Ebola Virus NP Binding to Host Protein Phosphatase-1 Regulates Capsid Formation.

The Ebola virus (EBOV) transcriptional regulation involves host protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A, which dephosphorylate the transcriptional cofactor of EBOV polymerase VP30. The 1E7-03 compound, which targets PP1, induces VP30 phosphorylation and inhibits EBOV infection. This study aimed to investigate the role of PP1 in EBOV replication.

West Nile Virus and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Co-Infection in a Novel Host at the Nashville Zoo.

On August 30, 2017, one of five bontebok in a mixed-species exhibit at the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere exhibited acute hind-limb ataxia and altered demeanor. Pathological examination demonstrated meningoencephalitis and spinal myelitis. Coinfection of West Nile virus (WNV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) was revealed by quantitative real-time and traditional reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays and virus isolation/whole genome sequencing from brain tissue, respectively.

Leveraging publicly available coronavirus data to identify new therapeutic targets for COVID-19.

Many important questions remain regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the viral pathogen responsible for COVID-19. These questions include the mechanisms explaining the high percentage of asymptomatic but highly infectious individuals, the wide variability in disease susceptibility, and the mechanisms of long-lasting debilitating effects. Bioinformatic analysis of four coronavirus datasets representing previous outbreaks (SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV), as well as SARS-CoV-2, revealed evidence of diverse host factors that appear to be coopted to facilitate virus-induced suppression of interferon-induced innate immunity, promotion of viral replication and subversion and/or evasion of antiviral immune surveillance.

Tiled-ClickSeq for targeted sequencing of complete coronavirus genomes with simultaneous capture of RNA recombination and minority variants.

High-throughput genomics of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to characterize virus evolution and to identify adaptations that affect pathogenicity or transmission. While single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) are commonly considered as driving virus adaption, RNA recombination events that delete or insert nucleic acid sequences are also critical. Whole genome targeting sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 is typically achieved using pairs of primers to generate cDNA amplicons suitable for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS).

Exploiting the Legacy of the Arbovirus Hunters.

In recent years, it has become evident that a generational gap has developed in the community of arbovirus research. This apparent gap is due to the dis-investment of training for the next generation of arbovirologists, which threatens to derail the rich history of virus discovery, field epidemiology, and understanding of the richness of diversity that surrounds us. On the other hand, new technologies have resulted in an explosion of virus discovery that is constantly redefining the virosphere and the evolutionary relationships between viruses.

Upregulation of Cystathionine-β-Synthase in Colonic Epithelia Reprograms Metabolism and Promotes Carcinogenesis.

The trans-sulfuration enzyme cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) and its product hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are aberrantly upregulated in colorectal cancers, where they contribute to tumor growth and progression by both autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. However, it is unknown whether the CBS/H2S axis plays a role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Here, we report upregulation of CBS in human biopsies of precancerous adenomatous polyps and show that forced upregulation of CBS in an adenoma-like colonic epithelial cell line is sufficient to induce metabolic and gene expression profiles characteristic of colorectal cancer cells.

Patient-derived Xenografts from Colorectal Carcinoma: A Temporal and Hierarchical Study of Murine Stromal Cell Replacement.

Background/aim: Patient-derived xenografting (PDX) of human colorectal cancer (CRC) is the preferred experimental model to study tumor response to therapeutic agents. Gradually, human stromal cells are replaced by mouse stromal cells; however, the exact timing of the replacement of human with murine stromal cells in human CRC xenograft has not been fully elucidated. We hypothesize that orthologous murine transcripts functionally substitutes for the loss due to replacement of human stromal genes.

Identification of a new Newcastle disease virus isolate from Indonesia represents an ancestral lineage of class II genotype XIII.

An unknown virus was isolated from a mosquito pool collected in Jakarta during routine surveillance in 1979. Analysis of the sample using the Illumina platform resulted in the identification of a Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolate. The sequence of the isolate indicated that it is an ancestral lineage of class II, genotype XIII.