B Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Development in Mice with Chronic Lung Exposure to Coccidioides Fungal Arthroconidia.

Links between repeated microbial infections and B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) have been proposed but not tested directly. This study examines how prolonged exposure to a human fungal pathogen impacts B-CLL development in Eµ-hTCL1-transgenic mice. Monthly lung exposure to inactivated Coccidioides arthroconidia, agents of Valley fever, altered leukemia development in a species-specific manner, with Coccidioides posadasii hastening B-CLL diagnosis/progression in a fraction of mice and Coccidioides immitis delaying aggressive B-CLL development, despite fostering more rapid monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis.

The K18-Human ACE2 Transgenic Mouse Model Recapitulates Non-severe and Severe COVID-19 in Response to an Infectious Dose of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus.

A comprehensive analysis and characterization of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection model that mimics non-severe and severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans is warranted for understating the virus and developing preventive and therapeutic agents. Here, we characterized the K18-hACE2 mouse model expressing human (h)ACE2 in mice, controlled by the human keratin 18 (K18) promoter, in the epithelia, including airway epithelial cells where SARS-CoV-2 infections typically start. We found that intranasal inoculation with higher viral doses (2 × 10 and 2 × 10 PFU) of SARS-CoV-2 caused lethality of all mice and severe damage of various organs, including lung, liver, and kidney, while lower doses (2 × 10 and 2 × 10 PFU) led to less severe tissue damage and some mice recovered from the infection.

A proteomic analysis of the effect of ocean acidification on the haemocyte proteome of the South African abalone Haliotis midae.

As a result of increasing CO emissions and the prevalence of global climate change, ocean acidification (OA) is becoming more pervasive, affecting many trophic levels, particularly those that rely on succinctly balanced ocean chemistry. This ultimately threatens community structures, as well as the future sustainability of the fishing/aquaculture industry. Understanding the molecular stress response of key organisms will aid in predicting their future survivability under changing environmental conditions.

iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic profiling of the immune response of the South African abalone, Haliotis midae.

The South African abalone Haliotis midae is a commercially important species farmed at high densities in land-based aquaculture systems. Disease outbreaks have had a severe financial impact on the abalone industry yet the molecular mechanisms underlying the immune response of H. midae remain obscure.