Principal host relationships and evolutionary history of the North American arenaviruses

Abstract

A previous study suggested that the genomes of the arenaviruses native to North America are a product of genetic recombination between New World arenaviruses with significantly different phylogenetic histories. The purpose of this study was to extend our knowledge of the principal host relationships and evolutionary history of the North American arenaviruses. The results of this study suggest that the large-eared woodrat (Neotoma macrotis) is a principal host of Bear Canyon virus and that the present-day association of Bear Canyon virus with the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) in southern California represents a successful host-jumping event from the large-eared woodrat to the California mouse. Together, the results of analyses of viral gene sequence data in this study and our knowledge of the phylogeography of the rodents that serve as principal hosts of the New World arenaviruses suggest that genetic recombination between arenaviruses with significantly different phylogenetic histories did not play a role in the evolution of the North American arenaviruses.

Epizootiology of Tacaribe Serocomplex Viruses (Arenaviridae) Associated with Neotomine Rodents (Cricetidae, Neotominae) in Southern California

“…SLO, San Luis Obispo County; KRN, Kern County; SBD, San Bernardino County; SB, Santa Barbara County; VEN, Ventura County; LA, Los Angeles County; ORA, Orange County; RIV, Riverside County; SD, San Diego County; IMP, Imperial County. Arenaviral RNA was found in antibody-positive rodents captured at SB-1, SB-3, LA-6, LA-9, LA-11, ORA-6, RIV-1, RIV-4, and RIV-7 in this study; arenavirus was isolated from antibody-positive rodents captured at ORA-3, ORA-4, RIV-5, and RIV-6 in previous studies (Cajimat et al 2007, Fulhorst et al 2002; and the rodents from ORA-HJC and ORA-SC were positive for anti-arenavirus antibody in a previous study (Bennett et al 2000). The distances among the nine sites in the Santa Ana Mountains (ORA-2 through ORA-6, ORA-HJC, RIV-5, RIV-6, and RIV-7) ranged from 0.7 km (ORA-3 and ORA-4) to 36.2 km (ORA-2 and RIV-7), and the distances among the three sites in the San Jacinto Valley (RIV-2, RIV-3, RIV-4) ranged from 0.6 km (RIV-3 and RIV-4) to 4.6 km (RIV-2 and RIV-4).…”

“…Mountains in Los Angeles County, four California mice (Peromyscus californicus) captured in the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County, and a big-eared woodrat and California mouse captured in the Santa Ana Mountains in Riverside County (Fulhorst et al 2002, Cajimat et al 2007). The purpose of this study was to extend and refine our knowledge of the epizootiology of BCNV and other Tacaribe serocomplex viruses associated with neotomine rodents in southern California.…”

“…First-strand cDNA was synthesized by using SuperScriptÔ III Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen Corp., Carlsbad, CA) with oligonucleotide 19C-cons (Cajimat et al 2007). The first-round PCR assays used MasterTaq Kit (5 PRIME, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD) in conjunction with oligonucleotides NW1696R (Bowen et al 1997) and 19C-cons; AVNP13 (Cajimat et al 2007), AVNP39 (5¢-GTTGTKTCWGGY-TYCTGAAGAG-3¢), and 19C-cons; or AVNP13, AVNP169 (5¢-GTWGTRTCTGGTTCTCTRAAGAG-3¢), and 19C-cons.…”

“…The first-round PCR assays used MasterTaq Kit (5 PRIME, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD) in conjunction with oligonucleotides NW1696R (Bowen et al 1997) and 19C-cons; AVNP13 (Cajimat et al 2007), AVNP39 (5¢-GTTGTKTCWGGY-TYCTGAAGAG-3¢), and 19C-cons; or AVNP13, AVNP169 (5¢-GTWGTRTCTGGTTCTCTRAAGAG-3¢), and 19C-cons. The second-round PCR assays used MasterTaq Kit in conjunction with AVNP13, AVNP169, and AVNP171 (5¢-TGY CTCTCTGGAGARGGATGGCC-3¢); AVNP170 (5¢-CATG ATACARTCCATCAAWGCACARTG-3¢) and AVNP171; AVNP172 (5¢-CCTTTCTTYTTGCTYTTRATCAC-3¢) and AVNP171; or AVNP1 (Fulhorst et al 2001b), AVNP172, and 1010C .…”

Antibodies to Tacaribe Serocomplex Viruses (FamilyArenaviridae, GenusArenavirus) in Cricetid Rodents from New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico

“…For example, the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) in southern Florida is the principal host of TAMV (Calisher et al 1970, Jennings et al 1970, and the southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus) in Dimmitt and La Salle counties in southern Texas is the principal host of CTNV (Fulhorst et al 2002b, Cajimat et al 2007a). Other natural hosts of Tacaribe serocomplex viruses in North America include the white-throated woodrat (N. albigula) in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, bushy-tailed woodrat (N. cinerea) in Utah, Mexican woodrat (N. mexicana) in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, southern plains woodrat in Colorado, Stephen's woodrat (N. stephensi) in Arizona and New Mexico, Bryant's woodrat (N. bryanti, formerly N. lepida; Patton et al 2008), dusky-footed woodrat (N. fuscipes), large-eared woodrat (N. macrotis), brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii), California mouse (P. californicus), cactus deermouse (P. eremicus), North American deermouse (P. maniculatus), and western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) in California, and marsh oryzomys (Oryzomys palustris) in Florida , 2001a, 2002a, Kosoy et al 1996, Bennett et al 2000, Calisher et al 2001, Abbott et al 2004, Cajimat et al 2007b. The aim of this study was to extend our knowledge of the natural host range and geographical distribution of Tacaribe serocomplex viruses associated with cricetid rodents in North America.…”