Journal
VIRUSES-BASEL
Volume 13, Issue 5, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/v13050831
Keywords
Australian bat lyssavirus; lyssavirus; rabies virus; immune evasion; nuclear trafficking; interferon; STAT1; bats; virus reservoirs; adaptation
Categories
Funding
- Australian Research Council [DP110101749, DP150102569]
- National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) [1003244, 1079211, 1125704, 1160838]
- Grimwade Fellowship
- Office of the Chief Executive Science Leaders Award
- Meigunyah Fund
- National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia [1125704, 1079211, 1160838] Funding Source: NHMRC
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The study reveals significant functional differences in the P protein of ABLV between different lineages, which appear to involve effects on regulatory regions or structural impact. These differences result in partial but significant phenotypic divergence, indicating fine-tuning to host biology.
Bats are reservoirs of many pathogenic viruses, including the lyssaviruses rabies virus (RABV) and Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV). Lyssavirus strains are closely associated with particular host reservoir species, with evidence of specific adaptation. Associated phenotypic changes remain poorly understood but are likely to involve phosphoprotein (P protein), a key mediator of the intracellular virus-host interface. Here, we examine the phenotype of P protein of ABLV, which circulates as two defined lineages associated with frugivorous and insectivorous bats, providing the opportunity to compare proteins of viruses adapted to divergent bat species. We report that key functions of P protein in the antagonism of interferon/signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1) signaling and the capacity of P protein to undergo nuclear trafficking differ between lineages. Molecular mapping indicates that these differences are functionally distinct and appear to involve modulatory effects on regulatory regions or structural impact rather than changes to defined interaction sequences. This results in partial but significant phenotypic divergence, consistent with fine-tuning to host biology, and with potentially distinct properties in the virus-host interface between bat families that represent key zoonotic reservoirs.
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