Whole-genome-based phylogenetic analyses provide new insights into the evolution of springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola).

Springtails (Collembola) stand as one of the most abundant, widespread, and ancient terrestrial arthropods on earth. However, their evolutionary history and deep phylogenetic relationships remain elusive. In this study, we employed phylogenomic approaches to elucidate the basal relationships among Collembola.

Genomic insights into the chromosomal elongation in a family of Collembola.

Collembola is a highly diverse and abundant group of soil arthropods with chromosome numbers ranging from 5 to 11. Previous karyotype studies indicated that the Tomoceridae family possesses an exceptionally long chromosome. To better understand chromosome size evolution in Collembola, we obtained a chromosome-level genome of with a size of 334.

An fgf21-like gene from swamp eel (Monopterus albus): Recombinant expression and its potential roles in glucose and lipid homeostasis.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) plays important roles in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and energy balance in mammals. In this study, the full-length cDNA of swamp eel fgf21 was cloned. Sequence analysis showed that swamp eel FGF21 displayed high similarity with FGF21 of other vertebrates.

The mitochondrial genome analysis of (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from Jiangxi Province of southeastern China.

We sequenced and annotated the species of which represents the first record for continental China from Jiangxi Province in this study to provide mitochondrial genome data for future studies. The entire mitochondrial genome of harbored 37 typical code genes and one control region with 15,846 bp in length. The A + T account of total nucleotide, PCGs, tRNAs, rRNAs and control region were 67.

The mitochondrial genome analysis of (Plecoptera: Perlidae).

In this study, the entire mitochondrial genome of was sequenced. The circular mitochondrial genome was the first mitochondrial genome representing the genus , which consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 control region with the length of 15,885 bp. In the complete sequence, the A + T content for 64.

Heme oxygenase 1 plays a crucial role in swamp eel response to oxidative stress induced by cadmium exposure or Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

Oxidative stress contributes a lot to initiation and progression of pathological conditions. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO1), a cytoprotective enzyme, is usually upregulated to alleviate oxidative stress in vivo. The function of teleost HO1 in the response to oxidative stress induced by heavy metal exposure and in pathogenic bacterial infection remains uncertain.

First mitochondrial genome of a stonefly from the subfamily Microperlinae: (Plecoptera: Peltoperlidae).

The stonefly is the fourth sequenced peltoperlid and the first entire mitochondrial genome of representing the subfamily Microperlinae. The nearly complete mitogenome of is 15,216 bp in size, has 37 genes and one partial control region, which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs started with ATN, except and genes used TTG and GTG.

Escape is a more common mechanism than avidity reduction for evasion of CD8+ T cell responses in primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

Background: CD8+ T cells play an important role in control of viral replication during acute and early human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, contributing to containment of the acute viral burst and establishment of the prognostically-important persisting viral load. Understanding mechanisms that impair CD8+ T cell-mediated control of HIV replication in primary infection is thus of importance. This study addressed the relative extent to which HIV-specific T cell responses are impacted by viral mutational escape versus reduction in response avidity during the first year of infection.

Kinetics of expansion of epitope-specific T cell responses during primary HIV-1 infection.

Multiple lines of evidence support a role for CD8(+) T cells in control of acute/early HIV replication; however, features of the primary HIV-specific CD8(+) T cell response that may impact on the efficiency of containment of early viral replication remain poorly defined. In this study, we performed a novel, comprehensive analysis of the kinetics of expansion of components of the HIV-specific CD8(+) T cell response in 21 acutely infected individuals. Epitope-specific T cell responses expanded asynchronously during primary infection in all subjects.

Identification and characterization of transmitted and early founder virus envelopes in primary HIV-1 infection.

The precise identification of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) responsible for productive clinical infection could be instrumental in elucidating the molecular basis of HIV-1 transmission and in designing effective vaccines. Here, we developed a mathematical model of random viral evolution and, together with phylogenetic tree construction, used it to analyze 3,449 complete env sequences derived by single genome amplification from 102 subjects with acute HIV-1 (clade B) infection. Viral env genes evolving from individual transmitted or founder viruses generally exhibited a Poisson distribution of mutations and star-like phylogeny, which coalesced to an inferred consensus sequence at or near the estimated time of virus transmission.

Evidence for potent autologous neutralizing antibody titers and compact envelopes in early infection with subtype C human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Information about neutralizing antibody responses in subtype C-infected individuals is limited, even though this viral subtype causes the majority of AIDS cases worldwide. Here we compared the course and magnitude of the autologous neutralizing antibody (NAb) response against viral envelope (Env) glycoproteins present during acute and early infection with subtypes B and C human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). NAb responses were evaluated in 6 subtype B-infected and 11 subtype C-infected subjects over a mean evaluation period of 25 months using a pseudovirus reporter gene assay.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 env clones from acute and early subtype B infections for standardized assessments of vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies.

Induction of broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies is a high priority for AIDS vaccine development but one that has proven difficult to be achieved. While most immunogens generate antibodies that neutralize a subset of T-cell-line-adapted strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), none so far have generated a potent, broadly cross-reactive response against primary isolates of the virus. Even small increments in immunogen improvement leading to increases in neutralizing antibody titers and cross-neutralizing activity would accelerate vaccine development; however, a lack of uniformity in target strains used by different investigators to assess cross-neutralization has made the comparison of vaccine-induced antibody responses difficult.

Antigenic conservation and immunogenicity of the HIV coreceptor binding site.

Immunogenic, broadly reactive epitopes of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein could serve as important targets of the adaptive humoral immune response in natural infection and, potentially, as components of an acquired immune deficiency syndrome vaccine. However, variability in exposed epitopes and a combination of highly effective envelope-cloaking strategies have made the identification of such epitopes problematic. Here, we show that the chemokine coreceptor binding site of HIV-1 from clade A, B, C, D, F, G, and H and circulating recombinant form (CRF)01, CRF02, and CRF11, elicits high titers of CD4-induced (CD4i) antibody during natural human infection and that these antibodies bind and neutralize viruses as divergent as HIV-2 in the presence of soluble CD4 (sCD4).

Determinants of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 escape from the primary CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte response.

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play an important role in containment of virus replication in primary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. HIV's ability to mutate to escape from CTL pressure is increasingly recognized; but comprehensive studies of escape from the CD8 T cell response in primary HIV infection are currently lacking. Here, we have fully characterized the primary CTL response to autologous virus Env, Gag, and Tat proteins in three patients, and investigated the extent, kinetics, and mechanisms of viral escape from epitope-specific components of the response.

Antibody neutralization and escape by HIV-1.

Neutralizing antibodies (Nab) are a principal component of an effective human immune response to many pathogens, yet their role in HIV-1 infection is unclear. To gain a better understanding of this role, we examined plasma from patients with acute HIV infection. Here we report the detection of autologous Nab as early as 52 days after detection of HIV-specific antibodies.

Emergence of resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in patients receiving fusion inhibitor (T-20) monotherapy.

The synthetic peptide T-20 (enfuvirtide) represents the first of a new class of antiretroviral compounds to demonstrate in vivo potency by targeting a step in viral entry. T-20 inhibits a conformational change in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmembrane glycoprotein (gp41) that is required for fusion between HIV-1 and target cell membranes. The initial phase I clinical trial of T-20 treatment for HIV-infected patients thus provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the emergence of resistant virus in vivo to this novel class of antiretroviral agents.

Primary intestinal epithelial cells selectively transfer R5 HIV-1 to CCR5+ cells.

The upper gastrointestinal tract is a principal route of HIV-1 entry in vertical transmission and after oral-genital contact. The phenotype of the newly acquired virus is predominantly R5 (CCR5-tropic) and not X4 (CXCR4-tropic), although both R5 and X4 viruses are frequently inoculated onto the mucosa. Here we show that primary intestinal (jejunal) epithelial cells express galactosylceramide, an alternative primary receptor for HIV-1, and CCR5 but not CXCR4.