Pestiviruses typically infect members of the order Artiodactyla, including ruminants and pigs, although putative rat and bat pestiviruses have also been described. In the present study, we identified and characterized an evolutionary divergent pestivirus in the toothed whale species, harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). We tentatively named the virus Phocoena pestivirus (PhoPeV). PhoPeV displays a typical pestivirus genome organization except for the unique absence of Npro, an N-terminal autoprotease that targets the innate host immune response. Evolutionary evidence indicates that PhoPeV emerged following an interspecies transmission event from an ancestral pestivirus that expressed Npro. We show that 9% (n = 10) of stranded porpoises from the Dutch North Sea coast (n = 112) were positive for PhoPeV and they displayed a systemic infection reminiscent of non-cytopathogenic persistent pestivirus infection. The identification of PhoPeV extends the host range of pestiviruses to cetaceans (dolphins, whales, porpoises), which are considered to have evolved from artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates). Elucidation of the pathophysiology of PhoPeV infection and Npro unique absence will add to our understanding of molecular mechanisms governing pestivirus pathogenesis.

中文翻译：

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缺乏Npro基因的进化型瘟病毒会系统感染鲸鱼物种。

尽管也已经描述了推定的鼠瘟和蝙蝠瘟病毒，但瘟病毒通常会感染木薯纲动物的成员，包括反刍动物和猪。在本研究中，我们在齿鲸物种，港鼠海豚（Phocoena phocoena）中鉴定并鉴定了一种进化的不同瘟病毒。我们暂时将病毒命名为瘟疫瘟病毒（PhoPeV）。PhoPeV显示出典型的瘟病毒基因组结构，只是独特地缺乏Npro（一种靶向先天宿主免疫反应的N末端自体蛋白酶）。进化证据表明，PhoPeV是在表达Npro的祖传瘟病毒的种间传播事件之后出现的。我们显示9％（n = 10）的荷兰北海沿岸海豚（n = 112）对PhoPeV呈阳性，并且它们表现出全身性感染，令人联想到非细胞致病性持续性瘟病毒感染。对PhoPeV的鉴定将瘟病毒的宿主范围扩展到了鲸类（海豚，鲸鱼，海豚），它们被认为是从动d基（偶蹄类）进化而来的。对PhoPeV感染和Npro独特缺乏的病理生理学的阐明将增加我们对控制瘟病毒发病机理的分子机制的了解。