Adaptation of BTV-8 to local Culicoides vector species

Adaptation of BTV-8 to local Culicoides vector species | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Adaptation of BTV-8 to local Culicoides vector species Tal Yamin, Natalia Golender, Einat Kapri, Maxim Quint, Yuval Gottlieb, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9264599/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Arthropod-borne viruses are usually vector specific. When a novel viral strain arrives to a new location, its ability to spread depends on its fast adaptation to the local vector populations. Bluetongue is a viral infectious disease of ruminants with considerable socioeconomic and welfare concerns. It composed of 10 dsRNA segments, which can reassert among the 36 serotypes known to date. BTV is transmitted by females of certain species of biting midges within the genus Culicoides . Due to the complexity of studying vector competence of wild Culicoides populations, little is known about the mechanisms of BTV adaptation to new Culicoides vectors. BTV-8 emerged in Europe in 2006 and caused a significant economic damage. In 2008, the first outbreak of BTV-8, occurred in Israel, however, it was limited to one northern location, where the dominant vector is C. obsoletus . In 2010, a second BTV-8 outbreak occurred, yet this time it spread across the country, where the two dominant vectors of BTV are C. imicola and C. oxystoma . Furthermore, the virus isolated in 2008 was genetically different form the two BTV-8 main isolates in 2010. We hypothesize that these genetic changes led to viral adaptation to the local vector species, allowing a nationwide spread of BTV-8 in 2010. To test this, we first re-sequenced the BTV-8 isolates from 2008 and 2010 and confirmed the changes in amino-acids in several genome segments in one isolate of 2010, and the reassortment of segments 9 and 10 in the other isolate of that year. We further tested and compared the adaptation of wild Culicoides vector populations to these three isolates by comparing viral infection rates in their salivary glands. We show that BTV-8 isolates from 2010 are about twice more likely to cause successful infection in both C. imicola and C. oxystoma (p < 0.05). Our findings provide the first experimental evidence for BTV adaptation to wild local vectors, and serves as a basis for further mechanistic studies on Culicoides vectors susceptibility to BTV-8. BTV (Bluetongue virus) BTV-8 Culicoides vector competence outbreak genetic variability Figures Figure 1 Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files newTableSvp.xlsx RScriptsYaminetal.docx FigureS1.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 18 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 05 May, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 30 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 30 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 30 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9264599","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":636006408,"identity":"00fb9242-2b26-490c-9d30-c7a56e9fb3b7","order_by":0,"name":"Tal Yamin","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Hebrew University of Jerusalem","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tal","middleName":"","lastName":"Yamin","suffix":""},{"id":636006409,"identity":"9dd0a496-15df-46cb-8b63-c3d59c95bdc6","order_by":1,"name":"Natalia Golender","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Hebrew University of Jerusalem","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Natalia","middleName":"","lastName":"Golender","suffix":""},{"id":636006411,"identity":"e5f51b9f-8bed-43db-96fa-211703b7b559","order_by":2,"name":"Einat Kapri","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Hebrew University of Jerusalem","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Einat","middleName":"","lastName":"Kapri","suffix":""},{"id":636006413,"identity":"e88fad5c-cc3e-43c5-b625-5bf54826577c","order_by":3,"name":"Maxim Quint","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Hebrew University of Jerusalem","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maxim","middleName":"","lastName":"Quint","suffix":""},{"id":636006417,"identity":"e34a77b6-0508-4de7-8b2c-6b9960511bbe","order_by":4,"name":"Yuval Gottlieb","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABK0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLCCBwYMCRBWgQ0DAzNzAzMDAxsPWCChAIt6ZsaGBLgWgzSwAJIWAxxaGOBaDgMJsBYYwNQi795//EFCgU0eg0SOmcQPg/PR/O1ALYVtfDIM7IcfgNyMDgzPHAY5LK0YpEWyx+B27gygAPPMNqDDeNIMsDnMcEYySMvhxAaJHGMDHqCWBpAWXpAWhhysfoFq+Q/WYvjH4FzufLgW/jdYtchLgLUcAGkxfMxjcCB3A1yLBHZbDHgOG85IMEguZuN5VvhYxiA5dyNQy2Gec2w8bBLPDA5gs6W98cGHD3/s8vjZkzccfFNhlzvv/OGDj3nKjtnz8yc/fPijAtOWA1AGm0ACQhQoeIyBDcLAtKUBxuJHla7BongUjIJRMApGKAAAnWBkuw0Q2M0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"The Hebrew University of Jerusalem","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuval","middleName":"","lastName":"Gottlieb","suffix":""},{"id":636006419,"identity":"d0100216-9b54-47fa-ba9a-636ba936cc12","order_by":5,"name":"Eyal Klement","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The Hebrew University of Jerusalem","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Eyal","middleName":"","lastName":"Klement","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-30 09:08:27","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9264599/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9264599/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":109249133,"identity":"4e0af010-c9fd-4251-91b9-330a7490fd8e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-14 08:42:48","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":167546,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eInfection rate (%) by BTV-8 isolates grouped by \u003cem\u003eCulicoides\u003c/em\u003e species; Im. = \u003cem\u003eC. imicola\u003c/em\u003e, Ob. =\u003cem\u003e C. obsoletus\u003c/em\u003e, Ox. = \u003cem\u003eC. oxystoma\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003ep \u003c/em\u003evalues calculated by the Fisher’s exact test. 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When a novel viral strain arrives to a new location, its ability to spread depends on its fast adaptation to the local vector populations. Bluetongue is a viral infectious disease of ruminants with considerable socioeconomic and welfare concerns. It composed of 10 dsRNA segments, which can reassert among the 36 serotypes known to date. BTV is transmitted by females of certain species of biting midges within the genus \u003cem\u003eCulicoides\u003c/em\u003e. Due to the complexity of studying vector competence of wild \u003cem\u003eCulicoides\u003c/em\u003e populations, little is known about the mechanisms of BTV adaptation to new \u003cem\u003eCulicoides\u003c/em\u003e vectors. BTV-8 emerged in Europe in 2006 and caused a significant economic damage. In 2008, the first outbreak of BTV-8, occurred in Israel, however, it was limited to one northern location, where the dominant vector is \u003cem\u003eC. obsoletus\u003c/em\u003e. In 2010, a second BTV-8 outbreak occurred, yet this time it spread across the country, where the two dominant vectors of BTV are \u003cem\u003eC. imicola\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eC. oxystoma\u003c/em\u003e. Furthermore, the virus isolated in 2008 was genetically different form the two BTV-8 main isolates in 2010. We hypothesize that these genetic changes led to viral adaptation to the local vector species, allowing a nationwide spread of BTV-8 in 2010. To test this, we first re-sequenced the BTV-8 isolates from 2008 and 2010 and confirmed the changes in amino-acids in several genome segments in one isolate of 2010, and the reassortment of segments 9 and 10 in the other isolate of that year. We further tested and compared the adaptation of wild \u003cem\u003eCulicoides\u003c/em\u003e vector populations to these three isolates by comparing viral infection rates in their salivary glands. We show that BTV-8 isolates from 2010 are about twice more likely to cause successful infection in both \u003cem\u003eC. imicola\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eC. oxystoma\u003c/em\u003e (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Our findings provide the first experimental evidence for BTV adaptation to wild local vectors, and serves as a basis for further mechanistic studies on \u003cem\u003eCulicoides\u003c/em\u003e vectors susceptibility to BTV-8.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Adaptation of BTV-8 to local Culicoides vector species","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-05-13 17:46:36","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9264599/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"306968502344673809314415052640947197143","date":"2026-05-18T06:15:38+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-05-05T11:51:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-30T16:30:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-30T12:30:25+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Parasites \u0026 Vectors","date":"2026-03-30T08:54:26+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"parasites-and-vectors","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"parv","sideBox":"Learn more about [Parasites \u0026 Vectors](http://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"13071","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/13071/3","title":"Parasites \u0026 Vectors","twitterHandle":"@bugbittentweets","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e1500f5b-d435-455a-9371-a338a42082e7","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 13th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"306968502344673809314415052640947197143","date":"2026-05-18T06:15:38+00:00","index":18,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"10","date":"2026-05-05T11:51:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-13T17:46:36+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-05-13 17:46:36","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9264599","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9264599","identity":"rs-9264599","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}