Semen Exosomes Mediate Vertical Transmission of Subgroup J Avian Leukosis Virus

Authors: LIAO, LIQIN - South China Agricultural Univerisity; CHEN, WEIGUO - South China Agricultural Univerisity; ZHANG, XIANGYU - South China Agricultural Univerisity; Zhang, Huanmin; LI, AIJUN - Jinan University; YAN, YIMING - South China Agricultural Univerisity; ZHANG, XINHENG - South China Agricultural Univerisity; LI, HONGXING - South China Agricultural Univerisity; LIN, WENCHENG - South China Agricultural Univerisity; MA, JINGYUN - South China Agricultural Univerisity; XIE, QINGMEI - South China Agricultural Univerisity

Submitted to: Virologica Sinica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/27/2021
Publication Date: 1/22/2022
Citation: Liao, L., Chen, W., Zhang, X., Zhang, H., Li, A., Yan, Y., Zhang, X., Li, H., Lin, W., Ma, J., Xie, Q. 2022. Semen Exosomes Mediate Vertical Transmission of Subgroup J Avian Leukosis Virus. Journal of Virology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virs.2022.01.026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virs.2022.01.026

Interpretive Summary: Exosomes are known as extracellular vesicles that are released from cells upon fusion of an intermediate endocytic compartment, the multivesicular body, with the plasma membrane. After decades of diligent study, it is clear now that these vesicles are implicated in spreading diseases, including cancer, and metabolic conditions, like diabetes and obesity. This study explored this kind of vesicles in chicken seminal plasma infected with a retrovirus known as avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J). The data from this study revealed that exosomes derived from the ALV-J infected chicken seminal plasma were capable of transmitting ALV-J to healthy cells and from hens to the next generation chicks. This study also found a particular antibody can block such transmission. The findings of this study advanced the basic understanding on how ALV-J infects and transmits itself and a promising strategy to help stop such infection and transmission in chicken.

Technical Abstract: Subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) is a highly oncogenic retrovirus that has been devastating the global poultry industry since the late 1990s. The major infection model of ALV-J is vertical transmission, which is responsible for the congenital infection in progeny from generation to generation. Increasing evidence suggests that exosomes are vital a component in the pathogenesis of virus infection and play crucial roles in the viral life cycle. Exosomes derived from virus-infected cells or biological fluids have been thought to be vehicles of transmission for a variety of viruses. However, the role of exosomes in infection and transmission of ALV-J remains obscure. Herein, we isolated and purified seminal exosomes (SE) from ALV-J-infected rooster seminal plasma (SE-ALV-J), which was shown to contain ALV-J genomic RNA and partial viral proteins, as determined by RNA sequencing, reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. Furthermore, SE-ALV-J can transmit ALV-J infection to host cells and establish productive infection. More importantly, artificial insemination experiments showed that SE-ALV-J were capable of mediating vertical transmission of ALV-J from hen to progeny. Treatment with antibodies to CD81 can effectively block SE-ALV-J-mediated vertical transmission of ALV-J. Taken together, our results suggested that ALV-J utilizes host seminal exosomes as a novel means for its vertical transmission and enhances our understanding on mechanisms of ALV-J transmission.