Outer membrane vesicles of DS002 carry circular DNA similar to bovine meat and milk factors (BMMFs) and SPHINX 2.36 and probably play a role in interdomain lateral gene transfer.

Unlabelled: The discovery of Replication Competent Circular DNA molecules in mammalian cells and tissues is being linked to debilitating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and colorectal cancer (CRC). These circular DNA molecules, otherwise known as bovine meat and milk factors (BMMFs) and Slow Progressive Hidden INfections of variable (X) latency (SPHINX), bear significant (80%) sequence similarity with the plasmids of strains. Nanostructures, such as bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) serve as vehicles for transporting biomolecular cargo and have the potential to facilitate interkingdom lateral mobility of DNA.

Complete genome sequencing and construction of full-length infectious cDNA clone of -HYD isolate and its efficient expression.

(PRSV) is a devastating that causes papaya ringspot disease in plantations globally. In this study, the complete genome sequence of a PRSV isolate from Shankarpalli, Telangana, India, was reported and designated as PRSV-HYD (KP743981.1).

Molecular characterization of a novel gammacarmovirus infecting cucurbits in India.

In this study, we describe the identification of a new gammacarmovirus infecting Cucurbita pepo plants showing a range of mosaic, stunting, yellowing, and wilting symptoms. The virus had a narrow host range and mostly produced chlorotic and necrotic local lesions in the majority of the tested plants. However, Nicotiana benthamiana showed systemic symptoms under laboratory conditions.

Acinetobacter phage genome is similar to Sphinx 2.36, the circular DNA copurified with TSE infected particles.

While analyzing plasmids of Acinetobacter sp. DS002 we have detected a circular DNA molecule pTS236, which upon further investigation is identified as the genome of a phage. The phage genome has shown sequence similarity to the recently discovered Sphinx 2.

Highly conserved Asp-204 and Gly-776 are important for activity of the quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli and for mineral phosphate solubilization.

Gram-negative bacteria membrane-bound glucose dehydrogenase (m-GDH) has pyrroloquinoline quinone [PQQ (2,7,9,-tricarboxyl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-f]quinoline-4,5-dione)] as its prosthetic group, transferring electrons to ubiquinone (UQ) in the membrane. Based on the sequence homology of the C-terminal catalytic domain (151-796 amino acid residues) we have modeled the 3D structure of Escherichia coli GDH. The geometrical parameters of the homology model structure, validated using the Ramachandran plot, revealed 95.

Replication-independent long-distance trafficking by viral RNAs in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Viruses with separately encapsidated genomes could have their genomes introduced into different leaves of a plant, thus necessitating long-distance trafficking of the viral RNAs for successful infection. To examine this possibility, individual or combinations of genome segments from the tripartite Brome mosaic virus (BMV) were transiently expressed in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana plants using engineered Agrobacterium tumefaciens. BMV RNA3 was found to traffic from the initial site of expression to other leaves of the plant, as detected by RNA gel blot analyses and also by the expression of an endoplasmic reticulum-targeted green fluorescent protein.

RNA-binding proteins that inhibit RNA virus infection.

Arrays of >5,000 Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins were screened to identify proteins that can preferentially bind a small RNA hairpin that contains a clamped adenine motif (CAM). A CAM is required for the replication of Brome Mosaic Virus (BMV), a plant-infecting RNA virus that can replicate in S. cerevisiae.

Core-controlled polymorphism in virus-like particles.

This study concerns the self-assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) composed of an icosahedral virus protein coat encapsulating a functionalized spherical nanoparticle core. The recent development of efficient methods for VLP self-assembly has opened the way to structural studies. Using electron microscopy with image reconstruction, the structures of several VLPs obtained from brome mosaic virus capsid proteins and gold nanoparticles were elucidated.

Viral RNA silencing suppressors inhibit the microRNA pathway at an intermediate step.

RNA silencing suppressors from different plant viruses are structurally diverse. In addition to inhibiting the antiviral silencing response to condition susceptibility, many suppressors are pathogenicity factors that cause disease or developmental abnormalities. Here, unrelated suppressors from multiple viruses were shown to inhibit microRNA (miRNA) activities and trigger an overlapping series of severe developmental defects in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.

Suppressor of RNA silencing encoded by Beet yellows virus.

Using an Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay, we screened the 15.5-kb genome of the Beet yellows virus for proteins with RNA silencing suppressor activity. Among eight proteins tested, only a 21-kDa protein (p21) was able to suppress double-stranded (ds) RNA-induced silencing of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) mRNA.

Subcellular location of the helper component-proteinase of Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus.

The helper component-proteinase (HC-Pro) of Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV) was expressed in Escherichia coli and used to obtain HC-Pro antiserum that was used as an analytical tool for HC-Pro studies. The antiserum was used in immunofluorescence assays to study the subcellular location of HC-Pro expressed with other viral proteins in cowpea protoplasts in a natural CABMV infection, or in protoplasts transfected with a transient expression construct expressing HC-Pro separately from other viral proteins under the control of the 35S promoter. In both cases the protein showed a diffuse cytoplasmic location.