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Orbivirus NS4 Proteins Play Multiple Roles to Dampen Cellular Responses (2023)
Journal Article
Mohd Jaafar, F., Belhouchet, M., Monsion, B., Bell-Sakyi, L., Mertens, P. P. C., & Attoui, H. (2023). Orbivirus NS4 Proteins Play Multiple Roles to Dampen Cellular Responses. Viruses, 15(9), Article 1908. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15091908

Non-structural protein 4 (NS4) of insect-borne and tick-borne orbiviruses is encoded by genome segment 9, from a secondary open reading frame. Though a protein dispensable for bluetongue virus (BTV) replication, it has been shown to counter the inter... Read More about Orbivirus NS4 Proteins Play Multiple Roles to Dampen Cellular Responses.

Uncovering the Underlying Mechanisms Blocking Replication of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 (BTV-26) in Culicoides Cells (2023)
Journal Article
Monsion, B., Mohd Jaafar, F., Mertens, P. P., & Attoui, H. (2023). Uncovering the Underlying Mechanisms Blocking Replication of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 (BTV-26) in Culicoides Cells. Biomolecules, 13(6), Article 878. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13060878

At least 12 serotypes of ‘atypical’ bluetongue virus (BTV-25 to BTV-36) have been identified to date. These atypical serotypes fail to infect/replicate in Culicoides-derived cell lines and/or adult Culicoides vectors and hence can no longer be transm... Read More about Uncovering the Underlying Mechanisms Blocking Replication of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 (BTV-26) in Culicoides Cells.

Increased Clinical Signs and Mortality in IFNAR(−/−) Mice Immunised with the Bluetongue Virus Outer-Capsid Proteins VP2 or VP5, after Challenge with an Attenuated Heterologous Serotype (2023)
Journal Article
Attoui, H., Mohd Jaafar, F., Monsion, B., Klonjkowski, B., Reid, E., Fay, P. C., …Mertens, P. P. C. (2023). Increased Clinical Signs and Mortality in IFNAR(−/−) Mice Immunised with the Bluetongue Virus Outer-Capsid Proteins VP2 or VP5, after Challenge with an Attenuated Heterologous Serotype. Pathogens, 12(4), Article 602. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12040602

Bluetongue is an economically important disease of domesticated and wild ruminants caused by bluetongue virus (BTV). There are at least 36 different serotypes of BTV (the identity of which is determined by its outer-capsid protein VP2), most of which... Read More about Increased Clinical Signs and Mortality in IFNAR(−/−) Mice Immunised with the Bluetongue Virus Outer-Capsid Proteins VP2 or VP5, after Challenge with an Attenuated Heterologous Serotype.

Identification of Orbivirus Non-Structural Protein 5 (NS5), Its Role and Interaction with RNA/DNA in Infected Cells (2023)
Journal Article
Mohd Jaafar, F., Monsion, B., Mertens, P. P., & Attoui, H. (2023). Identification of Orbivirus Non-Structural Protein 5 (NS5), Its Role and Interaction with RNA/DNA in Infected Cells. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(7), Article 6845. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076845

Bioinformatic analyses have predicted that orbiviruses encode an additional, small non-structural protein (NS5) from a secondary open reading frame on genome segment 10. However, this protein has not previously been detected in infected mammalian or... Read More about Identification of Orbivirus Non-Structural Protein 5 (NS5), Its Role and Interaction with RNA/DNA in Infected Cells.

Re‐parameterization of a mathematical model of African horse sickness virus using data from a systematic literature search (2022)
Journal Article
Fairbanks, E. L., Brennan, M. L., Mertens, P. P. C., Tildesley, M. J., & Daly, J. M. (2022). Re‐parameterization of a mathematical model of African horse sickness virus using data from a systematic literature search. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 69(4), e671-e681. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14420

African horse sickness (AHS) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by Culicoides spp., endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. There have been many examples of historic and recent outbreaks in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. However, not much is known about... Read More about Re‐parameterization of a mathematical model of African horse sickness virus using data from a systematic literature search.

Identification of the Genome Segments of Bluetongue Virus Type 26/Type 1 Reassortants Influencing Horizontal Transmission in a Mouse Model (2021)
Journal Article
Attoui, H., Monsion, B., Klonjkowski, B., Zientara, S., Mertens, P. P. C., & Mohd Jaafar, F. (2021). Identification of the Genome Segments of Bluetongue Virus Type 26/Type 1 Reassortants Influencing Horizontal Transmission in a Mouse Model. Viruses, 13(11), Article 2208. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112208

Bluetongue virus serotypes 1 to 24 are transmitted primarily by infected Culicoides midges, in which they also replicate. However, “atypical” BTV serotypes (BTV‐25, ‐26, ‐27 and ‐28) have recently been identified that do not infect and replicate in a... Read More about Identification of the Genome Segments of Bluetongue Virus Type 26/Type 1 Reassortants Influencing Horizontal Transmission in a Mouse Model.

Inhibition of Orbivirus Replication by Fluvastatin and Identification of the Key Elements of the Mevalonate Pathway Involved (2021)
Journal Article
Mohd Jaafar, F., Monsion, B., Belhouchet, M., Mertens, P. P. C., & Attoui, H. (2021). Inhibition of Orbivirus Replication by Fluvastatin and Identification of the Key Elements of the Mevalonate Pathway Involved. Viruses, 13(8), Article 1437. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13081437

Statin derivatives can inhibit the replication of a range of viruses, including hepatitis C virus (HCV, Hepacivirus), dengue virus (Flavivirus), African swine fever virus (Asfarviridae) and poliovirus (Picornaviridae). We assess the antiviral effect... Read More about Inhibition of Orbivirus Replication by Fluvastatin and Identification of the Key Elements of the Mevalonate Pathway Involved.

An Early Block in the Replication of the Atypical Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 in Culicoides Cells Is Determined by Its Capsid Proteins (2021)
Journal Article
Guimerà Busquets, M., Pullinger, G. D., Darpel, K. E., Cooke, L., Armstrong, S., Simpson, J., …Mertens, P. P. C. (2021). An Early Block in the Replication of the Atypical Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 in Culicoides Cells Is Determined by Its Capsid Proteins. Viruses, 13(5), Article 919. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13050919

Arboviruses such as bluetongue virus (BTV) replicate in arthropod vectors involved in their transmission between susceptible vertebrate-hosts. The “classical” BTV strains infect and replicate effectively in cells of their insect-vectors (Culicoides b... Read More about An Early Block in the Replication of the Atypical Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 in Culicoides Cells Is Determined by Its Capsid Proteins.

Vector Transmission of Animal Viruses (2021)
Book Chapter
Attoui, H., Jaafar, F. M., Fragkoudis, R., & Mertens, P. P. (2021). Vector Transmission of Animal Viruses. In Encyclopedia of Virology (542-551). (Fourth edition). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-814515-9.00135-1

Animal “arboviruses” include viruses that are transmitted between their vertebrate hosts by arthropod vectors. They replicate in both their haematophagous arthropod vectors and vertebrate hosts. Vectors become infected after feeding on infected hosts... Read More about Vector Transmission of Animal Viruses.

The SUMOylation pathway suppresses arbovirus replication in Aedes aegypti cells (2020)
Journal Article
Stokes, S., Almire, F., Tatham, M. H., McFarlane, S., Mertens, P., Pondeville, E., & Boutell, C. (2020). The SUMOylation pathway suppresses arbovirus replication in Aedes aegypti cells. PLoS Pathogens, 16(12), Article e1009134. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1009134

Mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of many clinically important arboviruses that cause significant levels of annual mortality and socioeconomic health burden worldwide. Deciphering the mechanisms by which mosquitoes modulate arbovirus in... Read More about The SUMOylation pathway suppresses arbovirus replication in Aedes aegypti cells.

Diversity of Transmission Outcomes Following Co-Infection of Sheep with Strains of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 1 and 8 (2020)
Journal Article
Veronesi, E., Darpel, K., Gubbins, S., Batten, C., Nomikou, K., Mertens, P., & Carpenter, S. (2020). Diversity of Transmission Outcomes Following Co-Infection of Sheep with Strains of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 1 and 8. Microorganisms, 8(6), Article 851. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8060851

Bluetongue virus (BTV) causes an economically important disease, bluetongue (BT), in susceptible ruminants and is transmitted primarily by species of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Since 2006, northern Europe has experienced mul... Read More about Diversity of Transmission Outcomes Following Co-Infection of Sheep with Strains of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 1 and 8.

Continuous Cell Lines from the European Biting Midge Culicoides nubeculosus (Meigen, 1830) (2020)
Journal Article
Bell-Sakyi, L., Mohd Jaafar, F., Monsion, B., Luu, L., Denison, E., Carpenter, S., …Mertens, P. P. C. (2020). Continuous Cell Lines from the European Biting Midge Culicoides nubeculosus (Meigen, 1830). Microorganisms, 8(6), Article 825. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8060825

Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) transmit arboviruses of veterinary or medical importance, including bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus, as well as causing severe irritation to livestock and humans. Arthropod cell lines... Read More about Continuous Cell Lines from the European Biting Midge Culicoides nubeculosus (Meigen, 1830).

Virological, immunological and pathological findings of transplacentally transmitted bluetongue virus serotype 1 in IFNAR1-blocked mice during early and mid gestation (2020)
Journal Article
Saminathan, M., Singh, K. P., Vineetha, S., Maity, M., Biswas, S. K., Manjunathareddy, G. B., …Mertens, P. P. C. (2020). Virological, immunological and pathological findings of transplacentally transmitted bluetongue virus serotype 1 in IFNAR1-blocked mice during early and mid gestation. Scientific Reports, 10(1), Article 2164. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58268-0

© 2020, The Author(s). Transplacental transmission (TPT) of wild-type Indian BTV-1 had never been experimentally proved. This study was first time investigated TPT of Indian BTV-1 (isolated from aborted and stillborn goat fetal spleens). The sequenti... Read More about Virological, immunological and pathological findings of transplacentally transmitted bluetongue virus serotype 1 in IFNAR1-blocked mice during early and mid gestation.

Bluetongue virus outer-capsid protein VP2 expressed in Nicotiana Nicotiana benthamiana raises neutralising antibodies and a protective immune response in IFNAR -/- mice (2019)
Journal Article
Fay, P. C., Attoui, H., Batten, C., Mohd Jaafar, F., Lomonossoff, G. P., Daly, J. M., & Mertens, P. P. (2019). Bluetongue virus outer-capsid protein VP2 expressed in Nicotiana Nicotiana benthamiana raises neutralising antibodies and a protective immune response in IFNAR -/- mice. Vaccine, 2, Article 100026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvacx.2019.100026

Bluetongue is a severe, economically important disease of ruminants that is widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions around the world. It is associated with major production losses, restrictions of animal movements and trade, as well as c... Read More about Bluetongue virus outer-capsid protein VP2 expressed in Nicotiana Nicotiana benthamiana raises neutralising antibodies and a protective immune response in IFNAR -/- mice.

Quantitative RT-PCR assays for identification and typing of the Equine encephalosis virus (2018)
Journal Article
Maan, S., Belaganahalli, M. N., Maan, N. S., Potgieter, A. C., & Mertens, P. P. C. (2019). Quantitative RT-PCR assays for identification and typing of the Equine encephalosis virus. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 50(1), 287-296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-018-0034-1

© 2018, Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Equine encephalosis (EE) is an acute, arthropod-borne, noncontagious, febrile disease of equids. The clinical signs of EE are similar to milder forms of African horse sickness (AHS) and the two diseases... Read More about Quantitative RT-PCR assays for identification and typing of the Equine encephalosis virus.

Comparative neuropathology of major Indian Bluetongue virus serotypes in a neonatal BALB/c mouse model (2018)
Journal Article
Anjaneya, A., Singh, K., Cherian, S., Saminathan, M., Singh, R., Ramakrishnan, M., …Mertens, P. (2018). Comparative neuropathology of major Indian Bluetongue virus serotypes in a neonatal BALB/c mouse model. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 162, 18-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2018.06.001

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is neurotropic in nature, especially in ruminant fetuses and in-utero infection results in abortion and congenital brain malformations. The aim of the present study was to compare the neuropathogenicity of major Indian BTV sero... Read More about Comparative neuropathology of major Indian Bluetongue virus serotypes in a neonatal BALB/c mouse model.

The immunogenicity of recombinant vaccines based on modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) viruses expressing African horse sickness virus VP2 antigens depends on the levels of expressed VP2 protein delivered to the host (2018)
Journal Article
Calvo-Pinilla, E., Gubbins, S., Mertens, P. P., Ortego, J., & Castillo-Olivares, J. (2018). The immunogenicity of recombinant vaccines based on modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) viruses expressing African horse sickness virus VP2 antigens depends on the levels of expressed VP2 protein delivered to the host. Antiviral Research, 154, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.04.015

African horse sickness (AHS) is a lethal equine disease transmitted by Culicoides biting midges and caused by African horse sickness virus (AHSV). AHS is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, but devastating outbreaks have been recorded periodically outside... Read More about The immunogenicity of recombinant vaccines based on modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) viruses expressing African horse sickness virus VP2 antigens depends on the levels of expressed VP2 protein delivered to the host.

Isolation and evolutionary analysis of Australasian topotype of bluetongue virus serotype 4 from India (2017)
Journal Article
Reddy, Y. V., Susmitha, B., Patil, S., Krishnajyothi, Y., Putty, K., Ramakrishna, K., …Rao, P. (in press). Isolation and evolutionary analysis of Australasian topotype of bluetongue virus serotype 4 from India. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.12738

Bluetongue (BT) is a Culicoides-borne disease caused by several serotypes of bluetongue virus (BTV). Similar to other insect-borne viral diseases, distribution of BT is limited to distribution of Culicoides species competent to transmit BTV. In the t... Read More about Isolation and evolutionary analysis of Australasian topotype of bluetongue virus serotype 4 from India.

How often do mosquitoes bite humans in southern England?: a standardised summer trial at four sites reveals spatial, temporal and site-related variation in biting rates (2017)
Journal Article
Brugman, V. A., England, M. E., Stoner, J., Tugwell, L., Harrup, L. E., Wilson, A. J., …Carpenter, S. (2017). How often do mosquitoes bite humans in southern England?: a standardised summer trial at four sites reveals spatial, temporal and site-related variation in biting rates. Parasites and Vectors, 10(1), Article 420. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-017-2360-9

Background This field-based study examined the abundance and species complement of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) attracted to humans at four sites in the United Kingdom (UK). The study used a systematic approach to directly measure feeding by mo... Read More about How often do mosquitoes bite humans in southern England?: a standardised summer trial at four sites reveals spatial, temporal and site-related variation in biting rates.