Xishan Biology

Introduction to Pathogens

Mouse nephropathia virus

In 2018, Ben Roediger and colleagues published an article in the journal *Cell*, reporting the discovery of a novel parvovirus in mouse kidneys, temporarily named Mouse Kidney Parvovirus (MKPV). Infection with this virus can lead to chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathy, renal fibrosis, weight loss, and death in immunodeficient mice such as NSG mice.

Epidemiology

 

Epidemiologically, MKPV spreads via fecal-oral and urine-oral routes and is more likely to infect immunocompromised animals.

Sampling tests revealed that the MKPV positivity rate was 5.8% in laboratory mice, 5% in wild juvenile mice, 62% in adult mice, and 23% in pet mice. Meanwhile, the positivity rate in biological materials such as cell lines and tumor xenografts was 4%. These findings clearly indicate that MKPV is widely present in laboratory animals, wildlife, and various biological materials.

Clinical symptoms and pathological changes

 

Infected animals experience a 4- to 5-month process of progressive kidney dysfunction, characterized by renal tubular necrosis and renal fibrosis, ultimately leading to death due to complete loss of kidney function. This closely mirrors the gradual disease progression seen in human chronic kidney disease, potentially offering a new tool for investigating the mechanisms underlying renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

Ben Roediger discovered that middle-aged immunocompromised mice often succumbed to unexplained deaths. Autopsies revealed that the animals had pale, shrunken, and necrotic kidneys, with severe fibrosis observed upon histopathological examination—yet other organs appeared structurally normal. Based on these findings, he concluded that the mice’s deaths were likely caused by kidney failure. Using advanced molecular biology techniques, researchers eventually identified a novel virus in the kidneys of the affected mice. Sequence analysis showed that this virus is closely related to other murine parvoviruses, such as MPV and MVM, but it isn’t entirely identical to them. Notably, while MPV and MVM typically cause no clinical symptoms—even in immunocompromised mice—they exhibit a striking tropism for mouse renal epithelial cells. In contrast, MKPV specifically targets these kidney cells, leading to severe illness and, ultimately, death in immunodeficient mice.

Impact on research

 

Clearly, MKPV infection can significantly impact experimental outcomes in immunodeficient animal models; meanwhile, even immunocompetent animals develop a subclinical form of inclusion body nephropathy after MKPV infection, which may also markedly affect their immune function and, consequently, the experimental results. To enhance the welfare of laboratory animals and ensure the reliability of experimental findings, monitoring for MKPV in mice is essential.

The recent discovery of MKPV has quickly drawn industry attention, with several organizations already adding the virus to their testing and control lists. Meanwhile, some laboratory animal suppliers have publicly announced they can now provide MKPV-negative mice for research use.

References

 

1. Ben Boediger et al. An Atypical Parvovirus Drives Chronic Tubulointerstitial Nephropathy and Kidney Fibrosis. 2018 Cell 175, 530–543

2. Simon H. Williams, et al. Viral Diversity of House Mice in New York City. American Society for Microbiology, March/April 2018, Vol. 9, Issue 2

3. Marcia Hart, et al. Mouse Kidney Parvovirus: A Newly Characterized Parvoviral Pathogen of Laboratory Mice. IBA-US 84-2 MKPV Poster

4. Murine Parvovirus Technical Sheet - Charles River

5. https://www.taconic.com/taconic-insights/quality/mouse-kidney-parvovirus-mouse-pathogen.html

6. https://www.idexxbioanalytics.com/mkpv

 

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