Emergence and transmission of arbovirus evolutionary intermediates with epidemic potential

Kenneth A. Stapleford, Lark L. Coffey, Sreyrath Lay, Antonio V. Bordería, Veasna Duong, Ofer Isakov, Kathryn Rozen-Gagnon, Camilo Arias-Goeta, Hervé Blanc, Stéphanie Beaucourt, Türkan Haliloǧlu, Christine Schmitt, Isabelle Bonne, Nir Ben-Tal, Noam Shomron, Anna Bella Failloux, Philippe Buchy, Marco Vignuzzi*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

84 Scopus citations

Abstract

The high replication and mutation rates of RNA viruses can result in the emergence of new epidemic variants. Thus, the ability to follow host-specific evolutionary trajectories of viruses is essential to predict and prevent epidemics. By studying the spatial and temporal evolution of chikungunya virus during natural transmission between mosquitoes and mammals, we have identified viral evolutionary intermediates prior to emergence. Analysis of virus populations at anatomical barriers revealed that the mosquito midgut and salivary gland pose population bottlenecks. By focusing on virus subpopulations in the saliva of multiple mosquito strains, we recapitulated the emergence of a recent epidemic strain of chikungunya and identified E1 glycoprotein mutations with potential to emerge in the future. These mutations confer fitness advantages in mosquito and mammalian hosts by altering virion stability and fusogenic activity. Thus, virus evolutionary trajectories can be predicted and studied in the short term before new variants displace currently circulating strains.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)706-716
Number of pages11
JournalCell Host and Microbe
Volume15
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 11 Jun 2014

Funding

FundersFunder number
French Ministry of Superior Education and Research
Israel-France High Council for Science and Technology ResearchANR-09-JCJC-0118-1
Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationANR-10-LABX-62-IBEID
North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationCBP.MD.CLG 984340
Seventh Framework Programme242719
European Research Council

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