Minato Hirano

Tick-borne flaviviruses alter membrane structure and replicate in dendrites of primary mouse neuronal cultures

Neurological diseases caused by encephalitic flaviviruses are severe and associated with high levels of mortality. However, detailed mechanisms of viral replication in the brain and features of viral pathogenesis remain poorly understood. We carried out a comparative analysis of replication of neurotropic flaviviruses: West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), in primary cultures of mouse brain neurons. All the flaviviruses multiplied well in primary neuronal cultures from the hippocampus, cerebral cortex and cerebellum. The distribution of viral-specific antigen in the neurons varied: TBEV infection induced accumulation of viral antigen in the neuronal dendrites to a greater extent than infection with other viruses. Viral structural proteins, non-structural proteins and dsRNA were detected in regions in which viral antigens accumulated in dendrites after TBEV replication. Replication of a TBEV replicon after infection with virus-like particles of TBEV also induced antigen accumulation, indicating that accumulated viral antigen was the result of viral RNA replication. Furthermore, electron microscopy confirmed that TBEV replication induced characteristic ultrastructural membrane alterations in the neurites: newly formed laminal membrane structures containing virion-like structures. This is the first report describing viral replication in and ultrastructural alterations of neuronal dendrites, which may cause neuronal dysfunction. These findings encourage further work aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms of viral replication in the brain and the pathogenicity of neurotropic flaviviruses.

Dendritic transport of tick-borne flavivirus RNA by neuronal granules affects development of neurological disease

Significance Flaviviruses represent a significant threat to public health worldwide, and several cause severe neurological disease in humans and animals. However, no specific treatment has been developed, due to the lack of information about their detailed pathogenic mechanisms. In the current study, we reveal that the transport of viral RNA of tick-borne flavivirus in neuronal dendrites is involved in the development of neurological disease. The virus hijacked the transport system of host mRNA in dendrites, which is important for neuronal functions such as neurogenesis and the plasticity of the synaptic communication. Our finding of this unique virus–host interaction will promote the study of neurodegenerative diseases caused by disruption of dendritic mRNA transport and the development of their treatment. Neurological diseases caused by encephalitic flaviviruses are severe and associated with high levels of mortality. However, little is known about the detailed mechanisms of viral replication and pathogenicity in the brain. Previously, we reported that the genomic RNA of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), a member of the genus Flavivirus, is transported and replicated in the dendrites of neurons. In the present study, we analyzed the transport mechanism of the viral genome to dendrites. We identified specific sequences of the 5′ untranslated region of TBEV genomic RNA that act as a cis-acting element for RNA transport. Mutated TBEV with impaired RNA transport in dendrites caused a reduction in neurological symptoms in infected mice. We show that neuronal granules, which regulate the transport and local translation of dendritic mRNAs, are involved in TBEV genomic RNA transport. TBEV genomic RNA bound an RNA-binding protein of neuronal granules and disturbed the transport of dendritic mRNAs. These results demonstrated a neuropathogenic virus hijacking the neuronal granule system for the transport of viral genomic RNA in dendrites, resulting in severe neurological disease.

Escape of Tick-Borne Flavivirus from 2′-C-Methylated Nucleoside Antivirals Is Mediated by a Single Conservative Mutation in NS5 That Has a Dramatic Effect on Viral Fitness

ABSTRACT Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) causes a severe and potentially fatal neuroinfection in humans. Despite its high medical relevance, no specific antiviral therapy is currently available. Here we demonstrate that treatment with a nucleoside analog, 7-deaza-2′-C-methyladenosine (7-deaza-2′-CMA), substantially improved disease outcomes, increased survival, and reduced signs of neuroinfection and viral titers in the brains of mice infected with a lethal dose of TBEV. To investigate the mechanism of action of 7-deaza-2′-CMA, two drug-resistant TBEV clones were generated and characterized. The two clones shared a signature amino acid substitution, S603T, in the viral NS5 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain. This mutation conferred resistance to various 2′-C-methylated nucleoside derivatives, but no cross-resistance was seen with other nucleoside analogs, such as 4′-C-azidocytidine and 2′-deoxy-2′-beta-hydroxy-4′-azidocytidine (RO-9187). All-atom molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the S603T RdRp mutant repels a water molecule that coordinates the position of a metal ion cofactor as 2′-C-methylated nucleoside analogs approach the active site. To investigate its phenotype, the S603T mutation was introduced into a recombinant TBEV strain (Oshima-IC) generated from an infectious cDNA clone and into a TBEV replicon that expresses a reporter luciferase gene (Oshima-REP-luc2A). The mutants were replication impaired, showing reduced growth and a small plaque size in mammalian cell culture and reduced levels of neuroinvasiveness and neurovirulence in rodent models. These results indicate that TBEV resistance to 2′-C-methylated nucleoside inhibitors is conferred by a single conservative mutation that causes a subtle atomic effect within the active site of the viral NS5 RdRp and is associated with strong attenuation of the virus. IMPORTANCE This study found that the nucleoside analog 7-deaza-2′-C-methyladenosine (7-deaza-2′-CMA) has high antiviral activity against tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), a pathogen that causes severe human neuroinfections in large areas of Europe and Asia and for which there is currently no specific therapy. Treating mice infected with a lethal dose of TBEV with 7-deaza-2′-CMA resulted in significantly higher survival rates and reduced the severity of neurological signs of the disease. Thus, this compound shows promise for further development as an anti-TBEV drug. It is important to generate drug-resistant mutants to understand how the drug works and to develop guidelines for patient treatment. We generated TBEV mutants that were resistant not only to 7-deaza-2′-CMA but also to a broad range of other 2′-C-methylated antiviral medications. Our findings suggest that combination therapy may be used to improve treatment and reduce the emergence of drug-resistant viruses during nucleoside analog therapy for TBEV infection.

Development of a serodiagnostic multi-species ELISA against tick-borne encephalitis virus using subviral particles.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a zoonotic agent causing severe encephalitis in humans. A wide range of animal species could be infected with TBEV in endemic areas. A serological survey of wild animals is effective in identifying TBEV-endemic areas. Safe, simple, and reliable TBEV serodiagnostic tools are needed to test animals. In this study, ELISA was developed to detect anti-TBEV specific antibodies in multi-species of animals, using recombinant subviral particles (SPs) with an affinity tag and protein A/G. A Strep-tag was fused at the N terminus of the E protein of the plasmid coding TBEV prME. The E proteins with Strep-tag were secreted as SPs, of which Strep-tag was exposed on the surface. The tagged E proteins were associated with prM. The SPs with Strep-tag were applied as the antigen of ELISA, and TBEV-specific antibodies were detected by the protein A/G. Compared to neutralization test results, the ELISA showed 96.8% sensitivity and 97.7% specificity in rodents and 95.1% sensitivity and 96.0% specificity in humans, without cross-reactivity with antibodies to Japanese encephalitis virus. These results indicate that our ELISA would be useful to detect TBE-specific antibodies in a wide range of animal species.

A novel reverse genetics system for production of infectious West Nile virus using homologous recombination in mammalian cells

Reverse genetics systems facilitate investigation of many aspects of the life cycle and pathogenesis of viruses. However, genetic instability in Escherichia coli has hampered development of a reverse genetics system for West Nile virus (WNV). In this study, we developed a novel reverse genetics system for WNV based on homologous recombination in mammalian cells. Introduction of the DNA fragment coding for the WNV structural protein together with a DNA-based replicon resulted in the release of infectious WNV. The growth rate and plaque size of the recombinant virus were almost identical to those of the parent WNV. Furthermore, chimeric WNV was produced by introducing the DNA fragment coding for the structural protein and replicon plasmid derived from various strains. Here, we report development of a novel system that will facilitate research into WNV infection.

Development of a serodiagnostic IgM-ELISA for tick-borne encephalitis virus using subviral particles with strep-tag

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a zoonotic agent causing severe encephalitis in humans. IgM antibody detection is useful for the serological diagnosis of TBEV infection, because IgM has high specificity for each flavivirus and indicates a recent infection. Commercial IgM-ELISA kits are somewhat expensive and difficulties in their sensitivity have been suggested due to their format and formalin-inactivated antigens. Therefore, the development of an inexpensive IgM-ELISA with high specificity and sensitivity is needed. In this study, a μ-capture ELISA was developed to detect TBEV-specific IgM antibodies using subviral particles (SPs) with strep-tag (strep-SP-IgM-ELISA). The results of our strep-SP-IgM-ELISA were highly correlated with diagnoses made by the neutralization test (sensitivity: 94.1%), and our strep-SP-IgM-ELISA could detect anti-TBEV IgM antibodies in patients who could not be diagnosed with the neutralization test. Besides, 51 of 52 positive samples by a commercial IgM-ELISA were also diagnosed as positive by our strep-SP-IgM-ELISA (98.1%), and our strep-SP-IgM-ELISA could detect anti-TBEV IgM antibodies in all samples that were inconclusive based on the commercial IgM-ELISA. Our strep-SP-IgM-ELISA will be useful for diagnoses in TBE-endemic areas.