Genetic, Morphological and Antigenic Relationships between Mesonivirus Isolates from Australian Mosquitoes and Evidence for Their Horizontal Transmission

Natalee D. Newton; Agathe M. G. Colmant; Caitlin A. O’Brien; Emma Ledger; Devina Paramitha; Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann; Daniel Watterson; Breeanna J. McLean; Sonja Hall-Mendelin; David Warrilow; Andrew F. van den Hurk; Wenjun Liu; Christina Hoare; Joanne R. Kizu; Penelope J. Gauci; John Haniotis; Stephen L. Doggett; Babak Shaban; Cheryl A. Johansen; Roy A. Hall; Jody Hobson-Peters

doi:10.3390/v12101159

Viruses (Oct 2020)

Genetic, Morphological and Antigenic Relationships between Mesonivirus Isolates from Australian Mosquitoes and Evidence for Their Horizontal Transmission

Natalee D. Newton,
Agathe M. G. Colmant,
Caitlin A. O’Brien,
Emma Ledger,
Devina Paramitha,
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann,
Daniel Watterson,
Breeanna J. McLean,
Sonja Hall-Mendelin,
David Warrilow,
Andrew F. van den Hurk,
Wenjun Liu,
Christina Hoare,
Joanne R. Kizu,
Penelope J. Gauci,
John Haniotis,
Stephen L. Doggett,
Babak Shaban,
Cheryl A. Johansen,
Roy A. Hall,
Jody Hobson-Peters

Affiliations

Natalee D. Newton: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Agathe M. G. Colmant: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Caitlin A. O’Brien: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Emma Ledger: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Devina Paramitha: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Daniel Watterson: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Breeanna J. McLean: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Sonja Hall-Mendelin: Public Health Virology, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, Queensland 4108, Australia
David Warrilow: Public Health Virology, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, Queensland 4108, Australia
Andrew F. van den Hurk: Public Health Virology, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Brisbane, Queensland 4108, Australia
Wenjun Liu: Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, Queensland 4051, Australia
Christina Hoare: Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, Queensland 4051, Australia
Joanne R. Kizu: Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute, Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, Queensland 4051, Australia
Penelope J. Gauci: Defence Science & Technology Group, Fisherman’s Bend, Victoria 3207, Australia
John Haniotis: NSW Health Pathology-ICPMR Westmead, Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead 2145, Australia
Stephen L. Doggett: NSW Health Pathology-ICPMR Westmead, Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead 2145, Australia
Babak Shaban: Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd., Parkville 3050, Australia
Cheryl A. Johansen: School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands 6009, Australia
Roy A. Hall: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
Jody Hobson-Peters: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v12101159
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 10
p. 1159

Abstract

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The Mesoniviridae are a newly assigned family of viruses in the order Nidovirales. Unlike other nidoviruses, which include the Coronaviridae, mesoniviruses are restricted to mosquito hosts and do not infect vertebrate cells. To date there is little information on the morphological and antigenic characteristics of this new group of viruses and a dearth of mesonivirus-specific research tools. In this study we determined the genetic relationships of recent Australian isolates of Alphamesonivirus 4 (Casuarina virus—CASV) and Alphamesonivirus 1 (Nam Dinh virus—NDiV), obtained from multiple mosquito species. Australian isolates of NDiV showed high-level similarity to the prototype NDiV isolate from Vietnam (99% nucleotide (nt) and amino acid (aa) identity). Isolates of CASV from Central Queensland were genetically very similar to the prototype virus from Darwin (95–96% nt and 91–92% aa identity). Electron microscopy studies demonstrated that virion diameter (≈80 nm) and spike length (≈10 nm) were similar for both viruses. Monoclonal antibodies specific to CASV and NDiV revealed a close antigenic relationship between the two viruses with 13/34 mAbs recognising both viruses. We also detected NDiV RNA on honey-soaked nucleic acid preservation cards fed on by wild mosquitoes supporting a possible mechanism of horizontal transmission between insects in nature.

Published in Viruses

ISSN: 1999-4915 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses

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