| leporipoxvirus cu-zn superoxide dismutase homologs inhibit cellular superoxide dismutase, but are not essential for virus replication or virulence. | vertebrate poxviruses encode homologs of cellular cupro-zinc superoxide dismutases (cu-zn sod). in this study we have examined the molecular genetic properties of two cu-zn sod homologs encoded by the shope fibroma virus (sfv) and myxoma virus. these leporipoxvirus proteins should be catalytically inactive as judged by the point mutations which alter a key catalytic arginine and restructure the predicted cu-binding domain. this prediction was confirmed using in situ gel assays and recombinant pr ... | 2002 | 12036324 |
| vaccination of cats with an attenuated recombinant myxoma virus expressing feline calicivirus capsid protein. | myxoma virus, a member of the poxviridae family (genus leporipoxvirus) is the agent responsible for myxomatosis in the european rabbit. recombinant myxoma viruses expressing the capsid gene of an f9 strain of feline calicivirus (fcv) were constructed from an apathogenic, laboratory attenuated, isolate of myxoma virus. the fcv capsid genes were recombined into the myxoma growth factor (mgf) locus of the myxoma genome and expressed from synthetic poxvirus promoters. myxoma virus is unable to repli ... | 2002 | 12057600 |
| immune responses to myxoma virus. | myxoma virus causes the systemic disease myxomatosis in the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus). originating in the south american rabbit sylvilagus brasiliensis, where it causes a relatively localized fibroma, myxoma virus is a classic example of a virus that has jumped species to produce an exotic disease and then coevolved with its new host. like other poxviruses, myxoma virus encodes multiple proteins capable of downregulating the host innate and acquired immune responses. other virus-en ... | 2002 | 12081009 |
| a pox on thee! manipulation of the host immune system by myxoma virus and implications for viral-host co-adaptation. | the poxviruses have evolved a diverse array of proteins which serve to subvert innate and adaptive host responses that abort or at least limit viral infections. myxoma virus and its rabbit host are considered to represent an ideal poxvirus-host system in which to study the effects of these immunomodulatory proteins. studies of laboratory rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) infected with gene knockout variants of myxoma virus have provided compelling evidence that several myxoma virus gene products c ... | 2002 | 12297325 |
| myxoma virus m141r expresses a viral cd200 (vox-2) that is responsible for down-regulation of macrophage and t-cell activation in vivo. | m141r is a myxoma virus gene that encodes a cell surface protein with significant amino acid similarity to the family of cellular cd200 (ox-2) proteins implicated in the regulation of myeloid lineage cell activation. the creation of an m141r deletion mutant myxoma virus strain (vmyx141ko) and its subsequent infection of european rabbits demonstrated that m141r is required for the full development of a lethal infection in vivo but is not required for efficient virus replication in susceptible cel ... | 2005 | 15857991 |
| myxoma virus m128l is expressed as a cell surface cd47-like virulence factor that contributes to the downregulation of macrophage activation in vivo. | the m128l myxoma virus gene expresses a five-membrane spanning cell surface protein with significant amino acid homology to the cellular cd47 proteins. cd47, also called integrin-associated protein (iap), is associated with the modulation of leukocyte adhesion, motility, activation, and phagocytosis. creation of an m128l-deletion mutant myxoma virus strain and subsequent infection of the european rabbit demonstrated that m128l is necessary for the production of a lethal infection in susceptible ... | 2005 | 15914220 |
| the effect of single and concomitant pathogen infections on condition and fecundity of the wild rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus). | we assessed the effect of two pathogens (myxoma virus and eimeria stiedae) and five macroparasites (gastrointestinal helminth species) of the wild rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) upon total host body mass and abdominal fat level. additionally, we assessed the effects of these organisms on the number of foetuses in adult females during the peak breeding period. both mass of abdominal fat and total body mass of the rabbit were negatively associated with myxoma virus infection and increasing helmint ... | 2005 | 16051247 |
| studies by electron microscopy of thin sections of infectious myxomatosis in rabbits. | rabbits were inoculated with the c.p.m. strain of myxoma virus and the resulting subcutaneous tumors were fixed, embedded, and sectioned for observation with the electron microscope. both round cells and the typical stellate myxomatous cells were observed in addition to changes in the collagen pattern at the intercellular spaces. the cytoplasm of the cells showed a great number of bodies of varying size and density, the largest of them having the size and other characteristics of the elementary ... | 1952 | 12981219 |
| the inadvertent introduction into australia of trypanosoma nabiasi, the trypanosome of the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus), and its potential for biocontrol. | wild rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) in australia are the descendents of 24 animals from england released in 1859. we surveyed rabbits and rabbit fleas (spilopsyllus cuniculi) in australia for the presence of trypanosomes using parasitological and pcr-based methods. trypanosomes were detected in blood from the european rabbits by microscopy, and pcr using trypanosome-specific small subunit ribosomal rna (ssu rrna) gene primers and those in rabbit fleas by pcr. this is the first record of trypano ... | 2005 | 16101782 |
| serpins, the vasculature, and viral therapeutics. | serine protease inhibitors, termed serpins, are key regulators of numerous biological pathways that initiate inflammation, coagulation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, extra-cellular matrix composition and complement activation responses. viruses have encoded serpins to guard themselves from host immune attack. the myxoma virus which infects rabbits secretes a highly potent anti-inflammatory serpin, serp-1, which targets thrombolytic and thrombotic proteases as a means to fend off coagulation and infla ... | 2006 | 16146796 |
| the poxviral scrapin mv-lap requires a myxoma viral infection context to efficiently downregulate mhc-i molecules. | downregulation of mhc class i molecules is a strategy developed by some viruses to escape cellular immune responses. myxoma virus (mv), a poxvirus causing rabbit myxomatosis, encodes mv-lap that is known to increase mhc-i endocytosis and degradation through a c(4)hc(3) motif critical for an e3 ubiquitin ligase activity. here, we performed a functional mapping of mv-lap and showed that not only the c(4)hc(3) motif is necessary for a marked downregulation of mhc-i but also a conserved region in th ... | 2005 | 16185739 |
| viruses of the myxoma-fibroma subgroup of the poxviruses. i. plaque production in cultured cells, plaque-reduction tests, and cross-protection tests in rabbits. | | 1965 | 14323551 |
| virulence and pathogenesis of the msw and msd strains of californian myxoma virus in european rabbits with genetic resistance to myxomatosis compared to rabbits with no genetic resistance. | the pathogenesis of two californian strains of myxoma virus (msw and msd) was examined in european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) that were either susceptible to myxomatosis (laboratory rabbits) or had undergone natural selection for genetic resistance to myxomatosis (australian wild rabbits). msw was highly lethal for both types of rabbits with average survival times of 7.3 and 9.4 days, respectively, and 100% mortality. classical clinical signs of myxomatosis were not present except in one ra ... | 2006 | 16442580 |
| genetic variation at chemokine receptor ccr5 in leporids: alteration at the 2nd extracellular domain by gene conversion with ccr2 in oryctolagus, but not in sylvilagus and lepus species. | whereas in its natural host (sylvilagus sps.) the effects of myxoma virus infections are benign, in european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus), it causes a highly infectious disease with very high mortality rate, known as myxomatosis. there is evidence that, as with hiv-1 virus in human, myxoma virus may use chemokine receptors such as ccr5 of the host target cell for entry and activation of pathways of immune avoidance. we have characterized and compared ccr5 genes of leporid species with differen ... | 2006 | 16596402 |
| biological control of vertebrate pests using virally vectored immunocontraception. | species-specific viruses are being genetically engineered to produce contraceptive biological controls for pest animals such as mice, rabbits and foxes. the virus vaccines are intended to trigger an autoimmune response in the target animals that interferes with their fertility in a process termed virally vectored immunocontraception. laboratory experiments have shown that high levels of infertility can be induced in mice infected with recombinant murine cytomegalovirus and ectromelia virus expre ... | 2006 | 16870262 |
| atypical myxomatosis--virus isolation, experimental infection of rabbits and restriction endonuclease analysis of the isolate. | atypical form of myxomatosis, which caused non-lethal and clinically mild disease in domestic rabbits 1 month after immunization with a commercially available vaccine mxt, is described. the isolated myxoma virus designated as litovel 2 (li-2) did not induce systemic disease following subcutaneous and intradermal applications in susceptible experimental rabbits but led to the immune response demonstrated by elisa. no severe disease was induced in those li-2 inoculated rabbits by challenge with th ... | 2003 | 14628995 |
| myxoma virus in rabbits. | myxoma virus in european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) is one of the best documented examples of host-virus co-evolution. in the natural hosts (sylvilagus brasiliensis or s. bachmani rabbits in the americas), myxoma virus causes a benign cutaneous fibroma. in european rabbits, however, myxoma virus causes the fulminant disease, myxomatosis. when introduced into wild european rabbit populations in australia, europe and great britain, the virus was initially highly lethal, killing in excess of 9 ... | 1998 | 9638815 |
| possible interaction between myxomatosis and calicivirosis related to rabbit haemorrhagic disease affecting the european rabbit. | serological data on myxoma virus, rabbit haemorrhagic disease (rhd) virus and rhd-like viruses in juvenile rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) trapped in 1995, 1996 and 1997 in two areas of france were analysed. for each disease, the effects of bodyweight, year, month and seropositivity for the other disease were modelled by using logistic regressions. in one area, a model including rhd seropositivity was selected to explain the myxoma virus seropositivity. models including myxoma virus seropositivi ... | 2004 | 15573951 |
| detection of myxoma viruses encoding a defective m135r gene from clinical cases of myxomatosis; possible implications for the role of the m135r protein as a virulence factor. | myxoma virus is a member of the poxviridae and causes disease in european rabbits. laboratory confirmation of the clinical disease, which occurs in the autumn of most years in denmark, has been achieved previously using antigen elisa and electron microscopy. | 2010 | 20078890 |
| myxoma virus in the european rabbit: interactions between the virus and its susceptible host. | myxoma virus (mv) is a poxvirus that evolved in sylvilagus lagomorphs, and is the causative agent of myxomatosis in european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus). this virus is not a natural pathogen of o. cuniculus, yet is able to subvert the host rabbit immune system defenses and cause a highly lethal systemic infection. the interaction of mv proteins and the rabbit immune system has been an ideal model to help elucidate host/poxvirus interactions, and has led to a greater understanding of how othe ... | 2007 | 17296158 |
| myxoma virus and oncolytic virotherapy: a new biologic weapon in the war against cancer. | oncolytic virotherapy is an innovative alternative to more conventional cancer therapies. the ability of some viruses to specifically target and kill malignant cancerous cells while leaving normal tissue unscathed has opened a large repertoire of new and selective cancer killing therapeutic candidates. poxviruses, such as vaccinia virus, have a long history of use in humans as live vaccines and have more recently been studied as potential platforms for delivery of immunotherapeutics and attenuat ... | 2007 | 17727330 |
| tumorigenic poxviruses up-regulate intracellular superoxide to inhibit apoptosis and promote cell proliferation. | tumorigenic leporipoxviruses encode catalytically inactive homologs of cellular cu-zn superoxide dismutase (sod1). the function of the orthologous myxoma virus m131r and shope fibroma virus s131r gene products is uncertain, but they inhibit sod1 activity by a process linked to binding its copper chaperone. using a superoxide-sensitive dye (hydroethidine), we observed that virus infection increased intracellular superoxide levels in an m/s131r-dependent manner. to see whether this effect promotes ... | 2005 | 15827194 |
| immunocontraceptive effects on female rabbits infected with recombinant myxoma virus expressing rabbit zp2 or zp3. | recombinant myxoma viruses expressing rabbit zona pellucida 2 (rzp2) or rabbit zona pellucida 3 (rzp3) glycoproteins were constructed and tested in domestic rabbits to assess their potential to induce autoimmune infertility. the recombinant virus expressing rzp2 had no effect on fertility or ovarian histology, despite all animals developing antibodies against the rzp2 antigen. however, recombinant viruses expressing rzp3 induced infertility in 70% of animals at the first breeding. serum antibodi ... | 2006 | 16306421 |
| limitations of plasmid vaccines to complex viruses: selected myxoma virus antigens as dna vaccines were not protective. | myxoma virus, a poxvirus of the genus leporipoxvirus, is the causative agent of the disease myxomatosis which is highly lethal in european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus). current vaccines to protect against myxomatosis are either attenuated live strains of the virus or the antigenically related rabbit fibroma virus. we examined the immune response of outbred domestic rabbits to the individual myxoma virus antigens m055r, m073r, m115l and m121r, delivered as dna vaccines co-expressing rabbit int ... | 2004 | 15531037 |
| genetic characterization of the chemokine receptor cxcr4 gene in lagomorphs: comparison between the families ochotonidae and leporidae. | chemokines receptors are transmembrane proteins that bind chemokines. chemokines and their receptors are known to play a crucial role in the immune system and in pathogen entry. there is evidence that myxoma virus, the causative agent of myxomatosis, can use the chemokine receptor cxcr4 to infect cells. this virus causes a benign disease in its natural host, sylvilagus, but in the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) it causes a highly fatal and infectious disease known as myxomatosis. we hav ... | 2008 | 18205827 |
| rapid identification of myxoma virus variants by long-range pcr and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. | a long-range pcr method directed at the myxoma virus (mv) left hand and right hand terminal inverted repeats (tirs) for rapid amplification of genomic dna and mv isolate differentiation by restriction fragment length polymorphism (rflp) analysis is described. the efficacy of this method was tested by comparing the results from full genome rflps with those from tirs amplified separately using reference strain lausanne (lu) and a field mv strain characterised previously for its virulence in rabbit ... | 2009 | 19591871 |
| parasite co-infection and interaction as drivers of host heterogeneity. | we examined the hypothesis that the interaction between concomitant infecting parasites modifies host susceptibility, parasite intensity and the pattern of parasite distribution within the host population. we used a 26 year time series of three common parasites in a natural population of rabbits: two gastrointestinal nematodes (trichostrongylus retortaeformis and graphidium strigosum) and the immunosuppressive myxoma virus. the frequency distribution of nematodes in the host population and the r ... | 2008 | 17936286 |
| m148r and m149r are two virulence factors for myxoma virus pathogenesis in the european rabbit. | myxoma virus (myxv), a member of the poxviridae family, is the agent responsible for myxomatosis, a fatal disease in the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus). myxv has a linear double-stranded dna genome that encodes several factors important for evasion from the host immune system. among them, four ankyrin (ank) repeat proteins were identified: m148r, m149r, m150r and m-t5. to date, only m150r and m-t5 were studied and characterized as critical virulence factors. this article presents the fi ... | 2009 | 19019281 |
| myxoma virus expressing interleukin-15 fails to cause lethal myxomatosis in european rabbits. | myxoma virus (myxv) is a poxvirus pathogenic only for european rabbits, but its permissiveness in human cancer cells gives it potential as an oncolytic virus. a recombinant myxv expressing both the tdtomato red fluorescent protein and interleukin-15 (il-15) (vmyx-il-15-tdtr) was constructed. cells infected with vmyx-il-15-tdtr secreted bioactive il-15 and had in vitro replication kinetics similar to that of wild-type myxv. to determine the safety of this virus for future oncolytic studies, we te ... | 2009 | 19279088 |
| vaccination of free-living juvenile wild rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) against myxomatosis improved their survival. | for several decades, the populations of the european wild rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) have declined, which is partly due to myxomatosis. vaccination against this disease is expected to contribute to restoration of rabbit populations but the actual impact of myxomatosis is not well known and vaccination might have some negative effects. we analyzed the capture-mark-recapture data obtained in a 4-year field experiment (1991-1994) in a park near paris, france wherein 300 out of 565 seronegative ... | 2008 | 18045714 |
| myxoma virus m130r is a novel virulence factor required for lethal myxomatosis in rabbits. | myxoma virus (mv) is a highly lethal, rabbit-specific poxvirus that induces a disease called myxomatosis in european rabbits. in an effort to understand the function of predicted immunomodulatory genes we have deleted various viral genes from mv and tested the ability of these knockout viruses to induce lethal myxomatosis. mv encodes a unique 15 kd cytoplasmic protein (m130r) that is expressed late (12h post infection) during infection. m130r is a non-essential gene for mv replication in rabbit, ... | 2009 | 19477207 |
| rapid purification of myxoma virus dna. | a rapid and efficient procedure for the purification of myxoma virus dna from infected cell cultures is described. the traditional method used for recovery of myxoma virus dna involves multiple freeze-thawing cycles to disrupt cells and release virions followed by ultracentrifugation to concentrate virions for dna extraction. freeze-thaw cycles are time consuming and reduce viral titers, while ultracentrifugation steps limit the number of samples that can be processed at one time, reducing effic ... | 2009 | 19699236 |
| partial sequencing of recent portuguese myxoma virus field isolates exhibits a high degree of genetic stability. | to study genetic changes underlying myxoma virus evolution in its new host, the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus), we sequenced selected genomic regions of nine recent virulent field strains and a live attenuated vaccine strain ("mav", germany). dna was extracted from cell culture passaged myxoma virus. a total of 4863 bp (approximately 3% of the genome) of 10 regions spanning 12 genes of the myxoma viruses was sequenced and compared to the original virulent strain "lausanne" and its atten ... | 2010 | 19709821 |
| molecular characterisation and recent evolution of myxoma virus in spain. | myxoma virus and the european rabbit are one of the best-studied examples of coevolution of pathogen virulence and host resistance. since the introduction of the virus in spain in 1953, a decrease in its virulence has been observed; however, most strains are still considered highly virulent. to determine whether this attenuation is due to molecular differences, and to characterise the field strains in spain and the genetic changes that have occurred since the introduction of the virus, we analys ... | 2009 | 19768631 |
| viral biocontrol: grand experiments in disease emergence and evolution. | although viral emergence is commonly associated with cross-species transmission, the processes and determinants of viral evolution in a novel host environment are poorly understood. we address key questions in virus emergence and evolution using data generated from two unique natural experiments: the deliberate release of myxoma virus (myxv) and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (rhdv) as biological control (biocontrol) agents against the european rabbit in australia, and which have been of enorm ... | 2014 | 25455418 |
| the myxoma virus m-t5 ankyrin repeat host range protein is a novel adaptor that coordinately links the cellular signaling pathways mediated by akt and skp1 in virus-infected cells. | most poxviruses express multiple proteins containing ankyrin (ank) repeats accounting for a large superfamily of related but unique determinants of poxviral tropism. recently, select members of this novel family of poxvirus proteins have drawn considerable attention for their potential roles in modulating intracellular signaling networks during viral infection. the rabbit-specific poxvirus, myxoma virus (myxv), encodes four unique ank repeat proteins, termed m-t5, m148, m149, and m150, all of wh ... | 2009 | 19776120 |
| characterisation of immunosuppression in rabbits after infection with myxoma virus. | myxoma virus (mxv) causes the systemic disease myxomatosis in the european rabbit. despite many in vitro studies on the function of mxv immunomodulatory proteins and detailed molecular knowledge of virus, little is known about the dynamics of interaction of the virus with the integrated host-immune system during infection. in this study changes in haematological profile, changes in lymphocyte subset distribution and non-specific proliferation activity of lymphocytes from different lymphoid compa ... | 2008 | 18222052 |
| myxomatosis in wild rabbit: design of control programs in mediterranean ecosystems. | a cross-sectional study was carried out in natural wild rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) populations from southern spain to identify risk factors associated to myxoma virus infection. blood samples from 619 wild rabbits were collected, and questionnaires which included variables related to host, disease, game management and environment were completed. a logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the associations between myxomatosis seropositivity (dependent variable) across 7 huntin ... | 2010 | 19818517 |
| myxoma virus is oncolytic for human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. | viral oncolytic therapy, which seeks to exploit the use of live viruses to treat cancer, has shown promise in the treatment of cancers resistant to conventional anticancer therapies. among the most difficult to treat cancers is advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. our study investigates the ability of a novel oncolytic agent, myxoma virus, to infect, productively replicate in, and kill human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. | 2008 | 18454298 |
| co-regulation of nf-kappab and inflammasome-mediated inflammatory responses by myxoma virus pyrin domain-containing protein m013. | nf-kappab and inflammasomes both play central roles in orchestrating anti-pathogen responses by rapidly inducing a variety of early-response cytokines and chemokines following infection. myxoma virus (myxv), a pathogenic poxvirus of rabbits, encodes a member of the cellular pyrin domain (pyd) superfamily, called m013. the viral m013 protein was previously shown to bind host asc-1 protein and inhibit the cellular inflammasome complex that regulates the activation and secretion of caspase 1-regula ... | 2009 | 19851467 |
| infectious fibroma of rabbits : iii. the serial transmission of virus myxomatosum in cottontail rabbits, and cross-immunity tests with the fibroma virus. | in the experiments presented, virus myxomatosum was observed to produce only a localized fibromatous or myxomatous orchitis when injected into the testicles of cottontail rabbits. this type of disease was quite unlike the acute fatal illness which the virus caused in domestic rabbits. 10 serial passages of virus myxomatosum through cottontail rabbits, covering a total elapsed time of 140 days, failed to alter its pathogenicity for domestic rabbits. although it proved impossible to convert the my ... | 1936 | 19870458 |
| m135r is a novel cell surface virulence factor of myxoma virus. | myxoma virus (mv) encodes a cell surface protein (m135r) that is predicted to mimic the host alpha/beta interferon receptor (ifn-alpha/beta-r) and thus prevent ifn-alpha/beta from triggering a host antiviral response. this prediction is based on sequence similarity to b18r, the viral ifn-alpha/beta-r from vaccinia virus (vv), which has been demonstrated to bind and inhibit type i interferons. however, m135r is only half the size of vv b18r. all other poxvirus-encoded ifn-alpha/beta-r homologs al ... | 2007 | 17065210 |
| infectious myxomatosis of rabbits : preparation of elementary bodies and studies of serologically active materials associated with the disease. | from the results of the experiments described in this paper it is obvious that large amounts of elementary bodies of myxoma can be obtained in a relatively pure state by means of the methods used. furthermore, it is evident that infectious myxomatosis is a viral disease in which elementary bodies of the same order of magnitude as vaccinal elementary bodies play a conspicuous rô1e in that they either represent the etiological agent or are intimately associated with it. the bodies are specifically ... | 1937 | 19870643 |
| pharmacological manipulation of the akt signaling pathway regulates myxoma virus replication and tropism in human cancer cells. | viruses have evolved an assortment of mechanisms for regulating the akt signaling pathway to establish a cellular environment more favorable for viral replication. myxoma virus (myxv) is a rabbit-specific poxvirus that encodes many immunomodulatory factors, including an ankyrin repeat-containing host range protein termed m-t5 that functions to regulate tropism of myxv for rabbit lymphocytes and certain human cancer cells. myxv permissiveness in these human cancer cells is dependent upon the dire ... | 2010 | 20106927 |
| field experimental vaccination campaigns against myxomatosis and their effectiveness in the wild. | we conducted a field experiment in sw spain to test the efficacy of a myxomatosis vaccine, a viral disease strongly affecting wild rabbit populations, by assessing individual survival and antibody seroprevalence of monthly live-trapped, vaccinated (n=466) and unvaccinated (n=558) juvenile wild rabbits, between april and october 2007. eight percent of all juveniles caught from april to june showed maternal antibodies against myxomatosis, whereas all animals were seropositive to the disease after ... | 2009 | 19800438 |
| myxoma virus: propagation, purification, quantification, and storage. | myxoma virus (myxv) is a member of the poxviridae family and prototype for the genus leporipoxvirus. it is pathogenic only for european rabbits, in which it causes the lethal disease myxomatosis, and two north american species, in which it causes a less severe disease. myxv replicates exclusively in the cytoplasm of the host cell. although not infectious in humans, its genome encodes proteins that can interfere with or modulate host defense mechanisms; it is able to productively infect a number ... | 2010 | 20440681 |
| cottontail rabbit papillomavirus in langerhans cells in sylvilagus spp. | a wildlife sanctuary presented an adult female cottontail rabbit (sylvilagus spp.), age unknown, to the colorado state university pathology service for postmortem examination. gross examination revealed numerous pigmented wartlike lesions arising from the skin of the head surrounding the ears, eyes, nares, mouth, and dorsum. masses were firm, friable, and easily detached from the underlying skin. differential diagnoses included cottontail rabbit papillomavirus, rabbit fibroma virus, and myxoma v ... | 2010 | 20453226 |
| molecular characterization of sg33 and borghi vaccines used against myxomatosis. | myxoma virus is a poxvirus responsible for myxomatosis in european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus). the entire genome of the myxoma virus has been sequenced, allowing a systemic survey of the functions of a large number of putative pathogenic factors that this virus expresses to subvert the immune and inflammatory pathways of infected rabbit hosts. in italy, industrial rabbits are mostly vaccinated against myxomatosis using the attenuated myxoma virus strains borghi or sg33. we have identified g ... | 2010 | 20598407 |
| host-specificity of myxoma virus: pathogenesis of south american and north american strains of myxoma virus in two north american lagomorph species. | the pathogenesis of south american and north american myxoma viruses was examined in two species of north american lagomorphs, sylvilagus nuttallii (mountain cottontail) and sylvilagus audubonii (desert cottontail) both of which have been shown to have the potential to transmit the south american type of myxoma virus. following infection with the south american strain (lausanne, lu), s. nuttallii developed both a local lesion and secondary lesions on the skin. they did not develop the classical ... | 2010 | 19836172 |
| the immunoregulatory properties of oncolytic myxoma virus and their implications in therapeutics. | myxoma virus (myxv) is a poxvirus with a strict rabbit-specific host-tropism for pathogenesis. the immunoregulatory factors encoded by myxv can suppress some functions of immune effectors from other species. we review their mechanisms of action, implications in therapeutics and the potential to improve myxv as an oncolytic agent in humans. | 2010 | 20832500 |
| evolution and phylogeography of the nonpathogenic calicivirus rcv-a1 in wild rabbits in australia. | despite its potential importance for the biological control of european rabbits, relatively little is known about the evolution and molecular epidemiology of rabbit calicivirus australia 1 (rcv-a1). to address this issue we undertook an extensive evolutionary analysis of 36 rcv-a1 samples collected from wild rabbit populations in southeast australia between 2007 and 2009. based on phylogenetic analysis of the entire capsid sequence, six clades of rcv-a1 were defined, each exhibiting strong popul ... | 2010 | 20861266 |
| genome comparison of a nonpathogenic myxoma virus field strain with its ancestor, the virulent lausanne strain. | one of the best-studied examples of host-virus coevolution is the release of myxoma virus (mv) for biological control of european rabbits in australia and europe. to investigate the genetic basis of mv adaptation to its new host, we sequenced the genome of 6918, an attenuated spanish field strain, and compared it with that of lausanne, the strain originally released in europe in 1952. although isolated 43 years apart, the genomes were highly conserved (99.95% identical). only 32 of the 159 mv pr ... | 2009 | 19091868 |
| production of myxoma virus gateway entry and expression libraries and validation of viral protein expression. | invitrogen's gateway technology is a recombination-based cloning method that allows for rapid transfer of numerous open reading frames (orfs) into multiple plasmid vectors, making it useful for diverse high-throughput applications. gateway technology has been utilized to create an orf library for myxoma virus (myxv), a member of the poxviridae family of dna viruses. myxv is the prototype virus for the genus leporipoxvirus, and is pathogenic only in european rabbits. myxv replicates exclusively i ... | 2011 | 21538302 |
| deliberate introduction of the european rabbit, oryctolagus cuniculus, into australia. | the european rabbit was brought to australia as a companion animal by early settlers. it sometimes escaped, but failed to survive in the australian bush. in 1879 wild rabbits were deliberately sent to victoria to provide game for wealthy settlers to shoot. they soon spread all over australia, except in the tropics, and became australia's major animal pest. after careful testing in australian wildlife and in humans, control by myxoma virus was introduced at various sites between 1937 and 1950, sp ... | 2010 | 20617651 |
| mnf, an ankyrin repeat protein of myxoma virus, is part of a native cellular scf complex during viral infection. | myxoma virus (myxv), a member of the poxviridae family, is the agent responsible for myxomatosis, a fatal disease in the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus). like all poxviruses, myxv is known for encoding multiple proteins that regulate cellular signaling pathways. among them, four proteins share the same ank/pranc structure: m148r, m149r, mnf (myxoma nuclear factor) and m-t5, all of them described as virulence factors. this family of poxvirus proteins, recently identified, has drawn consid ... | 2010 | 20211013 |
| myxoma virus induces type i ifn production in murine plasmacytoid dendritic cells via a tlr9/myd88, irf5/irf7, and ifnar-dependent pathway. | poxviruses are large dna viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm of infected cells. myxoma virus is a rabbit poxvirus that belongs to the leporipoxvirus genus. it causes lethal disease called myxomatosis in european rabbits but cannot sustain any detectable infection in non-lagomorphs. vaccinia virus is a prototypal orthopoxvirus that was used as a vaccine to eradicate smallpox. myxoma virus is non-pathogenic in mice, whereas systemic infection with vaccinia can be lethal even in immunocompetent ... | 2011 | 21835795 |
| myxoma virus and the leporipoxviruses: an evolutionary paradigm. | myxoma virus (myxv) is the type species of the leporipoxviruses, a genus of chordopoxvirinae, double stranded dna viruses, whose members infect leporids and squirrels, inducing cutaneous fibromas from which virus is mechanically transmitted by biting arthropods. however, in the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus), myxv causes the lethal disease myxomatosis. the release of myxv as a biological control for the wild european rabbit population in australia, initiated one of the great experiments ... | 2015 | 25757062 |
| the α2,3-sialyltransferase encoded by myxoma virus is a virulence factor that contributes to immunosuppression. | myxoma virus (myxv) induces a lethal disease called myxomatosis in european rabbits. myxv is one of the rare viruses that encodes an α2,3-sialyltransferase through its m138l gene. in this study, we showed that although the absence of the enzyme was not associated with any in vitro deficit, the m138l deficient strains are highly attenuated in vivo. indeed, while all rabbits infected with the parental and the revertant strains died within 9 days post-infection from severe myxomatosis, all but one ... | 2015 | 25705900 |
| molecular species identification, host preference and detection of myxoma virus in the anopheles maculipennis complex (diptera: culicidae) in southern england, uk. | determining the host feeding patterns of mosquitoes by identifying the origin of their blood-meals is an important part of understanding the role of vector species in current and future disease transmission cycles. collecting large numbers of blood-fed mosquitoes from the field is difficult, therefore it is important to maximise the information obtained from each specimen. this study aimed to use mosquito genome sequence to identify the species within anopheles maculipennis sensu lato (an. macul ... | 2015 | 26271277 |
| the current status and future directions of myxoma virus, a master in immune evasion. | abstract: myxoma virus (myxv) gained importance throughout the twentieth century because of the use of the highly virulent standard laboratory strain (sls) by the australian government in the attempt to control the feral australian population of oryctolagus cuniculus (european rabbit) and the subsequent illegal release of myxv in europe. in the european rabbit, myxv causes a disease with an exceedingly high mortality rate, named myxomatosis, which is passively transmitted by biting arthropod vec ... | 2011 | 21658227 |
| viral skin diseases of the rabbit. | this article describes the viral skin diseases affecting the domestic rabbit, the most important being myxomatosis. transmission and pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and control are described and the article will be of interest to veterinary practitioners who treat rabbits. shope fibroma virus, shope papilloma virus, and rabbitpox are also discussed. | 2013 | 24018033 |
| myxoma virus selectively disrupts type i interferon signaling in primary human fibroblasts by blocking the activation of the janus kinase tyk2. | poxviruses currently are known to disrupt jak-stat signal transduction induced by interferon (ifn) through two distinct mechanisms: (1) secreted poxviral ifn decoy receptors that prevent the initiation of ifn signaling from type i or ii receptors at the cell surface; and (2) poxviral phosphatase that dephosphorylates stat1 intracellularly. here, we report a novel mechanism by which poxviruses can inhibit jak-stat signaling in response to type i ifn. myxoma virus (mv) is a highly species-restrict ... | 2009 | 19254804 |
| host and viral traits predict zoonotic spillover from mammals. | the majority of human emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, with viruses that originate in wild mammals of particular concern (for example, hiv, ebola and sars). understanding patterns of viral diversity in wildlife and determinants of successful cross-species transmission, or spillover, are therefore key goals for pandemic surveillance programs. however, few analytical tools exist to identify which host species are likely to harbour the next human virus, or which viruses can cross species ... | 2017 | 28636590 |
| benign rabbit caliciviruses exhibit evolutionary dynamics similar to those of their virulent relatives. | two closely related caliciviruses cocirculate in australia: rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (rhdv) and rabbit calicivirus australia 1 (rcv-a1). rcv-a1 causes benign enteric infections in the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) in australia and new zealand, while its close relative rhdv causes a highly pathogenic infection of the liver in the same host. the comparison of these viruses provides important information on the nature and trajectory of virulence evolution, particularly as highly v ... | 2016 | 27512059 |
| myxomatosis. | myxomatosis, a major disease of european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus), is enzootic on several continents. the disease is infectious, virulent and contagious. the pathogen is a virus of the family poxviridae, genus leporipoxvirus. in its classic form the disease is often fatal, characterised by severe immunosuppression and the appearance of skin pseudotumours (myxomas); it is conducive to effective mechanical transmission by many biting arthropods. atypical clinical forms, referred to as amyxo ... | 2015 | 26601455 |
| genetic characterization of interleukins (il-1α, il-1β, il-2, il-4, il-8, il-10, il-12a, il-12b, il-15 and il-18) with relevant biological roles in lagomorphs. | ils, as essential innate immune modulators, are involved in an array of biological processes. in the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) il-1α, il-1β, il-2, il-4, il-8, il-10, il-12a, il-12b, il-15 and il-18 have been implicated in inflammatory processes and in the immune response against rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus and myxoma virus infections. in this study we characterized these ils in six lagomorpha species (european rabbit, pygmy rabbit, two cottontail rabbit species, european brown ... | 2015 | 26395994 |
| an invasive non-native mammal population conserves genetic diversity lost from its native range. | invasive, non-native species are one of the major causes of global biodiversity loss. although they are, by definition, successful in their non-native range, their populations generally show major reductions in their genetic diversity during the demographic bottleneck they experience during colonization. by investigating the mitochondrial genetic diversity of an invasive non-native species, the stoat mustela erminea, in new zealand and comparing it to diversity in the species' native range in gr ... | 2015 | 25655531 |
| increased virulence of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus associated with genetic resistance in wild australian rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus). | the release of myxoma virus (myxv) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (rhdv) in australia with the aim of controlling overabundant rabbits has provided a unique opportunity to study the initial spread and establishment of emerging pathogens, as well as their co-evolution with their mammalian hosts. in contrast to myxv, which attenuated shortly after its introduction, rapid attenuation of rhdv has not been observed. by studying the change in virulence of recent field isolates at a single field ... | 2014 | 25146599 |
| multi-event capture-recapture modeling of host-pathogen dynamics among european rabbit populations exposed to myxoma and rabbit hemorrhagic disease viruses: common and heterogeneous patterns. | host-pathogen epidemiological processes are often unclear due both to their complexity and over-simplistic approaches used to quantify them. we applied a multi-event capture-recapture procedure on two years of data from three rabbit populations to test hypotheses about the effects on survival of, and the dynamics of host immunity to, both myxoma virus and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (mv and rhdv). although the populations shared the same climatic and management conditions, mv and rhdv dynam ... | 2014 | 24708296 |
| early infections by myxoma virus of young rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) protected by maternal antibodies activate their immune system and enhance herd immunity in wild populations. | the role of maternal antibodies is to protect newborns against acute early infection by pathogens. this can be achieved either by preventing any infection or by allowing attenuated infections associated with activation of the immune system, the two strategies being based on different cost/benefit ratios. we carried out an epidemiological survey of myxomatosis, which is a highly lethal infectious disease, in two distant wild populations of rabbits to describe the epidemiological pattern of the di ... | 2014 | 24589193 |
| development and validation of a real time pcr for the detection of myxoma virus based on the diploid gene m000.5l/r. | the myxoma virus (myxv) causes severe infections in european rabbits that may reach mortality rates up to 100% depending on the viral strain. the typical symptoms and lesions induced by the virus are usually enough to permit the correct clinical diagnosis. however, in peracute forms the infection may be accompanied by unspecific symptoms. sudden death may also occur without evident clinical signs of myxomatosis. likewise, a clinical diagnosis of atypical forms of myxomatosis (amyxomatous) is oft ... | 2014 | 24300832 |
| evolution of viral sensing rig-i-like receptor genes in leporidae genera oryctolagus, sylvilagus, and lepus. | one of the most severe european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) pathogens is myxoma virus (myxv), a rabbit-specific leporipoxvirus that causes the highly lethal disease myxomatosis. other leporid genera, sylvilagus and lepus, encompass species with variable susceptibilities to myxv, but these do not develop the lethal form of the disease. the protective role of the retinoic acid-inducible gene-i (rig-i/ddx58) in sensing myxv in nonpermissive human myeloid cells prompted the study of the rig-i-lik ... | 2014 | 24220721 |
| genome scale evolution of myxoma virus reveals host-pathogen adaptation and rapid geographic spread. | the evolutionary interplay between myxoma virus (myxv) and the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) following release of the virus in australia in 1950 as a biological control is a classic example of host-pathogen coevolution. we present a detailed genomic and phylogeographic analysis of 30 strains of myxv, including the australian progenitor strain standard laboratory strain (sls), 24 australian viruses isolated from 1951 to 1999, and three isolates from the early radiation in britain from 1 ... | 2013 | 24067966 |
| cloning and characterization of a viral α2-3-sialyltransferase (vst3gal-i) for the synthesis of sialyl lewisx. | sialyl lewis(x) (sle(x), siaα2-3galβ1-4(fucα1-3)glcnacβor) is an important sialic acid-containing carbohydrate epitope involved in many biological processes such as inflammation and cancer metastasis. in the biosynthetic process of sle(x), α2-3-sialyltransferase-catalyzed sialylation generally proceeds prior to α1-3-fucosyltransferase-catalyzed fucosylation. for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of sle(x) containing different sialic acid forms, however, it would be more efficient if diverse sialic ac ... | 2010 | 20978012 |
| myxoma virus m156 is a specific inhibitor of rabbit pkr but contains a loss-of-function mutation in australian virus isolates. | myxoma virus (myxv) is a rabbit-specific poxvirus, which is highly virulent in european rabbits. the attenuation of myxv and the increased resistance of rabbits following the release of myxv in australia is one of the best-documented examples of host-pathogen coevolution. to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the restriction of myxv infection to rabbits and myxv attenuation in the field, we have studied the interaction of the myxv protein m156 with the host antiviral protein k ... | 2016 | 26903626 |
| m062 is a host range factor essential for myxoma virus pathogenesis and functions as an antagonist of host samd9 in human cells. | myxoma virus (myxv) m062r is a functional homolog of the c7l family of host range genes from orthopoxviruses. we constructed a targeted m062r-knockout-myxv (vmyxm062-ko) and characterized its properties in vitro and in vivo. in european rabbits, infection by vmyxm062-ko was completely asymptomatic. the surviving rabbits did not gain full protection against the subsequent lethal-dose challenge with wild-type myxv. we also looked for cellular tropism defects in a variety of cultured cells. in all ... | 2011 | 21248034 |
| myxoma virus m064 is a novel member of the poxvirus c7l superfamily of host range factors that controls the kinetics of myxomatosis in european rabbits. | the myxoma virus (myxv) carries three tandem c7l-like host range genes (m062r, m063r, and m064r). however, despite the fact that the sequences of these three genes are similar, they possess very distinctive functions in vivo. the role of m064 in myxv pathogenesis was investigated and compared to the roles of m062 and m063. we report that m064 is a virulence factor that contributes to myxv pathogenesis but lacks the host range properties associated with m062 and m063. | 2012 | 22379095 |
| myxomatosis in australia and europe: a model for emerging infectious diseases. | myxoma virus is a poxvirus naturally found in two american leporid (rabbit) species (sylvilagus brasiliensis and sylvilagus bachmani) in which it causes an innocuous localised cutaneous fibroma. however, in european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) the same virus causes the lethal disseminated disease myxomatosis. the introduction of myxoma virus into the european rabbit population in australia in 1950 initiated the best known example of what happens when a novel pathogen jumps into a completely ... | 2012 | 22333483 |
| coccidian and nematode infections influence prevalence of antibody to myxoma and rabbit hemorrhagic disease viruses in european rabbits. | the interaction among several parasites in european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) is crucial to host fitness and to the epidemiology of myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease. these diseases have caused significant reductions in rabbit populations on the iberian peninsula. most studies have focused on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of these viruses individually, and little is known about interactions between these viruses and other parasites. taking advantage of an experimental restocki ... | 2013 | 23307367 |
| oncolytic myxoma virus: the path to clinic. | many common neoplasms are still noncurative with current standards of cancer therapy. more therapeutic modalities need to be developed to significantly prolong the lives of patients and eventually cure a wider spectrum of cancers. oncolytic virotherapy is one of the promising new additions to clinical cancer therapeutics. successful oncolytic virotherapy in the clinic will be those strategies that best combine tumor cell oncolysis with enhanced immune responses against tumor antigens. the curren ... | 2013 | 23726825 |
| evolutionary history and attenuation of myxoma virus on two continents. | the attenuation of myxoma virus (myxv) following its introduction as a biological control into the european rabbit populations of australia and europe is the canonical study of the evolution of virulence. however, the evolutionary genetics of this profound change in host-pathogen relationship is unknown. we describe the genome-scale evolution of myxv covering a range of virulence grades sampled over 49 years from the parallel australian and european epidemics, including the high-virulence progen ... | 2012 | 23055928 |
| genomic and phenotypic characterization of myxoma virus from great britain reveals multiple evolutionary pathways distinct from those in australia. | the co-evolution of myxoma virus (myxv) and the european rabbit occurred independently in australia and europe from different progenitor viruses. although this is the canonical study of the evolution of virulence, whether the genomic and phenotypic outcomes of myxv evolution in europe mirror those observed in australia is unknown. we addressed this question using viruses isolated in the united kingdom early in the myxv epizootic (1954-1955) and between 2008-2013. the later uk viruses fell into t ... | 2017 | 28253375 |
| genetic variability of myxoma virus genomes. | myxomatosis is a recurrent problem on rabbit farms throughout europe despite the success of vaccines. to identify gene variations of field and vaccine strains that may be responsible for changes in virulence, immunomodulation, and immunoprotection, the genomes of 6 myxoma virus (myxv) strains were sequenced: german field isolates munich-1, fli-h, 2604, and 3207; vaccine strain mav; and challenge strain za. the analyzed genomes ranged from 147.6 kb (strain mav) to 161.8 kb (strain 3207). all sequ ... | 2017 | 27903800 |
| effects of myxoma virus and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus on the physiological condition of wild european rabbits: is blood biochemistry a useful monitoring tool? | myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease (rhd) are the major viral diseases that affect the wild european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus). these diseases arrived in europe within the last decades and have caused wild rabbit populations to decline dramatically. both viruses are currently considered to be endemic in the iberian peninsula; periodic outbreaks that strongly impact wild populations regularly occur. myxoma virus (mv) and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (rhdv) alter the physiology of ... | 2016 | 27892861 |
| comparative analysis of the complete genome sequence of the california msw strain of myxoma virus reveals potential host adaptations. | myxomatosis is a rapidly lethal disease of european rabbits that is caused by myxoma virus (myxv). the introduction of a south american strain of myxv into the european rabbit population of australia is the classic case of host-pathogen coevolution following cross-species transmission. the most virulent strains of myxv for european rabbits are the californian viruses, found in the pacific states of the united states and the baja peninsula, mexico. the natural host of californian myxv is the brus ... | 2013 | 23986601 |
| myxoma virus protein m029 is a dual function immunomodulator that inhibits pkr and also conscripts rha/dhx9 to promote expanded host tropism and viral replication. | myxoma virus (myxv)-encoded protein m029 is a member of the poxvirus e3 family of dsrna-binding proteins that antagonize the cellular interferon signaling pathways. in order to investigate additional functions of m029, we have constructed a series of targeted m029-minus (vmyx-m029ko and vmyx-m029id) and v5-tagged m029 myxv. we found that m029 plays a pivotal role in determining the cellular tropism of myxv in all mammalian cells tested. the m029-minus viruses were able to replicate only in engin ... | 2013 | 23853588 |
| next step in the ongoing arms race between myxoma virus and wild rabbits in australia is a novel disease phenotype. | in host-pathogen arms races, increases in host resistance prompt counteradaptation by pathogens, but the nature of that counteradaptation is seldom directly observed outside of laboratory models. the best-documented field example is the coevolution of myxoma virus (myxv) in european rabbits. to understand how myxv in australia has continued to evolve in wild rabbits under intense selection for genetic resistance to myxomatosis, we compared the phenotypes of the progenitor myxv and viral isolates ... | 2017 | 28808019 |
| reverse engineering field isolates of myxoma virus demonstrates that some gene disruptions or loss of function do not explain virulence changes observed in the field. | the coevolution of myxoma virus (myxv) and wild european rabbits in australia and europe is a paradigm for the evolution of a pathogen in a new host species. genomic analyses have identified the mutations that have characterized this evolutionary process, but defining causal mutations in the pathways from virulence to attenuation and back to virulence has not been possible. using reverse genetics we examined the role of six selected mutations found in australian field isolates of myxv that fall ... | 2017 | 28768866 |
| large-scale assessment of myxomatosis prevalence in european wild rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) 60years after first outbreak in spain. | myxomatosis is a viral disease that affects european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) worldwide. in spain, populations of wild rabbits drastically decreased in the 1950s after the first outbreak of myxomatosis. since that first appearance, it seems to be an annual epizootic in spain with periodic outbreaks, predominantly in summer and autumn. taking into account rabbit population structure, abundance, and genetic lineage, this paper attempts to make a large-scale characterization of myxomatosis s ... | 2017 | 28558359 |
| viral infections of rabbits. | viral diseases of rabbits have been used historically to study oncogenesis (e.g. rabbit fibroma virus, cottontail rabbit papillomavirus) and biologically to control feral rabbit populations (e.g. myxoma virus). however, clinicians seeing pet rabbits in north america infrequently encounter viral diseases although myxomatosis may be seen occasionally. the situation is different in europe and australia, where myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease are endemic. advances in epidemiology and virol ... | 2013 | 23642871 |
| pseudogenization of the mcp-2/ccl8 chemokine gene in european rabbit (genus oryctolagus), but not in species of cottontail rabbit (sylvilagus) and hare (lepus). | recent studies in human have highlighted the importance of the monocyte chemotactic proteins (mcp) in leukocyte trafficking and their effects in inflammatory processes, tumor progression, and hiv-1 infection. in european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) one of the prime mcp targets, the chemokine receptor ccr5 underwent a unique structural alteration. until now, no homologue of mcp-2/ccl8a, mcp-3/ccl7 or mcp-4/ccl13 genes have been reported for this species. this is interesting, because at least t ... | 2012 | 22894773 |