Different but Not Unique: Deciphering the Immunity of the Jamaican Fruit Bat by Studying Its Viriome.

Quinnlan David,Martin Schwemmle,Kevin Ciminski,Tony Schountz

doi:10.3390/v14020238

Quinnlan David, Martin Schwemmle + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/v14020238

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Abstract

A specialized and fine-tuned immune response of bats upon infection with viruses is believed to provide the basis for a “friendly” coexistence with these pathogens, which are often lethal for humans and other mammals. First insights into the immunity of bats suggest that bats have evolved to possess their own strategies to cope with viral infections. Yet, the molecular details for this innocuous coexistence remain poorly described and bat infection models are the key to unveiling these secrets. In Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis), a New World bat species, infection experiments with its (putative) natural viral pathogens Tacaribe virus (TCRV), rabies virus (RABV), and the bat influenza A virus (IAV) H18N11, have contributed to an accurate, though still incomplete, representation of the bat-imposed immunity. Surprisingly, though many aspects of their innate and adaptive immune responses differ from that of the human immune response, such as a contraction of the IFN locus and reduction in the number of immunoglobulin subclasses, variations could also be observed between Jamaican fruit bats and other bat species.

Highlights

The Jamaican fruit-eating bat, Artibeus jamaicensis, is a frugivorous bat species that is native to Central America
They were found to be infected with multiple viruses in nature, including dengue virus (DENV) [5,6,7], West Nile virus (WNV) [8], Zika virus (ZIKV) [8], alphacoronaviruses (α-CoV) [9], chikungunya virus (CHIKV) [10], Tacaribe virus (TCRV) [11,12], and rabies virus (RABV) [13,14,15,16], many of which are pathogenic to humans
Based on cases reported of transmission between bats and livestock close to Jamaican fruit bat colonies, RABV circulating in these bats is considered a public health concern in certain regions of Grenada, its pathogenicity in comparison to RABV from other species is yet to be determined

Summary

Introduction

The Jamaican fruit-eating bat, Artibeus jamaicensis, is a frugivorous bat species that is native to Central America. A number of studies since the 1950s found that Jamaican fruit bats have an important role in viral ecology as well They were found to be infected with multiple viruses in nature, including dengue virus (DENV) [5,6,7], West Nile virus (WNV) [8], Zika virus (ZIKV) [8], alphacoronaviruses (α-CoV) [9], chikungunya virus (CHIKV) [10], Tacaribe virus (TCRV) [11,12], and rabies virus (RABV) [13,14,15,16], many of which are pathogenic to humans. Studying the relationship of these viruses and their (putative) natural host, the Jamaican fruit bat, has shed some light into the mechanisms of how these bats can tolerate viral infections and avoid severe symptoms of disease in contrast to dead end hosts such as humans

Tacaribe Virus

Rabies Virus

Bat Influenza A Virus H18N11

Findings

Discussion