The First Non-LRV RNA Virus in Leishmania.

Danyil Grybchuk,Alexei Y Kostygov,Vyacheslav Yurchenko,Tereza Leštinová,Yulia Kleschenko,Petr Volf,Alexander N Lukashev,Pavel Kulich,Paul A Bates,Diego H Macedo,Natalya Kraeva

doi:10.3390/v12020168

Abstract

In this work, we describe the first Leishmania-infecting leishbunyavirus—the first virus other than Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) found in trypanosomatid parasites. Its host is Leishmania martiniquensis, a human pathogen causing infections with a wide range of manifestations from asymptomatic to severe visceral disease. This virus (LmarLBV1) possesses many characteristic features of leishbunyaviruses, such as tripartite organization of its RNA genome, with ORFs encoding RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, surface glycoprotein, and nucleoprotein on L, M, and S segments, respectively. Our phylogenetic analyses suggest that LmarLBV1 originated from leishbunyaviruses of monoxenous trypanosomatids and, probably, is a result of genomic re-assortment. The LmarLBV1 facilitates parasites’ infectivity in vitro in primary murine macrophages model. The discovery of a virus in L. martiniquensis poses the question of whether it influences pathogenicity of this parasite in vivo, similarly to the LRV in other Leishmania species.

Highlights

Bunyavirales is an order of negative-sense single-stranded RNA (-ssRNA) viruses [1]
We describe the first Leishmania-infecting leishbunyavirus as the first non-Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) virus in trypanosomatids of this genus
Judging by its phylogenetic position, we propose that L. martiniquensis acquired leishbunyavirus from a monoxenous trypanosomatid

Summary

Introduction

Bunyavirales is an order of negative-sense single-stranded RNA (-ssRNA) viruses [1]. They typically have three genomic segments (large, L; medium, M; small, S) encoding a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L (RDRP L), a surface glycoprotein precursor, and a nucleoprotein, respectively [2].Additional ORFs, usually involved in counteracting the host antiviral response, may be present in S orM segments [3,4]. Bunyavirales is an order of negative-sense single-stranded RNA (-ssRNA) viruses [1]. They typically have three genomic segments (large, L; medium, M; small, S) encoding a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L (RDRP L), a surface glycoprotein precursor, and a nucleoprotein, respectively [2]. Multiple molecules of a nucleoprotein wrap around genomic RNA following helical symmetry [4]. An RNA molecule, a polymerase, and the nucleoproteins form a functional viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) capable of transcription and replication [5]. Virions are usually 90–100 nm in diameter and consist of vRNPs of each genomic segment enclosed by a lipid membrane with incorporated viral glycoproteins [3]. Many bunyaviruses (a generic term for Bunyavirales) are causative agents of arthropod-borne diseases of vertebrates and plants [6]

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Results

Conclusion