Identification of potential pathogenic targets and survival strategies of through population genomics.

, a foodborne pathogen, has a high mortality rate. Despite its relevance to public health, the identification of virulence genes associated with the pathogenicity of currently known clinical isolates of is incomplete and its synergistic pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we integrate whole genome sequencing (WGS), genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genome-wide epistasis studies (GWES), along with phenotype characterization to investigate the pathogenesis and survival strategies of .

Development and evaluation of a rapid RPA/CRISPR-based detection of .

is a dangerous pathogen that causes an extremely contagious zoonosis in humans named tularemia. Given its low-dose morbidity, the potential to be fatal, and aerosol spread, it is regarded as a severe threat to public health. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified it as a category A potential agent for bioterrorism and a Tier 1 Select Agent.

Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles, Cytokines, and Bacterial Loads Relevant to Alcoholic Liver Disease Mice Infected With .

Patients with liver disease are susceptible to infection with (), but the specific reasons remain elusive. Through RNA-seq, we found that when mice with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) were infected with by gavage, compared with the Pair group, the small intestinal genes affecting intestinal permeability were upregulated; and the number of differentially expressed genes related to immune functions (e.g.

Features of Ebola Virus Disease at the Late Outbreak Stage in Sierra Leone: Clinical, Virological, Immunological, and Evolutionary Analyses.

We performed Ebola virus disease diagnosis and viral load estimation for Ebola cases in Sierra Leone during the late stage of the 2014-2015 outbreak (January-March 2015) and analyzed antibody and cytokine levels and the viral genome sequences. Ebola virus disease was confirmed in 86 of 1001 (9.7%) patients, with an overall case fatality rate of 46.

A recombinant mutant abrin A chain expressed in Escherichia coli can be used as an effective vaccine candidate.

We used site-directed mutagenesis to mutate two key amino acid residues, Glu164 and Arg167, of abrin A chain (ABRA), creating a mutant ABRA(E164AR167L). The mutant ABRA(mABRA) encoded by mABRA(E164AR167L) was expressed in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli, and used to develop an effective vaccine to protect mice against native abrin intoxication. The cytotoxicity of mABRA was dramatically reduced as compared to that of recombinant ABRA(rABRA) and native abrin, but the antigenicity and immunogenicity remained the same.