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Bradley J Blitvich - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Sexual Transmission of Arboviruses: A Systematic Review
Viruses, 2020Co-Authors: Bradley J Blitvich, Tereza Magalhaes, S. Viridiana Laredo-tiscareñoAbstract:Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are primarily maintained in nature in transmission cycles between Hematophagous Arthropods and vertebrate hosts, but an increasing number of arboviruses have been isolated from or indirectly detected in the urogenital tract and sexual secretions of their vertebrate hosts, indicating that further investigation on the possibility of sexual transmission of these viruses is warranted. The most widely recognized sexually-transmitted arbovirus is Zika virus but other arboviruses, including Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and dengue virus, might also be transmitted, albeit occasionally, by this route. This review summarizes our current understanding on the ability of arboviruses to be sexually transmitted. We discuss the sexual transmission of arboviruses between humans and between vertebrate animals, but not arthropod vectors. Every taxonomic group known to contain arboviruses (Asfarviridae, Bunyavirales, Flaviviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Reoviridae, Rhabdoviridae and Togaviridae) is covered.
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a review of flaviviruses that have no known arthropod vector
Viruses, 2017Co-Authors: Bradley J Blitvich, Andrew E. FirthAbstract:Most viruses in the genus Flavivirus are horizontally transmitted between Hematophagous Arthropods and vertebrate hosts, but some are maintained in arthropod- or vertebrate-restricted transmission cycles. Flaviviruses maintained by vertebrate-only transmission are commonly referred to as no known vector (NKV) flaviviruses. Fourteen species and two subtypes of NKV flaviviruses are recognized by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), and Tamana bat virus potentially belongs to this group. NKV flaviviruses have been isolated in nature almost exclusively from bats and rodents; exceptions are the two isolates of Dakar bat virus recovered from febrile humans and the recent isolations of Sokoluk virus from field-collected ticks, which raises questions as to whether it should remain classified as an NKV flavivirus. There is evidence to suggest that two other NKV flaviviruses, Entebbe bat virus and Yokose virus, may also infect Arthropods in nature. The best characterized bat- and rodent-associated NKV flaviviruses are Rio Bravo and Modoc viruses, respectively, but both have received limited research attention compared to many of their arthropod-infecting counterparts. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of NKV flaviviruses, placing a particular emphasis on their classification, host range, geographic distribution, replication kinetics, pathogenesis, transmissibility and molecular biology.
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Substitution of the premembrane and envelope protein genes of Modoc virus with the homologous sequences of West Nile virus generates a chimeric virus that replicates in vertebrate but not mosquito cells
Virology Journal, 2014Co-Authors: Rungrat Saiyasombat, Jimena Carrillo-tripp, Wyatt Allen Miller, Peter J Bredenbeek, Bradley J BlitvichAbstract:Background Most known flaviviruses, including West Nile virus (WNV), are maintained in natural transmission cycles between Hematophagous Arthropods and vertebrate hosts. Other flaviviruses such as Modoc virus (MODV) and Culex flavivirus (CxFV) have host ranges restricted to vertebrates and insects, respectively. The genetic elements that modulate the differential host ranges and transmission cycles of these viruses have not been identified. Methods Fusion polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to replace the capsid (C), premembrane (prM) and envelope (E) genes and the prM-E genes of a full-length MODV infectious cDNA clone with the corresponding regions of WNV and CxFV. Fusion products were directly transfected into baby hamster kidney-derived cells that stably express T7 RNA polymerase. At 4 days post-transfection, aliquots of each supernatant were inoculated onto vertebrate (BHK-21 and Vero) and mosquito (C6/36) cells which were then assayed for evidence of viral infection by reverse transcription-PCR, Western blot and plaque assay. Results Chimeric virus was recovered in cells transfected with the fusion product containing the prM-E genes of WNV. The virus could infect vertebrate but not mosquito cells. The in vitro replication kinetics and yields of the chimeric virus were similar to MODV but the chimeric virus produced larger plaques. Chimeric virus was not recovered in cells transfected with any of the other fusion products. Conclusions Our data indicate that genetic elements outside of the prM-E gene region of MODV condition its vertebrate-specific phenotype.
Yoshihisa Hashiguchi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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salivary gland transcripts of the kissing bug panstrongylus chinai a vector of chagas disease
Acta Tropica, 2017Co-Authors: Hirotomo Kato, Ryan C Jochim, Shunsuke Tsunekawa, Jesus G. Valenzuela, Eduardo A Gomez, Yoshihisa HashiguchiAbstract:The saliva of Hematophagous Arthropods injected during blood feeding contains potent pharmacologically active components to counteract the host hemostatic and inflammatory systems. In the present study, dominant salivary gland transcripts of Panstrongylus chinai, a vector of Chagas disease, were analyzed by sequencing randomly selected clones of the salivary gland cDNA library. This analysis showed that 56.5% of the isolated transcripts coded for putative secreted proteins, of which 73.7% coded for proteins belonging to the lipocalin family. The most abundant transcript of lipocalin family proteins was a homologue of pallidipin 2, an inhibitor of collagen-induced platelet aggregation of Triatoma pallidipennis. In addition, homologues of triafestin, an inhibitor of the kallikrein-kinin system of T. infestans, were identified as the dominant transcript. Other salivary transcripts encoding lipocalin family proteins had homology to triplatin (an inhibitor of platelet aggregation) and others with unknown function. Other than lipocalin family proteins, homologues of a Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor (putative anticoagulant), a hemolysin-like protein (unknown function), inositol polyphosphate 5-related protein (a regulator of membrane phosphoinositide), antigen 5-related protein (unknown function) and apyrase (platelet aggregation inhibitor) were identified.
Hirotomo Kato - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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salivary gland transcripts of the kissing bug panstrongylus chinai a vector of chagas disease
Acta Tropica, 2017Co-Authors: Hirotomo Kato, Ryan C Jochim, Shunsuke Tsunekawa, Jesus G. Valenzuela, Eduardo A Gomez, Yoshihisa HashiguchiAbstract:The saliva of Hematophagous Arthropods injected during blood feeding contains potent pharmacologically active components to counteract the host hemostatic and inflammatory systems. In the present study, dominant salivary gland transcripts of Panstrongylus chinai, a vector of Chagas disease, were analyzed by sequencing randomly selected clones of the salivary gland cDNA library. This analysis showed that 56.5% of the isolated transcripts coded for putative secreted proteins, of which 73.7% coded for proteins belonging to the lipocalin family. The most abundant transcript of lipocalin family proteins was a homologue of pallidipin 2, an inhibitor of collagen-induced platelet aggregation of Triatoma pallidipennis. In addition, homologues of triafestin, an inhibitor of the kallikrein-kinin system of T. infestans, were identified as the dominant transcript. Other salivary transcripts encoding lipocalin family proteins had homology to triplatin (an inhibitor of platelet aggregation) and others with unknown function. Other than lipocalin family proteins, homologues of a Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor (putative anticoagulant), a hemolysin-like protein (unknown function), inositol polyphosphate 5-related protein (a regulator of membrane phosphoinositide), antigen 5-related protein (unknown function) and apyrase (platelet aggregation inhibitor) were identified.
Rungrat Saiyasombat - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Substitution of the premembrane and envelope protein genes of Modoc virus with the homologous sequences of West Nile virus generates a chimeric virus that replicates in vertebrate but not mosquito cells
Virology Journal, 2014Co-Authors: Rungrat Saiyasombat, Jimena Carrillo-tripp, Wyatt Allen Miller, Peter J Bredenbeek, Bradley J BlitvichAbstract:Background Most known flaviviruses, including West Nile virus (WNV), are maintained in natural transmission cycles between Hematophagous Arthropods and vertebrate hosts. Other flaviviruses such as Modoc virus (MODV) and Culex flavivirus (CxFV) have host ranges restricted to vertebrates and insects, respectively. The genetic elements that modulate the differential host ranges and transmission cycles of these viruses have not been identified. Methods Fusion polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to replace the capsid (C), premembrane (prM) and envelope (E) genes and the prM-E genes of a full-length MODV infectious cDNA clone with the corresponding regions of WNV and CxFV. Fusion products were directly transfected into baby hamster kidney-derived cells that stably express T7 RNA polymerase. At 4 days post-transfection, aliquots of each supernatant were inoculated onto vertebrate (BHK-21 and Vero) and mosquito (C6/36) cells which were then assayed for evidence of viral infection by reverse transcription-PCR, Western blot and plaque assay. Results Chimeric virus was recovered in cells transfected with the fusion product containing the prM-E genes of WNV. The virus could infect vertebrate but not mosquito cells. The in vitro replication kinetics and yields of the chimeric virus were similar to MODV but the chimeric virus produced larger plaques. Chimeric virus was not recovered in cells transfected with any of the other fusion products. Conclusions Our data indicate that genetic elements outside of the prM-E gene region of MODV condition its vertebrate-specific phenotype.
Jose R Loaiza - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Correction: Habitat disturbance and the organization of bacterial communities in Neotropical Hematophagous Arthropods.
PloS one, 2019Co-Authors: Kelly L Bennett, Alejandro Almanza, Kristin Saltonstall, Evangelina Lopez Vdovenko, Jorge S Vinda, Kaitlin Driesse, Luis F De Leon, W Owen Mcmillan, Luis Mejia, Jose R LoaizaAbstract:[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222145.].
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habitat disturbance and the organization of bacterial communities in neotropical Hematophagous Arthropods
PLOS ONE, 2019Co-Authors: Kelly L Bennett, Alejandro Almanza, Owen W Mcmillan, Kristin Saltonstall, Evangelina Lopez Vdovenko, Jorge S Vinda, Luis C Mejia, Kaitlin Driesse, Luis F De Leon, Jose R LoaizaAbstract:The microbiome plays a key role in the biology, ecology and evolution of arthropod vectors of human pathogens. Vector-bacterial interactions could alter disease transmission dynamics through modulating pathogen replication and/or vector fitness. Nonetheless, our understanding of the factors shaping the bacterial community in arthropod vectors is incomplete. Using large-scale 16S amplicon sequencing, we examine how habitat disturbance structures the bacterial assemblages of field-collected whole-body Hematophagous Arthropods that vector human pathogens including mosquitoes (Culicidae), sand flies (Psychodidae), biting midges (Ceratopogonidae) and hard ticks (Ixodidae). We found that all comparisons of the bacterial community among species yielded statistically significant differences, but a difference was not observed between adults and nymphs of the hard tick, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi. While Culicoides species had the most distinct bacterial community among dipterans, tick species were composed of entirely different bacterial OTU’s. We observed differences in the proportions of some bacterial types between pristine and disturbed habitats for Coquillettidia mosquitoes, Culex mosquitoes, and Lutzomyia sand flies, but their associations differed within and among arthropod assemblages. In contrast, habitat quality was a poor predictor of differences in bacterial classes for Culicoides biting midges and hard tick species. In general, similarities in the bacterial communities among Hematophagous Arthropods could be explained by their phylogenetic relatedness, although intraspecific variation seems influenced by habitat disturbance.