Publications by authors named "Memi Muto"
Article Synopsis
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a zoonotic virus that leads to encephalitis in humans and has been linked to deletions in its genome's 3' untranslated region.
- A study using reverse genetics examined the impact of a specific Y-shaped secondary structure on the virus's pathogenicity.
- Deleting this structure resulted in higher mortality rates among infected mice but did not influence the virus's ability to reproduce in cultured cells or organs, suggesting it plays a role in TBEV's pathogenic regulation.
Article Synopsis
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a dangerous virus causing severe encephalitis in humans, recently detected in central Hokkaido, Japan, with antibodies found in local wildlife.
- A new strain, Sapporo-17-Io1, was isolated from ticks in Sapporo, distinct from a previously identified strain, Oshima 5-10, and displayed lower neurovirulence based on mouse infection studies.
- Genetic analysis showed that the non-structural proteins of the viruses affect their neurovirulence, providing crucial information for assessing TBE risk in Hokkaido.
Article Synopsis
- West Nile virus (WNV) is a serious viral infection that can cause encephalitis in various species, including humans, by directly damaging neurons and leading to cell death.
- The study investigates how WNV capsid protein (C) contributes to the accumulation of ubiquitinated protein aggregates, which are linked to neuronal injury.
- Mutations in specific residues of the C protein were found to reduce the accumulation of these proteins and protect against neurological symptoms in infected mice, indicating that the degradation of the autophagy-related protein AMPK by WNV’s C protein plays a role in worsening neurological disease.
Article Synopsis
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) causes serious brain infections in humans, and detecting IgM antibodies is key for diagnosing recent infections.
- Existing commercial IgM-ELISA kits are expensive and may lack sensitivity, prompting the need for a more effective solution.
- This study developed a new μ-capture ELISA method (strep-SP-IgM-ELISA) that shows high sensitivity (94.1%) and specificity, successfully diagnosing TBEV infections in patients who were previously undiagnosed by other methods.
Article Synopsis
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is linked to severe neurological diseases, but how it causes harm is not well understood.
- Researchers identified 15 host proteins that interact with the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of TBEV, revealing important differences between low- and high-virulence strains.
- Specifically, some proteins (like CSDE1, FMRP, and ILF3) that interact with the 3'-UTR of the low-virulence strain may play a role in TBEV's effects on neurological health, warranting further investigation.
Article Synopsis
- * The study found specific sequences in TBEV's RNA that help transport the virus's RNA to the dendrites of neurons, which is crucial for its pathogenicity.
- * Mutated TBEV that can't effectively transport its RNA in dendrites resulted in fewer neurological symptoms in mice, indicating that the virus manipulates neuronal granules to spread and cause disease.
Article Synopsis
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a serious virus causing infections in humans, but there's no specific antiviral treatment available.
- A nucleoside analog, 7-deaza-2'-CMA, was found to improve survival and reduce viral impact in infected mice.
- The study identified a specific mutation (S603T) in the virus that grants resistance to certain nucleoside analogs, suggesting a mechanism for how the virus adapts and maintains some level of virulence despite treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers created a new reverse genetics system for West Nile virus (WNV) using mammalian cells due to instability issues in E. coli.
- They successfully produced infectious WNV by combining specific DNA fragments coding for structural proteins with a replicon.
- The resulting recombinant virus showed similar growth rates and plaque sizes to the original WNV, allowing for better research on WNV infection.
Article Synopsis
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a serious zoonotic disease affecting both humans and various animal species in endemic regions.
- A new ELISA test was developed to detect TBEV-specific antibodies in multiple animal species using recombinant proteins, providing reliable and straightforward diagnosis.
- The ELISA showed high sensitivity and specificity in detecting TBEV antibodies in both rodents and humans, making it a valuable tool for monitoring TBEV exposure.
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a zoonotic virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus, in the family Flaviviridae. The virus, which is endemic in Europe and northern parts of Asia, causes severe encephalitis. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has been reported in Mongolia since the 1980s, but details about the biological characteristics of the endemic virus are lacking.
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- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a serious virus that spreads between ticks and mammals and can cause severe neurological diseases in humans.
- Researchers found that a specific deletion in the 3'-UTR variable region of TBEV affects its ability to cause disease, particularly in the Far-Eastern subtype.
- Experiments with modified viruses in mouse models showed that these deletions increased the virus's virulence without impacting its replication in the brain, indicating that the structure of the variable region is crucial for TBEV's pathogenicity.