Upolu virus and Aransas Bay virus, Two Presumptive Bunyaviruses, Are Novel Members of the Family Orthomyxoviridae

Abstract

Emerging and zoonotic pathogens pose continuing threats to human health and ongoing challenges to diagnostics. As nucleic acid tests are playing increasingly prominent roles in diagnostics, the genetic characterization of molecularly uncharacterized agents is expected to significantly enhance detection and surveillance capabilities. We report the identification of two previously unrecognized members of the family Orthomyxoviridae, which includes the influenza viruses and the tick-transmitted Thogoto and Dhori viruses. We provide morphological, serologic, and genetic evidence that Upolu virus (UPOV) from Australia and Aransas Bay virus (ABV) from North America, both previously considered potential bunyaviruses based on electron microscopy and physicochemical features, are orthomyxoviruses instead. Their genomes show up to 68% nucleotide sequence identity to Thogoto virus (segment 2; ϳ74% at the amino acid level) and a more distant relationship to Dhori virus, the two prototype viruses of the recognized species of the genus Thogotovirus. Despite sequence similarity, the coding potentials of UPOV and ABV differed from that of Thogoto virus, instead being like that of Dhori virus. Our findings suggest that the tick-transmitted viruses UPOV and ABV represent geographically distinct viruses in the genus Thogotovirus of the family Orthomyxoviridae that do not fit in the two currently recognized species of this genus. IMPORTANCE Upolu virus (UPOV) and Aransas Bay virus (ABV) are shown to be orthomyxoviruses instead of bunyaviruses, as previously thought.Genetic characterization and adequate classification of agents are paramount in this molecular age to devise appropriate surveillance and diagnostics. Although more closely related to Thogoto virus by sequence, UPOV and ABV differ in their coding potentials by lacking a proposed pathogenicity factor. In this respect, they are similar to Dhori virus, which, despite the lack of a pathogenicity factor, can cause disease. These findings enable further studies into the evolution and pathogenicity of orthomyxoviruses.

Sinu virus, a novel and divergent orthomyxovirus related to members of the genus Thogotovirus isolated from mosquitoes in Colombia

“…Although the current International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2015) (ICTV) (www.ictvonline.org/virustaxonomy.asp) only lists two species within the genus Thogotovirus , there are now actually eight viruses within the genus: Thogoto (THOV), Dhori (DHOV), Batken (BKNV), Upolu (UPOV), Aransas Bay (ABV), Jos (JOSV), Bourbon (BRBV) and Dielmo orthomyxovirus (DOV) (Allison et al, 2015, Bussetti et al, 2014, Lvov et al, 2015, Briese et al, 2014, Lambert et al, 2015, Temmam et al, 2016). The addition of SINUV to the genus will bring the total number of thogotoviruses to nine.…”

Structure of influenza A polymerase bound to the viral RNA promoter

“…The sequence characteristics of the 59 hook are conserved in all known influenza virus vRNAs and cRNAs, the only variations, reflecting the imperfect complementarity of the two extremities, being the nature of the 2-9 and 3-8 Watson-Crick base pairs (G-C and A-U in vRNA, and G-C and C-G in cRNA, respectively) and the loop nucleotides 5 (usually a G) and 6 (usually an A). This hook structure is also likely to be conserved in orthomyxoviruses of the Thogoto lineage, except that G4-A7 would replace the A4-A7 mismatch 42 .…”

Molecular, serological and in vitro culture-based characterization of Bourbon virus, a newly described human pathogen of the genus Thogotovirus

“…Until recently, only two members of the genus that are found in the Eastern Hemisphere, Thogoto and Dhori viruses, have been associated with human infection and disease [1,2]. Prior to 2014, only one Thogotovirus , Aransas Bay virus had been identified in the United States [3,4]. Aransas Bay virus has not been associated with human disease.…”