T-cell responses induced by ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine to wild-type severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 among people with and without HIV in South Africa.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T-cell responses 14 days after single-dose ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccination in black Africans with and without HIV in South Africa, as well as determine the effect of AZD1222 vaccination on cell-mediated immune responses in people with HIV (PWH) with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: A total of 70 HIV-uninfected people and 104 PWH were prospectively enrolled in the multicentre, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase Ib/IIa trial (COV005). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from trial participants 14 days after receipt of first dose of study treatment (placebo or AZD1222 vaccine).

Peptidoglycan biosynthesis and remodeling revisited.

The bacterial peptidoglycan layer forms a complex mesh-like structure that surrounds the cell, imparting rigidity to withstand cytoplasmic turgor and the ability to tolerate stress. As peptidoglycan has been the target of numerous clinically successful antimicrobials such as penicillin, the biosynthesis, remodeling and recycling of this polymer has been the subject of much interest. Herein, we review recent advances in the understanding of peptidoglycan biosynthesis and remodeling in a variety of different organisms.

Evolution of the vertebrate claudin gene family: insights from a basal vertebrate, the sea lamprey.

Claudins are major constituents of tight junctions, contributing both to their intercellular sealing and selective permeability properties. While claudins and claudin-like molecules are present in some invertebrates, the association of claudins with tight junctions has been conclusively documented only in vertebrates. Here we report the sequencing, phylogenetic analysis and comprehensive spatiotemporal expression analysis of the entire claudin gene family in the basal extant vertebrate, the sea lamprey.