Dataset Information

Identification and genetic characterization of hepacivirus and pegivirus in commercial equine serum products in China.

ABSTRACT: Equine hepacivirus (EqHV), equine pegivirus (EPgV) and Theiler's disease-associated virus (TDAV) are three novel equine viruses in the family Flaviviridae. EqHV and EPgV have been identified to circulate in the equine population worldwide, whereas TDAV has not been detected in equines since the first reported case. To date, no studies have focused on investigating EqHV, EPgV and TDAV in commercial equine sera or equine blood products in China. Considering the potential threat of EqHV, EPgV and TDAV to biosecurity and considering their possible influences on research results, equine sera for cell culture propagation and pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) were purchased from different companies in China and investigated for EqHV, EPgV and TDAV in this study. By performing nested PCR or two rounds of PCR targeting the viral NS3 gene, four serum samples were confirmed to be EqHV-, EPgV-, or TDAV-RNA positive; all of the PMSG samples were negative for these three viruses. Subsequent sequencing results indicated that the serum samples contained multiple viral variants of EqHV, EPgV or TDAV, and a genetic analysis based on the partial NS3 gene of the three equine viruses was performed. Our study is the first to confirm the presence of EqHV, EPgV and TDAV in equine sera for cell culture propagation that is commercially available in China and provides the first demonstration of the presence of TDAV in China.

SUBMITTER: Lu G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5720783 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Identification and genetic characterization of hepacivirus and pegivirus in commercial equine serum products in China.

Lu Gang G Huang Ji J Yang Qiliang Q Xu Haibin H Wu Peixin P Fu Cheng C Li Shoujun S

PloS one 20171207 12

Equine hepacivirus (EqHV), equine pegivirus (EPgV) and Theiler's disease-associated virus (TDAV) are three novel equine viruses in the family Flaviviridae. EqHV and EPgV have been identified to circulate in the equine population worldwide, whereas TDAV has not been detected in equines since the first reported case. To date, no studies have focused on investigating EqHV, EPgV and TDAV in commercial equine sera or equine blood products in China. Considering the potential threat of EqHV, EPgV and T ...[more]

PMID: 29216266

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Project description:Equine hepacivirus (EHcV) has been identified as a closely related homologue of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, but not in Asian countries. In this study, we genetically and serologically screened 31 serum samples obtained from Japanese-born domestic horses for EHcV infection and subsequently identified 11 PCR-positive and 7 seropositive serum samples. We determined the full sequence of the EHcV genome, including the 3' untranslated region (UTR), which had previously not been completely revealed. The polyprotein of a Japanese EHcV strain showed approximately 95% homology to those of the reported strains. HCV-like cis-acting RNA elements, including the stem-loop structures of the 3' UTR and kissing-loop interaction were deduced from regions around both UTRs of the EHcV genome. A comparison of the EHcV and HCV core proteins revealed that Ile(190) and Phe(191) of the EHcV core protein could be important for cleavage of the core protein by signal peptide peptidase (SPP) and were replaced with Ala and Leu, respectively, which inhibited intramembrane cleavage of the EHcV core protein. The loss-of-function mutant of SPP abrogated intramembrane cleavage of the EHcV core protein and bound EHcV core protein, suggesting that the EHcV core protein may be cleaved by SPP to become a mature form. The wild-type EHcV core protein, but not the SPP-resistant mutant, was localized on lipid droplets and partially on the lipid raft-like membrane in a manner similar to that of the HCV core protein. These results suggest that EHcV may conserve the genetic and biological properties of HCV.EHcV, which shows the highest amino acid or nucleotide homology to HCV among hepaciviruses, was previously reported to infect horses from Western, but not Asian, countries. We herein report EHcV infection in Japanese-born horses. In this study, HCV-like RNA secondary structures around both UTRs were predicted by determining the whole-genome sequence of EHcV. Our results also suggest that the EHcV core protein is cleaved by SPP to become a mature form and then is localized on lipid droplets and partially on lipid raft-like membranes in a manner similar to that of the HCV core protein. Hence, EHcV was identified as a closely related homologue of HCV based on its genetic structure as well as its biological properties. A clearer understanding of the epidemiology, genetic structure, and infection mechanism of EHcV will assist in elucidating the evolution of hepaciviruses as well as the development of surrogate models for the study of HCV.

Dataset Information

Identification and genetic characterization of hepacivirus and pegivirus in commercial equine serum products in China.

Publications

Identification and genetic characterization of hepacivirus and pegivirus in commercial equine serum products in China.

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