title: Identification of Novel Rosavirus Species That Infects Diverse Rodent Species and Causes Multisystemic Dissemination in Mouse Model.
abstract: While novel picornaviruses are being discovered in rodents, their host range and pathogenicity are largely unknown. We identified two novel picornaviruses, rosavirus B from the street rat, Norway rat, and rosavirus C from five different wild rat species (chestnut spiny rat, greater bandicoot rat, Indochinese forest rat, roof rat and Coxing's white-bellied rat) in China. Analysis of 13 complete genome sequences showed that "Rosavirus B" and "Rosavirus C" represent two potentially novel picornavirus species infecting different rodents. Though being most closely related to rosavirus A, rosavirus B and C possessed distinct protease cleavage sites and variations in Yn-Xm-AUG sequence in 5'UTR and myristylation site in VP4. Anti-rosavirus B VP1 antibodies were detected in Norway rats, whereas anti-rosavirus C VP1 and neutralizing antibodies were detected in Indochinese forest rats and Coxing's white-bellied rats. While the highest prevalence was observed in Coxing's white-bellied rats by RT-PCR, the detection of rosavirus C from different rat species suggests potential interspecies transmission. Rosavirus C isolated from 3T3 cells causes multisystemic diseases in a mouse model, with high viral loads and positive viral antigen expression in organs of infected mice after oral or intracerebral inoculation. Histological examination revealed alveolar fluid exudation, interstitial infiltration, alveolar fluid exudate and wall thickening in lungs, and hepatocyte degeneration and lymphocytic/monocytic inflammatory infiltrates with giant cell formation in liver sections of sacrificed mice. Since rosavirus A2 has been detected in fecal samples of children, further studies should elucidate the pathogenicity and emergence potential of different rosaviruses.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Susanna K P
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Patrick C Y
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Kenneth S M
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, China.
authors.forename: Hao-Ji
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Rachel Y Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Anna J X
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Brandon C C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Carol S F
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Cyril C Y
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.affiliation: Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Chi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0071-3556
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Kwok-Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Kwok-Yung
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002681:China; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016679:Genome, Viral; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010802:Phylogeny; D010849:Picornaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral