Séminaire CIRI (13.12.2023) : Dr. Karim MAJZOUB

Dr. Karim MAJZOUB; (Group Leader - RNA viruses and Host Factors; Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier; CNRS-UMR 5535 - Université de Montpellier);  « Deltavirus infection in human and animal cells »

Abstract: The recent discovery of Hepatitis D (HDV)-like viruses across a wide range of taxa led to the creation of the Kolmioviridae family. Recent studies suggest that kolmiovirids can be satellites of viruses other than Hepatitis B virus (HBV), challenging the strict HBV/HDV-association dogma. Studying whether kolmiovirids are able to replicate in any animal cell they enter is essential for assessing their zoonotic potential. Here, we compared infection by three kolmiovirids: HDV, rodent (RDeV) and snake deltavirus (SDeV) in vitro and in vivo. While SDeV had the narrowest host cell range, RDeV showed the broadest. Confocal microscopy of infected cells revealed nuclear viral hubs with a peculiar RNA-protein organization. Tail vein injection of infectious clones showed that both HDV and RDeV but not SDeV efficiently replicate in mouse liver, forming massive viral hubs. Our empiric comparison lay the foundation for the discovery of specific host factors controlling Kolmioviridaehost-shifting.