Production of a chimeric flavivirus that contains the major structural glycoprotein genes of T’Ho virus in the genetic background of Zika virus

Virology Journal

Brief Report

Chandra S. Tangudu¹  Alissa M. Hargett¹  Bradley J. Blitvich¹  S. Viridiana Laredo-Tiscareño¹  Brooke C. Mitrisin¹ 

[1] Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 50011, Ames, IA, USA;

关键词: Flavivirus;    Orthoflavivirus;    Zika virus;    T’Ho virus;    Chimeric;    Differential diagnosis;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12985-023-02172-2

 received in 2023-07-07, accepted in 2023-08-29,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

T’Ho virus is a poorly characterized orthoflavivirus most closely related to Rocio virus and Ilheus virus, two orthoflaviviruses associated with human disease, suggesting that T’Ho virus could also be a human pathogen. The genome of T’Ho virus has been sequenced but an isolate has never been recovered, impeding its phenotypic characterization. In an attempt to generate recombinant T’Ho virus, the entire viral genome was synthesized as three overlapping DNA fragments, joined by Gibson assembly, and transfected into mosquito cells. Several cell culture passages were performed, but virus was not recovered. Subsequent experiments focused on the development of a chimeric orthoflavivirus that contains the premembrane and envelope protein genes of T’Ho virus in the genetic background of Zika virus. The chimeric virus replicated in mosquito (C6/36) and vertebrate (Vero) cells, demonstrating that the major structural glycoproteins of T’Ho virus permit entry into both cell types. The chimeric virus produced plaques in Vero cells that were significantly smaller than those produced by Zika virus. The chimeric virus can potentially be used as a surrogate diagnostic reagent in place of T’Ho virus in plaque reduction neutralization tests, allowing T’Ho virus to be considered in the differential diagnosis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023

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