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Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causal agent of equine viral arteritis, a disease of equids. During natural outbreaks of the disease, EAV can cause abortion in pregnant mares and persistent infection in stallions. Understanding how host cellular proteins interact with viral RNA and viral proteins, as well as their role in viral infection, will enable better characterization of the pathogenesis of EAV and establishment of persistent infection in stallions. Accordingly, we hypothesized that both viral factors and host genetically related factors could influence the outcome of EAV infection in horses. To test this hypothesis, we first combined contemporary molecular biology techniques with dual color flow cytometric analysis to characterize the interactions of viral structural proteins and the equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro. Results from this study demonstrated that interactions between GP2, GP3, GP4, GP5 and M envelope proteins of EAV play a major role in determining the CD14+ monocyte tropism while the tropism of CD3+ T lymphocytes is determined by GP2, GP4, GP5 and M envelope proteins but not the GP3 protein. Secondly, a genome wide association study using SNP genotyping identified a common haplotype associated with the in vitro CD3+ T lymphocyte/resistance to EAV infection among four breeds of horses. Subsequently, these studies were extended to establish a possible correlation between the in vitro susceptibility of CD3+ T lymphocytes to EAV and establishment of persistent infection in stallions. Interestingly, carrier stallions with susceptible CD3+ T lymphocyte phenotype to EAV may represent those at higher risk of becoming persistently infected. Finally, the precise effect of EAV on the immune system of horses, innate and humoral immunity, was studied. Horses were shown to mount a strong humoral antibody response to nonstructural proteins (nsps) 2, 4, 5 and 12 of EAV, whereas nsps 1, 2 and 11 suppressed the type I interferon production. The data presented in this dissertation suggest new directions for future EAV research using genomic and proteomic approaches to study host cell factors involved in EAV attachment and entry and establishment of persistent infection in the stallions.

Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causal agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a disease of equids. Following EAV infection, up to 70% of stallions may become carriers and continuously shed the virus in their semen for varying time periods. The long-term carrier stallion has an important role in the transmission and maintenance of EAV in horse populations. Recently, it has been demonstrated a correlation between in vitro susceptibility of CD3+ T lymphocytes to EAV infection and establishment of long-term persistent infection among stallions following natural infections. In this study, we investigated whether stallions with in vitro EAV susceptible CD3+ T lymphocytes are at higher risk of becoming long-term carriers compared to those with the resistant phenotype following experimental infection with the KY84 strain of EAV. Furthermore, we investigated whether there is a significant effect of EAV infection on semen quality during acute phase of the infection. The data suggested that the establishment of the long-term carrier state seems to be associated with the in vitro CD3+ T lymphocyte susceptible phenotypes and that reduced semen quality resulted from the combined effect of fever and scrotal edema observed following EAV infection rather than the direct effect of the virus.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T14:37:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_debora_scopel.pdf: 765310 bytes, checksum: dc0bea20bd4a62c37e4145ef858b7894 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-27 / The development and use of drugs with the ability to prevent or strike an infection are indispensable for human and animal health. However, the antiviral drug arsenal is still small and has serious use restrictions, like small activity range, limited therapeutic usage and several degrees of cytotoxicity. The objective of this work was to evaluate the antiviral activity of an antibacterial peptide isolated from the intestinal contents of the fish Piau-com-pinta (Leporinus sp.), named P34. Its cytotoxicity was analyzed in different cell lineages, in order to evaluate its antiviral activity. This study was performed against viruses with different phenotypical and genotypical features like: canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), canine coronavirus (CCoV), canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), equine arteritis virus (EAV), equine influenza virus (EIV), feline calicivirus (FCV) and feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1). It was observed antiviral activity, in vitro, against EAV and FHV-1, both enveloped viruses, with RNA e DNA genomes, respectively. A virucidal effect was observed when P34 was incubated for different periods of time with EAV at 37 °C. Transmission electronic microscopy analysis suggests that the peptide P34 binds and promotes lesions to the viral envelope. The peptide P34 does not have virucidal activity against FHV-1 and although its mechanism of action is not completely elucidated, it is possible to suppose that P34 interferes in the adsorption process of FHV-1. Thus, the peptide P34 may represent an antimicrobial substance with potential application in the prevention and treatment of viral infections caused by FHV-1 and EAV. / O desenvolvimento e o uso de fármacos antivirais capazes de prevenir ou combater uma infecção são imprescindíveis para a saúde do homem e dos animais. Entretanto, o arsenal de fármacos antivirais permanece pequeno e apresenta graves restrições de uso, tais como reduzido espectro de atividade, utilidade terapêutica limitada e vários graus de toxicidade. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar atividade antiviral de um peptídeo antibacteriano isolado do conteúdo intestinal do peixe Piau-com-pinta (Leporinus sp.), denominado P34. Sua citotoxicidade foi determinada em diferentes linhagens celulares, visando posterior avaliação da atividade antiviral. Foram realizados ensaios antivirais frente a vírus com diferentes características genotípicas e fenotípicas: adenovírus canino tipo 2 (CAV-2), coronavírus canino (CCoV), vírus da cinomose canina (CDV), parvovírus canino tipo 2 (CPV-2), vírus da arterite equina (EAV), vírus da influenza equina (EIV), calicivírus felino (FCV) e herpesvírus felino tipo 1 (FHV-1). Foi observada ação antiviral, in vitro, contra EAV e FHV-1, ambos vírus envelopados, com genomas RNA e DNA, respectivamente. Foi observado efeito virucida, contra o EAV, quando o P34 foi incubado por diferentes períodos a 37 °C. A análise por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão sugere que o peptídeo P34 faz ligação e promove lesão do envelope viral. O P34 não possui atividade virucida contra o FHV-1 e embora o mecanismo de ação não tenha sido completamente elucidado, é possível supor que o P34 interfira no processo de adsorção do FHV-1. Dessa maneira, o peptídeo P34 pode representar uma substância com potencial aplicação na prevenção e tratamento das infecções pelo FHV-1 e pelo EAV.

Equine arteritis virus (EAV) has a global impact on the equine industry being the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a reproductive, respiratory, and systemic disease of equids. A distinctive feature of EAV infection is that it establishes long-term persistent infection in the reproductive tract of stallions and is continuously shed in the semen (carrier state). Recent studies showed that long-term persistence is associated with a specific allele of the CXCL16 gene (CXCL16S). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of persistent infection are yet to be determined. The studies were undertaken herein unequivocally demonstrated that the ampulla is the main EAV tissue reservoir rather than immunologically privileged tissues (i.e., testes) and that EAV has specific tropism for stromal cells and CD8+ T and CD21+ B lymphocytes but not glandular epithelium in the reproductive tract. Furthermore, persistent EAV infection is associated with a significant humoral, mucosal antibody and inflammatory response at the site of persistence, characterized by induction of high levels of neutralizing antibodies (IgG1), mucosal anti-EAV-specific IgA, IgG1, IgG3/5, and IgG4/7 with variable neutralizing efficacy; and moderate, multifocal lymphoplasmacytic ampullitis, with significant infiltration of T lymphocytes (mainly CD8+ and low numbers of FOXP3+ lymphocytes), CD21+ B lymphocytes, diverse Ig-secreting plasma cells, and Iba-1+ and CD83+ tissue macrophages/dendritic cells. Moreover, EAV long-term persistent infection is associated with a CD8+ T lymphocyte transcriptional profile with upregulation of T-cell exhaustion-related transcripts and homing chemokines/chemokine receptors (CXCL9-11/CXCR3 and CXCL16/CXCR6), orchestrated by a specific subset of transcription factors (EOMES, PRDM1, BATF, NFATC2, STAT1, IRF1, TBX21), which are associated with the presence of the susceptibility allele (CXCL16S). Finally, these studies have determined that long-term EAV persistence is associated with the downregulation of a specific seminal exosome-associated miRNA (eca-mir-128) along with an enhanced expression of CXCL16 in the reproductive tract, a putative target of eca-mir-128. These findings provide evidence that this miRNA plays a crucial role in the regulation of the CXCL16/CXCR6 axis in the reproductive tract of persistently infected stallions, a chemokine axis strongly implicated in EAV persistence. The findings presented herein suggest that complex host-pathogen interactions shape the outcome of EAV infection in the stallion and that EAV employs complex immune evasion mechanisms favoring persistence in the reproductive tract. Further studies to identify specific mechanisms mediating the modulation of the CXCL16/CXCR6 axis and viral immune evasion in the reproductive tract of the EAV long-term carrier stallion are warranted.

Equine arteritis virus (EAV) establishes persistent infection in the stallion reproductive tract, and the carrier stallion continues to shed virus in semen for weeks to years or lifelong. The objective of this study was to elucidate the intra-host evolution of EAV during persistent infection in stallions. Seven EAV seronegative stallions were experimentally infected with EAV KY84 strain and followed for 726 days post-infection, and sequential clinical samples including semen were collected for virus isolation and next-generation sequencing (NGS). In addition, archived sequential semen samples from two stallions that were naturally infected with EAV KY84 for a long-period (up to 10 years) were also sequenced by NGS. The data demonstrated genetic bottleneck event and selection during acute infection followed by intra-host quasispecies diversification during persistent infection in the stallion reproductive tract. Also, the full-length genome of a novel EAV donkey strain from Chile and a noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus-1 (ncpBVDV-1) strain contaminating rabbit kidney-13 cells were also sequenced by NGS. The EAV donkey strain was genetically distinct but antigenically cross-reacted with EAV antisera, and it was phylogenetically closely related to the South African donkey strain of EAV. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that ncpBVDV-1 belongs to BVDV-1b group.