Nipah Virus C and W Proteins Contribute to Respiratory Disease in Ferrets

• Published in: Journal of virology 2016-07, Vol.90 (14), p.6326-6343
• Main Authors: Satterfield, Benjamin A, Cross, Robert W, Fenton, Karla A, Borisevich, Viktoriya, Agans, Krystle N, Deer, Daniel J, Graber, Jessica, Basler, Christopher F, Geisbert, Thomas W, Mire, Chad E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Cells, Cultured; Chlorocebus aethiops; Cricetinae; Endothelium, Vascular - immunology; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Endothelium, Vascular - pathology; Female; Ferrets; Henipavirus Infections - complications; Henipavirus Infections - immunology; Henipavirus Infections - virology; Humans; Mustela; Nipah virus; Nipah Virus - pathogenicity; Paramyxovirus; Pathogenesis and Immunity; Phosphoproteins - immunology; Respiratory Tract Diseases - etiology; Respiratory Tract Diseases - pathology; Vero Cells; Viral Load; Viral Proteins - immunology
• ISSN: 0022-538X; 1098-5514
• DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00215-16

Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly lethal paramyxovirus that recently emerged as a causative agent of febrile encephalitis and severe respiratory disease in humans. The ferret model has emerged as the preferred small-animal model with which to study NiV disease, but much is still unknown about the viral determinants of NiV pathogenesis, including the contribution of the C protein in ferrets. Additionally, studies have yet to examine the synergistic effects of the various P gene products on pathogenesis in animal models. Using recombinant NiVs (rNiVs), we examine the sole contribution of the NiV C protein and the combined contributions of the C and W proteins in the ferret model of NiV pathogenesis. We show that an rNiV void of C expression resulted in 100% mortality, though with limited respiratory disease, like our previously reported rNiV void of W expression; this finding is in stark contrast to the attenuated phenotype observed in previous hamster studies utilizing rNiVs void of C expression. We also observed that an rNiV void of both C and W expression resulted in limited respiratory disease; however, there was severe neurological disease leading to 60% mortality, and the surviving ferrets demonstrated sequelae similar to those for human survivors of NiV encephalitis. Nipah virus (NiV) is a human pathogen capable of causing lethal respiratory and neurological disease. Many human survivors have long-lasting neurological impairment. Using a ferret model, this study demonstrated the roles of the NiV C and W proteins in pathogenesis, where lack of either the C or the W protein independently decreased the severity of clinical respiratory disease but did not decrease lethality. Abolishing both C and W expression, however, dramatically decreased the severity of respiratory disease and the level of destruction of splenic germinal centers. These ferrets still suffered severe neurological disease: 60% succumbed to disease, and the survivors experienced long-term neurological impairment, such as that seen in human survivors. This new ferret NiV C and W knockout model may allow, for the first time, the examination of interventions to prevent or mitigate the neurological damage and sequelae experienced by human survivors.