Publications by authors named "P M Becher"

We present the first documented case of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N5 in an Atlantic walrus (). The animal was found dead in Svalbard, Norway, in 2023. Sequence analysis revealed the highest genetic similarity with virus isolates from different avian hosts.

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The first marine pestivirus, Phocoena pestivirus (PhoPeV), isolated from harbor porpoise, has been recently described. To further characterize this unique pestivirus, its host cell tropism and growth kinetics were determined in different cell lines. In addition, the interaction of PhoPeV with innate immunity in porcine epithelial cells and the role of selected cellular factors involved in the viral entry and RNA replication of PhoPeV were investigated in comparison to closely and distantly related pestiviruses.

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Rotaviruses, non-enveloped viruses with a double-stranded RNA genome, are the leading etiological pathogen of acute gastroenteritis in young children and animals. The P[11] genotype of rotaviruses exhibits a tropism for neonates. In the present study, a binding assay using synthetic oligosaccharides demonstrated that the VP8* protein of P[11] porcine rotavirus (PRV) strain 4555 binds to lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) with the sequence Galβ1,4-GlcNAcβ1,3-Galβ1,4-Glc, one of the core parts of histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) and milk glycans.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the genotype-by-genotype (GxG) interactions between the obligate fungal pathogen Entomophthora muscae and various dipteran fly hosts, highlighting how both the fungal and host genotypes influence infection dynamics.
  • Researchers collected new isolates of E. muscae from Drosophila species and discovered that these isolates formed a distinct lineage, which was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis indicating geographical variation in host-specificity.
  • Experimental results showed that while house flies displayed a high susceptibility to E. muscae with 99% mortality, different Drosophila species had lower mortality rates, thus demonstrating the impact of host genotype on pathogen virulence.
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