Exposing a Virus Hiding in the Animal Facility

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pathology
• Virology
• Nephrology

Background:

• A kidney disease causing spontaneous nephropathy in laboratory mice has been long recognized.
• The etiology of this common condition in mouse models remained unidentified.
• This nephropathy is relevant to understanding tubulointerstitial fibrosis in mammals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the causative agent of spontaneous nephropathy in laboratory mice.
• To characterize the newly discovered virus and its prevalence.
• To explore the implications for diagnosing and understanding kidney fibrosis.

Main Methods:

• Molecular detection and sequencing of viral agents in affected mouse kidneys.
• Histopathological analysis of kidney tissues.
• Prevalence assessment in diverse mouse colonies.

Main Results:

• A novel parvovirus, termed mouse kidney parvovirus (MKPV), was identified as the cause of the nephropathy.
• MKPV was found to be widespread in laboratory mouse populations.
• Current diagnostic methods failed to detect MKPV, explaining its unrecognized status.

Conclusions:

• The identification of MKPV provides a definitive cause for a long-standing kidney disease in mice.
• Understanding MKPV's role opens new avenues for research into tubulointerstitial fibrosis.
• Development of specific diagnostic assays for MKPV is warranted to improve mouse colony health and research accuracy.