Characterization of a canine homolog of hepatitis C virus.

An estimated 3% of the world's population is chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although HCV was discovered more than 20 y ago, its origin remains obscure largely because no closely related animal virus homolog has been identified; furthermore, efforts to understand HCV pathogenesis have been hampered by the absence of animal models other than chimpanzees for human disease. Here we report the identification in domestic dogs of a nonprimate hepacivirus. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the canine hepacivirus (CHV) confirmed it to be the most genetically similar animal virus homolog of HCV. Bayesian Markov chains Monte Carlo and associated time to most recent common ancestor analyses suggest a mean recent divergence time of CHV and HCV clades within the past 500-1,000 y, well after the domestication of canines. The discovery of CHV may provide new insights into the origin and evolution of HCV and a tractable model system with which to probe the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of diseases caused by hepacivirus infection.

ADAM9 promotes type I interferon-mediated innate immunity during encephalomyocarditis virus infection.

Viral myocarditis, an inflammatory disease of the heart, causes significant morbidity and mortality. Type I interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral responses protect against myocarditis, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. We previously identified A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase domain 9 (ADAM9) as an important factor in viral pathogenesis. ADAM9 is implicated in a range of human diseases, including inflammatory diseases; however, its role in viral infection is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that mice lacking ADAM9 are more susceptible to encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV)-induced death and fail to mount a characteristic type I IFN response. This defect in type I IFN induction is specific to positive-sense, single-stranded RNA (+ ssRNA) viruses and involves melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5)-a key receptor for +ssRNA viruses. Mechanistically, ADAM9 binds to MDA5 and promotes its oligomerization and thereby downstream mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS) activation in response to EMCV RNA stimulation. Our findings identify a role for ADAM9 in the innate antiviral response, specifically MDA5-mediated IFN production, which protects against virus-induced cardiac damage, and provide a potential therapeutic target for treatment of viral myocarditis.

An Early Islet Transcriptional Signature Is Associated With Local Inflammation in Autoimmune Diabetes.

Identifying the early islet cellular processes of autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D) in humans is challenging given the absence of symptoms during this period and the inaccessibility of the pancreas for sampling. In this article, we study temporal events in pancreatic islets in LEW.1WR1 rats, in which autoimmune diabetes can be induced with virus infection, by performing transcriptional analysis of islets harvested during the prediabetic period. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and differential expression analyses of islets from prediabetic rats reveal subsets of ß- and α-cells under stress as evidenced by heightened expression, over time, of a transcriptional signature characterized by interferon-stimulated genes, chemokines including Cxcl10, major histocompatibility class I, and genes for the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Mononuclear phagocytes show increased expression of inflammatory markers. RNA-in situ hybridization of rat pancreatic tissue defines the spatial distribution of Cxcl10+ ß- and α-cells and their association with CD8+ T cell infiltration, a hallmark of insulitis and islet destruction. Our studies define early islet transcriptional events during immune cell recruitment to islets and reveal spatial associations between stressed ß- and α-cells and immune cells. Insights into such early processes can assist in the development of therapeutic and prevention strategies for T1D.

Characterization of a canine homolog of human Aichivirus.

Many of our fatal "civilization" infectious diseases have arisen from domesticated animals. Although picornaviruses infect most mammals, infection of a companion animal is not known. Here we describe the identification and genomic characterization of the first canine picornavirus. Canine kobuvirus (CKoV), identified in stool samples from dogs with diarrhea, has a genomic organization typical of a picornavirus and encodes a 2,469-amino-acid polyprotein flanked by 5' and 3' untranslated regions. Comparative phylogenetic analysis using various structural and nonstructural proteins of CKoV confirmed it as the animal virus homolog most closely related to human Aichivirus (AiV). Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis suggests a mean recent divergence time of CKoV and AiV within the past 20 to 50 years, well after the domestication of canines. The discovery of CKoV provides new insights into the origin and evolution of AiV and the species specificity and pathogenesis of kobuviruses.

Type I IFN-Driven Immune Cell Dysregulation in Rat Autoimmune Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease, characterized by the immune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing ß cells of pancreatic islets. Essential components of the innate immune antiviral response, including type I IFN and IFN receptor (IFNAR)-mediated signaling pathways, likely contribute to human type 1 diabetes susceptibility. We previously showed that LEW.1WR1 Ifnar1 -/- rats have a significant reduction in diabetes frequency following Kilham rat virus (KRV) infection. To delineate the impact of IFNAR loss on immune cell populations in KRV-induced diabetes, we performed flow cytometric analysis in spleens from LEW.1WR1 wild-type (WT) and Ifnar1 -/- rats after viral infection but before the onset of insulitis and diabetes. We found a relative decrease in CD8+ T cells and NK cells in KRV-infected LEW.1WR1 Ifnar1 -/- rats compared with KRV-infected WT rats; splenic regulatory T cells were diminished in WT but not Ifnar1 -/- rats. In contrast, splenic neutrophils were increased in KRV-infected Ifnar1 -/- rats compared with KRV-infected WT rats. Transcriptional analysis of splenic cells from KRV-infected rats confirmed a reduction in IFN-stimulated genes in Ifnar1 -/- compared with WT rats and revealed an increase in transcripts related to neutrophil chemotaxis and MHC class II. Single-cell RNA sequencing confirmed that MHC class II transcripts are increased in monocytes and macrophages and that numerous types of splenic cells harbor KRV. Collectively, these findings identify dynamic shifts in innate and adaptive immune cells following IFNAR disruption in a rat model of autoimmune diabetes, providing insights toward the role of type I IFNs in autoimmunity.

Proteomic and Transcriptional Profiles of Human Stem Cell-Derived ß Cells Following Enteroviral Challenge.

Enteroviral infections are implicated in islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis. Significant ß-cell stress and damage occur with viral infection, leading to cells that are dysfunctional and vulnerable to destruction. Human stem cell-derived ß (SC-ß) cells are insulin-producing cell clusters that closely resemble native ß cells. To better understand the events precipitated by enteroviral infection of ß cells, we investigated transcriptional and proteomic changes in SC-ß cells challenged with coxsackie B virus (CVB). We confirmed infection by demonstrating that viral protein colocalized with insulin-positive SC-ß cells by immunostaining. Transcriptome analysis showed a decrease in insulin gene expression following infection, and combined transcriptional and proteomic analysis revealed activation of innate immune pathways, including type I interferon (IFN), IFN-stimulated genes, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and downstream inflammatory cytokines, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I. Finally, insulin release by CVB4-infected SC-ß cells was impaired. These transcriptional, proteomic, and functional findings are in agreement with responses in primary human islets infected with CVB ex vivo. Human SC-ß cells may serve as a surrogate for primary human islets in virus-induced diabetes models. Because human SC-ß cells are more genetically tractable and accessible than primary islets, they may provide a preferred platform for investigating T1D pathogenesis and developing new treatments.

Potential role of type I interferon in the pathogenic process leading to type 1 diabetes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Understanding the relationship between viral infections and the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is essential for T1D prevention. Virus-induced innate immune responses, specifically type I interferon (IFN-I) and the IFN gene signature, orchestrate early events of ß-cell dysfunction preceding islet autoimmunity. We summarize recent advances in how IFN-I and the IFN gene signature can drive T1D development. RECENT FINDINGS: IFN-I, particularly IFN-α, and the IFN gene signature have been detected in islets and peripheral blood of T1D patients. T1D risk genes in the IFN-I signaling pathway regulate antiviral responses in ß cells driven by IFN-I and proinflammatory cytokines. Polymorphisms in these genes may cause chronic dysregulated IFN signaling in islets, characterized by hyperexpression of IFN-I, the IFN gene signature, and major histocompatibility complex class I during viral infection. Islet-cell inflammation mediated by aberrant IFN signaling drives ß-cell apoptosis by initiating autoreactivity against ß-cell antigens. The profound elevation in IFN-I and the IFN gene signature observed in some forms of T1D are also seen in a novel group of human autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases called interferonopathies. SUMMARY: Despite significant advances, further studies are required to functionally dissect the mechanisms by which excessive IFN-I contributes to the evolution of autoimmunity that destroys ß cells.

A Critical Role for the Type I Interferon Receptor in Virus-Induced Autoimmune Diabetes in Rats.

The pathogenesis of human type 1 diabetes, characterized by immune-mediated damage of insulin-producing ß-cells of pancreatic islets, may involve viral infection. Essential components of the innate immune antiviral response, including type I interferon (IFN) and IFN receptor-mediated signaling pathways, are candidates for determining susceptibility to human type 1 diabetes. Numerous aspects of human type 1 diabetes pathogenesis are recapitulated in the LEW.1WR1 rat model. Diabetes can be induced in LEW.1WR1 weanling rats challenged with virus or with the viral mimetic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C). We hypothesized that disrupting the cognate type I IFN receptor (type I IFN α/ß receptor [IFNAR]) to interrupt IFN signaling would prevent or delay the development of virus-induced diabetes. We generated IFNAR1 subunit-deficient LEW.1WR1 rats using CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9) genome editing and confirmed functional disruption of the Ifnar1 gene. IFNAR1 deficiency significantly delayed the onset and frequency of diabetes and greatly reduced the intensity of insulitis after poly I:C treatment. The occurrence of Kilham rat virus-induced diabetes was also diminished in IFNAR1-deficient animals. These findings firmly establish that alterations in innate immunity influence the course of autoimmune diabetes and support the use of targeted strategies to limit or prevent the development of type 1 diabetes.

Heparin octasaccharide decoy liposomes inhibit replication of multiple viruses.

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan that serves as a cellular attachment site for a number of significant human pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human parainfluenza virus 3 (hPIV3), and herpes simplex virus (HSV). Decoy receptors can target pathogens by binding to the receptor pocket on viral attachment proteins, acting as 'molecular sinks' and preventing the pathogen from binding to susceptible host cells. Decoy receptors functionalized with HS could bind to pathogens and prevent infection, so we generated decoy liposomes displaying HS-octasaccharide (HS-octa). These decoy liposomes significantly inhibited RSV, hPIV3, and HSV infectivity in vitro to a greater degree than the original HS-octa building block. The degree of inhibition correlated with the density of HS-octa displayed on the liposome surface. Decoy liposomes with HS-octa inhibited infection of viruses to a greater extent than either full-length heparin or HS-octa alone. Decoy liposomes were effective when added prior to infection or following the initial infection of cells in vitro. By targeting the well-conserved receptor-binding sites of HS-binding viruses, decoy liposomes functionalized with HS-octa are a promising therapeutic antiviral agent and illustrate the utility of the liposome delivery platform.

Identification and characterization of a new bocavirus species in gorillas.

A novel parvovirus, provisionally named Gorilla Bocavirus species 1 (GBoV1), was identified in four stool samples from Western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) with acute enteritis. The complete genomic sequence of the new parvovirus revealed three open reading frames (ORFs) with an organization similar to that of known bocaviruses. Phylogenetic analysis using complete capsid and non structural (NS) gene sequence suggested that the new parvovirus is most closely related to human bocaviruses (HBoV). However, the NS ORF is more similar in length to the NS ORF found in canine minute virus and bovine parvovirus than in HBoV. Comparative genetic analysis using GBoV and HBoV genomes enabled characterization of unique splice donor and acceptor sites that appear to be highly conserved among all four HBoV species, and provided evidence for expression of two different NS proteins in all primate bocaviruses. GBoV is the first non-human primate bocavirus identified and provides new insights into the genetic diversity and evolution of this highly prevalent and recently discovered group of parvoviruses.