Inhibition of interferon signaling improves rabbit calicivirus replication in biliary organoid cultures.

ABSTRACT: The Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) was discovered 40 years ago. This highly pathogenic virus threatens the integrity of ecosystems in the European rabbit's native range, while in Australia, it is used as a biocontrol tool to manage overabundant populations of feral European rabbits. Little is known about the life cycle of this virus due to the absence of a reliable cell culture system. In 2023, we developed a rabbit liver-derived organoid cell culture system that supports RHDV replication but is unable to sustain serial passaging in culture. Here, we report that the interferon signaling pathway inhibitor Ruxolitinib increases virus replication in organoid-derived monolayer cells and, for the first time, enables the serial passaging of RHDV in cell culture. Four consecutive

SUBMITTER: Smertina E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12363232 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature