scholarly journals West Nile Virus Mosquito Vectors (Diptera: Culicidae) in Germany

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helge Kampen ◽  
Cora M. Holicki ◽  
Ute Ziegler ◽  
Martin H. Groschup ◽  
Birke Andrea Tews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Virus Strain ◽  
Envelope Protein ◽  
Protein Gene ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Mosquito Vectors ◽  
Viral Envelope Protein ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
First Time

In 2018, West Nile virus (WNV) broke out for the first time in Germany, with continuation of the epidemic in 2019, involving birds, horses and humans. To identify vectors and characterize the virus, mosquitoes were collected in both years in zoological gardens and on a horse meadow immediately following the diagnosis of disease cases in birds and horses. Mosquitoes were identified and screened for WNV by qRT-PCR, with virus-positive samples being sequenced for the viral envelope protein gene. While no positive mosquitoes were found in 2018, seven mosquito pools tested positive for WNV in 2019 in the Tierpark (Wildlife Park) Berlin. The pools consisted of Cx. pipiens biotype pipiens (n = 5), and a mixture of Cx. p. biotype pipiens and Cx. p. biotype molestus (n = 2), or hybrids of these, and were collected between 13 August and 24 September 2019. The virus strain turned out to be nearly identical to two WNV strains isolated from birds diseased in 2018 in eastern Germany. The findings represent the first demonstration of WNV in mosquitoes in Germany and include the possibility of local overwintering of the virus.

scholarly journals Antiviral Peptides Targeting the West Nile Virus Envelope Protein

2006 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 2047-2055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengwei Bai ◽  
Terrence Town ◽  
Deepti Pradhan ◽  
Jonathan Cox ◽  
Ashish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Envelope Protein ◽  
Phage Display Library ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Viral Envelope Protein ◽  
Virus Envelope ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Inhibition Concentration

ABSTRACT West Nile virus (WNV) can cause fatal murine and human encephalitis. The viral envelope protein interacts with host cells. A murine brain cDNA phage display library was therefore probed with WNV envelope protein, resulting in the identification of several adherent peptides. Of these, peptide 1 prevented WNV infection in vitro with a 50% inhibition concentration of 67 μM and also inhibited infection of a related flavivirus, dengue virus. Peptide 9, a derivative of peptide 1, was a particularly potent inhibitor of WNV in vitro, with a 50% inhibition concentration of 2.6 μM. Moreover, mice challenged with WNV that had been incubated with peptide 9 had reduced viremia and fatality compared with control animals. Peptide 9 penetrated the murine blood-brain barrier and was found in the brain parenchyma, implying that it may have antiviral activity in the central nervous system. These short peptides serve as the basis for developing new therapeutics for West Nile encephalitis and, potentially, other flaviviruses.

scholarly journals Viral envelope protein glycosylation is a molecular determinant of the neuroinvasiveness of the New York strain of West Nile virus

2004 ◽  
Vol 85 (12) ◽  
pp. 3637-3645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuya Shirato ◽  
Hirotsugu Miyoshi ◽  
Akiko Goto ◽  
Yoshihiko Ako ◽  
Tomotaka Ueki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Envelope Protein ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Protein Glycosylation ◽  
Viral Envelope Protein ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Molecular Determinant

scholarly journals West Nile virus strain Kunjin NS5 polymerase is a phosphoprotein localized at the cytoplasmic site of viral RNA synthesis

2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 1163-1168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M. Mackenzie ◽  
Mark T. Kenney ◽  
Edwin G. Westaway
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Virus Strain ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Replication Complex ◽  
Virus Rna ◽  
West Nile Virus Strain ◽  
First Time ◽  
Cytoplasmic Location

Using West Nile virus strain Kunjin virus (WNVKUN) as a model system for flavivirus replication, we showed that the virus replication complex (RC) is associated with the dsRNA template located in induced membranes only in the cytoplasm. In this report we established for the first time that the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase NS5 is located in flavivirus-induced membranes, including the site of viral RNA replication. We found no evidence for nuclear localization of the essential RC components NS5 and its dsRNA template for WNVKUN or the closely related WNV strain Sarafend, by immuno-electron microscopy or by immunofluorescence. Metabolic radiolabelling with [32P]orthophosphate revealed that WNVKUN NS5 was phosphorylated and this was confirmed by Western blotting with antibodies specific for phosphorylated serine and threonine only. These observations of a cytoplasmic location for the WNV polymerase and its phosphorylation state correspond to the characteristics of the hepatitis C virus RNA polymerase NS5B.

scholarly journals Virion Background and Efficiency of Virion Incorporation Determine Susceptibility of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Env-Driven Viral Entry to Inhibition by IFITM Proteins

2016 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Wrensch ◽  
Markus Hoffmann ◽  
Sabine Gärtner ◽  
Inga Nehlmeier ◽  
Michael Winkler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Simian Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Envelope Protein ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Impact Sensitivity ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Viral Envelope Protein ◽  
Virion Incorporation ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACT Interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) can inhibit the cellular entry of several enveloped viruses, including simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). The blockade of SIV by IFITMs is isolate specific, raising the question of which parameters impact sensitivity to IFITM. We show that the virion context in which SIV-Env is presented and the efficiency of virion incorporation determine Env susceptibility to inhibition by IFITMs. Thus, determinants other than the nature of the envelope protein can impact the IFITM sensitivity of viral entry. IMPORTANCE The host cell-encoded IFITM proteins can block viral entry and are an important component of the innate defenses against viral infection. However, the determinants controlling whether a virus is susceptible to blockade by IFITM proteins are incompletely understood. Our study shows that the amount of envelope proteins incorporated into virions as well as the nature of the virion particle itself can impact the sensitivity of viral entry to IFITMs. These results show for the first time that determinants other than the viral envelope protein can impact sensitivity to IFITM and have implications for the interpretation of previously published data on inhibition of viruses by IFITM proteins. Moreover, our findings might help to define the mechanism underlying the antiviral activity of IFITM proteins.

scholarly journals West Nile 25A virus infection of B-cell-deficient (μMT) mice: characterization of neuroinvasiveness and pseudoreversion of the viral envelope protein

2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 627-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Chambers ◽  
Deborah A. Droll ◽  
Andrew H. Walton ◽  
Julie Schwartz ◽  
William S. M. Wold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cell ◽  
Envelope Protein ◽  
Glycosylation Site ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Nucleotide Sequencing ◽  
Viral Envelope Protein ◽  
Serine Residue ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Peripheral Tissues

The attenuated West Nile virus 25A strain (WN25A) was investigated for its neuroinvasive properties in B-cell-deficient (μMT) mice. After peripheral inoculation, WN25A caused fatal encephalitis in the majority of 6–8-week-old mice, characterized by a systemic infection with viraemia, moderate virus burdens in peripheral tissues and a high titre of brain-associated virus. Mice generally succumbed to infection within a few weeks of infection. However, others survived for as long as 10 weeks, and some for even longer. Normal age-matched C57BL/6 mice showed no signs of illness after inoculation with WN25A virus. Nucleotide sequencing of WN25A viruses recovered from the brains of B-cell-deficient mice revealed that the conserved N-linked glycosylation site in the viral envelope protein was abolished by substitution of a serine residue at position 155. This was found to be a pseudoreversion relative to the wild-type WN-Israel strain, based on virulence testing of one such brain-associated virus in both B-cell-deficient and normal C57BL/6 mice. This study provides further characterization of the mouse virulence properties of the attenuated WN25A virus in the context of B-cell deficiency. Replication in these mice does not involve rapid neuroadaptation or reversion of WN25A virus to a neuroinvasive phenotype. Molecular modelling studies suggest a difference in local structure of the E protein associated with either an asparagine or serine residue at position 155 compared with the tyrosine found in the virulent parental WN-Israel virus.

Development of a strand-specific real-time qRT-PCR for the accurate detection and quantitation of West Nile virus RNA

2013 ◽  
Vol 194 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 146-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Lim ◽  
Penelope Koraka ◽  
Albert D.M.E. Osterhaus ◽  
Byron E.E. Martina
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Real Time ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Accurate Detection ◽  
Virus Rna
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