Identification of a Novel Hepacivirus in Domestic Cattle from Germany
Identification of a Novel Hepacivirus in Domestic Cattle from Germany
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DOI：
10.1128/jvi.00534-15
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发表时间：
2015-07-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
Becher, Paul
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Baechlein, Christine;Fischer, Nicole;Becher, Paul
丙型肝炎病毒(丙型肝炎病毒)仍然是对人类健康最严重的威胁之一。近年来，在蝙蝠、啮齿动物、马和狗中发现了与丙型肝炎病毒相关的序列，这表明肝炎病毒在动物中广泛分布。通过应用无偏高通量测序，在一份牛血清样本中发现了一种新的肝炎病毒属病毒。重新组装产生了一个几乎全长的基因组，编码一个由2779个氨基酸组成的多蛋白。系统发育分析证实，该病毒为肝炎病毒属中的一个新物种。病毒RNA检测结果表明，在德国320头个体动物中有1.6%(n=5)的牛肝炎病毒阳性，在158头被调查的牛群中有3.2%(n=5)呈阳性。对一个奶牛群的动物进行的重复反转录-聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR)分析证明，相当大比例的奶牛感染了病毒，其中一些感染病毒的时间超过6个月。临床和尸检显示没有任何疾病迹象，包括肝脏损伤。有趣的是，来自不同器官和组织的定量RT-PCR，以及病毒基因组中miR-122结合位点的存在，强烈表明牛肝炎病毒对肝脏的嗜性，使这种新型病毒成为人类感染丙型肝炎病毒的一个有前途的动物模型。特别是，它们庞大的种群规模以及多种直接和通过食物传播的感染途径的存在，突出了它们作为病毒库的作用。除了寻找新的病毒外，在风险分析的背景下，对这些病原体的详细特征是必不可少的。在这里，我们描述了在牛身上鉴定出一种新的丙型肝炎病毒样病毒。此外，确定牛群中的流行率和感染过程为了解这种新型病毒的生物学提供了有价值的见解。这些结果为今后针对牛肝炎病毒的病毒致病机制及其建立人畜共患感染的可能性的研究奠定了基础。
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) continues to represent one of the most significant threats to human health. In recent years, HCV-related sequences have been found in bats, rodents, horses, and dogs, indicating a widespread distribution of hepaciviruses among animals. By applying unbiased high-throughput sequencing, a novel virus of the genus Hepacivirus was discovered in a bovine serum sample. De novo assembly yielded a nearly full-length genome coding for a polyprotein of 2,779 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the virus represents a novel species within the genus Hepacivirus. Viral RNA screening determined that 1.6% (n = 5) of 320 individual animals and 3.2% (n = 5) of 158 investigated cattle herds in Germany were positive for bovine hepacivirus. Repeated reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) analyses of animals from one dairy herd proved that a substantial percentage of cows were infected, with some of them being viremic for over 6 months. Clinical and postmortem examination revealed no signs of disease, including liver damage. Interestingly, quantitative RT-PCR from different organs and tissues, together with the presence of an miR-122 binding site in the viral genome, strongly suggests a liver tropism for bovine hepacivirus, making this novel virus a promising animal model for HCV infections in humans.IMPORTANCELivestock animals act as important sources for emerging pathogens. In particular, their large herd size and the existence of multiple ways of direct and food-borne infection routes emphasize their role as virus reservoirs. Apart from the search for novel viruses, detailed characterization of these pathogens is indispensable in the context of risk analysis. Here, we describe the identification of a novel HCV-like virus in cattle. In addition, determination of the prevalence and of the course of infection in cattle herds provides valuable insights into the biology of this novel virus. The results presented here form a basis for future studies targeting viral pathogenesis of bovine hepaciviruses and their potential to establish zoonotic infections.