1. Negeviruses reduce replication of alphaviruses during co-infection
- Author
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Patterson, Ian, Kautz, Tiffany F., Contreras-Gutierrez, Maria A., Guzman, Hilda, Tesh, Robert B., Hughes, Grant, and Forrester, Naomi L.
- Subjects
viruses ,virus diseases ,qw_160 ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,qw_162 ,qx_460 - Abstract
Negeviruses are a group of insect-specific virus (ISV) that have been found in many arthropods. Their presence in important vector species led us to examine their interactions with arboviruses during co-infections. Wild-type negeviruses reduced the replication of several alphaviruses during co-infections in mosquito cells. Negev virus (NEGV) isolates were also used to express GFP and anti-chikungunya virus (CHIKV) antibody fragments during co-infections with CHIKV. NEGV expressing anti-CHIKV antibody fragments was able to further reduce replication of CHIKV during co-infections, while reductions of CHIKV with NEGV expressing GFP were similar to titers with wild-type NEGV alone. These results are the first to show that negeviruses induce superinfection exclusion of arboviruses and to demonstrate a novel approach to deliver anti-viral antibody fragments with paratransgenic ISVs. The ability to inhibit arbovirus replication and express exogenous proteins in mosquito cells make negeviruses a promising platform for control of arthropod-borne pathogens.
- Published
- 2021