State-of-the-Art Veterinary Virology Research

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "General Virology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 16586

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Veterinary Infectious Diseases, Cooperative Department of Veterinary. Medicine/Cooperative Division of Veterinary Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture & Technology, Fuchu, Japan
Interests: infectious pathogens; morbilliviruses; malaria parasites; new drug development against virus and parasitic pathogens; vaccines against pathogens in the veterinary and human medicines

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Virus research studies in the veterinary fields are in demand particularly those related to livestock animals since they are important for the stable food supply, not just in economically under-developed countries but also well-developed countries. Even in the relatively clean and well-equipped farm environments, spreads of sporadic but important epidemics of some transboundary infectious diseases in livestock animals are still common, such as the ones of foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever, and highly pathogenic avian influenza, the diseases which share common characteristics; all can be transmitted by wild animals. In addition, devastating zoonoses such as COVID-19, SARS, and pandemic influenza have presented threats to the society, requiring studies of infection in the reservoir animals of the causative viruses. Additionally, needs for the care of companion animals are in high demand, particularly among aged owners, as a transition to an elderly society in many countries in the world. In this Special Issue, we aim to collect research papers which represent the recent advancements in the study of animal viruses and virus–host interactions important in the fields of veterinary science. Through this Issue, we hope to present the potential of veterinary virus research to contribute to improving not just animal care or livestock biosecurity, but also public health and social security worldwide. 

Prof. Dr. Tetsuya Furuya
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • animal viruses
  • zoonotic virus pathogens
  • host–virus interactions
  • pathogenic mechanisms of the viruses
  • vaccines and drugs against animal viruses
  • control of livestock infectious diseases
  • epidemiology
  • new and emerging virus detection
  • vaccine development
  • virus pathogenesis
  • interface between wild animals and livestock/humans

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1837 KiB  
Article
Ionophore Antibiotics Inhibit Type II Feline Coronavirus Proliferation In Vitro
by Yoshikazu Tanaka, Eri Tanabe, Yuki Nonaka, Mitsuki Uemura, Tsuyoshi Tajima and Kazuhiko Ochiai
Viruses 2022, 14(8), 1734; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14081734 - 6 Aug 2022
Viewed by 2434
Abstract
Feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) infect cats worldwide and cause severe systemic diseases, such as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). FIP has a high mortality rate, and drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration have been ineffective for the treatment of FIP. Investigating host factors [...] Read more.
Feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) infect cats worldwide and cause severe systemic diseases, such as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). FIP has a high mortality rate, and drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration have been ineffective for the treatment of FIP. Investigating host factors and the functions required for FCoV replication is necessary to develop effective drugs for the treatment of FIP. FCoV utilizes an endosomal trafficking system for cellular entry after binding between the viral spike (S) protein and its receptor. The cellular enzymes that cleave the S protein of FCoV to release the viral genome into the cytosol require an acidic pH optimized in the endosomes by regulating cellular ion concentrations. Ionophore antibiotics are compounds that form complexes with alkali ions to alter the endosomal pH conditions. This study shows that ionophore antibiotics, including valinomycin, salinomycin, and nigericin, inhibit FCoV proliferation in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that ionophore antibiotics should be investigated further as potential broad-spectrum anti-FCoV agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Veterinary Virology Research)
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12 pages, 987 KiB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Three Commercial Quantitative Real-Time PCRs Used in Japan for Bovine Leukemia Virus
by Syuji Yoneyama, Sota Kobayashi, Towa Matsunaga, Kaoru Tonosaki, Dongze Leng, Yusuke Sakai, Shinji Yamada, Atsushi Kimura, Toshihiro Ichijo, Hirokazu Hikono and Kenji Murakami
Viruses 2022, 14(6), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14061182 - 28 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2521
Abstract
Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is an oncogenic virus belonging to the genus Deltaretrovirus and is the causative agent of enzootic bovine leukosis. Proviral load (PVL) determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is now widely used as an indicator of not only BLV infection, [...] Read more.
Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is an oncogenic virus belonging to the genus Deltaretrovirus and is the causative agent of enzootic bovine leukosis. Proviral load (PVL) determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is now widely used as an indicator of not only BLV infection, but also BLV disease progression. To interpret PVLs determined by different qPCRs used in Japan, we compared a chimeric cycling probe-based qPCR, CY415, targeting the BLV tax region; a TaqMan probe-based qPCR, RC202, targeting the BLV pol region; and a TaqMan probe-based qPCR, CoCoMo, targeting the BLV long terminal repeat (LTR) region. Whole-blood samples collected from 317 naturally BLV-infected cattle (165 Holstein–Friesian and 152 Japanese Black) and tumor tissue samples collected from 32 cattle at a meat inspection center were used. The PVLs determined by each qPCR were strongly correlated. However, the PVL and the proportion of BLV-infected cells determined by RC202 or CoCoMo were significantly higher than those determined by CY415. Genetic analysis of three tumor tissue samples revealed that LTR region mutations or a deletion affected the PVL determined by CoCoMo. These results suggest that the TaqMan-based RC202 or CoCoMo qPCR is better than CY415 for BLV PVL analysis. However, qPCR target region mutations were not rare in tumors and could hamper PVL analysis by using qPCR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Veterinary Virology Research)
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14 pages, 1285 KiB  
Article
Identification of Potential mRNA Biomarkers in Milk Small Extracellular Vesicles of Enzootic Bovine Leukosis Cattle
by Mami Hiraoka, Shigeo Takashima, Yoshiko Wakihara, Yuji O. Kamatari, Kaori Shimizu, Ayaka Okada and Yasuo Inoshima
Viruses 2022, 14(5), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14051022 - 11 May 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2567
Abstract
Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is a disease caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV); only a small percentage of BLV-infected cattle develop EBL and present with B-cell lymphosarcoma. There is no vaccine against BLV, treatment for EBL, or method for predicting the possibility of [...] Read more.
Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is a disease caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV); only a small percentage of BLV-infected cattle develop EBL and present with B-cell lymphosarcoma. There is no vaccine against BLV, treatment for EBL, or method for predicting the possibility of EBL onset, thus making EBL control difficult. Herein, to explore biomarkers for EBL in milk, we examined the mRNA profiles of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in milk from four BLV-uninfected and four EBL cattle by microarray analysis. It was revealed that 14 mRNAs were encapsulated in significantly higher quantities, and these mRNAs were therefore selected as biomarker candidates. Primers for these mRNAs were designed, and nine primer sets were available for quantitative real-time PCR. Nine mRNAs were evaluated for their availability as biomarkers for EBL using sEVs from newly-collected milk of 7 uninfected and 10 EBL cattle. The quantities of eight mRNAs (TMEM156, SRGN, CXCL8, DEFB4A, FABP5, LAPTM5, LGALS1, and VIM) were significantly higher in milk sEVs of EBL cattle than in those of uninfected cattle. Therefore, our findings indicate that these eight mRNAs in milk sEVs can be used as potential EBL biomarkers with combination use, although single mRNA use is not enough. Consequently, cattle at risk of EBL onset can be identified by monitoring the fluctuation in quantities of these mRNAs in milk before they develop EBL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Veterinary Virology Research)
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15 pages, 4021 KiB  
Article
TBK1 Mediates Innate Antiviral Immune Response against Duck Enteritis Virus
by Dongfang Wang, Hong Huo, Gebremeskel Mamu Werid, Yassein M. Ibrahim, Lijie Tang, Yue Wang and Hongyan Chen
Viruses 2022, 14(5), 1008; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14051008 - 9 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2372
Abstract
Duck enteritis virus (DEV) can infect several types of waterfowl can cause high mortality and huge economic losses to the global waterfowl industry. Type I interferons (IFN) are important for host defense against virus infection through induction of antiviral effector molecules. TANK-binding kinase [...] Read more.
Duck enteritis virus (DEV) can infect several types of waterfowl can cause high mortality and huge economic losses to the global waterfowl industry. Type I interferons (IFN) are important for host defense against virus infection through induction of antiviral effector molecules. TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is a key kinase required for the induction of type I IFNs; however, the role of TBK1 on DEV infection remains unclear. Here, we observed that the expression levels of TBK1 and IFN-β were upregulated during DEV infection in vivo and in vitro. Thus, the function of TBK1 on DEV infection was determined. The results showed that overexpression of TBK1 reduced DEV infection and knockdown of TBK1 resulted in the increased of DEV infection. Additionally, TBK1 overexpression upregulated the expression of IFN-β and a few interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), which thus inhibited the synthesis of DEV glycoprotein B. On the other hand, the TBK1 inhibitor Amlexanox down-regulated the expression levels of IFN-β and IRF3. Interestingly, the expression levels of MAVS and GSK-3β were decreased in the cells treated with Amlexanox. Furthermore, overexpression of TBK1 activated the expression of upstream molecules MAVS and GSK-3β. Whereas, the expression of TBK1, IRF3 and IFN-β was inhibited by the GSK-3β inhibitor SB216763. Our findings suggest that DEV–stimulated TBK1 may be involved in defense against DEV infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Veterinary Virology Research)
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8 pages, 477 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Surveillance of Virus Infection among Captive African Pygmy Hedgehogs in Japan
by Iori Koizumi, Hina Tsukada, Daisuke Hayasaka and Hiroshi Shimoda
Viruses 2022, 14(5), 857; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14050857 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1921
Abstract
African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) are popular exotic pets in Japan, and their breeding numbers have recently increased. Although various diseases have been reported in hedgehogs, including skin, respiratory, neurological, and neoplastic diseases, most of the causes remain unidentified. In this [...] Read more.
African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) are popular exotic pets in Japan, and their breeding numbers have recently increased. Although various diseases have been reported in hedgehogs, including skin, respiratory, neurological, and neoplastic diseases, most of the causes remain unidentified. In this study, we investigated herpesvirus, adenovirus, and coronavirus infections among 150 African pygmy hedgehogs in Japan and evaluated the correlations between virus infection and diseases. A novel herpesvirus named Atelerix albiventris herpesvirus 1 (AAHeV), and African pygmy hedgehog adenovirus 1 (AhAdV-1) were detected in 14 and 3 oral swab samples, respectively. AAHeV infection may be related to neurological clinical signs. Interestingly, no hedgehog with a neoplastic disorder tested positive for AAHeV. Further research is required to determine the pathogenicity and prevalence of the detected viruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Veterinary Virology Research)
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12 pages, 8856 KiB  
Article
Mapping of Antibody Epitopes on the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Nucleoprotein
by Boniface Pongombo Lombe, Takeshi Saito, Hiroko Miyamoto, Akina Mori-Kajihara, Masahiro Kajihara, Masayuki Saijo, Justin Masumu, Takanari Hattori, Manabu Igarashi and Ayato Takada
Viruses 2022, 14(3), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14030544 - 6 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3493
Abstract
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a nairovirus, is a tick-borne zoonotic virus that causes hemorrhagic fever in humans. The CCHFV nucleoprotein (NP) is the antigen most used for serological screening of CCHFV infection in animals and humans. To gain insights into antibody epitopes [...] Read more.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a nairovirus, is a tick-borne zoonotic virus that causes hemorrhagic fever in humans. The CCHFV nucleoprotein (NP) is the antigen most used for serological screening of CCHFV infection in animals and humans. To gain insights into antibody epitopes on the NP molecule, we produced recombinant chimeric NPs between CCHFV and Nairobi sheep disease virus (NSDV), which is another nairovirus, and tested rabbit and mouse antisera/immune ascites, anti-NP monoclonal antibodies, and CCHFV-infected animal/human sera for their reactivities to the NP antigens. We found that the amino acids at positions 161–320 might include dominant epitopes recognized by anti-CCHFV IgG antibodies, whereas cross-reactivity between anti-CCHFV and anti-NSDV antibodies was limited. Their binding capacities were further tested using a series of synthetic peptides whose sequences were derived from CCHFV NP. IgG antibodies in CCHFV-infected monkeys and patients were reactive to some of the synthetic peptide antigens (e.g., amino acid residues at positions 131–150 and 211–230). Only a few peptides were recognized by IgG antibodies in the anti-NSDV serum. These results provide useful information to improve NP-based antibody detection assays as well as antigen detection tests relying on anti-NP monoclonal antibodies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Veterinary Virology Research)
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