Project description:This experiment seeks to investigate the lengths and modifications of the poly(A) tails of hepatitis A virus (HAV) RNA by nanopore long-reads sequencing, and whether RG7834, an inhibitor of TENT4 noncanonical poly(A) polymerases, alters the poly(A) tails of HAV RNA. Poliovirus (PV) infected cells were analyzed in parallel for comparison.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs), including host miRNAs and viral miRNAs, play vital roles in regulating host-virus interactions. DNA viruses encode miRNAs that regulate the viral life cycle. However, it is generally believed that cytoplasmic RNA viruses do not encode miRNAs, owing to inaccessible cellular miRNA processing machinery. Here, we provide a comprehensive genome-wide analysis and identification of miRNAs that were derived from hepatitis A virus (HAV; Hu/China/H2/1982), which is a typical cytoplasmic RNA virus. Using deep-sequencing and in silico approaches, we identified 2 novel virally encoded miRNAs, named hav-miR-1-5p and hav-miR-2-5p. Both of the novel virally encoded miRNAs were clearly detected in infected cells. Analysis of Dicer enzyme silencing demonstrated that HAV-derived miRNA biogenesis is Dicer dependent. Furthermore, we confirmed that HAV mature miRNAs were generated from viral miRNA precursors (pre-miRNAs) in host cells. Notably, naturally derived HAV miRNAs were biologically and functionally active and induced post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). Genomic location analysis revealed novel miRNAs located in the coding region of the viral genome. Overall, our results show that HAV naturally generates functional miRNA-like small regulatory RNAs during infection. This is the first report of miRNAs derived from the coding region of genomic RNA of a cytoplasmic RNA virus. These observations demonstrate that a cytoplasmic RNA virus can naturally generate functional miRNAs, as DNA viruses do. These findings also contribute to improved understanding of host-RNA virus interactions mediated by RNA virus-derived miRNAs.
Project description:Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a hepatotropic human picornavirus that has been associated only with acute infection. Its pathogenesis is not well understood since there have been few recent studies in animal models using modern methodologies. We characterized HAV infections in three chimpanzees, quantifying viral RNA by qRT-PCR and examining critical aspects of the innate immune response including intrahepatic interferon-stimulated gene expression. We compared these infection profiles with similar studies of chimpanzees infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), a hepatotropic flavivirus that frequently causes persistent infection. Surprisingly, HAV-infected animals exhibited very limited induction of type I interferon-stimulated genes in the liver compared to chimpanzees with acute resolving HCV infection, despite similar levels of viremia and 100-fold greater quantities of viral RNA in the liver. Minimal ISG15 and IFIT1 responses peaked 1-2 weeks after HAV challenge, then subsided despite continuing high hepatic viral loads. An acute inflammatory response at 3-4 weeks correlated with the appearance of virus-specific antibodies, and both apoptosis and proliferation of hepatocytes. Despite this, HAV RNA persisted in the liver for months, remaining present long after its clearance from serum and feces and revealing dramatic differences in the kinetics of clearance in the three compartments. Viral RNA was detected in the liver for significantly longer (35 to >48 weeks) than HCV RNA in animals with acute resolving HCV infection (10-20 weeks). Collectively, these findings suggest that early HAV infection is far stealthier than HCV infection and represents a distinctly different paradigm in viral-host interactions within the liver. Chimpanzee liver was biopsied during an acute HAV infection. Chimp 1 and 2 had two baseline samples. Chimp 3 used the baselines from chimps 1 and 2. Chimp 1 had 8 samples during the HAV acute infection. Chimp 2 had 9 samples during the HAV acute infection. Chimp 3 had 4 samples during the HAV acute infection.
Project description:Hepatoviruses, a common cause of acute hepatitis in humans, are atypical picornaviruses released from cells in small vesicles resembling exosomes. We show the nonlytic release of these quasi-enveloped virions is mediated by a C-terminal extension of the VP1 capsid protein (pX) that binds the Bro1 domains of ALIX and HD-PTP, and recruits the ubiquitin ligase ITCH to drive an association with endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT). Fusing pX to a self-assembling, de novo designed nanocage protein resulted in ESCRT-dependent release mediated by a 20-amino acid core sequence containing a Y[KR]xxR[LM] motif conserved in viruses from bats to humans. Mutations in this motif ablate release and lead virus to accumulate intracellularly. Our study identifies an exceptionally potent viral export signal mediating extracellular release of virus-sized protein assemblies, identifies its key cellular binding partners, and shows non-lytic release of quasi-enveloped virus is a tightly orchestrated and ancient evolutionary trait of hepatoviruses.
Project description:Hepatitis A virus (HAV), an hepatotropic picornavirus, is a common cause of acute hepatitis in human populations. Although responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality, the mechanisms underlying HAV-mediated liver injury are poorly understood. Ifnar1-/- mice are susceptible to HAV and when infected recapitulate cardinal features of hepatitis A in humans, including serum ALT elevation, hepatocellular apoptosis, and intrahepatic inflammatory cell infiltrates. In contrast, Mavs-/- mice, while equally permissive for infection, experience no liver injury. Previous studies indicate that HAV pathogenesis in Ifnar1-/- mice is dependent upon MAVS-IRF3 signaling, but leave unresolved the role of IRF3-mediated transcription versus non-transcriptional pro-apoptotic activity of activated IRF3 in HAV-induced liver disease. Here, we compared the intrahepatic transcriptomes of HAV-infected naïve Mavs-/- and Ifnar1-/- mice using high throughput RNA sequencing, and characterized IRF3-mediated transcriptional responses associated with hepatocyte apoptosis and liver inflammation.
Project description:Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a hepatotropic human picornavirus that has been associated only with acute infection. Its pathogenesis is not well understood since there have been few recent studies in animal models using modern methodologies. We characterized HAV infections in three chimpanzees, quantifying viral RNA by qRT-PCR and examining critical aspects of the innate immune response including intrahepatic interferon-stimulated gene expression. We compared these infection profiles with similar studies of chimpanzees infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), a hepatotropic flavivirus that frequently causes persistent infection. Surprisingly, HAV-infected animals exhibited very limited induction of type I interferon-stimulated genes in the liver compared to chimpanzees with acute resolving HCV infection, despite similar levels of viremia and 100-fold greater quantities of viral RNA in the liver. Minimal ISG15 and IFIT1 responses peaked 1-2 weeks after HAV challenge, then subsided despite continuing high hepatic viral loads. An acute inflammatory response at 3-4 weeks correlated with the appearance of virus-specific antibodies, and both apoptosis and proliferation of hepatocytes. Despite this, HAV RNA persisted in the liver for months, remaining present long after its clearance from serum and feces and revealing dramatic differences in the kinetics of clearance in the three compartments. Viral RNA was detected in the liver for significantly longer (35 to >48 weeks) than HCV RNA in animals with acute resolving HCV infection (10-20 weeks). Collectively, these findings suggest that early HAV infection is far stealthier than HCV infection and represents a distinctly different paradigm in viral-host interactions within the liver.