PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (Aug 2021)

Comparison of transcriptional responses between pathogenic and nonpathogenic hantavirus infections in Syrian hamsters using NanoString.

  • Rebecca L Brocato,
  • Louis A Altamura,
  • Brian D Carey,
  • Casey C Perley,
  • Candace D Blancett,
  • Timothy D Minogue,
  • Jay W Hooper

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009592
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 8
p. e0009592

Abstract

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BackgroundSyrian hamsters infected with Andes virus (ANDV) develop a disease that recapitulates many of the salient features of human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), including lethality. Infection of hamsters with Hantaan virus (HTNV) results in an asymptomatic, disseminated infection. In order to explore this dichotomy, we examined the transcriptome of ANDV- and HTNV-infected hamsters.ResultsUsing NanoString technology, we examined kinetic transcriptional responses in whole blood collected from ANDV- and HTNV-infected hamsters. Of the 770 genes analyzed, key differences were noted in the kinetics of type I interferon sensing and signaling responses, complement activation, and apoptosis pathways between ANDV- and HTNV-infected hamsters.ConclusionsDelayed activation of type I interferon responses in ANDV-infected hamsters represents a potential mechanism that ANDV uses to subvert host immune responses and enhance disease. This is the first genome-wide analysis of hantavirus-infected hamsters and provides insight into potential avenues for therapeutics to hantavirus disease.