Deorphanizing an odorant receptor tuned to palm tree volatile esters in the Asian palm weevil sheds light on the mechanisms of palm tree selection.

The Asian palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a tremendously important agricultural pest primarily adapted to palm trees and causes severe destruction, threatening sustainable palm cultivation worldwide. The host plant selection of this weevil is mainly attributed to the functional specialization of odorant receptors (ORs) that detect palm-derived volatiles. Yet, ligands are known for only two ORs of R.

DNA-binding protein PfAP2-P regulates parasite pathogenesis during malaria parasite blood stages.

Malaria-associated pathogenesis such as parasite invasion, egress, host cell remodelling and antigenic variation requires concerted action by many proteins, but the molecular regulation is poorly understood. Here we have characterized an essential Plasmodium-specific Apicomplexan AP2 transcription factor in Plasmodium falciparum (PfAP2-P; pathogenesis) during the blood-stage development with two peaks of expression. An inducible knockout of gene function showed that PfAP2-P is essential for trophozoite development, and critical for var gene regulation, merozoite development and parasite egress.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid 203K/204R mutations on the inflammatory immune response in COVID-19 severity.

Background: The excessive inflammatory responses provoked by SARS-CoV-2 infection are critical factors affecting the severity and mortality of COVID-19. Previous work found that two adjacent co-occurring mutations R203K and G204R (KR) on the nucleocapsid (N) protein correlate with increased disease severity in COVID-19 patients. However, links with the host immune response remain unclear.

PfAP2-MRP DNA-binding protein is a master regulator of parasite pathogenesis during malaria parasite blood stages.

Malaria pathogenicity results from the parasite's ability to invade, multiply within and then egress from the host red blood cell (RBC). Infected RBCs are remodeled, expressing antigenic variant proteins (such as PfEMP1, coded by the gene family) for immune evasion and survival. These processes require the concerted actions of many proteins, but the molecular regulation is poorly understood.

miR-34c-3p Regulates Protein Kinase A Activity Independent of cAMP by Dicing Transcripts in Theileria annulata-Infected Leukocytes.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that can play critical roles in regulating various cellular processes, including during many parasitic infections. Here, we report a regulatory role for miR-34c-3p in cAMP-independent regulation of host cell protein kinase A (PKA) activity in -infected bovine leukocytes. We identified (cAMP-dependent protein kinase A type II-beta regulatory subunit) as a novel miR-34c-3p target gene and demonstrate how infection-induced upregulation of miR-34c-3p repressed PRKAR2B expression to increase PKA activity.

The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) genome.

High-quality genome assemblies are characterized by high-sequence contiguity, completeness, and a low error rate, thus providing the basis for a wide array of studies focusing on natural species ecology, conservation, evolution, and population genomics. To provide this valuable resource for conservation projects and comparative genomics studies on gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), we sequenced and assembled the genome of this species using third-generation sequencing strategies and optical maps. Here, we describe a highly contiguous and complete genome assembly comprising 20 scaffolds and 13 contigs with a total size of 1.

Theileria annulata histone deacetylase 1 (TaHDAC1) initiates schizont to merozoite stage conversion.

A fungal metabolite, FR235222, specifically inhibits a histone deacetylase of the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and TgHDAC3 has emerged as a key factor regulating developmental stage transition in this species. Here, we exploited FR235222 to ask if changes in histone acetylation regulate developmental stage transition of Theileria annulata, another apicomplexan species. We found that FR235222 treatment of T.

Pangenome Analysis of the Soilborne Fungal Phytopathogen and Development of a Comprehensive Web Resource: RsolaniDB.

Rhizoctonia solani is a collective group of genetically and pathologically diverse basidiomycetous fungi that damage economically important crops. Its isolates are classified into 13 Anastomosis Groups (AGs) and subgroups having distinctive morphology and host ranges. The genetic factors driving the unique features of pathology are not well characterized due to the limited availability of its annotated genomes.

SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Saudi Arabia implicate nucleocapsid mutations in host response and increased viral load.

Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 spread and evolution through genome sequencing is essential in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we sequenced 892 SARS-CoV-2 genomes collected from patients in Saudi Arabia from March to August 2020. We show that two consecutive mutations (R203K/G204R) in the nucleocapsid (N) protein are associated with higher viral loads in COVID-19 patients.

Metagenomics-driven rapid diagnosis of an imported fatal case of rare amoebic meningoencephalitis.

We identified as the aetiologic agent from cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with a travel history to Karachi. We demonstrate the benefit of metagenomics-based rapid diagnosis of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis when routine clinical tests fail to provide a definitive diagnosis. We reconstructed the genome.

Insights into the ancestry evolution of the complex from analysis of .

Current evolutionary scenarios posit the emergence of from an environmental saprophyte through a cumulative process of genome adaptation. , a related bacillus, is being increasingly isolated from human clinical cases with tuberculosis-like symptoms in various parts of the world. To elucidate the evolutionary relationship between and other mycobacterial species, including members of the complex (MTBC), eight clinical isolates of were sequenced and analyzed.

Simultaneous detection and mutation surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and multiple respiratory viruses by rapid field-deployable sequencing.

Background: Strategies for monitoring the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are crucial for combating the pandemic. Detection and mutation surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses require separate and complex workflows that rely on highly specialized facilities, personnel, and reagents. To date, no method can rapidly diagnose multiple viral infections and determine variants in a high-throughput manner.

A Robust, Safe, and Scalable Magnetic Nanoparticle Workflow for RNA Extraction of Pathogens from Clinical and Wastewater Samples.

Molecular diagnosis and surveillance of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 depend on nucleic acid isolation. Pandemics at the scale of COVID-19 can cause a global shortage of proprietary commercial reagents and BSL-2 laboratories to safely perform testing. Therefore, alternative solutions are urgently needed to address these challenges.

Quick and Easy Assembly of a One-Step qRT-PCR Kit for COVID-19 Diagnostics Using In-House Enzymes.

One-step reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is the most widely applied method for COVID-19 diagnostics. Notwithstanding the facts that one-step qRT-PCR is well suited for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and that there are many commercially available one-step qRT-PCR kits in the market, their high cost and unavailability due to airport closures and shipment restriction became a major bottleneck that had driven the desire to produce the key components of such kits locally. Here, we provide a simple, economical, and powerful one-step qRT-PCR kit based on patent-free, specifically tailored versions of Moloney murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerase and termed R3T (Rapid Research Response Team) one-step qRT-PCR.

A genetic barcode of SARS-CoV-2 for monitoring global distribution of different clades during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The SARS-CoV-2 pathogen has established endemicity in humans. This necessitates the development of rapid genetic surveillance methodologies to serve as an adjunct with existing comprehensive, albeit though slower, genome sequencing-driven approaches.

Methods: A total of 21,789 complete genomes were downloaded from GISAID on May 28, 2020 for analyses.

Novel tumour suppressor roles for GZMA and RASGRP1 in Theileria annulata-transformed macrophages and human B lymphoma cells.

Theileria annulata is a tick-transmitted apicomplexan parasite that infects and transforms bovine leukocytes into disseminating tumours that cause a disease called tropical theileriosis. Using comparative transcriptomics we identified genes transcriptionally perturbed during Theileria-induced leukocyte transformation. Dataset comparisons highlighted a small set of genes associated with Theileria-transformed leukocyte dissemination.

Theileria parasites subvert E2F signaling to stimulate leukocyte proliferation.

Intracellular pathogens have evolved intricate mechanisms to subvert host cell signaling pathways and ensure their own propagation. A lineage of the protozoan parasite genus Theileria infects bovine leukocytes and induces their uncontrolled proliferation causing a leukemia-like disease. Given the importance of E2F transcription factors in mammalian cell cycle regulation, we investigated the role of E2F signaling in Theileria-induced host cell proliferation.