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Viruses
Special Issues
Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0
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Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 9030

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Valéria Lima Carvalho

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fever, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil
Interests: arboviruses; insect-specific viruses; vector surveillance; discovery and characterization of new viruses; virus-host interactions
Dr. Carlos A.M. Carvalho

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pathology, Pará State University, Belém, PA, Brazil
Interests: virus-cell interactions; immune responses against viruses; pathology of viral infections; antiviral drugs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insect-specific viruses (ISV) are a diverse group of viruses transmitted by mosquitoes and phlebotomine sandflies. In recent decades, the number of ISVs discovered has increased considerably due to advances in genomic sequencing methodologies. ISVs are different from arboviruses by not replicating in vertebrates and their cells, but these viruses can share the same insect vector. The ISVs, mainly those included in the families Flaviviridae and Togaviridae, are closely related to arboviruses. Other ISVs, otherwise, are closely related to plant viruses. Different hypotheses are raised about the ISV’s evolutive process. Several studies have shown ISVs inhibiting arboviruses important in Public Health, such as Zika, Chikungunya, and West Nile. Consequently, ISVs were considered potential biotechnological tools for the biological control of arbovirus transmission, as vaccines for arbovirus, and chimeric antigens for serological diagnosis. Even though interest in ISVs is increasing, knowledge about them is still limited, and relevant aspects need to be better understood.

In this Special Issue, we invite our colleagues to submit research articles and reviews intending to address new information about ISVs related to:

  • Interaction between insect-specific viruses and arboviruses;
  • Characterization of insect-specific viruses and their mechanisms;
  • Biotechnological uses of insect-specific viruses;
  • Molecular and evolutionary aspects of insect-specific viruses.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Viruses.

Dr. Valéria Lima Carvalho
Dr. Carlos A.M. Carvalho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • insect-specific virus
  • mosquito-specific virus
  • arbovirus
  • evolution
  • vaccine
  • biological control
  • interference

Published Papers (7 papers)

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10 pages, 1935 KiB  
Article
High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals Three Rhabdoviruses Persisting in the IRE/CTVM19 Cell Line
by Alexander G. Litov, Alexey M. Shchetinin, Ivan S. Kholodilov, Oxana A. Belova, Magomed N. Gadzhikurbanov, Anna Y. Ivannikova, Anastasia A. Kovpak, Vladimir A. Gushchin and Galina G. Karganova
Viruses 2024, 16(4), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040576 - 09 Apr 2024
Viewed by 441
Abstract
Cell cultures derived from ticks have become a commonly used tool for the isolation and study of tick-borne pathogens and tick biology. The IRE/CTVM19 cell line, originating from embryos of Ixodes ricinus, is one such line. Previously, reovirus-like particles, as well as [...] Read more.
Cell cultures derived from ticks have become a commonly used tool for the isolation and study of tick-borne pathogens and tick biology. The IRE/CTVM19 cell line, originating from embryos of Ixodes ricinus, is one such line. Previously, reovirus-like particles, as well as sequences with similarity to rhabdoviruses and iflaviruses, were detected in the IRE/CTVM19 cell line, suggesting the presence of multiple persisting viruses. Subsequently, the full genome of an IRE/CTVM19-associated rhabdovirus was recovered from a cell culture during the isolation of the Alongshan virus. In the current work, we used high-throughput sequencing to describe a virome of the IRE/CTVM19 cell line. In addition to the previously detected IRE/CTVM19-associated rhabdovirus, two rhabdoviruses were detected: Chimay rhabdovirus and Norway mononegavirus 1. In the follow-up experiments, we were able to detect both positive and negative RNA strands of the IRE/CTVM19-associated rhabdovirus and Norway mononegavirus 1 in the IRE/CTVM19 cells, suggesting their active replication in the cell line. Passaging attempts in cell lines of mammalian origin failed for all three discovered rhabdoviruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0)
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12 pages, 1739 KiB  
Article
Negevirus Piura Suppresses Zika Virus Replication in Mosquito Cells
by Valéria L. Carvalho, Dhani Prakoso, Erika R. Schwarz, Tracey D. Logan, Bruno Tardelli Diniz Nunes, Sarah E. Beachboard and Maureen T. Long
Viruses 2024, 16(3), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16030350 - 24 Feb 2024
Viewed by 754
Abstract
We investigated the interaction between the insect-specific virus, Piura virus (PIUV), and the arbovirus Zika virus (ZIKV) in Aedes albopictus cells. We performed coinfection experiments in C6/36 cells. Piura virus (Cor 33 strain, Colombia) and ZIKV (PRVABC58 strain, Puerto Rico) were co-inoculated into [...] Read more.
We investigated the interaction between the insect-specific virus, Piura virus (PIUV), and the arbovirus Zika virus (ZIKV) in Aedes albopictus cells. We performed coinfection experiments in C6/36 cells. Piura virus (Cor 33 strain, Colombia) and ZIKV (PRVABC58 strain, Puerto Rico) were co-inoculated into C6/36 cells using two multiplicity of infection (MOI) combinations: 0.1 for both viruses and 1.0 for ZIKV, 0.1 for PIUV. Wells were infected in triplicate with either PIUV and ZIKV coinfection, ZIKV-only, or PIUV-only. Mock infected cells served as control wells. The cell suspension was collected daily 7 days post-infection. Zika virus load was titrated by TCID50 on Vero 76 cells. The ZIKV-only infection and PIUV and ZIKV coinfection experiments were also quantified by RT-qPCR. We also investigated whether ZIKV interfered in the PIUV replication. PIUV suppressed the replication of ZIKV, resulting in a 10,000-fold reduction in ZIKV titers within 3 days post-infection. PIUV viral loads were not reduced in the presence of ZIKV. We conclude that, when concurrently infected, PIUV suppresses ZIKV in C6/36 cells while ZIKV does not interfere in PIUV replication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0)
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13 pages, 2760 KiB  
Article
Viral Interference between the Insect-Specific Virus Brejeira and the Saint Louis Encephalitis Virus In Vitro
by Ana Cláudia Ribeiro, Lívia Martins, Heloisa Silva, Maria Nazaré Freitas, Maissa Santos, Ercília Gonçalves, Alana Sousa, Ivy Prazeres, Alessandra Santos, Ana Cecilia Cruz, Sandro Silva, Jannifer Chiang, Livia Casseb and Valéria Carvalho
Viruses 2024, 16(2), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16020210 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 897
Abstract
The Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is an encephalitogenic arbovirus (Flaviviridae family) that has a wide geographical distribution in the western hemisphere, especially in the Americas. The negevirus Brejeira (BREV) was isolated for the first time in Brazil in 2005. This study [...] Read more.
The Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is an encephalitogenic arbovirus (Flaviviridae family) that has a wide geographical distribution in the western hemisphere, especially in the Americas. The negevirus Brejeira (BREV) was isolated for the first time in Brazil in 2005. This study aimed to verify the existence of a possible interfering effect of BREV on the course of SLEV infection and vice versa. We used clone C6/36 cells. Three combinations of MOIs were used (SLEV 0.1 × BREV 1; SLEV 1 × BREV 0.1; SLEV 1 × BREV 1) in the kinetics of up to 7 days and then the techniques of indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), a plaque assay on Vero cells, and RT-PCR were performed. Our results showed that the cytopathic effect (CPE) caused by BREV was more pronounced than the CPE caused by SLEV. Results of IFA, the plaque assay, and RT-PCR showed the suppression of SLEV replication in the co-infection condition in all the MOI combinations used. The SLEV suppression was dose-dependent. Therefore, the ISV Brejeira can suppress SLEV replication in Aedes albopictus cells, but SLEV does not negatively interfere with BREV replication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0)
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28 pages, 4725 KiB  
Article
Metagenomic Analysis of Viromes of Aedes Mosquitoes across India
by Abhranil Gangopadhayya, Kavita Lole, Onkar Ghuge, Ashwini Ramdasi, Asmita Kamble, Diya Roy, Shivani Thakar, Amol Nath, AB Sudeep and Sarah Cherian
Viruses 2024, 16(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16010109 - 12 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1366
Abstract
Metagenomic analysis of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes from diverse geographical regions of India revealed the presence of several insect viruses of human interest. Most abundant reads found in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were of Phasi Charoen-like virus (PCLV), Choristoneura fumiferana granulovirus (CfGV), [...] Read more.
Metagenomic analysis of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes from diverse geographical regions of India revealed the presence of several insect viruses of human interest. Most abundant reads found in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were of Phasi Charoen-like virus (PCLV), Choristoneura fumiferana granulovirus (CfGV), Cell fusing agent virus (CFAV), and Wenzhou sobemo-like virus 4 (WSLV4), whereas WSLV4 and CfGV constituted the highest percentage of reads in Ae. albopictus viromes. Other reads that were of low percentage included Hubei mosquito virus 2 (HMV2), Porcine astrovirus 4 (PAstV4), and Wild Boar astrovirus (WBAstV). PCLV and CFAV, which were found to be abundant in Ae. aegypti viromes were absent in Ae. albopictus viromes. Among the viromes analyzed, Ae. aegypti sampled from Pune showed the highest percentage (79.82%) of viral reads, while Ae. aegypti mosquitoes sampled from Dibrugarh showed the lowest percentage (3.47%). Shamonda orthobunyavirus (SHAV), African swine fever virus (ASFV), Aroa virus (AROAV), and Ilheus virus (ILHV), having the potential to infect vertebrates, including humans, were also detected in both mosquito species, albeit with low read numbers. Reads of gemykibivirus, avian retrovirus, bacteriophages, herpesviruses, and viruses infecting protozoans, algae, etc., were also detected in the mosquitoes. A high percentage of reads in the Ae. albopictus mosquito samples belonged to unclassified viruses and warrant further investigation. The data generated in the present work may not only lead to studies to explain the influence of these viruses on the replication and transmission of viruses of clinical importance but also to find applications as biocontrol agents against pathogenic viruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0)
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13 pages, 1268 KiB  
Article
Agua Salud Alphavirus Infection, Dissemination and Transmission in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
by Swati V. Jagtap, Jorn Brink, Svea C. Frank, Marlis Badusche, Mayke Leggewie, Vattipally B. Sreenu, Janina Fuss, Esther Schnettler and Mine Altinli
Viruses 2023, 15(5), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051113 - 03 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1528
Abstract
Mosquitoes are competent vectors for many important arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). In addition to arboviruses, insect-specific viruses (ISV) have also been discovered in mosquitoes. ISVs are viruses that replicate in insect hosts but are unable to infect and replicate in vertebrates. They have been [...] Read more.
Mosquitoes are competent vectors for many important arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). In addition to arboviruses, insect-specific viruses (ISV) have also been discovered in mosquitoes. ISVs are viruses that replicate in insect hosts but are unable to infect and replicate in vertebrates. They have been shown to interfere with arbovirus replication in some cases. Despite the increase in studies on ISV–arbovirus interactions, ISV interactions with their hosts and how they are maintained in nature are still not well understood. In the present study, we investigated the infection and dissemination of the Agua Salud alphavirus (ASALV) in the important mosquito vector Aedes aegypti through different infection routes (per oral infection, intrathoracic injection) and its transmission. We show here that ASALV infects the female Ae. aegypti and replicates when mosquitoes are infected intrathoracically or orally. ASALV disseminated to different tissues, including the midgut, salivary glands and ovaries. However, we observed a higher virus load in the brain than in the salivary glands and carcasses, suggesting a tropism towards brain tissues. Our results show that ASALV is transmitted horizontally during adult and larval stages, although we did not observe vertical transmission. Understanding ISV infection and dissemination dynamics in Ae. aegypti and their transmission routes could help the use of ISVs as an arbovirus control strategy in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0)
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12 pages, 11880 KiB  
Article
In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization of a New Strain of Mosquito Flavivirus Derived from Culicoides
by Yi Huang, Hongqing Zhang, Xiaodan Li, Lu Zhao, Dirui Cai, Shunlong Wang, Nanjie Ren, Haixia Ma, Doudou Huang, Fei Wang, Zhiming Yuan, Bo Zhang and Han Xia
Viruses 2022, 14(6), 1298; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14061298 - 14 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1950
Abstract
Mosquito-specific flaviviruses comprise a group of insect-specific viruses with a single positive RNA, which can affect the duplication of mosquito-borne viruses and the life growth of mosquitoes, and which have the potential to be developed as a vaccine platform for mosquito-borne viruses. In [...] Read more.
Mosquito-specific flaviviruses comprise a group of insect-specific viruses with a single positive RNA, which can affect the duplication of mosquito-borne viruses and the life growth of mosquitoes, and which have the potential to be developed as a vaccine platform for mosquito-borne viruses. In this study, a strain of mosquito flavivirus (MFV) YN15-283-02 was detected in Culicoides collected from Yunnan, China. The isolation of the purified MFV YN15-283-02 from cell culture failed, and the virus was then rescued by an infectious clone. To study the biological features of MFV YN15-283-02 in vitro and in vivo, electron microscopy, phylogenetic tree, and viral growth kinetic analyses were performed in both cell lines and mosquitoes. The rescued MFV (rMFV) YN15-283-02 duplicated and reached a peak in C6/36 cells at 6 d.p.i. with approximately 2 × 106 RNA copies/μL (RNA to cell ratio of 0.1), but without displaying a cytopathic effect. In addition, the infection rate for the rMFV in Ae.aegypti show a low level in both larvae (≤15%) and adult mosquitoes (≤12%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0)
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8 pages, 1635 KiB  
Brief Report
First Report of Wenzhou sobemo-like virus 4 in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Latin America
by Pâmela S. Andrade, Ian N. Valença, Marta R. S. Heinisch, Esmenia C. Rocha, Lícia N. Fernandes, Nuno R. Faria, Ester C. Sabino and Tamara N. Lima-Camara
Viruses 2022, 14(11), 2341; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14112341 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1485
Abstract
Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) are viruses that replicate exclusively in arthropod cells. Many ISVs have been studied in mosquitoes as many of them act as vectors for human etiological agents, such as arboviruses. Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus is an important potential vector of several arboviruses [...] Read more.
Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) are viruses that replicate exclusively in arthropod cells. Many ISVs have been studied in mosquitoes as many of them act as vectors for human etiological agents, such as arboviruses. Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus is an important potential vector of several arboviruses in Brazil, such as dengue (DENV), Zika (ZIKV) and chikungunya (CHIKV). The development of next-generation sequencing metagenomics has enabled the discovery and characterization of new ISVs. Ae. albopictus eggs were collected using oviposition traps placed in two urban parks in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The Aedes albopictus females were divided into pools and the genetic material was extracted and processed for sequencing by metagenomics. Complete genomes of ISV Wenzhou sobemo-like virus 4 (WSLV4) were obtained in three of the four pools tested. This is the first detection of ISV WSLV4 in Ae. albopictus females in Latin America. Further studies on ISVs in Ae. albopictus are needed to better understand the role of this species in the dynamics of arbovirus transmission in the Americas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Specific Viruses 2.0)
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