Biology subjects

Beheim-Schwarzbach, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Beheim-Schwarzbach, J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

A century-old museum sample reveals abandavirus with modern day presence in northernEuropean bats

Ancient genome sequences provide invaluable insights into the origin and evolution of viral pathogens, offering a broader temporal perspective that extends well beyond the limited timespan of clinical data, which typically covers at most a few decades. Whereas ancient viral DNA is relatively frequently recovered, ancient viral RNA genomes are scarce due to the fragile nature of RNA molecules. In this study, we explored the feasibility of detecting ancient viral RNA in ethanol-preserved bat samples from a museum collection. We not only detected viral genome fragments but also recovered the coding-complete genome of a bandavirus (species Bandavirus zwieselense, family Phenuiviridae, order Hareavirales, class Bunyaviricetes) from a Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) bat collected in northern Germany in 1919. To investigate the modern distribution of Bandavirus zwieselense, we screened bat organs collected in Germany and the Netherlands via RT-qPCR, identifying modern counterparts in nine Common Pipistrelle (P. pipistrellus) bats (collected between 2010 and 2018), and one Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus, collected in 1999). The resulting genomic data enabled us to map phylogenetic relationships within this previously uncharacterized virus species (Bandavirus zwieselense) and estimate the timeframe for the most recent common ancestor. Additionally, we performed functional analysis of the S segment encoded nonstructural (NSs) protein of Bandavirus zwieselense in human HEK-293T cells, demonstrating its ability to block interferon induction, a characteristic also observed in the related human-pathogenic Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV, species Bandavirus dabieense). This study demonstrates the feasibility of recovering and characterizing viral genomes from ethanol-preserved ancient RNA material, underscoring the significant potential of museum collections to contribute to the understanding of RNA virus evolution.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Antigenic cartography using variant-specific hamster sera reveals substantial antigenic variation among Omicron subvariants

SARS-CoV-2 has developed substantial antigenic variability. As the majority of the population now has pre-existing immunity due to infection or vaccination, the use of experimentally generated animal immune sera can be valuable for measuring antigenic differences between virus variants. Here, we immunized Syrian hamsters by two successive infections with one of eight SARS-CoV-2 variants. Their sera were titrated against 14 SARS-CoV-2 variants and the resulting titers visualized using antigenic cartography. The antigenic map shows a condensed cluster containing all pre-Omicron variants (D614G, Alpha, Delta, Beta, Mu, and an engineered B.1+E484K variant), and a considerably more distributed positioning among a selected panel of Omicron subvariants (BA.1, BA.2, BA.4/5, the BA.5 descendants BF.7 and BQ.1.18; the BA.2.75 descendant BN.1.3.1; and the BA.2-derived recombinant XBB.2). Some Omicron subvariants were as antigenically distinct from each other as the wildtype is from the Omicron BA.1 variant. The results highlight the potential of using variant-specifically infected hamster sera for the continued antigenic characterisation of SARS-CoV-2.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2022

Genetic variability, including gene duplication and deletion, in early sequences from the 2022 European monkeypox outbreak

Genome sequences from 47 monkeypox virus infections detected in a German university virology laboratory were analyzed in context of other sequences from the 2022 outbreak and earlier monkeypox genomes. Identical non-synonymous amino acid changes in six genes and the signature of APOBEC editing match other sequences from the European outbreak. Non-synonymous changes that were present in one to three sequences were found in 34 other genes. In sequences from two lesions of one patient, an 856 nucleotide translocation between genome termini resulted in the duplication of an initial 5 gene, and the disruption or complete deletion of four genes near the 3 genome end. Orthopoxvirus genome rearrangements of this nature are known to confer fitness advantages in the face of selection pressure. This change may therefore represent an early virus adaptation in the novel widespread and sustained human-to-human context of the current monkeypox outbreak.

bioinformatics↗