Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
15:25
Protocol for Dengue Infections in Mosquitoes A. aegypti and Infection Phenotype Determination
Published on: July 4, 2007
19.2K
Confirmation that host reverse transcriptase is required to maintain persistent dengue virus infections in mosquito
Warachin Gangnonngiw1, Timothy W Flegel1, Nipaporn Kanthong2
1Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (CENTEX Shrimp), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand; National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand.
Developmental and Comparative Immunology
|April 19, 2026
Summary
Host reverse-transcriptase (HRT) activity enables Dengue virus accommodation in insect cells. Inhibiting HRT with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) blocks viral tolerance, offering applications in pathogen screening and breeding stock development.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- C6/36 cells infected with Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) exhibit cytopathic effects (CPE) but can recover through serial passaging, maintaining persistent infection without morphological damage.
- A hypothesis proposed in 2009 suggested that host reverse-transcriptase (HRT) activity is crucial for Dengue virus accommodation in C6/36 cells.
- Previous studies demonstrated the role of HRT in Dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) accommodation using azidothymidine (AZT) in 2016.
Purpose of the Study:
- To confirm the role of HRT activity in DENV-2 accommodation in C6/36 cells.
- To investigate the effect of a different reverse-transcriptase inhibitor, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), on DENV-2 infection.
- To validate the requirement of persistent HRT activity for maintaining Dengue virus tolerance.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a different C6/36 cell line and DENV-2 strain for infection.
- Treating infected cells with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), a nucleoside analogue and antiretroviral drug.
- Observing the effects of TDF treatment on viral accommodation, cell morphology, and survival.
Main Results:
- Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment (0.1 mM) effectively blocked viral accommodation in DENV-2 infected C6/36 cells.
- TDF treatment reverted cells to a lethal infection pathway, characterized by the reappearance of cytopathic effects (CPE).
- These findings confirm that persistent HRT activity is essential for maintaining Dengue virus tolerance in these cells.
Conclusions:
- Host reverse-transcriptase (HRT) activity is critical for Dengue virus accommodation and tolerance in C6/36 insect cells.
- Inhibition of HRT by TDF disrupts viral tolerance, leading to cell death, thus confirming its role in the infection pathway.
- This research has potential applications in screening commercial crustaceans and insects for viral pathogens and developing virus-tolerant breeding stocks.
Keywords:
Aedes albopictus C6/36 cellsDengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2NGC)Persistent infectionReverse transcriptase (RT)More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:29Viruses with RNA Genomes
1.4K
RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...
1.4K
01:26Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
1.2K
Viral genomes exhibit remarkable diversity in size, structure, and composition, influencing their replication strategies and interactions with host cells. These genomes consist of either DNA or RNA and may be linear or circular. Additionally, they can be single-stranded or double-stranded, with each configuration affecting how the virus propagates within a host. RNA viruses, for instance, generally have smaller genomes than DNA viruses, a factor that contributes to their high mutation rates and...
1.2K
01:10Retrovirus Life Cycles
50.9K
Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the...
50.9K