Genetic diversity of equine gammaherpesviruses (γ-EHV) and isolation of a syncytium forming EHV-2 strain from a horse in Iceland.
Abstract: The horse population in Iceland is a special breed, isolated from other equines for at least one thousand years. This provides an exceptional opportunity to investigate old and new pathogens in a genetically closed herd. Both types of equine gammaherpesviruses, EHV-2 and EHV-5, are common in Iceland. Genetic variation was examined by sequencing four genes, glycoprotein B (gB), glycoprotein H (gH), DNA polymerase and DNA terminase for 12 Icelandic and seven foreign EHV-2 strains. One Icelandic virus isolate, gEHV-Dv, induced syncytium formation, an uncharacteristic cytopathy for EHV-2 in equine kidney cells. When sequenced, the glycoprotein genes were different from both EHV-2 and EHV-5, but the polymerase and terminase genes had 98-99% identity to EHV-2. Therefore the gEHV-Dv strain can be considered a variant of EHV-2. Substantial genetic variability was seen within the EHV-2 glycoprotein genes but limited in the polymerase and terminase genes. The Icelandic EHV-2 strains do not seem to differ phylogenetically from the foreign viruses, despite isolation for over a thousand years.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-08-03 PubMed ID: 22862856DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2012.07.011Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article investigates the genetic diversity of certain equine gammaherpesviruses (γ-EHV) in Iceland’s distinct horse population, specifically EHV-2 and EHV-5, and identifies a unique variant of EHV-2 that forms syncytium, which is uncommon for this virus.
Background
- According to the research, the horse population in Iceland is unique due to its isolation from other equine species for more than a thousand years.
- This isolation provides an interesting opportunity to study old and new pathogens within a genetically closed herd.
Findings on γ-EHV
- The study finds that both types of equine gammaherpesviruses, EHV-2 and EHV-5, are common within the Icelandic horse population.
- The genetic variation within these viruses was analyzed by sequencing four specific genes: glycoprotein B (gB), glycoprotein H (gH), DNA polymerase, and DNA terminase for several Icelandic and foreign EHV-2 strains.
Discovery of a Variant EHV-2
- The researchers discovered one particular Icelandic virus isolate, termed gEHV-Dv, which induced syncytium formation – an uncharacteristic cytopathy (cell-disease interaction) for EHV-2 on equine kidney cells.
- This formation of a multinucleated cell mass, or a syncytium, is a deviation from the usual manifestations of EHV-2.
Genetic Analysis of the Variant EHV-2
- Upon sequencing, the researchers found that the glycoprotein genes within this unique strain didn’t match either EHV-2 or EHV-5.
- However, the DNA polymerase and terminase genes appeared to closely align with EHV-2, showing a similarity of 98-99%.
- As a result, they classified this unique strain as a variant of EHV-2 instead of a completely new virus.
Comparison with foreign EHV-2 strains
- The article concludes that, despite their isolation for over a thousand years, the Icelandic EHV-2 strains do not show a significant phylogenetic shift from foreign EHV-2 strains.
- However, the researchers found substantial genetic variability within the EHV-2 glycoprotein genes, while the variability was limited within the polymerase and terminase genes.
Cite This Article
APA
Thorsteinsdóttir L, Torfason EG, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V.
(2012).
Genetic diversity of equine gammaherpesviruses (γ-EHV) and isolation of a syncytium forming EHV-2 strain from a horse in Iceland.
Res Vet Sci, 94(1), 170-177.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2012.07.011 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur, Iceland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- DNA, Viral / genetics
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / veterinary
- Gammaherpesvirinae / genetics
- Genetic Variation / genetics
- Giant Cells / virology
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesviridae Infections / virology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses / virology
- Iceland
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Rhadinovirus / genetics
- Rhadinovirus / isolation & purification
- Tumor Virus Infections / veterinary
- Tumor Virus Infections / virology
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- James K, Chappell DE, Craig B, Pariseau C, Wright C, van Harreveld P, Barnum S, Pusterla N. Investigation of Selected Prevalence Factors Associated with EHV-2 and/or EHV-5 Infection in Horses with Acute Onset of Fever and Respiratory Signs. Viruses 2025 Apr 25;17(5).
- Schramm A, Ackermann M, Eichwald C, Aguilar C, Fraefel C, Lechmann J. Antibody reactions of horses against various domains of the EHV-1 receptor-binding protein gD1. PLoS One 2024;19(7):e0301987.
- Tsai MS, François S, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Infection with a Recently Discovered Gammaherpesvirus Variant in European Badgers, Meles meles, is Associated with Higher Relative Viral Loads in Blood. Pathogens 2022 Oct 6;11(10).
- Badr C, Souiai O, Arbi M, El Behi I, Essaied MS, Khosrof I, Benkahla A, Chabchoub A, Ghram A. Epidemiological and Phylogeographic Study of Equid Herpesviruses in Tunisia. Pathogens 2022 Sep 5;11(9).
- Onasanya AE, El-Hage C, Diaz-Méndez A, Vaz PK, Legione AR, Browning GF, Devlin JM, Hartley CA. Whole genome sequence analysis of equid gammaherpesvirus -2 field isolates reveals high levels of genomic diversity and recombination. BMC Genomics 2022 Aug 30;23(1):622.
- Thorsteinsdóttir L, Guðmundsson GÖ, Jensson H, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V. Isolation of equid alphaherpesvirus 3 from a horse in Iceland with equine coital exanthema. Acta Vet Scand 2021 Feb 2;63(1):6.
- Thorsteinsdóttir L, Jónsdóttir S, Stefánsdóttir SB, Andrésdóttir V, Wagner B, Marti E, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V. The effect of maternal immunity on the equine gammaherpesvirus type 2 and 5 viral load and antibody response. PLoS One 2019;14(6):e0218576.
- Dall Agnol AM, Beuttemmuller EA, Pilz D, Leme RA, Saporiti V, Headley SA, Alfieri AF, Alfieri AA. Detection of Equid gammaherpesvirus 2 and 5 DNA in the upper respiratory tract of asymptomatic horses from Southern Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2019 Jul;50(3):875-878.
- Marenzoni ML, Stefanetti V, Danzetta ML, Timoney PJ. Gammaherpesvirus infections in equids: a review. Vet Med (Auckl) 2015;6:91-101.
- Stasiak K, Dunowska M, Rola J. Prevalence and sequence analysis of equid herpesviruses from the respiratory tract of Polish horses. Virol J 2018 Jul 11;15(1):106.
- Shabman RS, Shrivastava S, Tsibane T, Attie O, Jayaprakash A, Mire CE, Dilley KE, Puri V, Stockwell TB, Geisbert TW, Sachidanandam R, Basler CF. Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Gammaherpesvirus from a Microbat Cell Line. mSphere 2016 Jan-Feb;1(1).
- Thorsteinsdóttir L, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V. Establishment and characterization of fetal equine kidney and lung cells with extended lifespan. Susceptibility to equine gammaherpesvirus infection and transfection efficiency. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2016 Sep;52(8):872-7.
- Doboro FA, Njiro S, Sibeko-Matjila K, Van Vuuren M. Molecular Analysis of South African Ovine Herpesvirus 2 Strains Based on Selected Glycoprotein and Tegument Genes. PLoS One 2016;11(3):e0147019.
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