Genetically manipulated phages with improved pH resistance for oral administration in veterinary medicine.

Orally administered phages to control zoonotic pathogens face important challenges, mainly related to the hostile conditions found in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). These include temperature, salinity and primarily pH, which is exceptionally low in certain compartments. Phage survival under these conditions can be jeopardized and undermine treatment.

Supramolecular Virus-Like Nanorods by Coassembly of a Triblock Polypeptide and Reversible Coordination Polymers.

We investigate a new case of a self-assembly-stimulated self-assembly in which a triblock polypeptide is combined with a anionic coordination polymer of a dipicolinic acid bis-ligand, and d- or f- block metal ions like Zn or Eu . The polypeptide not only has a silk-like domain that can fold and stack, but also a C-terminal cationic sequence by which it can interact with the supramolecular (coordination) polyanion. In the presence of all three ingredients (polypeptide, bis-ligand, and metal ions), we observe the initiation and slow growth of well-defined metal-containing nanorods of up to 150 nm in length, proving that self-assembly of the polypeptide is triggered by the self-assembly of the coordination polyelectrolyte and vice versa.

Iflavirus increases its infectivity and physical stability in association with baculovirus.

Virus transmission and the prevalence of infection depend on multiple factors, including the interaction with other viral pathogens infecting the same host. In this study, active replication of an iflavirus, Spodoptera exigua iflavirus 1 (order Picornavirales) was observed in the offspring of insects that survived following inoculation with a pathogenic baculovirus, Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus. Tracking the origin of the iflavirus suggested the association of this virus with the occlusion bodies of the baculovirus.

Proteomic analysis of the plasma membrane-movement tubule complex of cowpea mosaic virus.

Cowpea mosaic virus forms tubules constructed from the movement protein (MP) in plasmodesmata (PD) to achieve cell-to-cell movement of its virions. Similar tubules, delineated by the plasma membrane (PM), are formed protruding from the surface of infected protoplasts. These PM-tubule complexes were isolated from protoplasts by immunoprecipitation and analysed for their protein content by tandem mass spectrometry to identify host proteins with affinity for the movement tubule.

Revealing and tuning the core, structure, properties and function of polymer micelles with lanthanide-coordination complexes.

Controlling self-assembly processes is of great interest in various fields where multifunctional and tunable materials are designed. We here present the versatility of lanthanide-complex-based micelles (Ln-C3Ms) with tunable coordination structures and corresponding functions (e.g.

Alphavirus capsid proteins self-assemble into core-like particles in insect cells: A promising platform for nanoparticle vaccine development.

The mosquito-borne chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes arthritic diseases in humans, whereas the aquatic salmonid alphavirus (SAV) is associated with high mortality in aquaculture of salmon and trout. Using modern biotechnological approaches, promising vaccine candidates based upon highly immunogenic, enveloped virus-like particles (eVLPs) have been developed. However, the eVLP structure (core, lipid membrane, surface glycoproteins) is more complex than that of non-enveloped, protein-only VLPs, which are structurally and morphologically 'simple'.

Tsw gene-based resistance is triggered by a functional RNA silencing suppressor protein of the Tomato spotted wilt virus.

As a result of contradictory reports, the avirulence (Avr) determinant that triggers Tsw gene-based resistance in Capsicum annuum against the Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is still unresolved. Here, the N and NSs genes of resistance-inducing (RI) and resistance-breaking (RB) isolates were cloned and transiently expressed in resistant Capsicum plants to determine the identity of the Avr protein. It was shown that the NSs(RI) protein triggered a hypersensitive response (HR) in Tsw-containing Capsicum plants, but not in susceptible Capsicum, whereas no HR was discerned after expression of the N(RI) (/) (RB) protein, or when NSs(RB) was expressed.

Characterization of novel components of the baculovirus per os infectivity factor complex.

Baculovirus occlusion-derived virus (ODV) infects insect midgut cells under alkaline conditions, a process mediated by highly conserved per os infectivity factors (PIFs), P74 (PIF0), PIF1, PIF2, PIF3, PIF4, and PIF5 (ODV-E56). Previously, a multimolecular complex composed of PIF1, PIF2, PIF3, and P74 was identified which was proposed to play an essential role during ODV entry. Recently, more proteins have been identified that play important roles in ODV oral infectivity, including PIF4, PIF5, and SF58, which might work in concert with previously known PIFs to facilitate ODV infection.

Low temperature-dependent salmonid alphavirus glycoprotein processing and recombinant virus-like particle formation.

Pancreas disease (PD) and sleeping disease (SD) are important viral scourges in aquaculture of Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout. The etiological agent of PD and SD is salmonid alphavirus (SAV), an unusual member of the Togaviridae (genus Alphavirus). SAV replicates at lower temperatures in fish.

In situ cleavage of baculovirus occlusion-derived virus receptor binding protein P74 in the peroral infectivity complex.

Proteolytic processing of viral membrane proteins is common among enveloped viruses and facilitates virus entry. The Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) occlusion-derived virus (ODV) protein P74 is part of a complex of essential peroral infectivity factors (PIFs). Here we report that P74 is efficiently cleaved into two fragments of about equal size by an occlusion body (OB) endogenous alkaline protease during ODV release when AcMNPV OBs are derived from larvae.

Baculovirus per os infectivity factors form a complex on the surface of occlusion-derived virus.

Five highly conserved per os infectivity factors, PIF1, PIF2, PIF3, PIF4, and P74, have been reported to be essential for oral infectivity of baculovirus occlusion-derived virus (ODV) in insect larvae. Three of these proteins, P74, PIF1, and PIF2, were thought to function in virus binding to insect midgut cells. In this paper evidence is provided that PIF1, PIF2, and PIF3 form a stable complex on the surface of ODV particles of the baculovirus Autographa californica multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV).

Establishment of a cell line from Chrysodeixis chalcites permissive for Chrysodeixis chalcites and Trichoplusia ni nucleopolyhedrovirus.

A new cell line was established from the embryos of the insect Chrysodeixis chalcites (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Plusiinae). The cell line contains several morphologically different cell types and was distinguished from three other lepidopteran cell lines propagated in the laboratory by DNA amplification fingerprinting. The cultured cells, which we officially named WU-CcE-1 cells, were permissive for infection by C.

Development of a quantitative real-time PCR for determination of genotype frequencies for studies in baculovirus population biology.

Two bacmid-derived Autographa californica Multiple-capsid Nucleopolyhedrovirus genotypes - that differ only in a short tag sequence for differential PCR recognition - were generated. By electron microscopy, these genotypes were found to have identical polyhedra morphology. Mixtures of quantified polyhedra were made and used to validate a SYBR Green I-based quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to determine genotype frequencies in mixed genotype populations.

Studies of the silencing of baculovirus DNA binding protein.

Baculovirus DNA binding protein (DBP) binds preferentially single-stranded DNA in vitro and colocalizes with viral DNA replication sites. Here, its putative role as viral replication factor has been addressed by RNA interference. Silencing of DBP in Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus-infected cells increased expression of LEF-3, LEF-4, and P35.

Baculovirus surface display of Theileria parva p67 antigen preserves the conformation of sporozoite-neutralizing epitopes.

Theileria parva is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes East Coast fever, a severe lymphoproliferative disease in cattle. Previous attempts to produce recombinant sporozoite surface antigen (p67) in bacterial or insect cells for vaccine purposes have not resulted in a correctly folded protein. Here, we report the expression of N- and C-terminal domains of p67 fused to the baculovirus envelope glycoprotein GP64 by cloning the appropriate p67 cDNA segments between the signal sequence and the major portion of GP64.