A Unique Relative of Rotifer Birnavirus Isolated from Australian Mosquitoes
Caitlin A. O’Brien,
Cassandra L. Pegg,
Amanda S. Nouwens,
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann,
Bixing Huang,
David Warrilow,
Jessica J. Harrison,
John Haniotis,
Benjamin L. Schulz,
Devina Paramitha,
Agathe M. G. Colmant,
Natalee D. Newton,
Stephen L. Doggett,
Daniel Watterson,
Jody Hobson-Peters,
Roy A. Hall
Affiliations
Caitlin A. O’Brien
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Cassandra L. Pegg
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Amanda S. Nouwens
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Bixing Huang
Public Health Virology, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia
David Warrilow
Public Health Virology, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia
Jessica J. Harrison
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
John Haniotis
New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
Benjamin L. Schulz
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Devina Paramitha
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Agathe M. G. Colmant
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Natalee D. Newton
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Stephen L. Doggett
New South Wales Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
Daniel Watterson
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Jody Hobson-Peters
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
Roy A. Hall
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4067, Australia
The family Birnaviridae are a group of non-enveloped double-stranded RNA viruses which infect poultry, aquatic animals and insects. This family includes agriculturally important pathogens of poultry and fish. Recently, next-generation sequencing technologies have identified closely related birnaviruses in Culex, Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes. Using a broad-spectrum system based on detection of long double-stranded RNA, we have discovered and isolated a birnavirus from Aedes notoscriptus mosquitoes collected in northern New South Wales, Australia. Phylogenetic analysis of Aedes birnavirus (ABV) showed that it is related to Rotifer birnavirus, a pathogen of microscopic aquatic animals. In vitro cell infection assays revealed that while ABV can replicate in Aedes-derived cell lines, the virus does not replicate in vertebrate cells and displays only limited replication in Culex- and Anopheles-derived cells. A combination of SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry analysis suggested that the ABV capsid precursor protein (pVP2) is larger than that of other birnaviruses and is partially resistant to trypsin digestion. Reactivity patterns of ABV-specific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies indicate that the neutralizing epitopes of ABV are SDS sensitive. Our characterization shows that ABV displays a number of properties making it a unique member of the Birnaviridae and represents the first birnavirus to be isolated from Australian mosquitoes.
