poxvirus
Vaccines and Antiviral AgentsPotent Anti-hepatitis C Virus (HCV) T Cell Immune Responses Induced in Mice Vaccinated with DNA-Launched RNA Replicons and Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara-HCVHCV represents a global health problem as more than 71 million people are chronically infected worldwide. Direct-acting antiviral agents can cure HCV infection in most patients, but due to the high cost of these agents and the emergence of resistant mutants, they do not represent a feasible and affordable strategy to eradicate the virus. Therefore, a vaccine is an urgent goal that requires efforts to understand the correlates of...
Vaccines and Antiviral AgentsNovel Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Vector Expressing Anti-apoptotic Gene B13R Delays Apoptosis and Enhances Humoral ResponsesMVA is an attractive viral vector for vaccine development due to its safety and immunogenicity in multiple species and humans even under conditions of immunodeficiency. Here, to further improve the immunogenicity of MVA, we developed a novel vector, MVA-B13R, by replacing the fragmented anti-apoptotic genes 181R/182R with a functional version derived from vaccinia virus, B13R. Our results show that...
Virus-Cell InteractionsHuman Host Range Restriction of the Vaccinia Virus C7/K1 Double Deletion Mutant Is Mediated by an Atypical Mode of Translation InhibitionA dynamic relationship exists between viruses and their hosts in which each ostensibly attempts to exploit the other’s vulnerabilities. A window is opened into the established condition, which evolved over millennia, if loss-of-function mutations occur in either the virus or host. Thus, the inability of viral host range mutants to replicate in specific cells can be overcome by identifying and inactivating the opposing cellular gene....
Virus-Cell Interactions | SpotlightNovel Class of Viral Ankyrin Proteins Targeting the Host E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Cullin-2Viruses encode multiple proteins aimed at modulating cellular homeostasis and antagonizing the host antiviral response. Most of these genes were originally acquired from the host and subsequently adapted to benefit the virus. ANK proteins are common in eukaryotes but are unusual amongst viruses, with the exception of poxviruses, where they represent one of the largest protein families. We report here the existence of a new class of...
Genetic Diversity and EvolutionRNA Polymerase Mutations Selected during Experimental Evolution Enhance Replication of a Hybrid Vaccinia Virus with an Intermediate Transcription Factor Subunit Replaced by the Myxoma Virus OrthologPrevious studies demonstrated the experimental evolution of vaccinia virus (VACV) following deletion of a host range gene important for evasion of host immune defenses. We have extended experimental evolution to essential genes that cannot be deleted but could be replaced by a divergent orthologous gene from another poxvirus. Replacement of a VACV transcription factor gene with one from a distantly related poxvirus led to decreased...
- Cellular Response to InfectionBatf3-Dependent Dendritic Cells Promote Optimal CD8 T Cell Responses against Respiratory Poxvirus Infection
During respiratory infection with vaccinia virus (VacV), a member of Poxviridae family, CD8+ T cells play important role in resolving the primary infection. Effector CD8+ T cells clear the virus by accumulating in the infected lungs in large numbers and secreting molecules such as IFN-γ that kill virally infected cells. However, precise cell...
- Virus-Cell Interactions | SpotlightVirulent Poxviruses Inhibit DNA Sensing by Preventing STING Activation
