Differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle.

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) constitute a significant ongoing public health threat, as the mechanisms of pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. Cardiovascular symptomatology is emerging as an important manifestation of arboviral infection. We have recently studied the cardiac tropism...

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Main Authors: Sophie N Spector, Maria G Noval, Kenneth A Stapleford
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-03-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012534
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author Sophie N Spector
Maria G Noval
Kenneth A Stapleford
author_facet Sophie N Spector
Maria G Noval
Kenneth A Stapleford
author_sort Sophie N Spector
collection DOAJ
description Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) constitute a significant ongoing public health threat, as the mechanisms of pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. Cardiovascular symptomatology is emerging as an important manifestation of arboviral infection. We have recently studied the cardiac tropism implicated in cardiac infection in mice for the alphavirus chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and we therefore sought to evaluate the cardiac tropism of other emerging alphaviruses and arboviruses. Using human primary cardiac cells, we found that arboviruses from diverse viral families were able to replicate within these cells. Interestingly, we noted that while the closely related alphavirus Mayaro virus (MAYV) could replicate to high titers in primary human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells, pulmonary, and brain endothelial cells, the Indian Ocean Lineage of CHIKV (CHIKV-IOL) was restricted in all endothelial cells tested. Upon further investigation, we discovered that this restriction occurs at both entry and egress stages. Additionally, we observed that compared to CHIKV, MAYV may antagonize or evade the innate immune response more efficiently in human cardiac endothelial cells to increase infection. Overall, this study explores the tropism of arboviruses in human primary cardiac cells and characterizes the strain-specific restriction of CHIKV-IOL in human endothelial cells. Further work is needed to understand how the differential restriction of alphaviruses in human endothelial cells impacts pathogenesis in a living model, as well as the specific host factors responsible.
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spelling doaj-art-dbf7a92e31624a59949187ca4b77976e2025-08-20T03:47:45ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352025-03-01193e001253410.1371/journal.pntd.0012534Differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle.Sophie N SpectorMaria G NovalKenneth A StaplefordArthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) constitute a significant ongoing public health threat, as the mechanisms of pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. Cardiovascular symptomatology is emerging as an important manifestation of arboviral infection. We have recently studied the cardiac tropism implicated in cardiac infection in mice for the alphavirus chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and we therefore sought to evaluate the cardiac tropism of other emerging alphaviruses and arboviruses. Using human primary cardiac cells, we found that arboviruses from diverse viral families were able to replicate within these cells. Interestingly, we noted that while the closely related alphavirus Mayaro virus (MAYV) could replicate to high titers in primary human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells, pulmonary, and brain endothelial cells, the Indian Ocean Lineage of CHIKV (CHIKV-IOL) was restricted in all endothelial cells tested. Upon further investigation, we discovered that this restriction occurs at both entry and egress stages. Additionally, we observed that compared to CHIKV, MAYV may antagonize or evade the innate immune response more efficiently in human cardiac endothelial cells to increase infection. Overall, this study explores the tropism of arboviruses in human primary cardiac cells and characterizes the strain-specific restriction of CHIKV-IOL in human endothelial cells. Further work is needed to understand how the differential restriction of alphaviruses in human endothelial cells impacts pathogenesis in a living model, as well as the specific host factors responsible.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012534
spellingShingle Sophie N Spector
Maria G Noval
Kenneth A Stapleford
Differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle.
title_full Differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle.
title_fullStr Differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle.
title_full_unstemmed Differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle.
title_short Differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle.
title_sort differential restriction of chikungunya virus in primary human cardiac endothelial cells occurs at multiple steps in the viral life cycle
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012534
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AT mariagnoval differentialrestrictionofchikungunyavirusinprimaryhumancardiacendothelialcellsoccursatmultiplestepsinthevirallifecycle
AT kennethastapleford differentialrestrictionofchikungunyavirusinprimaryhumancardiacendothelialcellsoccursatmultiplestepsinthevirallifecycle