Review
Microbiology
Niranjana Nair, Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus, Guus F. Rimmelzwaan, Chittappen Kandiyil Prajeeth
Summary: Rift Valley Fever Virus is a mosquito-borne phlebovirus that causes febrile or haemorrhagic illness in ruminants and humans. The virus can prevent the induction of the antiviral interferon response through its NSs proteins. Mutations in the NSs gene may lead to the induction of innate proinflammatory immune responses and attenuation of the virus. Virus-specific antibodies and T cells are induced upon infection, which may provide protection against subsequent infections. These findings will help in the development of vaccines using existing platforms. Vaccines candidates have shown promise in safety and efficacy trials in susceptible animal species, which may contribute to controlling RVFV infections and preventing disease progression in humans and ruminants.
Review
Immunology
Paul Kato Kitandwe, Paul F. McKay, Pontiano Kaleebu, Robin J. Shattock
Summary: RVF is a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis that causes harm to both humans and animals. There is a need for more safe and effective DIVA-compatible vaccines due to limitations of the currently available RVF vaccines.
Article
Virology
Belen Borrego, Sandra Moreno, Nuria de la Losa, Friedemann Weber, Alejandro Brun
Summary: RVFV is a mosquito-borne virus causing important diseases in ruminants and posing a threat to human health, a study revealed a variant selected in cell culture with antiviral treatment showing significant attenuation in vivo, mainly associated with mutations in the NSs protein.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nathaniel S. Chapman, Haiyan Zhao, Nurgun Kose, Jonna B. Westover, Birte Kalveram, Robin Bombardi, Jessica Rodriguez, Rachel Sutton, Joseph Genualdi, A. Desiree LaBeaud, Francis M. Mutuku, Phillip R. Pittman, Alexander N. Freiberg, Brian B. Gowen, Daved H. Fremont, James E. Crowe
Summary: By isolating antibodies from B cells of individuals who were naturally infected or vaccinated, researchers found that immune responses to RVFV share similar antigenic sites, with some specific antibodies demonstrating potent neutralizing activities in vitro. These antibodies can inhibit virus-cell fusion process, thereby contributing to antibody-mediated neutralization against RVFV infections.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Xiao Wang, Yupei Yuan, Yihan Liu, Leiliang Zhang
Summary: This article provides an overview of the pathogenesis of Rift Valley fever (RVF) and the immune evasion competition between the virus and the host. Understanding the host immune response and viral antibodies can help identify new drug targets and potential solutions for current and future epidemics.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Lingqing Xu, Alden C. Paine, Dominique J. Barbeau, Frances Alencastro, Andrew W. Duncan, Anita K. Mcelroy
Summary: RVFVmiR-122, a recombinant miRNA-targeted virus, specifically limits the replication of RVFV in liver cells. C57BL/6 mice infected with RVFVmiR-122 show a different clinical outcome compared to those infected with RVFVmiR-184, and this difference is eliminated in Mir-122 KO mice.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Deo B. Ndumu, Barnabas Bakamutumaho, Edward Miller, Jesca Nakayima, Robert Downing, Stephen Balinandi, Fred Monje, Dan Tumusiime, Mary Nanfuka, Natascha Meunier, Eugene Arinaitwe, Chris Rutebarika, Eugene Kidega, Jackson Kyondo, Rose Ademun, Kariuki M. Njenga, Francisco Veas, Jean-Paul Gonzalez
Summary: Prior to the first recorded outbreak of Rift Valley fever in Uganda in March 2016, earlier studies indicated the presence of the RVF virus in the country, but no outbreaks were recorded. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries conducted studies to determine RVF sero-prevalence in risk prone areas. The results showed varying levels of sero-prevalence in different regions, with the highest cumulative sero-prevalence in bovines.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Virology
Sarah Lumley, Laura Hunter, Kirsty Emery, Roger Hewson, Anthony R. Fooks, Daniel L. Horton, Nicholas Johnson
Summary: RVFV virus was detected replicating extensively in the mosquito species Culex pipiens from the United Kingdom, with the notable exception of the interior of ovarian follicles.
Article
Immunology
William C. Wilson, Bonto Faburay, Jessie D. Trujillo, Izabela Ragan, Sun-Young Sunwoo, Igor Morozov, Vinay Shivanna, Aaron Balogh, Kinga Urbaniak, D. Scott McVey, Dashzeveg Bold, Natasha N. Gaudreault, Erin E. Schirtzinger, Wenjun Ma, Juergen A. Richt
Summary: RVFV is a mosquito-borne virus that causes diseases in animals and humans in Africa, with no licensed vaccine available for humans. However, a vaccine based on Gn and Gc glycoproteins has shown promising results in protecting cattle from the virus in experimental studies.
Article
Virology
Marie-Pierre Confort, Maeva Duboeuf, Adrien Thiesson, Lea Pons, Federico Marziali, Sophie Desloire, Maxime Ratinier, Andrea Cimarelli, Frederick Arnaud
Summary: Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV) and Toscana virus (TOSV) are pathogenic arthropod-borne viruses that pose a growing threat to public and veterinary health. This study found that TOSV is highly sensitive to inhibition by IFITMs from different animal species, while RVFV is inhibited by human IFITM-2 and IFITM-3, but not IFITM-1, and shows varying levels of resistance to bovine and camel IFITMs. These findings provide insights into the interplay between zoonotic viruses and IFITMs.
Article
Microbiology
Mathilde Laureti, Rui-Xue Lee, Amelia Bennett, Lucas Aladar Wilson, Victoria Elena Sy, Alain Kohl, Isabelle Dietrich
Summary: RVFV infection triggers the activation of RNA interference pathways in mosquitoes, which limits viral replication. The study found that RVFV infection may alter mosquito immune responses, potentially affecting viral replication and transmission. Further research in this area could provide valuable information for disease prevention strategies.
Article
Virology
Nicole Bracci, Cynthia de la Fuente, Sahar Saleem, Chelsea Pinkham, Aarthi Narayanan, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Velmurugan Balaraman, Juergen A. Richt, William Wilson, Kylene Kehn-Hall
Summary: RVFV, a virus causing significant disease in humans and livestock, was first reported in the Rift Valley of Kenya. In this study, host proteins interacting with the Gn protein of RVFV were identified using a proteomics approach. Depletion of UBR4, a host protein, resulted in a decrease in RVFV titers and viral RNA production.
Article
Virology
Xue Wang, Cuixia Hu, Wei Ye, Jia Wang, Xiaofei Dong, Jie Xu, Xiaorong Li, Manfeng Zhang, Hongyun Lu, Fanglin Zhang, Wei Wu, Shaodong Dai, Hong-Wei Wang, Zhongzhou Chen
Summary: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne virus that causes severe diseases in both humans and livestock. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) encoded by the L segment of RVFV is essential for viral replication and transcription, and has multiple drug targets. In this study, the structure of RVFV L protein was determined, revealing its distinct priming loop and its role in RNA synthesis initiation.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Kendra N. Johnson, Birte Kalveram, Jennifer K. Smith, Lihong Zhang, Terry Juelich, Colm Atkins, Tetsuro Ikegami, Alexander N. Freiberg
Summary: The antiviral drug Tilorone has been found to effectively inhibit Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) infection in vitro and in vivo, suggesting its potential use as a therapeutic option for treating RVFV infection.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Vincent Mastrodomenico, Natalie J. LoMascolo, Yazmin E. Cruz-Pulido, Christina R. Cunha, Bryan C. Mounce
Summary: This study shows that the bunyavirus Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) relies on cellular cholesterol and polyamines for infection, and depletion of cholesterol or interruption of cholesterol trafficking negatively affects RVFV infection.
ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
David R. Thomas, Lindsay Lundberg, Chelsea Pinkham, Sharon Shechter, Aaron DeBono, Jonathan Baell, Kylie M. Wagstaff, Caroline A. Hick, Kylene Kehn-Hall, David A. Jans
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2018)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lindsay Lundberg, Ashwini Brahms, Idris Hooper, Brian Carey, Shih-Chao Lin, Bibha Dahal, Aarthi Narayanan, Kylene Kehn-Hall
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2018)
Article
Virology
Brian D. Carey, Tatiana Ammosova, Chelsea Pinkham, Xionghao Lin, Weidong Zhou, Lance A. Liotta, Sergei Nekhai, Kylene Kehn-Hall
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cynthia de la Fuente, Chelsea Pinkham, Deemah Dabbagh, Brett Beitzel, Aura Garrison, Gustavo Palacios, Kimberley Alex Hodge, Emanuel F. Petricoin, Connie Schmaljohn, Catherine E. Campbell, Aarthi Narayanan, Kylene Kehn-Hall
Article
Virology
Todd M. Bell, Virginia Espina, Lindsay Lundberg, Chelsea Pinkham, Ashwini Brahms, Brian D. Carey, Shih-Chao Lin, Bibha Dahal, Caitlin Woodson, Cynthia de la Fuente, Lance A. Liotta, Charles L. Bailey, Kylene Kehn-Hall
Article
Microbiology
Lindsay Lundberg, Jacque Fontenot, Shih-Chao Lin, Chelsea Pinkham, Brian D. Carey, Catherine E. Campbell, Kylene Kehn-Hall
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Brian D. Carey, Allison Bakovic, Victoria Callahan, Aarthi Narayanan, Kylene Kehn-Hall
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2019)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Shih-Chao Lin, Mei-Chun Chen, Shufeng Liu, Victoria M. Callahan, Nicole R. Bracci, Caitlin W. Lehman, Bibha Dahal, Cynthia L. de la Fuente, Chi-Chen Lin, Tony T. Wang, Kylene Kehn-Hall
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aaron DeBono, David R. Thomas, Lindsay Lundberg, Chelsea Pinkham, Ying Cao, J. Dinny Graham, Christine L. Clarke, Kylie M. Wagstaff, Sharon Shechter, Kylene Kehn-Hall, David A. Jans
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gideon K. Gogovi, Fahad Almsned, Nicole Bracci, Kylene Kehn-Hall, Amarda Shehu, Estela Blaisten-Barojas
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shih-Chao Lin, Brian D. Carey, Victoria Callahan, Ji-Hyun Lee, Nicole Bracci, Anurag Patnaik, Amy K. Smith, Aarthi Narayanan, Benjamin Lepene, Kylene Kehn-Hall
Article
Virology
Bibha Dahal, Caitlin W. Lehman, Ivan Akhrymuk, Nicole R. Bracci, Lauren Panny, Michael D. Barrera, Nishank Bhalla, Jonathan L. Jacobs, Jonathan D. Dinman, Kylene Kehn-Hall
Summary: The research revealed that the loss of PERK significantly reduced VEEV and EEEV infectious titers in human primary astrocytes, pericytes, and endothelial cells. Moreover, PERK depletion also affected nonstructural protein translation and RNA production of various RNA viruses, suggesting that PERK is a potential target for antiviral drug development.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shih-Chao Lin, Caitlin W. Lehman, Allison K. Stewart, Lauren Panny, Nicole Bracci, Jeffrey L. C. Wright, Mikell Paige, Wendy K. Strangman, Kylene Kehn-Hall
Summary: The study isolated a potential anti-alphavirus compound, Homoseongomycin, from marine microbes, which showed significant antiviral activity against Venezuelan and eastern equine encephalitis viruses with low cytotoxicity.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Virology
Nicole Bracci, Cynthia de la Fuente, Sahar Saleem, Chelsea Pinkham, Aarthi Narayanan, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Velmurugan Balaraman, Juergen A. Richt, William Wilson, Kylene Kehn-Hall
Summary: RVFV, a virus causing significant disease in humans and livestock, was first reported in the Rift Valley of Kenya. In this study, host proteins interacting with the Gn protein of RVFV were identified using a proteomics approach. Depletion of UBR4, a host protein, resulted in a decrease in RVFV titers and viral RNA production.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lauren Panny, Ivan Akrhymuk, Nicole Bracci, Caitlin Woodson, Rafaela Flor, Isaac Elliott, Weidong Zhou, Aarthi Narayanan, Catherine Campbell, Kylene Kehn-Hall
Summary: Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is transmitted by mosquitos and can cause febrile illness and severe neurological complications. There are currently no FDA approved vaccines or antiviral treatments available. A study identified protein disulfide isomerase family A member 6 (PDIA6) as a critical regulator of alphavirus replication. Inhibition of PDIs through LOC14 or nitazoxanide treatment effectively reduced production of VEEV and other alphaviruses in vitro.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2023)