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Genetic Diversity and Evolution | SpotlightMedusavirus, a Novel Large DNA Virus Discovered from Hot Spring WaterWe have isolated a new nucleocytoplasmic large DNA virus (NCLDV) from hot spring water in Japan, named medusavirus. This new NCLDV is phylogenetically placed at the root of the eukaryotic clades based on the phylogenies of several key genes, including that encoding DNA polymerase, and its genome surprisingly encodes the full set of histone homologs. Furthermore, its laboratory host,...
- Prions | SpotlightLack of Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease to Cynomolgus Macaques
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease found in deer, elk, and moose. Since it was first discovered in the late 1960s, CWD has now spread to at least 25 U.S. states, 2 Canadian provinces, South Korea, Norway, and Finland. Eradication of CWD from areas of endemicity is very unlikely, and additional spread will occur. As the range and prevalence of CWD increase, so will the potential for human exposure to CWD prions. It is...
GemTetraspanins: Architects of Viral Entry and Exit PlatformsHost factors render cells susceptible to viral infection. One family of susceptibility factors, the tetraspanin proteins, facilitate enveloped virus entry by promoting virus-cell membrane fusion.
Virus-Cell InteractionsInterferon-Induced Transmembrane Protein 1 Restricts Replication of Viruses That Enter Cells via the Plasma MembraneHost susceptibility to viral infection is multifactorial, but early control of viruses not previously encountered is predominantly mediated by the interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) family. There are upwards of 300 of these genes, the majority of which do not have a clearly defined function or mechanism of action. The cellular location of these proteins may have an important effect on their function. One ISG located at the plasma membrane...
Structure and AssemblyStructural Basis of Nanobodies Targeting the Prototype NorovirusThe discovery of vulnerable regions on norovirus particles is instrumental in the development of effective inhibitors, particularly for GI noroviruses that are genetically diverse. Analysis of these GI.1-specific Nanobodies has shown that similar to GII norovirus particles, the GI particles have vulnerable regions. The only known cofactor region, the HBGA binding pocket, represents the main target for inhibition. With a combination...
Virus-Cell InteractionsFlexibility In Vitro of Amino Acid 226 in the Receptor-Binding Site of an H9 Subtype Influenza A Virus and Its Effect In Vivo on Virus Replication, Tropism, and TransmissionA single amino acid change at position 226 in the hemagglutinin (HA) from glutamine (Q) to leucine (L) has been shown to play a key role in receptor specificity switching in various influenza virus HA subtypes, including H9. We tested the flexibility of amino acid usage and determined the effects of such changes. The results reveal that amino acids other than L226 and Q226 are well tolerated and that some amino acids allow for the...
Genome Replication and Regulation of Viral Gene ExpressionM Segment-Based Minigenomes and Virus-Like Particle Assays as an Approach To Assess the Potential of Tick-Borne Phlebovirus Genome ReassortmentIn recent years, there has been a large expansion in the number of emerging tick-borne viruses that are assigned to the Phlebovirus genus. Bunyaviruses have a tripartite segmented genome, and infection of the same host cell by two closely related bunyaviruses can, in theory, result in eight progeny viruses with different genome segment combinations. We used genome analogues expressing reporter genes to assess the abilities of...