Identification and Characterization of Novel Rat Polyomavirus 2 in a Colony of X-SCID Rats by P-PIT assay

Abstract

Although P-PIT was developed to detect diseases associated with known human polyomaviruses, the identification of a new polyomavirus in rats suggests that it may have utility as a broad-based screen for new, as well as known polyomaviruses. Our findings suggest that RatPyV2 may be a commensal infection of laboratory rats that can lead to disseminated disease in T cell immune-deficient rats. Infection of the X-SCID rats with RatPyV2 and Pneumocystis carinii is a potential model for coinfection pathogenesis and treatment options during transplant preclinical studies.

Viral Disease

“…Decreased fecundity was observed in X-SCID rats infected with RnorPyV2 (Rigatti et al, 2016). Rats had no overt clinical signs.…”

“…Rats had no overt clinical signs. Intranuclear inclusion bodies were detected in the lung epithelium of all 12 X-SCID rats examined and several rats also had intranuclear inclusion bodies in the nasal cavity, Harderian and salivary glands, prostate, and uterus (Rigatti et al, 2016). Lesions characterized as severe were detected in the Harderian glands, salivary glands, and prostate of adult rats and in the lung and nasal cavity of weanling rats (Rigatti et al, 2016).…”

“…R. norvegicus polyomavirus 2 (RnorPyV2) was initially detected in the parotid salivary gland of an X-linked severe combined immune deficiency rat that had a genetically disrupted interleukin-2 receptor ggene (X-SCID) (Rigatti et al, 2016). RnorPyV2 was also detected in a breeding colony of immunodeficient F344e SCIDgrats (FSG) (Besch-Williford et al, 2017).…”

“…RnorPyV2 was also detected in a breeding colony of immunodeficient F344e SCIDgrats (FSG) (Besch-Williford et al, 2017). The sequence of the RnorPyV2 genome is divergent from that of RnorPyV1 and most similar to human polyomaviruses WU and KI and vole polyomavirus (genus Betapolyomavirus) (Besch-Williford et al, 2017;Rigatti et al, 2016).…”

Medical Management and Diagnostic Approaches

“…DIAGNOSTIC TESTING cilia-associated respiratory bacillus) may be routinely monitored using serological and/or molecular assays (Franklin et al, 1999;Ike et al, 2016;Hook et al, 1998;Kawano et al, 2000). RatPyV2 is relatively prevalent in rats and has the potential to cause clinical and/or histologic disease primarily in immune-compromised rats (Besch-Williford et al, 2017;Masek-Hammerman et al, 2017;Rigatti et al, 2016). Other potential pathogens include reovirus, adenovirus, and rat polyomavirus 2 (RatPyV2).…”