as carcinoma cells at propagating full-length replication-competent Ad11p (RCAd11p) DNA. Of the AGMK cell lines tested, Vero cells had the greatest capacity for adenovirus production. Thus, AGMK cells can be used to evaluate RCAd11p-mediated gene delivery, and Vero cells can be used for the production of RCAd11pGFP vectors at relatively high yields.

Isolation and characterization of anti-adenoviral secondary metabolites from marine actinobacteria.

Adenovirus infections in immunocompromised patients are associated with high mortality rates. Currently, there are no effective anti-adenoviral therapies available. It is well known that actinobacteria can produce secondary metabolites that are attractive in drug discovery due to their structural diversity and their evolved interaction with biomolecules. Here, we have established an extract library derived from actinobacteria isolated from Vestfjorden, Norway, and performed a screening campaign to discover anti-adenoviral compounds. One extract with anti-adenoviral activity was found to contain a diastereomeric 1:1 mixture of the butenolide secondary alcohols 1a and 1b. By further cultivation and analysis, we could isolate 1a and 1b in different diastereomeric ratio. In addition, three more anti-adenoviral butenolides 2, 3 and 4 with differences in their side-chains were isolated. In this study, the anti-adenoviral activity of these compounds was characterized and substantial differences in the cytotoxic potential between the butenolide analogs were observed. The most potent butenolide analog 3 displayed an EC50 value of 91 µM and no prominent cytotoxicity at 2 mM. Furthermore, we propose a biosynthetic pathway for these compounds based on their relative time of appearance and structure.

2-[4,5-Difluoro-2-(2-fluorobenzoylamino)-benzoylamino]benzoic acid, an antiviral compound with activity against acyclovir-resistant isolates of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.

Herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are responsible for lifelong latent infections in humans, with periods of viral reactivation associated with recurring ulcerations in the orofacial and genital tracts. In immunosuppressed patients and neonates, HSV infections are associated with severe morbidity and, in some cases, even mortality. Today, acyclovir is the standard therapy for the management of HSV infections. However, the need for novel antiviral agents is apparent, since HSV isolates resistant to acyclovir therapy are frequently isolated in immunosuppressed patients. In this study, we assessed the anti-HSV activity of the antiadenoviral compounds 2-[2-(2-benzoylamino)-benzoylamino]benzoic acid (benzavir-1) and 2-[4,5-difluoro-2-(2-fluorobenzoylamino)-benzoylamino]benzoic acid (benzavir-2) on HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both compounds were active against both viruses. Importantly, benzavir-2 had potency similar to that of acyclovir against both HSV types, and it was active against clinical acyclovir-resistant HSV isolates.

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and structure-activity relationships of 2-[2-(benzoylamino)benzoylamino]benzoic acid analogues as inhibitors of adenovirus replication.

2-[2-Benzoylamino)benzoylamino]benzoic acid (1) was previously identified as a potent and nontoxic antiadenoviral compound (Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 2010, 54, 3871). Here, the potency of 1 was improved over three generations of compounds. We found that the ortho, ortho substituent pattern and the presence of the carboxylic acid of 1 are favorable for this class of compounds and that the direction of the amide bonds (as in 1) is obligatory. Some variability in the N-terminal moiety was tolerated, but benzamides appear to be preferred. The substituents on the middle and C-terminal rings were varied, resulting in two potent inhibitors, 35g and 35j, with EC(50) = 0.6 µM and low cell toxicity.

Transduction and oncolytic profile of a potent replication-competent adenovirus 11p vector (RCAd11pGFP) in colon carcinoma cells.

Replication-competent adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) vectors promise to be more efficient gene delivery vehicles than their replication-deficient counterparts, and chimeric Ad5 vectors that are capable of targeting CD46 are more effective than Ad5 vectors with native fibers. Although several strategies have been used to improve gene transduction and oncolysis, either by modifying their tropism or enhancing their replication capacity, some tumor cells are still relatively refractory to infection by chimeric Ad5. The oncolytic effects of the vectors are apparent in certain tumors but not in others. Here, we report the biological and oncolytic profiles of a replication-competent adenovirus 11p vector (RCAd11pGFP) in colon carcinoma cells. CD46 was abundantly expressed in all cells studied; however, the transduction efficiency of RCAd11pGFP varied. RCAd11pGFP efficiently transduced HT-29, HCT-8, and LS174T cells, but it transduced T84 cells, derived from a colon cancer metastasis in the lung, less efficiently. Interestingly, RCAd11p replicated more rapidly in the T84 cells than in HCT-8 and LS174T cells and as rapidly as in HT-29 cells. Cell toxicity and proliferation assays indicated that RCAd11pGFP had the highest cell-killing activities in HT29 and T84 cells, the latter of which also expressed the highest levels of glycoproteins of the carcinoma embryonic antigen (CEA) family. In vivo experiments showed significant growth inhibition of T84 and HT-29 tumors in xenograft mice treated with either RCAd11pGFP or Ad11pwt compared to untreated controls. Thus, RCAd11pGFP has a potent cytotoxic effect on colon carcinoma cells.

Adenovirus 11p downregulates CD46 early in infection.

Adenovirus 11 prototype (Ad11p), belonging to species B, uses CD46 as an attachment receptor. CD46, a complement regulatory molecule, is expressed on all human nucleated cells. We show here that Ad11p virions downregulate CD46 on the surface of K562 cells as early as 5min p.i. Specific binding to CD46 by the Ad11p fiber knob was required to mediate downregulation. The complement regulatory factors CD55 and CD59 were also reduced to a significant extent as a consequence of Ad11p binding to K562 cells. In contrast, binding of Ad7p did not result in downregulation of CD46 early in infection. Thus, the presumed interaction between Ad7p and CD46 did not have the same consequences as the Ad11p-CD46 interaction, the latter virus (Ad11p) being a promising gene therapy vector candidate. These findings may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of species B adenovirus infections.

Small-molecule screening using a whole-cell viral replication reporter gene assay identifies 2-{[2-(benzoylamino)benzoyl]amino}-benzoic acid as a novel antiadenoviral compound.

Adenovirus infections are widespread in society and are occasionally associated with severe, but rarely with life-threatening, disease in otherwise healthy individuals. In contrast, adenovirus infections present a real threat to immunocompromised individuals and can result in disseminated and fatal disease. The number of patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy for solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is steadily increasing, as is the number of AIDS patients, and this makes the problem of adenovirus infections even more urgent to solve. There is no formally approved treatment of adenovirus infections today, and existing antiviral agents evaluated for their antiadenoviral effect give inconsistent results. We have developed a whole cell-based assay for high-throughput screening of potential antiadenoviral compounds. The assay is unique in that it is based on a replication-competent adenovirus type 11p green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing vector (RCAd11pGFP). This allows measurement of fluorescence changes as a direct result of RCAd11pGFP genome expression. Using this assay, we have screened 9,800 commercially available small organic compounds. Initially, we observed approximately 400 compounds that inhibited adenovirus expression in vitro by > or = 80%, but only 24 were later confirmed as dose-dependent inhibitors of adenovirus. One compound in particular, 2-{[2-(benzoylamino)benzoyl]amino}-benzoic acid, turned out to be a potent inhibitor of adenovirus replication.

Adenovirus interactions with CD46 on transgenic mouse erythrocytes.

Hemagglutination is an established method but has not been used previously to determine the efficacy of virus binding to a specific cellular receptor. Here we have utilized CD46-expressing erythrocytes from a transgenic mouse to establish whether and to what extent the species B adenoviruses (Ads) as well as Ad37 and Ad49 of species D can interact with CD46. A number of different agglutination patterns, and hence CD46 interactions, could be observed for the different adenovirus types. In this system Ad7p, Ad11a, and Ad14 did not agglutinate mouse erythrocytes at all. Hemagglutination of CD46 expressing erythrocytes with high efficiency was observed for the previously established CD46 users Ad11p and Ad35 as well as for the less investigated Ad34. Ad50 agglutinated with moderate efficiency. Ad16, Ad21 and Ad49 gave incomplete agglutination. Ad16 was the only adenovirus that could be eluted. No specific CD46 interaction could be observed for Ad3p or for Ad37.

Replication-competent Ad11p vector (RCAd11p) efficiently transduces and replicates in hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer cells.

Selective replication-competent adenovirus serotype 5 vectors have been used for prostate cancer therapy. Unfortunately, gene transfer is inefficient because hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer cells have minimal coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor expression. Vectors based on species B adenoviruses are attractive tools for use in human gene therapy because the viruses have low seroprevalence and they have efficient transduction capacity. Most species B adenoviruses use ubiquitously expressed complement-regulatory CD46 protein as a cellular receptor. Here we report the transduction efficacy and oncolytic capacity of a replication-competent Ad11p (RCAd11p) vector in human prostate cancer cells. Green fluorescent protein was efficiently expressed in a dose-dependent manner in PC-3 and DU 145 cells derived from metastasis of prostate cancer to bone and brain, respectively. However, transduction was less effective in LNCaP cells derived from prostate cancer metastasis to lymph nodes. The oncolytic capacity of the RCAd11p vector was 100 times higher in PC-3 cells than in the two other cell lines. The oncolysis was independent of the level of expression of p53 in the cells or on the absence of E1B55k expression in the vector. In vivo experiments revealed significant growth inhibition of PC-3 tumors in the xenograft mouse group treated with RCAd11p vector or Ad11pwt in comparison with the untreated control group. Thus, we have demonstrated that RCAd11p vector intrinsically possesses oncolytic properties, which were active in targeting tumor cells. Consequently, the novel RCAd11p vector has great potential for the treatment of incurable metastatic prostate disease.

Adenovirus type 11 binding alters the conformation of its receptor CD46.

Adenoviruses (Ads) are important human pathogens and valuable gene delivery vehicles. We report here the crystal structure of the species B Ad11 knob complexed with the Ad11-binding region of its receptor CD46. The conformation of bound CD46 differs profoundly from its unbound state, with the bent surface structure straightened into an elongated rod. This mechanism of interaction is likely to be conserved among many pathogens that target CD46 or related molecules.