Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-06-20DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00133-w
Gianfilippo Agliani, Imke Visser, Eleanor M Marshall, Giuseppe Giglia, Erwin de Bruin, Ruben Verstappen, Tjomme van Mastrigt, Felicity Chandler, Reina Sikkema, Henk van der Jeugd, Marion P G Koopmans, Andrea Gröne, Barry Rockx, Judith M A van den Brand
{"title":"Experimental Usutu virus infection in Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula).","authors":"Gianfilippo Agliani, Imke Visser, Eleanor M Marshall, Giuseppe Giglia, Erwin de Bruin, Ruben Verstappen, Tjomme van Mastrigt, Felicity Chandler, Reina Sikkema, Henk van der Jeugd, Marion P G Koopmans, Andrea Gröne, Barry Rockx, Judith M A van den Brand","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00133-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00133-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Usutu virus (USUV) is a zoonotic arbovirus causing disease in wild birds and humans. Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) are highly susceptible to infection, developing severe lesions with high mortality rates during outbreaks. The pathogenesis and clinical course of the acute disease in birds are not known. Therefore, six blackbirds were infected with two USUV lineages (Africa 3 and Europe 3). The blackbirds were monitored for clinical signs of disease and activity levels and were sampled for virus detection. All infected blackbirds showed severe disease after 4 to 7 days, with no significant differences between the lineages. Reaching a humane endpoint, the blackbirds were euthanized, and tissue samples were collected for histopathology and virology. At histopathology, lesions were seen in the main target organs with the associated presence of infectious virus and viral antigen. In conclusion, blackbirds can be infected experimentally with USUV and show similar disease as seen in natural infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12181337/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144337424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-06-04DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00125-w
Prabhuanand Selvaraj, Charles B Stauft, Shufeng Liu, Kotou Sangare, Tony T Wang
{"title":"Differential patterns of cross-protection against antigenically distinct variants in small animal models of SARS-CoV-2 infection.","authors":"Prabhuanand Selvaraj, Charles B Stauft, Shufeng Liu, Kotou Sangare, Tony T Wang","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00125-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00125-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Continuous evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) will likely necessitate periodic updates of vaccine composition. Based on a series of studies carried out in human ACE2 transgenic mice (K18-hACE2) and Syrian hamsters, we show that immunity at the respiratory tract, acquired through either previous infection or vaccination with an in-house live attenuated virus, offers protection against antigenically distinct variants in the absence of variant spike-specific neutralizing antibodies. Interestingly, immunity acquired through infection of a modern variant (XBB.1.5) was insufficient in preventing brain infection by the ancestral virus (WA1/2020) in K18-hACE2 mice. Similarly, previous infection with WA1/2020 did not protect against brain infection by XBB.1.5. Our results highlight the importance of immune components other than neutralizing antibodies in maintaining protection against new variants in the respiratory tract.</p>","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"49"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12137545/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144228365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-05-31DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00128-7
Andrian P Gajigan, Christopher R Schvarcz, Cecilia Conaco, Kyle F Edwards, Grieg F Steward
{"title":"Ultrastructural and transcriptional changes during a giant virus infection of a green alga.","authors":"Andrian P Gajigan, Christopher R Schvarcz, Cecilia Conaco, Kyle F Edwards, Grieg F Steward","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00128-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00128-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The genome of Oceanusvirus kaneohense isolate, Tetraselmis virus 1 (TetV-1), was previously sequenced, but little was known about its infection cycle. We determined the eclipse period (4-8 h), latent period (16 h), and burst size (~1000), and observed ultrastructural changes in the host during infection. Putative viral factories and inclusion bodies appear in the cytoplasm by 8 and 16 h post-infection, respectively. Of 830 viral transcripts detected, those related to transcription, DNA synthesis, and host immune repression appeared earlier (0.25 and 4 h), and virus structural genes appeared later (8-16 h). Host lipid metabolism and endocytosis-related transcripts were upregulated during the early phase, while protein modification genes were downregulated. In the later stages, host transcripts associated with basic cellular processes were relatively more common, while developmental genes became less so. Many highly expressed host and virus genes were of unknown function, highlighting a need for additional functional studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"47"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12126595/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144192648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-05-30DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00124-x
Wolfgang Nacken, Juliane Mayr, André Schreiber, Stephan Ludwig
{"title":"Influenza A virus NS1 suppresses nuclear speckles promoted gene expression by inhibition of transcription.","authors":"Wolfgang Nacken, Juliane Mayr, André Schreiber, Stephan Ludwig","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00124-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00124-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>IAV-NS1 proteins that interact with Cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 30 are known to inhibit host gene expression. Here we report that in both transfection and infection experiments, a strong attenuation of reporter gene expression is observed when NS1 proteins are fused to protein domains guiding NS1 exclusively to nuclear speckles (NSP). NS1 proteins that are fused to domains that guide them to nuclear or non-nuclear compartments other than NSP show little or no ability to attenuate reporter gene expression. An NSP-localized NS1-effector domain is sufficient to inhibit gene expression. The protein SON is an essential component of NSP. SiRNA-mediated suppression of SON reduced the ability of NS1 to suppress the expression of a reporter gene relative to cells with fully functional NSP. Lastly, we demonstrate that the NS1-mediated suppression relies on transcriptional inhibition. Our data suggest that IAV-NS1 suppresses NSP-promoted gene expression by inhibition of transcription.</p>","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"46"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12122860/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144180499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-05-26DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00127-8
Mikail D Levasseur
{"title":"Nonviral protein cages as tools to decipher and combat viral threats.","authors":"Mikail D Levasseur","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00127-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00127-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zoonotic viruses rank among the greatest threats to public health, with urbanization and global warming accelerating their emergence and spread. As the risk of future pandemics grows, innovative tools are needed to deepen our understanding of viral pathogenesis and enhance pandemic preparedness. Nonviral protein cages provide a versatile platform for studying viral mechanisms, virus-host interactions, and designing next-generation therapeutic approaches, making them powerful assets in the fight against viral threats.</p>","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"45"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12106740/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144153197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-05-23DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00121-0
Kerry Goldin, Sarah van Tol, Randall C Johnson, Reshma Koolaparambil Mukesh, Kendal G Cooper, Shane Gallogly, Jonathan E Schulz, Jessica Prado-Smith, Craig Martens, Greg Saturday, Kwe Claude Yinda, Vincent J Munster, Emmie de Wit, Neeltje van Doremalen
{"title":"Enhanced neurotropism of bovine H5N1 compared to the Vietnam H5N1 isolate in C57BL/6J mice.","authors":"Kerry Goldin, Sarah van Tol, Randall C Johnson, Reshma Koolaparambil Mukesh, Kendal G Cooper, Shane Gallogly, Jonathan E Schulz, Jessica Prado-Smith, Craig Martens, Greg Saturday, Kwe Claude Yinda, Vincent J Munster, Emmie de Wit, Neeltje van Doremalen","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00121-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00121-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, we investigated differences in tissue tropism of two HPAI H5N1 strains, the isolate A/Vietnam/1203/2004 (VN1203) isolated from a fatal human case in 2004 and the bovine isolate A/Bovine/Ohio/B24osu-342/2024 (Bov342) isolated in 2024, in C57BL/6J mice. Infection via aerosols was uniformly lethal in mice. However, tissue tropism differed significantly: while VN1203 replication was largely restricted to the respiratory tract, Bov342 successfully replicated in the respiratory tract as well as various regions of the brain. Correspondingly, cytokine profiles in the brain differed significantly between the isolates. Notably, in addition to abundant evidence of CNS infection in Bov342-challenged mice via immunohistochemistry, sporadic intranuclear and intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity was observed in other tissues in the head, including the choroid plexus, retina, and inner ear. This study demonstrates that while both HPAI H5N1 isolates are uniformly lethal in C57BL/6J mice upon aerosol exposure, significant differences exist in tissue tropism.</p>","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"43"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12102188/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144133367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-05-23DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00129-6
Naveed Asghar, Rita Jaafar, Anna Valko, Olivia Merinder, Karl Ljungberg, Carl Mårten Lindqvist, Magnus Johansson
{"title":"Development of Langat virus infectious clones as a platform for live-attenuated tick-borne encephalitis vaccine.","authors":"Naveed Asghar, Rita Jaafar, Anna Valko, Olivia Merinder, Karl Ljungberg, Carl Mårten Lindqvist, Magnus Johansson","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00129-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00129-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is one of the most important tick-transmitted diseases in Europe and Asia. With no specific antiviral treatment available, vaccination remains the most effective protective strategy for TBE. Unlike currently available inactivated TBE vaccines that require repeated boosters, live-attenuated vaccines could offer lifelong immunity with a single dose. Langat virus (LGTV) is a naturally attenuated strain of TBE virus (TBEV). In this study, we engineered and rescued four infectious clones (ICs) of LGTV using RNA- and DNA-based reverse genetics methods. The ICs rescued by DNA-based method showed higher genetic stability in cell culture. One of the ICs rescued by DNA-based method was further evaluated in vitro and in vivo, which exhibited growth kinetics and immune profile comparable to the LGTV strain in our laboratory. This reverse genetics platform will be utilized to introduce targeted mutations within the LGTV genome to develop a live-attenuated TBE vaccine.</p>","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"44"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12102213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144133406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-05-22DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00130-z
Sara H Mahmoud, Mokhtar Gomaa, Ahmed El Taweel, Yassmin Moatasim, Mina Nabil Kamel, Mohamed El Sayes, Noura M Abo Shama, Rebecca Badra, Mona Mahmoud, Pamela P McKenzie, Richard J Webby, Ahmed Kandeil, Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Rabeh El-Shesheny, Ghazi Kayali
{"title":"Author Correction: Transmission dynamics of avian influenza viruses in Egyptian poultry markets.","authors":"Sara H Mahmoud, Mokhtar Gomaa, Ahmed El Taweel, Yassmin Moatasim, Mina Nabil Kamel, Mohamed El Sayes, Noura M Abo Shama, Rebecca Badra, Mona Mahmoud, Pamela P McKenzie, Richard J Webby, Ahmed Kandeil, Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Rabeh El-Shesheny, Ghazi Kayali","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00130-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00130-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12098758/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144129927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Npj virusesPub Date : 2025-05-22DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00126-9
Luthfi Muawan, Kosuke Takada, Sara Yoshimoto, Yurie Kida, Shinji Watanabe, Tokiko Watanabe
{"title":"Characterization of A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza viruses isolated between 2016 and 2019.","authors":"Luthfi Muawan, Kosuke Takada, Sara Yoshimoto, Yurie Kida, Shinji Watanabe, Tokiko Watanabe","doi":"10.1038/s44298-025-00126-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44298-025-00126-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The A(H1N1)pdm09 virus, which caused the 2009 influenza pandemic, has continued to circulate in humans for over a decade. Understanding its biological properties is crucial for effective surveillance, prevention, and control. Here, we characterized recently circulating A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses, focusing on strains isolated between 2016 and 2019. HA gene-based phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that post-pandemic A(H1N1)pdm09 virus strains circulating between 2016 and 2019 form two clusters: subclade 6B.1 and subclade 6B.1 A.5a. Growth kinetics of nine selected representative strains from these clusters showed that subclade 6B.1 viruses replicated well in human lung cells, whereas some subclade 6B.1 A.5a viruses replicated poorly. In vivo, all viruses from both subclades caused significantly less weight loss in infected mice compared to the prototypic pandemic strain A/California/04/2009 (Cal04/2009). Additionally, virus titers in the lungs of mice infected with most viruses from subclade 6B.1 or 6B.1 A.5a were significantly lower than those in mice infected with Cal04/2009. Furthermore, evolutionary analysis suggested multiple transitions to a less pathogenic phenotype, indicating an evolutionary trend towards attenuation. These results demonstrate that A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses isolated between 2016 and 2019 are attenuated in mice, although the mutations responsible for this attenuation require further investigation. Our findings emphasize the need for continued monitoring of A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses to understand their evolutionary dynamics and potential impact on public health.</p>","PeriodicalId":520240,"journal":{"name":"Npj viruses","volume":"3 1","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12099009/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144129931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}