Biology subjects

Guzman-Solis, A. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Guzman-Solis, A. A..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

De novo recovery of Ghana virus, an African bat Henipavirus, reveals differential tropism and attenuated pathogenicity compared to Nipah virus

Henipaviruses (HNVs) like Nipah (NiV) and Hendra (HeV) viruses represent severe zoonotic threats. Ghana virus (GhV), identified in 2012, is the only African bat henipavirus with a near-complete genome assembly. However, without isolates in culture, GhV biology, pathogenicity, and zoonotic potential remain poorly understood. Using reverse genetics, we recovered a full-length infectious clone of GhV at BSL-4 following rational reconstruction of its incomplete 3' leader and modification of a non-canonical transcriptional initiation site. GhV demonstrated restricted receptor tropism (ephrin-B2 but not ephrin-B3) and distinct innate immune antagonism. Replication was attenuated in primary human cells, but was enhanced in bat cells. In Syrian golden hamsters, GhV infection caused no disease or mortality. Furthermore, a chimeric NiV encoding the GhV receptor-binding protein was completely attenuated in vivo, implicating ephrin-B3 receptor usage as a critical determinant of HNV pathogenesis. These findings elucidate GhV zoonotic potential and inform strategies for virus surveillance and control. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/679836v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (64K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e5addcorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1f96850org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@12f842eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@8f013c_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Ancient viral genomes reveal introduction of HBV and B19V to Mexico during the transatlantic slave trade.

After the European colonization of the Americas there was a dramatic population collapse of the Indigenous inhabitants caused in part by the introduction of new pathogens. Although there is much speculation on the etiology of the Colonial epidemics, direct evidence for the presence of specific viruses during the Colonial era is lacking. To uncover the diversity of viral pathogens during this period, we designed an enrichment assay targeting ancient DNA (aDNA) from viruses of clinical importance and applied it on DNA extracts from individuals found in a Colonial hospital and a Colonial chapel (16th c. - 18th c.) where records suggest victims of epidemics were buried during important outbreaks in Mexico City. This allowed us to reconstruct three ancient human parvovirus B19 genomes, and one ancient human hepatitis B virus genome from distinct individuals. The viral genomes are similar to African strains, consistent with the inferred morphological and genetic African ancestry of the hosts as well as with the isotopic analysis of the human remains, suggesting an origin on the African continent. This study provides direct molecular evidence of ancient viruses being transported to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade and their subsequent introduction to New Spain. Altogether, our observations enrich the discussion about the etiology of infectious diseases during the Colonial period in Mexico.

genomics↗