Abstract
Members of the Lipopteninae subfamily are blood-sucking ectoparasites of mammals. The sheep ked (Melophagus ovinus) is a widely distributed ectoparasite of sheep. It can be found in most sheep-rearing areas and can cause skin irritation, restlessness, anemia, weight loss and skin injuries. Various bacteria and some viruses have been detected in M. ovinus; however, the virome of this ked has never been studied using modern approaches. Here, we study the virome of M. ovinus collected in the Republic of Tuva, Russia. In our research, we were able to assemble full genomes for five novel viruses, related to the Rhabdoviridae (Sigmavirus), Iflaviridae, Reoviridae and Solemoviridae families. Four viruses were found in all five of the studied pools, while one virus was found in two pools. Phylogenetically, all of the novel viruses clustered together with various recently described arthropod viruses. All the discovered viruses were tested on their ability to replicate in the mammalian porcine embryo kidney (PEK) cell line. Aksy-Durug Melophagus sigmavirus RNA was detected in the PEK cell line cultural supernate after the first, second and third passages. Such data imply that this virus might be able to replicate in mammalian cells, and thus, can be considered as a possible arbovirus.
Highlights
With the advances in the transcriptomic approach, the number of newly described viruses has increased dramatically [1,2,3], which has led to a breakthrough in our understanding of viruses’ biodiversity and evolution and has led us to rethink the existing virus systematics [4]
We report the findings of our study into the virome of M. ovinus, which was collected in the Republic of Tuva, Russia
All the iflaviruses were isolated from arthropods [34]
Summary
With the advances in the transcriptomic approach, the number of newly described viruses has increased dramatically [1,2,3], which has led to a breakthrough in our understanding of viruses’ biodiversity and evolution and has led us to rethink the existing virus systematics [4]. Viruses of arthropods are objects of special interest in virology since they can be vectors of the arboviruses, i.e., viruses that cycle between invertebrate and vertebrate hosts [5]. Arthropod viruses provide us with insights into viral evolution, host switching and virus pathogenicity. Blood-sucking invertebrates are hosts to many arboviruses, causing diseases of humans and domestic animals, and possess a great challenge to the healthcare system and the agricultural industry around the world [5]. While viromes of the well-established vector invertebrates, such as various species of mosquitoes [6,7,8] and ixodid ticks [9,10], are actively studied, other blood-sucking invertebrates, such as louse flies, receive less attention
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
