Genetic analysis was performed to infer the relationship between hantaviruses carried by Rattus norvegicus from Henan and Neimenggu provinces and the other known hantavirus and the vaccine strain.Total RNA was extracted from lung tissues with Trizol reagent. The complete M and S segment sequences of strains NM133 and Q12 were amplified by RT-PCR. The purified DNA fragments were directly subjected to sequencing, and then to sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis.The complete S segment sequences of strains NM133 and Q12 were found to be 1770 nt and 1772 nt in length respectively, with one open reading frame encoding 429 amino acids. The complete M segment sequences of both two strains are 3654 nucleotide in length encoding a protein of 1133 amino acids. The two strains shared a high degree of homology with most of known Seoul virus (SEOV) but quite different from Hantaan virus and other hantaviruses. Furthermore, the nucleoprotein and glycoprotein of the two strains had the congruent structure with the vaccine strain Z37. On the S- and M-phylogenetic trees, both strains (NM133 and Q12) were grouped into the first cluster of SEOV, and were more closely related to the strains, such as: Hb8610, R22, HB55, L99, and K24-e7.Both strains (NM133 and Q12) belonged to SEOV, and sharing a high degree of homology and similar secondary structure with strains including the vaccine strains Z37, our data suggested that the present vaccine used in China could effectively prevent HFRS caused by SEOV.
Ticks are the hosts or vectors of many human pathogens, including viruses, bacteria and protozoa, and can transmit these causative agents to humans when feeding on human bodies. In this study, 26 ticks removed from humans in Hebei, China were tested for the presence of human-pathogenic microorganisms by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or Reversed Transcript PCR (RT-PCR). As a result, 11 ticks tested positive for at least one human pathogen. Specifically, four validated human pathogens, including Rickettsia raoultii, Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae, Babesia venatorum, and Borrelia garinii, as well as Anaplasma ovis with zoonotic potential, were identified in Ixodes persulcatus, Dermacentor silvarum and Haemaphysalis concinna. Importantly, this is the first report of Anaplasma and Babesia species pathogenic to humans in Hebei province. Moreover, the co-infections, including double infection and quadruple infection were observed. In addition, Candidatus R. principis with unknown pathogenicity was identified in one tick, which may be the same species as Candidatus R. hongyuanensis based on the nucleotide identity and phylogenetic analysis. Concluding, four validated tick-borne pathogens and one with zoonotic potential were identified in ticks parasitizing humans, suggesting the potential high public health risk in the local human population.
To analyze the viral genetic characteristics of hantaviruses carried by Microtus maximowixzii in Yakeshi of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and its relationship with Hantaan virus (HTNV) and Seoul virus (SEOV) viruses as well as to identify the natural host of Khabarovsk virus (KHAV).HV specific RNAs were detected by RT-PCR. Complete S and M segment were amplified from the RNA-positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis were performed to estimate the genetic characterization and the relationship with other hantaviruses.Fifty two Microtus maximowixzii voles were captured in Yakeshi areas. Of those voles, hantaviral RNA was tested positive in 5 samples (9.62%). Complete S and M segments sequences were obtained from 5 and 2 lung samples, respectively. The complete S segment was consisted of 1848 to 1861 bp, and the M segment consisted of 3662 bp. These viruses were closely related to each other with 92.5% - 96.4% for the S segment sequences and 88.9% - 95.4% for the M segment sequences. They shared a higher identity with KHAV found previously in Yakeshi and KHAV of Russia. However, they were obviously different from the other hantavirus species. The 5 strains had the consistent secondary structure of nucleocapsid protein (NP) and glycoprotein (GP). When further comparing their secondary structures with those of HTNV and SEOV, our results indicated that there were no obvious differences in NP between KHAV and both HNTV, SEOV but with obvious difference in GP. Based on the S and M segment sequences, phylogenetic analyses revealed that these 5 strains clustered together with KHAV and formed a distinct lineage. Furthermore, all known KHAV strains could be divided into two small branches with a nucleotide divergence more than 5.3%.Our research data revealed that KHAV was highly endemic among Microtus maximowixzii in Yakeshi area which supported the notion that Microtus maximowixzii had been the natural host of KHAV in the area.
Hantaviruses are among the most important zoonotic pathogens of humans and the subject of heightened global attention. Despite the importance of hantaviruses for public health, there is no consensus on their evolutionary history and especially the frequency of virus-host co-divergence versus cross-species virus transmission. Documenting the extent of hantavirus biodiversity, and particularly their range of mammalian hosts, is critical to resolving this issue. Here, we describe four novel hantaviruses (Huangpi virus, Lianghe virus, Longquan virus, and Yakeshi virus) sampled from bats and shrews in China, and which are distinct from other known hantaviruses. Huangpi virus was found in Pipistrellus abramus, Lianghe virus in Anourosorex squamipes, Longquan virus in Rhinolophus affinis, Rhinolophus sinicus, and Rhinolophus monoceros, and Yakeshi virus in Sorex isodon, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis of the available diversity of hantaviruses reveals the existence of four phylogroups that infect a range of mammalian hosts, as well as the occurrence of ancient reassortment events between the phylogroups. Notably, the phylogenetic histories of the viruses are not always congruent with those of their hosts, suggesting that cross-species transmission has played a major role during hantavirus evolution and at all taxonomic levels, although we also noted some evidence for virus-host co-divergence. Our phylogenetic analysis also suggests that hantaviruses might have first appeared in Chiroptera (bats) or Soricomorpha (moles and shrews), before emerging in rodent species. Overall, these data indicate that bats are likely to be important natural reservoir hosts of hantaviruses.
Trichinella spiralis ( T. spiralis ) muscle-larva excretory/secretory products (ML-ESPs) is a complex array of proteins with antitumor activity. We previously demonstrated that ML-ESPs inhibit the proliferation of A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line. However, the mechanism of ML-ESPs against A549 cells, especially on the transcriptional level, remains unknow. In this study, we systematically investigated a global profile bioinformatics analysis of transcriptional response of A549 cells treated with ML-ESPs. And then, we further explored the transcriptional regulation of genes related to glucose metabolism in A549 cells by ML-ESPs. The results showed that ML-ESPs altered the expression of 2,860 genes (1,634 upregulated and 1,226 downregulated). GO and KEGG analysis demonstrated that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly associated with pathway in cancer and metabolic process. The downregulated genes interaction network of metabolic process is mainly associated with glucose metabolism. Furthermore, the expression of phosphofructokinase muscle (PFKM), phosphofructokinase liver (PFKL), enolase 2 (ENO2), lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB), 6-phosphogluconolactonase (6PGL), ribulose-phosphate-3-epimerase (PRE), transketolase (TKT), transaldolase 1 (TALDO1), which genes mainly regulate glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), were suppressed by ML-ESPs. Interestingly, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA)-related genes, such as pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase 1 (PDP1), PDP2, aconitate hydratase 1 (ACO1) and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH) were upregulated by ML-ESPs. In summary, the transcriptome profiling of A549 cells were significantly altered by ML-ESPs. And we also provide new insight into how ML-ESPs induced a transcriptional reprogramming of glucose metabolism-related genes in A549 cells.
"Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae" (CRT) is increasingly being recognized as a disease causative agent in China and poses a great challenge to public health. Rapid and accurate detection is indispensable for laboratory diagnosis of infection caused by CRT and its surveillance in ticks. In the present study, a novel DNA-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay targeting the ompA gene was developed for the detection of CRT in tick samples. A set of universal primers specific to CRT were designed using PrimerExplorer V5 software. The analytical sensitivity, evaluated using recombinant plasmids containing the ompA gene, reached up to 1 copy per reaction, greater than that of the PCR assay targeting the same gene. This LAMP assay specifically detected CRT and showed no cross-reaction with other species common in China within the genus Rickettsia. In addition, this newly developed LAMP assay presented high diagnostic sensitivity of CRT detection validated by known positive DNA samples from ticks and simulated clinical samples. The applicability of the LAMP assay was evaluated by screening CRT from ticks, and the result showed that CRT circulation in Weichang County, China, was confirmed. Our findings indicate that this LAMP method is sensitive and specific for the detection of CRT and may have a potential application in the detection of CRT infection in patients and ticks.
To better understand the pathogenicity and infectivity of a natural reassortant CGRn9415 generated from Hantaan virus (HTNV) and Seoul virus (SEOV), CGRn9415, HTNV 76–118 and SEOV L99 were used to infect newborn Kunming (KM) mice and newborn Wistar rats. In KM mice, there was no statistical difference between the death rate with CGRn9415 and that of L99, while 76–118 killed all mice even at low dosage; CGRn9415 killed all infected rats similar to L99 at the dosage of 10 5 f.f.u., while no death occurred in rats infected with 76–118 even as high as 2×10 5 f.f.u., suggesting that the reassortant CGRn9415 possesses similar pathogenicity as L99. Furthermore, the reassortant CGRn9415 could establish a persistent infection in both KM mice and Wistar rats more easily than 76–118 or L99. These data suggest that the reassorted hantavirus behaves more like SEOV as far as the pathogenicity is concerned.