Hendra virus genotypes 1 and 2 differ in V protein-mediated immune evasion

Abstract

Hendra virus (HeV) is a highly pathogenic virus endemic to Australia that causes lethal infections in horses and humans following spillover from bat reservoirs. There are two known genotypes: genotype 1 and 2 (HeV-g1 and HeV-g2). Both have caused lethal disease in horses, but HeV-g1 causes a more severe disease than HeV-g2 in non-human primates. The molecular mechanisms underlying these differences are poorly understood. The capacity of viruses to evade the interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral innate immune response is important in infection and disease, and in HeV, the virulence factor V protein is a key mediator and one of the most divergent proteins between the genotypes. We compared the I..