Cell culture co- and superinfection experiments suggest that transmission during captivity contributes to the presence of reptarenavirus S and L segment swarms in boid inclusion body disease-positive snakes.

Boid inclusion body disease (BIBD) caused by reptarenaviruses affects captive constrictor snake collections worldwide. The disease manifests by the formation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in various tissues. Curiously, a snake with BIBD nearly always carries a swarm of reptarenavirus small and large segments rather than a single pair, and the composition of the swarm can vary between tissues.

Comparative analysis of human, rodent and snake deltavirus replication.

The recent discovery of Hepatitis D (HDV)-like viruses across a wide range of taxa led to the establishment of the Kolmioviridae family. Recent studies suggest that kolmiovirids can be satellites of viruses other than Hepatitis B virus (HBV), challenging the strict HBV/HDV-association dogma. Studying whether kolmiovirids are able to replicate in any animal cell they enter is essential to assess their zoonotic potential.

Drug repurposing platform for deciphering the druggable SARS-CoV-2 interactome.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has heavily challenged the global healthcare system. Despite the vaccination programs, the new virus variants are circulating. Further research is required for understanding of the biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and for discovery of therapeutic agents against the virus.

Persistent Reptarenavirus and Hartmanivirus Infection in Cultured Boid Cells.

Mammarenaviruses establish a persistent infection in their rodent and bat hosts, and the evidence suggests that reptarenaviruses and hartmaniviruses found in captive snakes act similarly. In snakes, reptarenaviruses cause boid inclusion body disease (BIBD), which is often associated with secondary infections. Snakes with BIBD usually carry more than a single pair of reptarenavirus S and L segments and occasionally demonstrate hartmanivirus coinfection.

Short '1.2× Genome' Infectious Clone Initiates Kolmiovirid Replication in Cells.

Human hepatitis D virus (HDV) depends on hepatitis B virus co-infection and its glycoproteins for infectious particle formation. HDV was the sole known deltavirus for decades and believed to be a human-only pathogen. However, since 2018, several groups reported finding HDV-like agents from various hosts but without co-infecting hepadnaviruses.

A Generic, Scalable, and Rapid Time-Resolved Förster Resonance Energy Transfer-Based Assay for Antigen Detection-SARS-CoV-2 as a Proof of Concept.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has seen an unprecedented increase in the demand for rapid and reliable diagnostic tools, leaving many laboratories scrambling for resources. We present a fast and simple assay principle for antigen detection and demonstrate its functionality by detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigens in nasopharyngeal swabs. The method is based on the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein (NP) and S protein (SP) via time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) with donor- and acceptor-labeled polyclonal anti-NP and -SP antibodies.

Neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and infectivity.

The causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For many viruses, tissue tropism is determined by the availability of virus receptors and entry cofactors on the surface of host cells. In this study, we found that neuropilin-1 (NRP1), known to bind furin-cleaved substrates, significantly potentiates SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, an effect blocked by a monoclonal blocking antibody against NRP1.

The complete genome sequence of bearded dragon adenovirus 1 harbors three genes encoding proteins of the C-type lectin-like domain superfamily.

Bearded dragon adenovirus 1 (BDAdV-1), also known as agamid adenovirus 1, has been described worldwide as a prevalent infectious agent of the inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), the most common squamate exotic pet reptile. Previous limited sequence data of the adenoviral DNA polymerase and hexon genes indicated that BDAdV-1 is a member of genus Atadenovirus family Adenoviridae. Atadenoviruses infect ruminants, marsupials, testudine reptiles and birds, yet the genus has been shown to be of squamate reptile origin.

Differences in Tissue and Species Tropism of Reptarenavirus Species Studied by Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Pseudotypes.

Reptarenaviruses cause Boid Inclusion Body Disease (BIBD), and co-infections by several reptarenaviruses are common in affected snakes. Reptarenaviruses have only been found in captive snakes, and their reservoir hosts remain unknown. In affected animals, reptarenaviruses appear to replicate in most cell types, but their complete host range, as well as tissue and cell tropism are unknown.

Identification of Reptarenaviruses, Hartmaniviruses, and a Novel Chuvirus in Captive Native Brazilian Boa Constrictors with Boid Inclusion Body Disease.

Boid inclusion body disease (BIBD) is a transmissible viral disease of captive snakes that causes severe losses in snake collections worldwide. It is caused by reptarenavirus infection, which can persist over several years without overt signs but is generally associated with the eventual death of the affected snakes. Thus far, reports have confirmed the existence of reptarenaviruses in captive snakes in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, but there is no evidence that it also occurs in wild snakes.

Snake Deltavirus Utilizes Envelope Proteins of Different Viruses To Generate Infectious Particles.

Satellite viruses, most commonly found in plants, rely on helper viruses to complete their replication cycle. The only known example of a human satellite virus is the hepatitis D virus (HDV), and it is generally thought to require hepatitis B virus (HBV) to form infectious particles. Until 2018, HDV was the sole representative of the genus and was thought to have evolved in humans, the only known HDV host.

Identification of a Novel Deltavirus in Boa Constrictors.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) forms the genus unassigned to any virus family. HDV is a satellite virus and needs hepatitis B virus (HBV) to make infectious particles. Deltaviruses are thought to have evolved in humans, since for a long time, they had not been identified elsewhere.

Characterization of Haartman Institute snake virus-1 (HISV-1) and HISV-like viruses-The representatives of genus Hartmanivirus, family Arenaviridae.

The family Arenaviridae comprises three genera, Mammarenavirus, Reptarenavirus and the most recently added Hartmanivirus. Arenaviruses have a bisegmented genome with ambisense coding strategy. For mammarenaviruses and reptarenaviruses the L segment encodes the Z protein (ZP) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and the S segment encodes the glycoprotein precursor and the nucleoprotein.

Random Sampling of Squamate Reptiles in Spanish Natural Reserves Reveals the Presence of Novel Adenoviruses in Lacertids (Family Lacertidae) and Worm Lizards (Amphisbaenia).

Here, we report the results of a large-scale PCR survey on the prevalence and diversity of adenoviruses (AdVs) in samples collected randomly from free-living reptiles. On the territories of the Guadarrama Mountains National Park in Central Spain and of the Chafarinas Islands in North Africa, cloacal swabs were taken from 318 specimens of eight native species representing five squamate reptilian families. The healthy-looking animals had been captured temporarily for physiological and ethological examinations, after which they were released.