In recent decades, many new flavi-like viruses have been discovered predominantly in different invertebrates and, as was recently shown, some of them may cause disease in humans. The Jingmenvirus (JMV) group holds a special place among flaviviruses and flavi-like viruses because they have a segmented ssRNA(+) genome. We detected Alongshan virus (ALSV), which is a representative of the JMV group, in ten pools of adult Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected in two geographically-separated Russian regions. Three of the ten strains were isolated in the tick cell line IRE/CTVM19. One of the strains persisted in the IRE/CTVM19 cells without cytopathic effect for three years. Most ALSV virions purified from tick cells were spherical with a diameter of approximately 40.5 nm. In addition, we found smaller particles of approximately 13.1 nm in diameter. We obtained full genome sequences of all four segments of two of the isolated ALSV strains, and partial sequences of one segment from the third strain. Phylogenetic analysis on genome segment 2 of the JMV group clustered our novel strains with other ALSV strains. We found evidence for the existence of a novel upstream open reading frame in the glycoprotein-coding segment of ALSV and other members of the JMV group.

The genus Flavivirus includes related, unclassified segmented flavi-like viruses, two segments of which have homology with flavivirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase NS5 and RNA helicase-protease NS3. This group includes such viruses as Jingmen tick virus, Alongshan virus, Yanggou tick virus and others. We detected the Yanggou tick virus in Dermacentor nuttalli and Dermacentor marginatus ticks in two neighbouring regions of Russia. The virus prevalence ranged from 0.5% to 8.0%. We detected RNA of the Alongshan virus in 44 individuals or pools of various tick species in eight regions of Russia. The virus prevalence ranged from 0.6% to 7.8%. We demonstrated the successful replication of the Yanggou tick virus and Alongshan virus in IRE/CTVM19 and HAE/CTVM8 tick cell lines without a cytopathic effect. According to the phylogenetic analysis, we divided the Alongshan virus into two groups: an Ixodes persulcatus group and an Ixodes ricinus group. In addition, the I. persulcatus group can be divided into European and Asian subgroups. We found amino acid signatures specific to the I. ricinus and I. persulcatus groups and also distinguished between the European and Asian subgroups of the I. persulcatus group.

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In this work, we presented data from a two-year study of flavi-, flavi-like, and phenuiviruses circulation in the population of ixodid ticks in the Chelyabinsk region. We isolated three tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) strains from I. persulcatus, which was not detected in the ticks of the genus Dermacentor. The virus prevalence ranged from 0.66% to 2.28%. The Yanggou tick virus (YGTV) is widespread in steppe and forest-steppe zones and is mainly associated with ticks of the genus Dermacentor. We isolated 26 strains from D. reticulatus, D. marginatus, and I. persulcatus ticks in the HAE/CTVM8 tick cell line. The virus prevalence ranged from 1.58% to 4.18% in D. reticulatus, ranged from 0.78% to 3.93% in D. marginatus, and was 0.66% in I. persulcatus. There was combined focus of TBEV and YGTV in the territory of the Chelyabinsk region. The Alongshan virus (ALSV) was found to be associated with I. persulcatus ticks and is spread in forest zone. We detected 12 amplicons and isolated 7 strains of ALSV in tick cells. The virus prevalence ranged from 1.13% to 6.00%. The phlebovirus Gomselga and unclassified phenuivirus Stavropol were associated with I. persulcatus and D. reticulatus ticks, respectively. Virus prevalence of the unclassified phenuivirus Stavropol in the Chelyabinsk region is lower than that in neighbouring regions.

AbstractIn recent decades, many new flavi-like viruses have been discovered predominantly in different invertebrates and, as was recently shown, some of them may cause disease in humans. The Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) group holds a special place among flavi-like viruses because, in contrast to the “classic” flaviviruses and other flavi-like viruses, they have a segmented ssRNA(+) genome. Two segments of the JMTV genome have homology with regions of the flavivirus genome encoding polymerase and helicase-protease proteins. JMTVs have several open reading frames (ORF) in segments encoding glycoprotein(s) and capsid protein and these ORF are specific only to them. JMTVs greatly differ in virion size.We isolated three strains of Alongshan virus (ALSV), which is a representative of the JMTV group, from adult Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected in two geographically-separated Russian regions in the tick cell line IRE/CTVM19. One of the strains persisted in the IRE/CTVM19 cells without cytopathic effect for three years. Most virions purified from tick cells were spherical with a diameter of approximately 40.5 nm. In addition, we found smaller particles of approximately 13.1 nm in diameter. We obtained full genome sequences of all four segments of two of the isolated ALSV strains, and partial sequences of one segment from the third strain. Phylogenetic analysis on genome segment 2 of the JMTV group clustered our novel strains with other ALSV strains. We found evidence for the existence of a novel upstream ORF in the glycoprotein-coding segment of ALSV and other members of the JMTV group.Significance StatementWe isolated three strains of Alongshan virus (ALSV) from adult Ixodes persulcatus ticks from two geographically separate areas of Russia in the Ixodes ricinus tick cell line IRE/CTVM19. One of the strains persisted in the IRE/CTVM19 cells without cytopathic effect for three years. Our study confirmed the value of tick cell lines in virus isolation and maintenance of persistent infection. The majority of virions of the ALSV strain Miass527 were enveloped spherical particles with a diameter of 40.5±3.7 nm. We found evidence for the existence of a novel upstream ORF in the glycoprotein-coding segment of ALSV and other members of the Jingmen tick virus group.