Genomic and Epidemiological Investigations Reveal Chromosomal Integration of the Acipenserid Herpesvirus 3 Genome in Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>

DNA sequence from a new alloherpesvirus named acipenserid herpesvirus 3 (AciHV-3) was found in sturgeon species that are vulnerable to decline globally. A study was undertaken to develop a better understanding of the virus genome and to develop diagnostic tools to support an epidemiological investig...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sharon Clouthier, Umberto Rosani, Arfa Khan, Qiuwen Ding, Eveline Emmenegger, Zhuozhi Wang, Thomas Nalpathamkalam, Bhooma Thiruvahindrapuram
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Viruses
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/4/534
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850180180519157760
author Sharon Clouthier
Umberto Rosani
Arfa Khan
Qiuwen Ding
Eveline Emmenegger
Zhuozhi Wang
Thomas Nalpathamkalam
Bhooma Thiruvahindrapuram
author_facet Sharon Clouthier
Umberto Rosani
Arfa Khan
Qiuwen Ding
Eveline Emmenegger
Zhuozhi Wang
Thomas Nalpathamkalam
Bhooma Thiruvahindrapuram
author_sort Sharon Clouthier
collection DOAJ
description DNA sequence from a new alloherpesvirus named acipenserid herpesvirus 3 (AciHV-3) was found in sturgeon species that are vulnerable to decline globally. A study was undertaken to develop a better understanding of the virus genome and to develop diagnostic tools to support an epidemiological investigation. A 184,426 bp genome was assembled from PacBio HiFi sequences generated with DNA from a Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i> gonad cell line. The AciHV-3 genome was contiguous with host chromosomal DNA and was structured with telomere-like terminal direct repeat regions, five internal direct repeat regions and a U region that included intact open reading frames encoding alloherpesvirus core proteins. Diagnostic testing conducted with a newly developed and analytically validated qPCR assay established the ubiquitous presence and high titer of AciHV-3 DNA in somatic and germline tissues from wild Lake Sturgeon in the Hudson Bay drainage basin. Phylogenetic reconstructions confirm that the monophyletic AciHV-3 lineage shares a common ancestor with AciHV-1 and that AciHV-3 taxa cluster according to their sturgeon host. The same genotype of AciHV-3 is found in disjunctive Lake Sturgeon populations within and among drainage basins. The results support the hypotheses that AciHV-3 has established latency through germline chromosomal integration, is vertically transmitted via a Mendelian pattern of inheritance, is evolving in a manner consistent with a replication competent virus and has co-evolved with its host reaching genetic fixation in Lake Sturgeon populations in central Canada.
format Article
id doaj-art-5f8b8fb756cd423a8fbf5d7dfc2f2ba8
institution OA Journals
issn 1999-4915
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Viruses
spelling doaj-art-5f8b8fb756cd423a8fbf5d7dfc2f2ba82025-08-20T02:18:16ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152025-04-0117453410.3390/v17040534Genomic and Epidemiological Investigations Reveal Chromosomal Integration of the Acipenserid Herpesvirus 3 Genome in Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>Sharon Clouthier0Umberto Rosani1Arfa Khan2Qiuwen Ding3Eveline Emmenegger4Zhuozhi Wang5Thomas Nalpathamkalam6Bhooma Thiruvahindrapuram7Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, CanadaDepartment of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padua, ItalyDepartment of Fisheries and Oceans, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, CanadaDepartment of Fisheries and Oceans, Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, CanadaU.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA 98115, USAThe Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1H3, CanadaThe Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1H3, CanadaThe Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1H3, CanadaDNA sequence from a new alloherpesvirus named acipenserid herpesvirus 3 (AciHV-3) was found in sturgeon species that are vulnerable to decline globally. A study was undertaken to develop a better understanding of the virus genome and to develop diagnostic tools to support an epidemiological investigation. A 184,426 bp genome was assembled from PacBio HiFi sequences generated with DNA from a Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i> gonad cell line. The AciHV-3 genome was contiguous with host chromosomal DNA and was structured with telomere-like terminal direct repeat regions, five internal direct repeat regions and a U region that included intact open reading frames encoding alloherpesvirus core proteins. Diagnostic testing conducted with a newly developed and analytically validated qPCR assay established the ubiquitous presence and high titer of AciHV-3 DNA in somatic and germline tissues from wild Lake Sturgeon in the Hudson Bay drainage basin. Phylogenetic reconstructions confirm that the monophyletic AciHV-3 lineage shares a common ancestor with AciHV-1 and that AciHV-3 taxa cluster according to their sturgeon host. The same genotype of AciHV-3 is found in disjunctive Lake Sturgeon populations within and among drainage basins. The results support the hypotheses that AciHV-3 has established latency through germline chromosomal integration, is vertically transmitted via a Mendelian pattern of inheritance, is evolving in a manner consistent with a replication competent virus and has co-evolved with its host reaching genetic fixation in Lake Sturgeon populations in central Canada.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/4/534Lake Sturgeon<i>Alloherpesviridae</i>endogenousgermlineherpesvirus
spellingShingle Sharon Clouthier
Umberto Rosani
Arfa Khan
Qiuwen Ding
Eveline Emmenegger
Zhuozhi Wang
Thomas Nalpathamkalam
Bhooma Thiruvahindrapuram
Genomic and Epidemiological Investigations Reveal Chromosomal Integration of the Acipenserid Herpesvirus 3 Genome in Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>
Viruses
Lake Sturgeon
<i>Alloherpesviridae</i>
endogenous
germline
herpesvirus
title Genomic and Epidemiological Investigations Reveal Chromosomal Integration of the Acipenserid Herpesvirus 3 Genome in Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>
title_full Genomic and Epidemiological Investigations Reveal Chromosomal Integration of the Acipenserid Herpesvirus 3 Genome in Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>
title_fullStr Genomic and Epidemiological Investigations Reveal Chromosomal Integration of the Acipenserid Herpesvirus 3 Genome in Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>
title_full_unstemmed Genomic and Epidemiological Investigations Reveal Chromosomal Integration of the Acipenserid Herpesvirus 3 Genome in Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>
title_short Genomic and Epidemiological Investigations Reveal Chromosomal Integration of the Acipenserid Herpesvirus 3 Genome in Lake Sturgeon <i>Acipenser fulvescens</i>
title_sort genomic and epidemiological investigations reveal chromosomal integration of the acipenserid herpesvirus 3 genome in lake sturgeon i acipenser fulvescens i
topic Lake Sturgeon
<i>Alloherpesviridae</i>
endogenous
germline
herpesvirus
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/4/534
work_keys_str_mv AT sharonclouthier genomicandepidemiologicalinvestigationsrevealchromosomalintegrationoftheacipenseridherpesvirus3genomeinlakesturgeoniacipenserfulvescensi
AT umbertorosani genomicandepidemiologicalinvestigationsrevealchromosomalintegrationoftheacipenseridherpesvirus3genomeinlakesturgeoniacipenserfulvescensi
AT arfakhan genomicandepidemiologicalinvestigationsrevealchromosomalintegrationoftheacipenseridherpesvirus3genomeinlakesturgeoniacipenserfulvescensi
AT qiuwending genomicandepidemiologicalinvestigationsrevealchromosomalintegrationoftheacipenseridherpesvirus3genomeinlakesturgeoniacipenserfulvescensi
AT evelineemmenegger genomicandepidemiologicalinvestigationsrevealchromosomalintegrationoftheacipenseridherpesvirus3genomeinlakesturgeoniacipenserfulvescensi
AT zhuozhiwang genomicandepidemiologicalinvestigationsrevealchromosomalintegrationoftheacipenseridherpesvirus3genomeinlakesturgeoniacipenserfulvescensi
AT thomasnalpathamkalam genomicandepidemiologicalinvestigationsrevealchromosomalintegrationoftheacipenseridherpesvirus3genomeinlakesturgeoniacipenserfulvescensi
AT bhoomathiruvahindrapuram genomicandepidemiologicalinvestigationsrevealchromosomalintegrationoftheacipenseridherpesvirus3genomeinlakesturgeoniacipenserfulvescensi