RNA transcripts of full-length cDNA clones of rabbit hepatitis E virus are infectious in rabbits.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV), the causative agent of hepatitis E, is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the family Hepeviridae. At least four genotypes of the family infect humans: genotypes 1 and 2 are transmitted to humans through contaminated water, while genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic and have animal reservoirs. A novel strain of HEV recently identified in rabbits is a distant member of genotype 3, and thus poses a potential risk of zoonotic transmission to humans. The objective of this study was to construct and characterize an infectious cDNA clone of the rabbit HEV. Two full-length cDNA clones of rabbit HEV, pT7g-rabHEV and pT7-rabHEV, were constructed and their infectivity was tested by in vitro transfection of Huh7 human liver cells and by direct intrahepatic inoculation of rabbits with capped RNA transcripts. Results showed that positive signal for rabbit HEV protein was detected by an immunofluorescence assay with a HEV-specific antibody in Huh7 human liver cells transfected with capped RNA transcripts from the two full-length cDNA clones. Rabbits intrahepatically inoculated with capped RNA transcripts from each of the two clones developed active HEV infection as evidenced by seroconversion to anti-HEV antibodies, and detection of rabbit HEV RNA in sera and feces of inoculated animals. The availability of a rabbit HEV infectious cDNA clone now affords us the ability to delineate the mechanism of HEV replication and cross-species infection in a small animal model.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
Caitlin M
CM
Cossaboom
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
Yao-Wei
YW
Huang
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
Danielle M
DM
Yugo
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
Scott P
SP
Kenney
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
Pablo
P
Piñeyro
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
Shannon R
SR
Matzinger
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
C Lynn
CL
Heffron
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
F William
FW
Pierson
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA xjmeng@vt.edu.
Xiang-Jin
XJ
Meng
Animal model; Hepatitis E virus (HEV); Infectious cDNA clone; Rabbit HEV