1. Academic Validation
  2. Genotype 5 Hepatitis E Virus Produced by a Reverse Genetics System Has the Potential for Zoonotic Infection

Genotype 5 Hepatitis E Virus Produced by a Reverse Genetics System Has the Potential for Zoonotic Infection

  • Hepatol Commun. 2018 Nov 30;3(1):160-172. doi: 10.1002/hep4.1288.
Tian-Cheng Li 1 Huimin Bai 2 Sayaka Yoshizaki 1 Yasushi Ami 3 Yuriko Suzaki 3 Yen Hai Doan 1 Kazuaki Takahashi 4 Shunji Mishiro 4 Naokazu Takeda 5 Takaji Wakita 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Virology II National Institute of Infectious Diseases Tokyo Japan.
  • 2 Baotou Medical College Baotou, Inner Mongolia China.
  • 3 Division of Experimental Animals Research National Institute of Infectious Diseases Tokyo Japan.
  • 4 Department of Medical Sciences Tokyo-Shinagawa Hospital Tokyo Japan.
  • 5 Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University Osaka Japan.
Abstract

Neither an animal model nor a Cell Culture system has been established for the genotype 5 hepatitis E virus (G5 HEV), and the pathogenicity, epidemiology, and replication mechanism of the virus remain unclear. In this study, we used a reverse genetics system to generate G5 HEV and examined the possibility of zoonotic Infection. Capped and uncapped genomic G5 HEV RNAs generated by in vitro transcription were transfected into PLC/PRF/5 cells. Infectious G5 HEV was recovered from the capped G5 HEV RNA-transfected PLC/PRF/5 cells and the subsequently passaged cells. G5 HEV was also recovered from uncapped G5 HEV-transfected PLC/PRF/5 cells after a longer lag phase, suggesting that the 5'-cap structure is not essential but affected the efficiency of G5 HEV replication. G5 HEV Infection was neutralized not only by anti-G5 HEV-like particles (HEV-LPs) antibody, but also by anti-G1, anti-G3, anti-G4, and anti-G7 HEV-LPs Antibodies. G5 HEV was capable of infecting cynomolgus monkeys negative for anti-HEV antibody but not Animals positive for anti-G7 HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG), indicating that cynomolgus monkeys were susceptible to G5 HEV, and the serotype of G5 HEV was identical to that of G7 HEV and human HEVs. Moreover, G5 HEV replication was efficiently inhibited by ribavirin and partially inhibited by sofosbuvir. Conclusion: Infectious G5 HEV was produced using a reverse genetics system, and the antigenicity was identical to that of human HEVs and G7 HEV. Transmission of G5 HEV to primates was confirmed by an experimental Infection, providing evidence of the possibility of zoonotic Infection by G5 HEV.

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