Modulation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by and Its Alkaloid Constituents.

Botanical natural products have been widely consumed for their purported usefulness against COVID-19. Here, six botanical species from multiple sources and 173 isolated natural product compounds were screened for blockade of wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 infection in human 293T epithelial cells overexpressing ACE-2 and TMPRSS2 protease (293TAT). Antiviral activity was demonstrated by an extract from .

Phosphorylation chemistry of the Bordetella PlrSR TCS and its contribution to bacterial persistence in the lower respiratory tract.

Bordetella species cause lower respiratory tract infections in mammals. B. pertussis and B.

General strategies for using amino acid sequence data to guide biochemical investigation of protein function.

The rapid increase of '-omics' data warrants the reconsideration of experimental strategies to investigate general protein function. Studying individual members of a protein family is likely insufficient to provide a complete mechanistic understanding of family functions, especially for diverse families with thousands of known members. Strategies that exploit large amounts of available amino acid sequence data can inspire and guide biochemical experiments, generating broadly applicable insights into a given family.

Azorhizobium caulinodans Chemotaxis Is Controlled by an Unusual Phosphorelay Network.

Azorhizobium caulinodans is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium that forms root nodules on its host legume, Sesbania rostrata. This agriculturally significant symbiotic relationship is important in lowland rice cultivation and allows nitrogen fixation under flood conditions. Chemotaxis plays an important role in bacterial colonization of the rhizosphere.

Pseudomonas Virulence Factor Pathway Synthesizes Autoinducers That Regulate the Secretome of a Pathogen.

Cell-to-cell communication via chemical signals is an essential mechanism that pathogenic bacteria use to coordinate group behaviors and promote virulence. The () gene cluster is distributed in more than 500 strains of proteobacteria including both plant and human pathogens. The cluster has been implicated in the production of signaling molecules important for virulence; however, the regulatory impact of these signaling molecules on virulence had not been elucidated.

An Epstein-Barr Virus MicroRNA Blocks Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Signaling by Targeting IL-1 Receptor 1.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encodes >44 viral microRNAs (miRNAs) that are differentially expressed throughout infection, can be detected in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive tumors, and manipulate several biological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, and immune responses. Here, we show that EBV BHRF1-2 miRNAs block NF-κB activation following treatment with proinflammatory cytokines, specifically interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Analysis of EBV PAR-CLIP miRNA targetome data sets combined with pathway analysis revealed multiple BHRF1-2 miRNA targets involved in interleukin signaling pathways.

Japanese Macaque Rhadinovirus Encodes a Viral MicroRNA Mimic of the miR-17 Family.

Unlabelled: Japanese macaque (JM) rhadinovirus (JMRV) is a novel, gamma-2 herpesvirus that was recently isolated from JM with inflammatory demyelinating encephalomyelitis (JME). JME is a spontaneous and chronic disease with clinical characteristics and immunohistopathology comparable to those of multiple sclerosis in humans. Little is known about the molecular biology of JMRV.