Wu Xuelian, Liu Fan, Li Tao, Li Danfeng, Shen Yanru, Zhang Xiaoai, Liu Shuo, Jiang Qi, Zhao Chenyan, Nie Jianhui, Wang Youchun, Feng Baomin, Liu Wei, Huang Weijin
Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, China.
College of Life and Health, Dalian University, Dalian, China.
Microbiol Spectr. 2025 May 6;13(5):e0155724. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01557-24. Epub 2025 Apr 2.
Dehong virus (DEHV) is an emerging filamentous virus of considerable interest. However, research involving DEHV remains limited, and no suitable models exist to investigate its pathogenicity or transmission. In this study, we developed an neutralization assay to detect DEHV-neutralizing antibodies, as well as an bioluminescent imaging mouse model based on a pseudovirus system. Our results confirmed that DEHV utilizes the Niemann-Pick disease, type C1 (NPC1) receptor for cellular entry. Additionally, the neutralization assay demonstrated that DEHV antiserum does not exhibit neutralizing activity against Mengla or Marburg viruses. This pseudovirus-based system provides a valuable platform for studying DEHV biology and evaluating therapeutic interventions.IMPORTANCEBats serve as natural reservoirs for diverse filoviruses across Africa, Europe, and East Asia; numerous strains circulate within these populations. Recently, Chinese researchers identified Dehong virus (DEHV), a novel filovirus carried by bats in China. However, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity and transmission of DEHV remain poorly understood. Similar to Ebola virus and Marburg virus (MARV), DEHV uses the Niemann-Pick disease, type C1 (NPC1) receptor for host cell invasion. In this study, we utilized a well-established in neutralization assay to confirm that DEHV antiserum lacks neutralizing activity against Mengla and MARV pseudoviruses. Furthermore, we developed an innovative in bioluminescent imaging mouse model using DEHV pseudovirus, which offers a visually intuitive and efficient platform for evaluating antiviral therapies and vaccine candidates. This model has considerable potential for advancing research into DEHV pathogenesis and treatment strategies.
德宏病毒（DEHV）是一种新出现的丝状病毒，备受关注。然而，关于DEHV的研究仍然有限，且不存在合适的模型来研究其致病性或传播途径。在本研究中，我们开发了一种中和试验来检测DEHV中和抗体，以及一种基于假病毒系统的生物发光成像小鼠模型。我们的结果证实，DEHV利用C型尼曼-匹克病1型（NPC1）受体进入细胞。此外，中和试验表明，DEHV抗血清对勐腊病毒或马尔堡病毒不具有中和活性。这种基于假病毒的系统为研究DEHV生物学特性和评估治疗干预措施提供了一个有价值的平台。
重要性
蝙蝠是非洲、欧洲和东亚多种丝状病毒的天然宿主；这些种群中存在许多毒株。最近，中国研究人员鉴定出德宏病毒（DEHV），这是一种中国蝙蝠携带的新型丝状病毒。然而，DEHV致病性和传播的潜在机制仍知之甚少。与埃博拉病毒和马尔堡病毒（MARV）类似，DEHV利用C型尼曼-匹克病1型（NPC1）受体侵入宿主细胞。在本研究中，我们利用一种成熟的中和试验证实，DEHV抗血清对勐腊病毒和马尔堡病毒假病毒缺乏中和活性。此外，我们利用DEHV假病毒开发了一种创新的生物发光成像小鼠模型，该模型为评估抗病毒疗法和候选疫苗提供了一个视觉直观且高效的平台。该模型在推进DEHV发病机制和治疗策略研究方面具有巨大潜力。
