ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Molecular Research of Emerging Viruses: Viral Evolution, Diagnostics and Pathogenesis and Therapeutics

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2017) | Viewed by 80998

Special Issue Editor

1. Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 19/F, Block T, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
2. State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Laboratory Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam and University Pathology Building, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Interests: emerging infectious diseases; novel pathogen discovery; pathogen genomics and evolution; interspecies transmission of zoonotic viruses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Viruses are increasingly important in causing various infectious diseases in both humans and animals. Some viruses, especially the zoonotic viruses, can also evolve rapidly to generate new variants with enhanced virulence that may emerge or re-emerge to cause epidemics. The recent epidemics caused by Zika virus and Middle East Respiratory Coronavirus are good examples, showing how new viruses or variants can pose huge public health problems and economic losses within a short time. With the limitations of viral cultures and serological tests, diagnosis of viral infections often relies on molecular assays. Unlike bacterial and fungal diseases, which can be treated with antibiotics or antifungals, effective antivirals are lacking for many viruses. Since viruses take hold of the host machinery for their replication, identification of antiviral targets can be difficult. Therefore, new research directions are crucial to predict, prevent and combat virus diseases.

This Special Issue will include manuscripts on different aspects of virus diseases in both humans and animals. Papers aiming to improve understandings on viral evolution and pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and treatment outcomes, especially those focusing on emerging viruses, are most welcome.

Prof. Dr. Susanna K. P. Lau
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • virus
  • infectious diseases
  • emerging
  • epidemics
  • evolution
  • diagnostic
  • pathogenesis
  • antiviral

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (13 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 155 KiB  
Editorial
Molecular Research on Emerging Viruses: Evolution, Diagnostics, Pathogenesis, and Therapeutics
by Susanna K. P. Lau
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(2), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19020398 - 30 Jan 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3015
Abstract
Viruses are increasingly recognized as emerging infectious disease agents in both humans and animals.[...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

10216 KiB  
Article
Co-Infection of Mosquitoes with Chikungunya and Dengue Viruses Reveals Modulation of the Replication of Both Viruses in Midguts and Salivary Glands of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
by Alain Le Coupanec, Stéphane Tchankouo-Nguetcheu, Pascal Roux, Huot Khun, Michel Huerre, Ronald Morales-Vargas, Margot Enguehard, Dimitri Lavillette, Dorothée Missé and Valérie Choumet
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(8), 1708; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18081708 - 04 Aug 2017
Cited by 49 | Viewed by 7427
Abstract
Arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) infections cause several emerging and resurgent infectious diseases in humans and animals. Chikungunya-affected areas often overlap with dengue-endemic areas. Concurrent dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infections have been detected in travelers returning from regions of endemicity. CHIKV and [...] Read more.
Arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) infections cause several emerging and resurgent infectious diseases in humans and animals. Chikungunya-affected areas often overlap with dengue-endemic areas. Concurrent dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infections have been detected in travelers returning from regions of endemicity. CHIKV and DENV co-infected Aedes albopictus have also been collected in the vicinity of co-infected human cases, emphasizing the need to study co-infections in mosquitoes. We thus aimed to study the pathogen-pathogen interaction involved in these co-infections in DENV/CHIKV co-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. In mono-infections, we detected CHIKV antigens as early as 4 days post-virus exposure in both the midgut (MG) and salivary gland (SG), whereas we detected DENV serotype 2 (DENV-2) antigens from day 5 post-virus exposure in MG and day 10 post-virus exposure in SG. Identical infection rates were observed for singly and co-infected mosquitoes, and facilitation of the replication of both viruses at various times post-viral exposure. We observed a higher replication for DENV-2 in SG of co-infected mosquitoes. We showed that mixed CHIKV and DENV infection facilitated viral replication in Ae. aegypti. The outcome of these mixed infections must be further studied to increase our understanding of pathogen-pathogen interactions in host cells. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

4429 KiB  
Article
Porcine Interferon Stimulated Gene 12a Restricts Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Replication in MARC-145 Cells
by Likai Ji, Xiang Zhou, Wan Liang, Jianjian Liu and Bang Liu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(8), 1613; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18081613 - 25 Jul 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4754
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes severe losses in the global pig industry. In the present study, we investigated the molecular characterization of porcine interferon stimulated gene 12a (ISG12A) and confirmed its anti-PRRSV ability for the first time. We [...] Read more.
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes severe losses in the global pig industry. In the present study, we investigated the molecular characterization of porcine interferon stimulated gene 12a (ISG12A) and confirmed its anti-PRRSV ability for the first time. We found that porcine ISG12A was localized in mitochondria and significantly decreased the number of cells in G2/S phase. Porcine ISG12A mRNA was up-regulated in cells/tissues of Tongcheng (TC) pigs and Large White (LW) pigs after PRRSV challenge. More importantly, the ectopic overexpression of ISG12A could significantly suppress PRRSV replication at 24, 36 and 48 h post challenge (hpc), which was confirmed by detecting PRRSV ORF7 mRNA with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and PRRSV N protein with indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) in MARC-145 cells. Meanwhile, knockdown of endogenic ISG12A could obviously facilitate PRRSV replication in MARC-145 cells at 36 hpc. The results will lead to a better understanding of the interaction between host immune system and PRRSV, which may help us develop novel therapeutic tools to control PRRSV. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

5100 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Differences in Porcine Alveolar Macrophages from Tongcheng and Large White Pigs in Response to Highly Pathogenic Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) Infection
by Wan Liang, Likai Ji, Yu Zhang, Yueran Zhen, Qingde Zhang, Xuewen Xu and Bang Liu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(7), 1475; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18071475 - 12 Jul 2017
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5463
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus that can cause devastating reproductive failure and respiratory tract lesions, which has led to serious damage to the swine industry worldwide. Our previous studies have indicated that Tongcheng (TC) pigs, [...] Read more.
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus that can cause devastating reproductive failure and respiratory tract lesions, which has led to serious damage to the swine industry worldwide. Our previous studies have indicated that Tongcheng (TC) pigs, a Chinese local breed, have stronger resistance or tolerance to PRRSV infection than Large White (LW) pigs. This study aims to investigate their host transcriptome differences in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) at 7 days post challenge. Transcriptome profiling of PAMs from PRRSV infected and control pigs of these two breeds were performed using RNA-sequencing. For both breeds, there were 1257 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to PRRSV infection, involving hepatic fibrosis/hepatic stellate cell activation, phospholipase C, and granulocyte adhesion and diapedesis pathways. For TC pig, 549 specific DEGs were identified, including VAV2, BCL2 and BAX, which were enriched in activation of leukocyte extravasation and suppression of apoptosis. While, 898 specific DEGs were identified in LW pigs, including GNAQ, GNB5, GNG2, CALM4 and RHOQ, which were involved in suppression of Gαq and PI3K-AKT signaling. This study provides an insight into the transcriptomic comparison of resistant and susceptible pigs to PRRSV infection. TC pigs may promote the extravasation and migration of leukocytes to defend against PRRSV infections and suppress apoptosis of the infected macrophages to increase antigen presentation, thereby reducing the lung lesions. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

2842 KiB  
Article
Predicting Zoonotic Risk of Influenza A Viruses from Host Tropism Protein Signature Using Random Forest
by Christine L. P. Eng, Joo Chuan Tong and Tin Wee Tan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(6), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18061135 - 25 May 2017
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6887
Abstract
Influenza A viruses remain a significant health problem, especially when a novel subtype emerges from the avian population to cause severe outbreaks in humans. Zoonotic viruses arise from the animal population as a result of mutations and reassortments, giving rise to novel strains [...] Read more.
Influenza A viruses remain a significant health problem, especially when a novel subtype emerges from the avian population to cause severe outbreaks in humans. Zoonotic viruses arise from the animal population as a result of mutations and reassortments, giving rise to novel strains with the capability to evade the host species barrier and cause human infections. Despite progress in understanding interspecies transmission of influenza viruses, we are no closer to predicting zoonotic strains that can lead to an outbreak. We have previously discovered distinct host tropism protein signatures of avian, human and zoonotic influenza strains obtained from host tropism predictions on individual protein sequences. Here, we apply machine learning approaches on the signatures to build a computational model capable of predicting zoonotic strains. The zoonotic strain prediction model can classify avian, human or zoonotic strains with high accuracy, as well as providing an estimated zoonotic risk. This would therefore allow us to quickly determine if an influenza virus strain has the potential to be zoonotic using only protein sequences. The swift identification of potential zoonotic strains in the animal population using the zoonotic strain prediction model could provide us with an early indication of an imminent influenza outbreak. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

2752 KiB  
Article
First Report of a Fatal Case Associated with EV-D68 Infection in Hong Kong and Emergence of an Interclade Recombinant in China Revealed by Genome Analysis
by Cyril C. Y. Yip, Janice Y. C. Lo, Siddharth Sridhar, David C. Lung, Shik Luk, Kwok-Hung Chan, Jasper F. W. Chan, Vincent C. C. Cheng, Patrick C. Y. Woo, Kwok-Yung Yuen and Susanna K. P. Lau
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(5), 1065; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18051065 - 16 May 2017
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5088
Abstract
A fatal case associated with enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infection affecting a 10-year-old boy was reported in Hong Kong in 2014. To examine if a new strain has emerged in Hong Kong, we sequenced the partial genome of the EV-D68 strain identified from the [...] Read more.
A fatal case associated with enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infection affecting a 10-year-old boy was reported in Hong Kong in 2014. To examine if a new strain has emerged in Hong Kong, we sequenced the partial genome of the EV-D68 strain identified from the fatal case and the complete VP1, and partial 5′UTR and 2C sequences of nine additional EV-D68 strains isolated from patients in Hong Kong. Sequence analysis indicated that a cluster of strains including the previously recognized A2 strains should belong to a separate clade, clade D, which is further divided into subclades D1 and D2. Among the 10 EV-D68 strains, 7 (including the fatal case) belonged to the previously described, newly emerged subclade B3, 2 belonged to subclade B1, and 1 belonged to subclade D1. Three EV-D68 strains, each from subclades B1, B3, and D1, were selected for complete genome sequencing and recombination analysis. While no evidence of recombination was noted among local strains, interclade recombination was identified in subclade D2 strains detected in mainland China in 2008 with VP2 acquired from clade A. This study supports the reclassification of subclade A2 into clade D1, and demonstrates interclade recombination between clades A and D2 in EV-D68 strains from China. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

4398 KiB  
Article
Tubacin, an HDAC6 Selective Inhibitor, Reduces the Replication of the Japanese Encephalitis Virus via the Decrease of Viral RNA Synthesis
by Chien-Yi Lu, Yi-Chih Chang, Chun-Hung Hua, Chieh Chuang, Su-Hua Huang, Szu-Hao Kung, Mann-Jen Hour and Cheng-Wen Lin
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(5), 954; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18050954 - 01 May 2017
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5250
Abstract
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a neurotropic flavivirus, annually causes over 30,000 Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases in East and Southeast Asia. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) modulate lysine acetylation of histones and non-histone proteins, regulating many processes including inflammation and antiviral immune response. This study investigated [...] Read more.
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a neurotropic flavivirus, annually causes over 30,000 Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases in East and Southeast Asia. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) modulate lysine acetylation of histones and non-histone proteins, regulating many processes including inflammation and antiviral immune response. This study investigated antiviral activity of pan- and selective-HDAC inhibitors as host-targeting agents against JEV. Among HDAC inhibitors, selective HDAC6 inhibitors (tubastatin-A (TBSA) and tubacin) concentration-dependently inhibited JEV-induced cytopathic effect and apoptosis, as well as reduced virus yield in human cerebellar medulloblastoma cells. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of virus yield was 0.26 μM for tubacin and 1.75 μM for TBSA, respectively. Tubacin (IC50 of 1.52 μM), but not TBSA, meaningfully blocked the production of intracellular infectious virus particles. In time-of-addition assays, the greatest potency of antiviral activity was observed in the mode of pre-treatment with tubacin (IC50 of 1.89 μM) compared to simultaneous (IC50 of 4.88 μM) and post-treatment (IC50 of 2.05 μM) modes. Interestingly, tubacin induced the hyperacetylation of a HDAC6 substrate Hsp90 and reduced the interaction of Hsp90 with JEV NS5 protein. Novobiocin, an Hsp90 inhibitor, diminished the NS5 protein amount and virus replication in JEV-infected cells. Meantime, tubacin suppressed the NS5 expression and antisense RNA genome synthesis in infected cells. Tubacin-induced Hsp90 hyperacetylation was suggested to influence the NS5 activity in JEV replication. Therefore, tubacin had a high potential of a host-targeting agent against JEV, exhibiting preventive and therapeutic activities against JEV infection. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

2865 KiB  
Article
Sus scrofa miR-204 and miR-4331 Negatively Regulate Swine H1N1/2009 Influenza A Virus Replication by Targeting Viral HA and NS, Respectively
by Shishuo Zhang, Ruifang Wang, Huijuan Su, Biaoxiong Wang, Suolang Sizhu, Zhixin Lei, Meilin Jin, Huanchun Chen, Jiyue Cao and Hongbo Zhou
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(4), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18040749 - 03 Apr 2017
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4698
Abstract
The prevalence of swine pandemic H1N1/2009 influenza A virus (SIV-H1N1/2009) in pigs has the potential to generate novel reassortant viruses, posing a great threat to human health. Cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven as promising small molecules for regulating influenza A virus replication [...] Read more.
The prevalence of swine pandemic H1N1/2009 influenza A virus (SIV-H1N1/2009) in pigs has the potential to generate novel reassortant viruses, posing a great threat to human health. Cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven as promising small molecules for regulating influenza A virus replication by directly targeting viral genomic RNA. In this study, we predicted potential Sus scrofa (ssc-, swine) miRNAs targeting the genomic RNA of SIV-H1N1/2009 by RegRNA 2.0, and identified ssc-miR-204 and ssc-miR-4331 to target viral HA and NS respectively through dual-luciferase reporter assays. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of viral HA and NS were significantly suppressed when newborn pig trachea (NPTr) cells respectively overexpressed ssc-miR-204 and ssc-miR-4331 and were infected with SIV-H1N1/2009, whereas the suppression effect could be restored when respectively decreasing endogenous ssc-miR-204 and ssc-miR-4331 with inhibitors. Because of the importance of viral HA and NS in the life cycle of influenza A virus, ssc-miR-204 and ssc-miR-4331 exhibited an inhibition effect on SIV-H1N1/2009 replication. The antiviral effect was sequence-specific of SIV-H1N1/2009, for the target sites in HA and NS of H5N1 or H9N2 influenza A virus were not conserved. Furthermore, SIV-H1N1/2009 infection reversely downregulated the expression of ssc-miR-204 and ssc-miR-4331, which might facilitate the virus replication in the host. In summary, this work will provide us some important clues for controlling the prevalence of SIV-H1N1/2009 in pig populations. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

1896 KiB  
Article
Identification of Novel A2/C2 Inter-Genotype Recombinants of Hepatitis B Virus from a Korean Chronic Patient Co-Infected with Both Genotype A2 and C2
by So-Young Lee, Seung-Hee Lee, Ji-Eun Kim, Hong Kim, Kijeong Kim, Yoon-Hoh Kook and Bum-Joon Kim
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(4), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18040737 - 30 Mar 2017
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3883
Abstract
Nearly all cases of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in South Korea have the C2 genotype. Here, we have identified a chronically infected patient who was co-infected with HBV of both the A2 and C2 genotypes by screening 135 Korean chronically infected patients [...] Read more.
Nearly all cases of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in South Korea have the C2 genotype. Here, we have identified a chronically infected patient who was co-infected with HBV of both the A2 and C2 genotypes by screening 135 Korean chronically infected patients using direct sequencing protocols targeting the 1032-bp polymerase reverse transcriptase (RT) region. Further polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-cloning analysis (22 clones) of the RT showed that this patient had genotype C2 (12 clones), genotype A2 (six clones) and A2/C2 inter-genotype HBV recombinants (four clones). BootScan analysis showed that three of the four recombinants have different types of recombination breakpoints in both the RT and overlapping hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) region. Given the significance of HBsAg as a diagnostic or vaccination target against HBV infection, clinical implications of these identified recombinants should be studied in the future. To our knowledge, this is the first report on A2/C2 inter-genotype HBV recombinants. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

546 KiB  
Review
Infectious Bronchitis Virus Variants: Molecular Analysis and Pathogenicity Investigation
by Shu-Yi Lin and Hui-Wen Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(10), 2030; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18102030 - 22 Sep 2017
Cited by 87 | Viewed by 11519
Abstract
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) variants constantly emerge and pose economic threats to poultry farms worldwide. Numerous studies on the molecular and pathogenic characterization of IBV variants have been performed between 2007 and 2017, which we have reviewed herein. We noted that viral genetic [...] Read more.
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) variants constantly emerge and pose economic threats to poultry farms worldwide. Numerous studies on the molecular and pathogenic characterization of IBV variants have been performed between 2007 and 2017, which we have reviewed herein. We noted that viral genetic mutations and recombination events commonly gave rise to distinct IBV genotypes, serotypes and pathotypes. In addition to characterizing the S1 genes, full viral genomic sequencing, comprehensive antigenicity, and pathogenicity studies on emerging variants have advanced our understanding of IBV infections, which is valuable for developing countermeasures against IBV field outbreaks. This review of IBV variants provides practical value for understanding their phylogenetic relationships and epidemiology from both regional and worldwide viewpoints. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

576 KiB  
Review
Microcephaly Prevalence in Infants Born to Zika Virus-Infected Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Antonio Victor Campos Coelho and Sergio Crovella
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(8), 1714; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18081714 - 05 Aug 2017
Cited by 56 | Viewed by 8541
Abstract
Zika virus is an emergent flavivirus transmitted by Aedes genus mosquitoes that recently reached the Americas and was soon implicated in an increase of microcephaly incidence. The objective of the present study is to systematically review the published data and perform a meta-analysis [...] Read more.
Zika virus is an emergent flavivirus transmitted by Aedes genus mosquitoes that recently reached the Americas and was soon implicated in an increase of microcephaly incidence. The objective of the present study is to systematically review the published data and perform a meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of microcephaly in babies born to Zika virus-infected women during pregnancy. We searched PubMed and Cochrane databases, included cohort studies, and excluded case reports and case series publications. We extracted sample sizes and the number of microcephaly cases from eight studies, which permitted a calculation of prevalence rates that are pooled in a random-effects model meta-analysis. We estimated the prevalence of microcephaly of 2.3% (95% CI = 1.0–5.3%) among all pregnancies. Limitations include mixed samples of women infected at different pregnancy times, since it is known that infection at the first trimester is associated with higher risk to congenital anomalies. The estimates are deceptively low, given the devastating impact the infection causes over children and their families. We hope our study contributes to public health knowledge to fight Zika virus epidemics to protect mothers and their newborns. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

215 KiB  
Review
Differential Immune Responses to New World and Old World Mammalian Arenaviruses
by Hinh Ly
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(5), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18051040 - 12 May 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4384
Abstract
Some New World (NW) and Old World (OW) mammalian arenaviruses are emerging, zoonotic viruses that can cause lethal hemorrhagic fever (HF) infections in humans. While these are closely related RNA viruses, the infected hosts appear to mount different types of immune responses against [...] Read more.
Some New World (NW) and Old World (OW) mammalian arenaviruses are emerging, zoonotic viruses that can cause lethal hemorrhagic fever (HF) infections in humans. While these are closely related RNA viruses, the infected hosts appear to mount different types of immune responses against them. Lassa virus (LASV) infection, for example, results in suppressed immune function in progressive disease stage, whereas patients infected with Junín virus (JUNV) develop overt pro-inflammatory cytokine production. These viruses have also evolved different molecular strategies to evade host immune recognition and activation. This paper summarizes current progress in understanding the differential immune responses to pathogenic arenaviruses and how the information can be exploited toward the development of vaccines against them. Full article
1456 KiB  
Review
Hepatitis E Virus Genotypes and Evolution: Emergence of Camel Hepatitis E Variants
by Siddharth Sridhar, Jade L. L. Teng, Tsz-Ho Chiu, Susanna K. P. Lau and Patrick C. Y. Woo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(4), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18040869 - 20 Apr 2017
Cited by 164 | Viewed by 9315
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of viral hepatitis globally. Zoonotic HEV is an important cause of chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. The rapid identification of novel HEV variants and accumulating sequence information has prompted significant changes in taxonomy of the [...] Read more.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of viral hepatitis globally. Zoonotic HEV is an important cause of chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised patients. The rapid identification of novel HEV variants and accumulating sequence information has prompted significant changes in taxonomy of the family Hepeviridae. This family includes two genera: Orthohepevirus, which infects terrestrial vertebrates, and Piscihepevirus, which infects fish. Within Orthohepevirus, there are four species, A–D, with widely differing host range. Orthohepevirus A contains the HEV variants infecting humans and its significance continues to expand with new clinical information. We now recognize eight genotypes within Orthohepevirus A: HEV1 and HEV2, restricted to humans; HEV3, which circulates among humans, swine, rabbits, deer and mongooses; HEV4, which circulates between humans and swine; HEV5 and HEV6, which are found in wild boars; and HEV7 and HEV8, which were recently identified in dromedary and Bactrian camels, respectively. HEV7 is an example of a novel genotype that was found to have significance to human health shortly after discovery. In this review, we summarize recent developments in HEV molecular taxonomy, epidemiology and evolution and describe the discovery of novel camel HEV genotypes as an illustrative example of the changes in this field. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop