Spotlight
Gem
GemGoing the Distance: Optimizing RNA-Seq Strategies for Transcriptomic Analysis of Complex Viral GenomesTranscriptome profiling has become routine in studies of many biological processes. However, the favored approaches such as short-read Illumina RNA sequencing are giving way to long-read sequencing platforms better suited to interrogating the complex transcriptomes typical of many RNA and DNA viruses.
Structure and Assembly
Structure and AssemblyStructure-Based Classification Defines the Discrete Conformational Classes Adopted by the Arenaviral GP1The genetically and geographically diverse group of viruses within the family Arenaviridae includes a number of zoonotic pathogens capable of causing fatal hemorrhagic fever. The multisubunit GPC glycoprotein spike complex displayed on the arenavirus envelope is a key determinant of species tropism and a primary target of the host humoral immune response. Here, we show that the receptor-binding GP1 subcomponent of the GPC spike...
Structure and AssemblyDefining HIV-1 Envelope N-Glycan Microdomains through Site-Specific Heterogeneity ProfilesThe Env protein of HIV is highly glycosylated, and the sites of glycosylation can change as the virus mutates during immune evasion. Due to these changes, the glycan location and heterogeneity of surrounding N-glycosylation sites can be altered, resulting in exposure of different glycan or proteoglycan surfaces while still producing a viable HIV variant. These changes present a need for vaccine developers to identify Env variants with...
Structure and AssemblyHigh-Resolution Structural Characterization of a New Adeno-associated Virus Serotype 5 Antibody Epitope toward Engineering Antibody-Resistant Recombinant Gene Delivery VectorsBiologics based on recombinant AAVs (rAAVs) are increasingly becoming attractive human gene delivery vehicles, especially after the approval of Glybera in Europe and Luxturna in the United States. However, preexisting neutralizing antibodies against the AAV capsids in a large percentage of the human population limit wide-spread utilization of these vectors. To circumvent this problem, stealth vectors must be generated that are...
Genome Replication and Regulation of Viral Gene Expression
Genome Replication and Regulation of Viral Gene ExpressionThe Interaction between ORF18 and ORF30 Is Required for Late Gene Expression in Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated HerpesvirusKaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma and other B-cell cancers and remains a leading cause of death in immunocompromised individuals. A key step in the production of infectious virions is the transcription of viral late genes, which generates capsid and structural proteins and requires the coordination of six viral proteins that form a complex. The role of these proteins during...
Genetic Diversity and Evolution
Genetic Diversity and EvolutionLow-Bias RNA Sequencing of the HIV-2 Genome from Blood PlasmaAn accurate picture of viral genetic diversity is critical for the development of a globally effective HIV vaccine. However, sequencing strategies are often complicated by target enrichment prior to sequencing, introducing biases that can distort variant frequencies, which are not easily corrected for in downstream analyses. Additionally, detailed a priori sequence knowledge is needed to inform robust primer design when...
Genetic Diversity and Evolution | SpotlightA 1,000-Year-Old RNA VirusA virus related to plant chrysoviruses was found in numerous ancient samples of maize, with nearly complete genomes in three samples. The age of the ancient samples (i.e., about 1,000 years old) was confirmed by carbon dating. Chrysoviruses are persistent plant viruses. They infect their hosts from generation to generation by transmission through seeds and can remain in their hosts for very long time periods. When modern corn samples...
![Multiple Introductions and Antigenic Mismatch with Vaccines May Contribute to Increased Predominance of G12P[8] Rotaviruses in the United States](https://jvi.asm.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/externals/b1747fdad277984982c5479b7c25a3fb.jpg?itok=-r4Gc8j1)
Genetic Diversity and Evolution | SpotlightMultiple Introductions and Antigenic Mismatch with Vaccines May Contribute to Increased Predominance of G12P[8] Rotaviruses in the United StatesRotavirus is an important cause of childhood diarrheal disease worldwide. Two immunodominant proteins of rotavirus, VP7 and VP4, determine G and P genotypes, respectively. Recently, G12P[8] rotaviruses have become increasingly predominant. By analyzing rotavirus genome sequences from stool specimens obtained in Nashville, TN, from 2011 to 2013 and globally circulating rotaviruses, we found evidence of multiple introductions of G12 genes...
Genetic Diversity and EvolutionGenotypic and Mechanistic Characterization of Subtype-Specific HIV Adaptation to Host Cellular ImmunityThe identification of HIV polymorphisms reproducibly selected under pressure by specific HLA alleles and the elucidation of their impact on viral function can help identify immunogenic viral regions where immune escape incurs a fitness cost. However, our knowledge of HLA-driven escape pathways and their functional costs is largely limited to HIV subtype B and, to a lesser extent, subtype C. Our study represents the first...
Genetic Diversity and EvolutionAmino Acid Residue 217 in the Hemagglutinin Glycoprotein Is a Key Mediator of Avian Influenza H7N9 Virus AntigenicityAvian influenza H7N9 viruses circulating in poultry and wild birds continue to evolve and acquire important phenotypic changes. Mutations to the virus hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein can modulate virus antigenicity and facilitate virus escape from natural or vaccine-induced immunity. The focus of this study was to identify evolutionary markers in the HA of H7N9 that drive escape from antibody-based immunity. To achieve this, we...
Virus-Cell Interactions
Virus-Cell InteractionsInfluenza A Virus Utilizes Low-Affinity, High-Avidity Interactions with the Nuclear Import Machinery To Ensure Infection and Immune EvasionWe used intracellular nanobodies to block influenza virus infection at the step prior to nuclear import of its ribonucleoproteins. By doing so, we were able to answer an important but outstanding question that could not be addressed with conventional tools: how many of the ∼500 available NLS motifs are needed to establish infection? Furthermore, by controlling the subcellular localization of the incoming viral ribonucleoproteins and...
Virus-Cell InteractionsP2X Antagonists Inhibit HIV-1 Productive Infection and Inflammatory Cytokines Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-1β in a Human Tonsil Explant ModelPatients who are chronically infected with HIV-1 experience sequelae related to chronic inflammation. The mechanisms of this inflammation have not been elucidated. Here, we describe a class of drugs that target the P2X proinflammatory signaling receptors in a human tonsil explant model. This model highlights differences in HIV-1 stimulation of lymphoid tissue inflammation and peripheral blood. These drugs serve to block both HIV-1...
Virus-Cell InteractionsHuman MxB Inhibits the Replication of Hepatitis C VirusViruses of the Flaviviridae family cause major illness and death around the world and thus pose a great threat to human health. Here we show that IFN-inducible MxB restricts several members of the Flaviviridae, including HCV, Japanese encephalitis virus, and dengue virus. This finding not only suggests an active role of MxB in combating these major pathogenic human viruses but also significantly expands the antiviral...
Virus-Cell InteractionsIdentification of Antinorovirus Genes in Human Cells Using Genome-Wide CRISPR Activation ScreeningNorovirus is one of the leading causes of food-borne illness worldwide. Despite its prevalence, our understanding of norovirus biology is limited due to the difficulty in growing human norovirus in vitro and a lack of an animal model. Murine norovirus (MNoV) is a model norovirus system because MNoV replicates robustly in cell culture and in mice. To identify host genes that can restrict norovirus replication when overexpressed...
Virus-Cell Interactions | SpotlightContribution of DNA Replication to the FAM111A-Mediated Simian Virus 40 Host Range PhenotypeSV40 has served as a powerful tool for understanding fundamental viral and cellular processes; however, despite extensive study, the SV40 HR mutant phenotype remains poorly understood. Mutations in the C terminus of large T antigen that disrupt binding to the host protein FAM111A render SV40 HR viruses unable to replicate in restrictive cell types. Our work reveals a defect of HR mutant viruses in the formation of viral replication...
Virus-Cell Interactions | SpotlightThe 11-Kilodalton Nonstructural Protein of Human Parvovirus B19 Facilitates Viral DNA Replication by Interacting with Grb2 through Its Proline-Rich MotifsHuman parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection causes hematological disorders and is the leading cause of nonimmunological fetal hydrops during pregnancy. During infection, B19V expresses two structural proteins, VP1 and VP2, and three nonstructural proteins, NS1, 11-kDa, and 7.5-kDa. While NS1 is essential, 11-kDa plays an enhancing role in viral DNA replication. Here, we elucidated a mechanism underlying 11-kDa protein-regulated B19V DNA...
Virus-Cell Interactionsαvβ3 Integrin Is Required for Efficient Infection of Epithelial Cells with Human Adenovirus Type 26Adenovirus-based vectors are used today for gene transfer and vaccination. HAdV26 has emerged as a promising candidate vector for development of vaccines due to its relatively low seroprevalence and its ability to induce potent immune responses against inserted transgenes. However, data regarding the basic biology of the virus, like receptor usage or intracellular trafficking, are limited. In this work, we found that efficient infection...
Virus-Cell InteractionsSynergistic Activation of Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Productive Infection and Viral Regulatory Promoters by the Progesterone Receptor and Krüppel-Like Transcription Factor 15Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is the most frequently diagnosed cause of abortions in pregnant cows and can cause “abortion storms” in susceptible herds. Virulent field strains and even commercially available modified live vaccines can induce abortion, in part because BoHV-1 replicates efficiently in the ovary and corpus luteum. We now demonstrate that progesterone and the progesterone receptor (PR) stimulate productive infection. The...
Virus-Cell InteractionsThe C Terminus of Rotavirus VP4 Protein Contains an Actin Binding Domain Which Requires Cooperation with the Coiled-Coil Domain for Actin RemodelingRotaviruses are causal agents of acute infantile viral diarrhea. In intestinal cells, in vitro as well as in vivo, virus assembly and exit do not imply cell lysis but rely on an active process in which the cytoskeleton plays a major role. We describe here a novel molecular mechanism by which the rotavirus spike protein VP4 drives actin remodeling. This relies on the fact that VP4 occurs in different forms. Besides its...
Virus-Cell InteractionsStructural Adaptations of Norovirus GII.17/13/21 Lineage through Two Distinct Evolutionary PathsOur understanding of the molecular bases behind the interplays between human noroviruses and their host glycan ligands, as well as their evolutionary changes over time with alterations in their host ligand binding capability and host susceptibility, remains limited. By solving the crystal structures of the glycan ligand binding protruding (P) domains with or without glycan ligands of three representative noroviruses of the GII.17/13/21...
Cellular Response to Infection
Cellular Response to InfectionBroad Recognition of Circulating HIV-1 by HIV-1-Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes with Strong Ability to Suppress HIV-1 ReplicationIn recent T-cell AIDS vaccine trials, the vaccines did not prevent HIV-1 infection, although HIV-1-specific T cells were induced in the vaccinated individuals, suggesting that the T cells have a weak ability to suppress HIV-1 replication and fail to recognize circulating HIV-1. We previously demonstrated that the T-cell responses to 10 epitopes were significantly associated with good clinical outcome. However, there is no direct...
Vaccines and Antiviral Agents
Vaccines and Antiviral AgentsEngineered Small-Molecule Control of Influenza A Virus ReplicationInfluenza A virus (IAV) causes significant morbidity and mortality annually worldwide, despite the availability of new formulations of the vaccine each season. There is a critical need to develop more-efficacious vaccines. However, testing novel vaccines in the human population in controlled studies is difficult due to the limited availability and efficacy of intervention strategies should the vaccine fail. There are also significant...
Pathogenesis and Immunity
Pathogenesis and ImmunityNaturally Occurring Single Mutations in Ebola Virus Observably Impact InfectivityDuring the Ebola virus (EBOV) disease outbreak in West Africa in 2014–2016, it was discovered that several mutations in the virus emerged and became prevalent in the human population. This suggests that these mutations may play a role impacting viral fitness. We investigated three of these previously identified mutations (in the glycoprotein [GP], nucleoprotein [NP], or RNA-dependent RNA polymerase [L]) in cell culture, as well as in...
Pathogenesis and ImmunityBone Marrow-Derived CD4+ T Cells Are Depleted in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Macaques and Contribute to the Size of the Replication-Competent ReservoirThe latent viral reservoir is one of the major obstacles in purging the immune system of HIV. It is paramount that we elucidate which anatomic compartments harbor replication-competent virus, which upon ART interruption results in viral rebound and pathogenesis. In this study, using the rhesus macaque model of SIV infection and ART, we examined the immunologic status of the BM and its role as a potential sanctuary for latent virus. We...
Pathogenesis and Immunity | SpotlightRisk Assessment of Fifth-Wave H7N9 Influenza A Viruses in Mammalian ModelsThe potential pandemic risk posed by avian influenza H7N9 viruses was heightened during the fifth epidemic wave in China due to the sudden increase in the number of human infections and the emergence of antigenically distinct LPAI and HPAI H7N9 viruses. In this study, a group of fifth-wave HPAI and LPAI viruses was evaluated for its ability to infect, cause disease, and transmit in small-animal models. The ability of HPAI H7N9 viruses...
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Journal of Virology® (JVI) explores the nature of viruses, reporting important new discoveries and pointing to new directions in research.
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