Influenza A virus (IAV) causes annual seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics resulting in significant levels of mortality and socio-economic costs worldwide. PB1-F2 is a small non-structural protein encoded by an alternate +1 open reading frame in the PB1 gene. PB1-F2 is considered to play important roles in primary influenza virus infection and post-influenza secondary bacterial pneumonia in mice. It is a multifunctional and enigmatic protein with diverse functions attributed to it and the precise contribution of PB1-F2 to the IAV life cycle in avian and mammalian hosts remains largely unknown. In the triple-reassortant H3N2 (TR H3N2) swine influenza virus (SIV) background, we found that PB1-F2 expression did not affect nasal shedding, lung viral load, immunophenotypes, and lung pathology in pigs. On the other hand, in turkeys, deletion of PB1-F2 resulted in early induction of clinical disease and effective transmission among the turkey poults. Interestingly, the virulence associated 66S mutation in PB1-F2 abolished the ability of the IAV to successfully infect turkeys and transmit to in-contacts. These results highlight the strain- and species-specific role of PB1-F2 protein. We also demonstrated that specific amino acid residues in the C-terminal of PB1-F2 determine the pathogenicity of 2009 swine-origin pandemic H1N1 virus in a mouse model. The C-terminal residues 73K, 75R, and 79R together with 66S increased virus replication, decreased type I interferon response, increased infiltration of neutrophils and myeloperoxidase production in lungs resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in mice with characteristic clinical and pathological features of acute lung injury (ALI). Further, we found that PB1-F2 induces mitochondrial superoxide production and mitochondrial damage in a sequence dependent manner in IAV-infected lung epithelial cells. PB1-F2-mediated mitochondrial damage promotes Parkin-mediated mitophagy but suppresses the autophagic degradation of damaged mitochondria in the infected lung epithelial cells. Accumulated dysfunctional mitochondria likely to aggravate host cell death and inflammatory responses. Taken together, the present findings enhance our understanding of PB1-F2 protein as a virulence determinant in IAV infection in a species- and strain-specific manner and provide new insights into the impact of genetic changes in PB1-F2 on the host pathogenesis of virulent IAV strains. / Ph. D.

Le système de sécrétion de type III est un des déterminants majeurs de la pathogénicité de Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum qui lui permet d’injecter des effecteurs de type III (les « Rip », « Ralstonia Injected Protein ») directement dans les cellules des plantes hôtes. Les effecteurs RipH1, RipH2 et RipH3 sont des effecteurs de type III conservés dans la plupart des souches séquencées. Au cours de ma thèse, le rôle de ces effecteurs RipH lors de l’infection de différentes plantes a été étudié en prenant comme point d’entrée les protéines de tomates avec lesquelles ces effecteurs interagissent. Un criblage par double hybride dans la levure a permis d’identifier 19 de ces protéines « cibles » de tomate. Des méthodes de génétique inverse ont ensuite été utilisées pour chercher le rôle des orthologues de ces protéines dans différentes plantes modèles lors de l’infection par Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum. Du VIGS chez Nicotiana benthamiana a permis de mettre en évidence l’implication des orthologues de la protéine TOM3 : la multiplication bactérienne est moins importante dans les feuilles lorsque l’expression de ces gènes est diminuée. Dans Arabidopsis thaliana, des mutants d’un gène orthologue de la cible TOM9, décrit comme jouant entre autres un rôle dans la remodélisation de la chromatine, est plus résistant à l’infection par R. pseudosolanacearum. Dans un deuxième chapitre correspondant à un article publié, le rôle de l’effecteur RipAX2 a été étudié dans la résistance des aubergines AG91-25. La présence de cet effecteur dans la souche GMI1000 est nécessaire à l’établissement de la résistance de cette variété dans laquelle le locus de résistance EBWR9 a été mis en évidence. L’ajout de RipAX2 dans la souche PSS4, une souche pathogène de AG91-25 qui ne possède pas cet effecteur naturellement, la rend non pathogène. De plus, le motif protéique putatif « zincbinding » qui est décrit comme nécessaire pour l’induction de réponses de défense chez l’espèce proche de l’aubergine Solanum torvum n’est pas nécessaire pour la résistance de AG91-25. Enfin, la conservation de l’effecteur RipAX2 dans les différentes souches du complexe d’espèces de Ralstonia solanacearum a été étudiée pour évaluer l’efficacité potentielle de cette source de résistance contre différentes souches. / One of the major virulence determinants of plant pathogenic Ralstonia species is the type III secretion system that enables it to inject proteins (also called “Ralstonia Injected Proteins” or Rip) into the host cells. The RipH1,2,3 type III effectors are conserved in different strains of the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex. The role of these effectors during infection has been studied, taking as an entry point the tomato proteins they interact with. Using yeast-two-hybrid screenings we have identified 19 tomato targets of these three RipH. Reverse genetics methods have then been used to study the role of orthologous genes of these targets in other model plants. Virus induced gene silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana showed that the orthologous genes of TOM3 were involved in plant response to Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum, as the bacterial multiplication was diminished in plants silenced for these genes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, mutants of the TOM9 orthologous gene which is described as involved in chromatin remodelisation were more tolerant to infection. In a second chapter corresponding to a published article, the role of RipAX2 has been studied. This effector triggers specific resistance in AG9125 eggplant which carry the major resistance locus EBWR9. This eggplant accession AG9125 is resistant to the wild type R. pseudosolanacearum strain GMI1000, while a ripAX2 defective mutant of this strain can cause wilt. The addition of ripAX2 from GMI1000 to the naturally pathogenic strain PSS4 suppresses its pathogenicity, demonstrating that RipAX2 causes AG9125 resistance. Moreover, a zinc binding motif described as necessary to induce defenses on the eggplant wild relative Solanum torvum upon RipAX2 recognition is not necessary for AG91-25 resistance. The conservation of RipAX2 has been studied in the different strains of the bacteria in order to determine the potential of this resistance source against various strains for breeding

Streptococcus agalactiae is a pathogen of multiple hosts. The bacterium, an aetiological agent of septicaemia and meningo-encephalitis in freshwater and saltwater fish species, is considered a major threat to the aquaculture industry, particularly for tilapia. Cattle and humans are however the main known reservoirs for S. agalactiae. In humans, the bacterium (commonly referred to as Group B Streptococcus or GBS) is a member of the commensal microflora of the intestinal and genito-urinary tracts, but it is also a major cause of neonatal invasive disease and an emerging pathogen in adults. In cattle, S. agalactiae is a well-recognized causative agent of mastitis. Numerous studies focusing on S. agalactiae from human and bovine origins have provided insight into the population structure of the bacterium, as well as the genome content and pathogenic mechanisms through identification of virulence determinants. Concerning S. agalactiae from aquatic origins, scientific information mainly focused on case reporting and/or experimental challenges, with a limited or absence of information in terms of pathogenesis, virulence determinants and genotypes of the strains involved. The objective of this study was to enhance our understanding of the molecular epidemiology, host-adaptation and pathogenicity of S. agalactiae in aquatic species, with particular emphasis on tilapia. Firstly, a collection of 33 piscine, amphibian and sea mammal isolates originating from several countries and continents was assembled, with the aim of exploring the population structure and potential host specificity of aquatic S. agalactiae. Isolates were characterised using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), and a standardised 3-set genotyping system comprising molecular serotypes, surface protein gene profiles and mobile genetic element profiles. Two major subpopulations were identified in fish. The first subpopulation consisted of non-haemolytic isolates that belonged to sequence type (ST) 260 or 261, which are STs that have been reported only from teleosts. These isolates exhibited a low level of genetic diversity by PFGE and clustered with other STs that have been reported only in fish. Another common feature was the absence of all surface protein genes or mobile genetic elements targeted as part of the 3-set genotyping and that are usually found in human or bovine isolates. The second subpopulation consisted of β-haemolytic isolates recovered from fish, frogs and sea mammals, and that exhibited medium to high genetic diversity by PFGE. STs identified among these isolates have previously been identified from strains associated with asymptomatic carriage and invasive disease in humans. The human pathogenic strain ST7 serotype Ia was detected in fish from Asia. Moreover, ST283 serotype III-4 and its novel single locus variant ST491 detected in fish from Southeast Asia shared a 3-set genotype identical to that of an emerging ST283 clone associated with invasive disease of adult humans in Asia. These observations suggested that some strains of aquatic S. agalactiae may present a zoonotic or anthroponotic hazard. STs found among the seal isolates (ST23) have also been reported from humans and numerous other host species, but never from teleosts. This work provided an excellent basis for exploration of the virulence of selected strains in experimental challenges. The virulence of two strains of S. agalactiae was experimentally investigated by intra-peritoneal infection of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), using an isolate originally recovered from fish and belonging to ST260, and an isolate originating from a grey seal and belonging to ST23. The clinical signs, the in vivo distribution of viable bacteria and bacterial antigens, and the gross and histopathological lesions that developed during the time course of the infection were investigated. The ST260 strain was highly virulent, whereas no major clinical sign or mortalities occurred in the fish challenged with the ST23 strain. After injection, both strains however gained access to the bloodstream and viable bacteria were recovered from all organs under investigation. During the early stages of infection, bacteria were mostly found within the reticulo-endothelial system of the spleen and kidney. Thereafter, the ST260 demonstrated a particular tropism for the brain and the heart, but granulomatous inflammation and associated necrotic lesions were observed in all organs. ST23 was responsible for a mixed inflammatory response associated with the presence of bacteria in the choroid rete and in the pancreatic tissue only. After 7 days post-challenge and for both strain, the formation or containment of bacteria within granulomata or other encapsulated structures appeared to be a major component of the fish response. However, the load of viable bacteria remained high within organs of fish infected with ST260, suggesting that, unlike ST23, this strain is able to survive within macrophages and/or to evade the immune system of the fish. This work demonstrates that the lack of report of ST23 strains in fish is possibly not due to a lack of exposure but to a lack of virulence in this host. The two strains, which differ in prevalence and virulence in fish, provide an excellent basis to investigate genomic differences underlying the host-association of distinct S. agalactiae subpopulations. The genome of the ST260 strain used in challenge studies was sequenced. We therefore provided the first description for the genome sequence of a non-haemolytic S. agalactiae isolated from tilapia (strain STIR-CD-17) and that belongs by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to clonal complex (CC) 552, which corresponds to a presumptive fish-adapted subgroup of S. agalactiae. The genome was compared to 13 S. agalactiae genomes of human (n=7), bovine (n=2), fish (n=3) and unknown (n=1) origins. Phylogenetic analysis based on the core genome identified isolates of CC552 as the most diverged of all S. agalactiae studied. Conversely, genomes from β-haemolytic isolates of CC7 recovered from fish were found to cluster with human isolates of CC7, further supporting the possibility that some strains may represent a zoonotic or anthroponotic hazard. Comparative analysis of the accessory genome enabled the identification of a cluster of genes uniquely shared between CC7 and CC552, which encode proteins that may provide enhanced fitness in specific niches. Other genes identified were specific to STIR-CD-17 or to CC552 based on genomic comparisons; however the extension of this analysis through the PCR screening of a larger population of S. agalactiae suggested that some of these genes may occasionally be present in isolates belonging to CC7. Some of these genes, occurring in clusters, exhibited typical signatures of mobile genetic elements, suggesting their acquisition through horizontal gene transfer. It is not possible to date to determine whether these genes were acquired through intraspecies transfer or through interspecies transfer from the aquatic environment. Finally, general features of STIR-CD-17 highlighted a distinctive genome characterised by an absence of well conserved insertion sequences, an abundance of pseudogenes, a smaller genomic size than normally observed among human or bovine S. agalactiae, and an apparent loss of metabolic functions considered conserved within the bacterial species, indicating that the fish-adapted subgroup of isolates (CC552) has undergone niche restriction. Finally, genes encoding recognised virulence factors in human S. agalactiae were selected and their presence and structural conservation was evaluated within the genome of STIR-CD-17.

Highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are naturally restricted to H5 and H7 subtypes with a polybasic cleavage site (CS) in hemagglutinin (HA) and any AIV with an intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) ≥ 1.2. Although only a few non-H5/H7 viruses fulfill the criteria of HPAIV; it remains unclear why these viruses did not spread in domestic birds. In 2012, a unique H4N2 virus with a polybasic CS 322PEKRRTR/G329 was isolated from quails in California which, however, was avirulent in chickens. This is the only known non-H5/H7 virus with four basic amino acids in the HACS. Here, we investigated the virulence of this virus in chickens after expansion of the polybasic CS by substitution of T327R (322PEKRRRR/G329) or T327K (322PEKRRKR/G329) with or without reassortment with HPAIV H5N1 and H7N7. The impact of single mutations or reassortment on virus fitness in vitro and in vivo was studied. Efficient cell culture replication of T327R/K carrying H4N2 viruses increased by treatment with trypsin, particularly in MDCK cells, and reassortment with HPAIV H5N1. Replication, virus excretion and bird-to-bird transmission of H4N2 was remarkably compromised by the CS mutations, but restored after reassortment with HPAIV H5N1, although not with HPAIV H7N7. Viruses carrying the H4-HA with or without R327 or K327 mutations and the other seven gene segments from HPAIV H5N1 exhibited high virulence and efficient transmission in chickens. Together, increasing the number of basic amino acids in the H4N2 HACS was detrimental for viral fitness particularly in vivo but compensated by reassortment with HPAIV H5N1. This may explain the absence of non-H5/H7 HPAIV in poultry.

Highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are naturally restricted to H5 and H7 subtypes with a polybasic cleavage site (CS) in hemagglutinin (HA) and any AIV with an intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) 1.2. Although only a few non-H5/H7 viruses fulfill the criteria of HPAIV; it remains unclear why these viruses did not spread in domestic birds. In 2012, a unique H4N2 virus with a polybasic CS 322PEKRRTR/G329 was isolated from quails in California which, however, was avirulent in chickens. This is the only known non-H5/H7 virus with four basic amino acids in the HACS. Here, we investigated the virulence of this virus in chickens after expansion of the polybasic CS by substitution of T327R (322PEKRRRR/G329) or T327K (322PEKRRKR/G329) with or without reassortment with HPAIV H5N1 and H7N7. The impact of single mutations or reassortment on virus fitness in vitro and in vivo was studied. Ecient cell culture replication of T327R/K carrying H4N2 viruses increased by treatment with trypsin, particularly in MDCK cells, and reassortment with HPAIV H5N1. Replication, virus excretion and bird-to-bird transmission of H4N2 was remarkably compromised by the CS mutations, but restored after reassortment with HPAIV H5N1, although not with HPAIV H7N7. Viruses carrying the H4-HA with or without R327 or K327 mutations and the other seven gene segments from HPAIV H5N1 exhibited high virulence and ecient transmission in chickens. Together, increasing the number of basic amino acids in the H4N2 HACS was detrimental for viral fitness particularly in vivo but compensated by reassortment with HPAIV H5N1. This may explain the absence of non-H5/H7 HPAIV in poultry.