Efficient and Robust Reverse Genetics Systems.

The notoriously low efficiency of reverse genetics systems has posed a limiting barrier to the study of viruses in this family. Previous approaches to reverse genetics have utilized a wide variety of techniques to overcome the technical hurdles. Although robustness (i.

Inhibition of an Aquatic Rhabdovirus Demonstrates Promise of a Broad-Spectrum Antiviral for Use in Aquaculture.

Unlabelled: Many enveloped viruses cause devastating disease in aquaculture, resulting in significant economic impact. LJ001 is a broad-spectrum antiviral compound that inhibits enveloped virus infections by specifically targeting phospholipids in the lipid bilayer via the production of singlet oxygen (O). This stabilizes positive curvature and decreases membrane fluidity, which inhibits virus-cell membrane fusion during viral entry.

Cross-Reactive and Cross-Neutralizing Activity of Human Mumps Antibodies Against a Novel Mumps Virus From Bats.

To evaluate the antigenic relationship between bat mumps virus (BMV) and the JL5 vaccine strain of mumps virus (MuVJL5), we rescued a chimeric virus bearing the F and HN glycoproteins of BMV in the background of a recombinant JL5 genome (rMuVJL5). Cross-reactivity and cross-neutralization between this chimeric recombinant MuV bearing the F and HN glycoproteins of BMV (rMuVJL5-F/HNBMV) virus and rMuVJL5 were demonstrated using hyperimmune mouse serum samples and a curated panel of human serum. All mouse and human serum samples that were able to neutralize rMuVJL5 infection had cross-neutralizing activity against rMuVJL5-F/HNBMV.

The Microtubule Inhibitor Podofilox Inhibits an Early Entry Step of Human Cytomegalovirus.

Human cytomegalovirus is a ubiquitous β-herpesvirus that infects many different cell types through an initial binding to cell surface receptors followed by a fusion event at the cell membrane or endocytic vesicle. A recent high-throughput screen to identify compounds that block a step prior to viral gene expression identified podofilox as a potent and nontoxic inhibitor. Time-of-addition studies in combination with quantitative-PCR analysis demonstrated that podofilox limits an early step of virus entry at the cell surface.

Sendai virus, an RNA virus with no risk of genomic integration, delivers CRISPR/Cas9 for efficient gene editing.

The advent of RNA-guided endonuclease (RGEN)-mediated gene editing, specifically via CRISPR/Cas9, has spurred intensive efforts to improve the efficiency of both RGEN delivery and targeted mutagenesis. The major viral vectors in use for delivery of Cas9 and its associated guide RNA, lentiviral and adeno-associated viral systems, have the potential for undesired random integration into the host genome. Here, we repurpose Sendai virus, an RNA virus with no viral DNA phase and that replicates solely in the cytoplasm, as a delivery system for efficient Cas9-mediated gene editing.