An evolutionary divergent pestivirus lacking the N ^pro gene systemically infects a whale species

Abstract

Pestiviruses typically infect members of the order Artiodactyla, including ruminants and pigs, although putative rat and bat pestiviruses have also been described. In the present study, we identified and characterized an evolutionary divergent pestivirus in the toothed whale species, harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). We tentatively named the virus Phocoena pestivirus (PhoPeV). PhoPeV displays a typical pestivirus genome organization except for the unique absence of Npro, an N-terminal autoprotease that targets the innate host immune response. Evolutionary evidence indicates that PhoPeV emerged following an interspecies transmission event from an ancestral pestivirus that expressed Npro. We show that 9% (n = 10) of stranded porpoises from the Dutch North Sea coast (n = 112) were positive for PhoPeV and they displayed a systemic infection reminiscent of non-cytopathogenic persistent pestivirus infection. The identification of PhoPeV extends the host range of pestiviruses to cetaceans (dolphins, whales, porpoises), which are considered to have evolved from artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates). Elucidation of the pathophysiology of PhoPeV infection and Npro unique absence will add to our understanding of molecular mechanisms governing pestivirus pathogenesis.

A CRISPR/Cas9 Generated Bovine CD46-knockout Cell Line—A Tool to Elucidate the Adaptability of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Viruses (BVDV)

“…The host range of the classical pestivirus species includes cloven-hoofed animals. However, in recent years, a continuously growing diversity of pestiviruses has been seen worldwide with atypical pestiviruses being isolated from host species like rat, bat and whale [5][6][7][8].…”

A Synthetic Modified Live Chimeric Marker Vaccine against BVDV-1 and BVDV-2

“…In Germany, the subtypes 1b and 1d were identified to be the dominant viruses in the samples collected from 2008–2016 [ 2 ]. BVDV-2 is more prevalent in Northern America and Asia, but a relevant percentage of cases has also been identified in Europe [ 12 ]. The outbreak of highly virulent BVDV-2c in 2012 in Germany was associated with severe clinical symptoms in infected cattle and resulted in mortality rates that varied between 2.3–29.5% in outbreak farms accompanied by major economic losses [ 61 ].…”

“…BVDV has a single stranded positive-sensed RNA genome with a size of about 12.3 kilobases (kb) and belongs to the genus Pestivirus of the Flaviviridae family [ 6 ]. The genus Pestivirus is quite heterologous and an increasing number of new members has been identified in the past years [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Different mammals are susceptible to pestivirus infections, predominately ruminants and swine.…”

2019 meeting of the global virus network

“…Based on the new sequence information RT-PCR screening of samples from more than 100 stranded harbor porpoises, collected from the North Sea indicated that about 9% of these animals were positive for the novel pestivirus. The identification of a novel pestivirus in harbor porpoises suggests that the host spectrum of pestiviruses extends to members of the order Cetacea (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), which are considered to have evolved from artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates) (Jo et al, 2019).…”