Host Biology and Anthropogenic Factors Affect Hepadnavirus Infection in a Neotropical Bat

Hiller, Thomas; Rasche, Andrea; Brändel, Stefan Dominik; König, Alexander; Jeworowski, Lara M.; O’Mara, M. Teague; Cottontail, Veronika M.; Page, Rachel A.; Glebe, Dieter; Drexler, Jan Felix; Tschapka, Marco

doi:10.1007/s10393-018-1387-5

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…The response of bats to habitat alteration has recently caused them to become the focus of several studies, in part due to their importance as model organisms for topics related to eco‐health and zoonoses (Brook & Dobson, ; Hiller, Rasche, et al, ; Streicker et al, ). However, the importance of parasites to affect host populations directly by controlling reproductive success, as well as their potential role as vectors for pathogens (Morse et al, ; Xu et al, ), is often neglected and severely understudied.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitization of bats by bat flies (Streblidae) in fragmented habitats

et al. 2020

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Parasites represent a large fraction of the world's biodiversity. They control host population sizes and contribute to ecosystem functioning. However, surveys on species diversity rarely include parasitic species. Bats often present traits favoring parasite diversity, such as large home ranges, long life spans, and large colonies. The most conspicuous bat parasites are the highly host-specific, blood-sucking bat flies (Diptera:Streblidae, Nycteribiidae). Recent studies have found a direct effect of habitat alteration on the abundance of bat species. We expected, therefore, that changes in the host community in response to anthropogenic habitat modification will also result in changes in the associated parasite community. We captured bats in three different habitats in Central Panama between 2013 and 2015. We recorded information on prevalence and intensity of bat fly parasitization of the seven most commonly captured bat species. Prevalence and intensity were both significantly influenced by roost type, abundance, and host sex and age. We found that habitat variables and matrix type significantly influenced the prevalence and intensity of parasitization, while the direction of the responses was host species-and parasite species-specific. In general, roosting conditions and behavior of host bats appear to be fundamental in explaining changes in prevalence and intensity of parasitization between different habitat types, as bat flies are bound to the roost during their reproductive cycle. Habitat alterations affect next to the host community composition also the availability of possible roost structures as well as microclimatic conditions, which all three reflect in parasitization.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material. K E Y

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitization of bats by bat flies (Streblidae) in fragmented habitats

et al. 2020

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“…Both antibody-positive animals were also PCR-positive. All other 11 PCR-positive shrews were seronegative, suggesting either sampling before seroconversion or chronic infections without detectable anti-HBc, similar to the monkey-associated CMHBV, but different from bat HBVs (17,18,24). Hypothetically, shrew hepatitis B may lead to death of the infected animals, thereby explaining the low seroprevalence.…”

Section: Shrews Carry Hbvs Across a Broad Geographic And Host Rangementioning

confidence: 97%

“…Shrew HBVs Are Phylogenetically and Antigenically Divergent. In an unrooted full genome phylogeny comprising the complete genetic diversity of the genus Orthohepadnavirus, shrew HBVs formed a distinct clade in distant sister relationship with the tentmaking bat HBV (TBHBV) found in Central American bats (17,18) (SI Appendix, Fig. S1C).…”

Section: Shrews Carry Hbvs Across a Broad Geographic And Host Rangementioning

confidence: 99%

Highly diversified shrew hepatitis B viruses corroborate ancient origins and divergent infection patterns of mammalian hepadnaviruses

Rasche

Lehmann

König

et al. 2019

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Shrews, insectivorous small mammals, pertain to an ancient mammalian order. We screened 693 European and African shrews for hepatitis B virus (HBV) homologs to elucidate the enigmatic genealogy of HBV. Shrews host HBVs at low prevalence (2.5%) across a broad geographic and host range. The phylogenetically divergent shrew HBVs comprise separate species termed crowned shrew HBV (CSHBV) and musk shrew HBV (MSHBV), each containing distinct genotypes. Recombination events across host orders, evolutionary reconstructions, and antigenic divergence of shrew HBVs corroborated ancient origins of mammalian HBVs dating back about 80 million years. Resurrected CSHBV replicated in human hepatoma cells, but human-and tupaiaderived primary hepatocytes were resistant to hepatitis D viruses pseudotyped with CSHBV surface proteins. Functional characterization of the shrew sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (Ntcp), CSHBV/MSHBV surface peptide binding patterns, and infection experiments revealed lack of Ntcp-mediated entry of shrew HBV. Contrastingly, HBV entry was enabled by the shrew Ntcp. Shrew HBVs universally showed mutations in their genomic preCore domains impeding hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) production and resembling those observed in HBeAg-negative human HBV. Deep sequencing and in situ hybridization suggest that HBeAg-negative shrew HBVs cause intense hepatotropic monoinfections and low within-host genomic heterogeneity. Geographical clustering and low MSHBV/CSHBVspecific seroprevalence suggest focal transmission and high virulence of shrew HBVs. HBeAg negativity is thus an ancient HBV infection pattern, whereas Ntcp usage for entry is not evolutionarily conserved. Shrew infection models relying on CSHBV/MSHBV revertants and human HBV will allow comparative assessments of HBeAg-mediated HBV pathogenesis, entry, and species barriers.hepatitis B virus | viral evolution | zoonosis | shrew | E antigen T he hepatitis B virus (HBV, genus Orthohepadnavirus) is a ubiquitous pathogen that causes 887,000 deaths annually, predominantly due to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma after chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (1). Distantly related hepadnaviruses were identified recently in animals other than humans and apes (1). The newly discovered animal viruses revealed that prototypic properties of HBV such as envelopment (2) and presence of an X gene (3) emerged de novo during orthohepadnavirus evolution.Hepadnaviruses are ancient pathogens, likely infecting vertebrates for over 200 million years (3). Placental mammals evolved ∼99 million years ago (mya) and form 2 major clades termed Laurasiatheria and Euarchontoglires (4). The known laurasiatherian HBV hosts belong to several species within the orders Chiroptera (bats) and to one species each within the orders Carnivora (cat) and Artiodactyla (duiker). HBV hosts within the Euarchontoglires include Significance Hepatitis B viruses (HBVs) have existed for millions of years. We describe divergent HBV species in shrews, which are ancient insectivorous mammals. The shrew viruses co...

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“…The overall EqHBV seroprevalence in donkeys and zebras was low compared to about 20% HBV antibody prevalence in nonvaccinated human populations (13) or in nonhuman primates (20 to 40%) (14,15). However, similarly low seroprevalence rates occur in other nonprimate hepadnavirus hosts, such as bats and shrews with 1.2 to 3.4% (16,17), suggesting robustness of serological testing and commonalities of HBV spread in nonprimate hosts. Notably, the total EqHBV seroprevalence closely N.D., no data.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 90%

A hepatitis B virus causes chronic infections in equids worldwide

Rasche

Lehmann

Goldmann

et al. 2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Preclinical testing of novel therapeutics for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) requires suitable animal models. Equids host homologs of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Because coinfections of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HCV occur in humans, we screened 2,917 specimens from equids from five continents for HBV. We discovered a distinct HBV species (Equid HBV, EqHBV) in 3.2% of donkeys and zebras by PCR and antibodies against EqHBV in 5.4% of donkeys and zebras. Molecular, histopathological, and biochemical analyses revealed that infection patterns of EqHBV resembled those of HBV in humans, including hepatotropism, moderate liver damage, evolutionary stasis, and potential horizontal virus transmission. Naturally infected donkeys showed chronic infections resembling CHB with high viral loads of up to 2.6 × 109 mean copies per milliliter serum for >6 mo and weak antibody responses. Antibodies against Equid HCV were codetected in 26.5% of donkeys seropositive for EqHBV, corroborating susceptibility to both hepatitis viruses. Deltavirus pseudotypes carrying EqHBV surface proteins were unable to infect human cells via the HBV receptor NTCP (Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide), suggesting alternative viral entry mechanisms. Both HBV and EqHBV deltavirus pseudotypes infected primary horse hepatocytes in vitro, supporting a broad host range for EqHBV among equids and suggesting that horses might be suitable for EqHBV and HBV infections in vivo. Evolutionary analyses suggested that EqHBV originated in Africa several thousand years ago, commensurate with the domestication of donkeys. In sum, EqHBV naturally infects diverse equids and mimics HBV infection patterns. Equids provide a unique opportunity for preclinical testing of novel therapeutics for CHB and to investigate HBV/HCV interplay upon coinfection.

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Host Biology and Anthropogenic Factors Affect Hepadnavirus Infection in a Neotropical Bat

Cited by 10 publications

References 63 publications

Parasitization of bats by bat flies (Streblidae) in fragmented habitats

Parasitization of bats by bat flies (Streblidae) in fragmented habitats

Highly diversified shrew hepatitis B viruses corroborate ancient origins and divergent infection patterns of mammalian hepadnaviruses

A hepatitis B virus causes chronic infections in equids worldwide

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