Rescue of NanoLuc luciferase-expressing Senecavirus A with oncolytic activity

Virus Res. 2021 Jan 15:292:198232. doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198232. Epub 2020 Nov 15.

Abstract

Senecavirus A (SVA), previously known as Seneca Valley virus, is classified into the genus Senecavirus in the family Picornaviridae. SVA is not pathogenic to normal human cells, but has potent oncolytic activity in some tumor cells with neuroendocrine feature, such as small cell lung cancer (SCLC) NCI-H446 cell line. In this study, we rescued and characterized a recombinant SVA that could efficiently express a novel luciferase, NanoLuc® luciferase (NLuc), which was smaller and "brighter" than others. This NLuc-tagged recombinant SVA (rSVA-NLuc) exhibited high capacity for viral replication, but genetic instability of NLuc during serial virus passages. The NLuc as a reporter facilitated oncolytic analysis of rSVA-NLuc in H446 cells. The rSVA-NLuc-infected H446 cells exhibited an oncolytic phenotype characterized by cell rounding, swelling, detachment and lysis at 48 h post infection. Kinetic curve showed that the NLuc was rapidly expressed in H446 cells during an exponential phase of viral growth. Because the NLuc offered several advantages over fluorescent proteins for assay scalability in vivo, the rSVA-NLuc would play a potential role in facilitating in vivo imaging studies of oncolytic virotherapy.

Keywords: H446 cells; Luminescence; NLuc; Oncolytic activity; Reverse genetics; rSVA-NLuc.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Luciferases / genetics*
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy
  • Oncolytic Viruses / genetics*
  • Oncolytic Viruses / growth & development
  • Oncolytic Viruses / physiology
  • Picornaviridae / genetics*
  • Picornaviridae / growth & development
  • Picornaviridae / physiology
  • Virus Replication

Substances

  • Luciferases

Supplementary concepts

  • Senecavirus A