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. 2024 Mar 18;45(2):429-438.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.306.

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

Hong Zhou  1   2 , Ren-Rong Tian  3 , Xiu-Rong Wang  4 , Jin-Xuan Yang  3 , Yun-Xiao Wang  4 , Ming-Liang Zhao  3 , Xu-Dong Zhang  4 , Yu-Hua Ma  5 , Long-Bao Lv  5 , Edward C Holmes  6 , Yong-Tang Zheng  3   7 , Wei-Feng Shi  8   9
Affiliations

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

Hong Zhou et al. Zool Res. .

Abstract
in English, Chinese

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 meta-transcriptomic 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 cross-species transmission.

中国树鼩（ Tupaia belangeri chinensis）属于哺乳动物目（Scandentia），与灵长类动物有亲缘关系。它的神经、免疫和代谢系统与包括人类在内的灵长类动物相似，这使它在生物医学研究中被广泛用作一种有前景的实验模型，如癌症、传染病、代谢和精神疾病模型。在本研究中，我们使用宏转录组测序分析了105只健康树鼩的血浆、口腔和肛门拭子样本，以确定潜在的人畜共患病毒。我们共鉴定出8种具有完整基因组的哺乳动物病毒，属于6个病毒科：黄病毒科、肝炎病毒科、细小病毒科、小核糖核酸病毒科、光滑呼肠孤病毒科和棘突呼肠孤病毒科。我们首次报道了树鼩携带的轮状病毒。特别值得注意的是三种病毒——肝炎病毒1、细小病毒和小核糖核酸病毒——在全基因组范围内与先前报道的病毒表现出较低的遗传相似性（<70%），因此被认为是新病毒。其他三种病毒——肝炎病毒2、甲型肝炎病毒和戊型肝炎病毒——与已知病毒表现出高度相似性（>94%）。系统发育分析还表明，该研究中鉴定的轮状病毒和哺乳动物正呼肠孤病毒可能是新的重配株。这些发现为深入了解圈养中国树鼩携带的病毒谱提供了依据，这些病毒能否从树鼩跨物种传播给其他动物值得进一步研究。.

Keywords: Genomic analysis; Mammalian viruses; Meta-transcriptomic sequencing; Tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Genomic characterization and evolutionary relationships of tree shrew hepacivirus identified in this study
Figure 2
Figure 2
Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences from tree shrew virus TuHEV and representative hepeviruses
Figure 3
Figure 3
Genomic characterization and evolutionary relationships of tree shrew parvovirus identified in this study
Figure 4
Figure 4
Genomic characterization and evolutionary relationships of tree shrew viruses TuPiV and TuHAV identified in this study
Figure 5
Figure 5
Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences from tree shrew virus TuMRV and representative MRV viruses
Figure 6
Figure 6
Phylogenetic analysis of sequences from tree shrew virus TuRVA and representative rotaviruses
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