Identification of novel mammalian viruses in tree shrews(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)

The Chinese tree shrew(Tupaia belangeri chinensis),a member of the mammalian order Scandentia,exhibits considerable similarities with primates,including humans,in aspects of its nervous,immune,and metabolic systems.These similarities have established the tree shrew as a promising experimental model for biomedical research on cancer,infectious diseases,metabolic disorders,and mental health conditions.Herein,we used metatranscriptomic sequencing to analyze plasma,as well as oral and anal swab samples,from 105 healthy asymptomatic tree shrews to identify the presence of potential zoonotic viruses.In total,eight mammalian viruses with complete genomes were identified,belonging to six viral families,including Flaviviridae,Hepeviridae,Parvovirinae,Picornaviridae,Sedoreoviridae,and Spinareoviridae.Notably,the presence of rotavirus was recorded in tree shrews for the first time.Three viruses-hepacivirus 1,parvovirus,and picornavirus-exhibited low genetic similarity(<70%)with previously reported viruses at the whole-genome scale,indicating novelty.Conversely,three other viruses-hepacivirus 2,hepatovirus A and hepevirus-exhibited high similarity(>94%)to known viral strains.Phylogenetic analyses also revealed that the rotavirus and mammalian orthoreovirus identified in this study may be novel reassortants.These findings provide insights into the diverse viral spectrum present in captive Chinese tree shrews,highlighting the necessity for further research into their potential for crossspecies transmission.

Silencing suppressors:viral weapons for countering host cell defenses

RNA silencing is a conserved eukaryotic pathway involved in the suppression of gene expression via sequence-specific interactions that are mediated by 21–23 nt RNA molecules.During infection,RNAi can act as an innate immune system to defend against viruses.As a counter-defensive strategy,silencing suppressors are encoded by viruses to inhibit various stages of the silencing process.These suppressors are diverse in sequence and structure and act via different mechanisms.In this review,we discuss whether RNAi is a defensive strategy in mammalian host cells and whether silencing suppressors can be encoded by mammalian viruses.We also review the modes of action proposed for some silencing suppressors.