Structural basis of human ACE2 higher binding affinity to currently circulating Omicron SARS-CoV-2 sub-variants BA.2 and BA.1.1.

The currently circulating Omicron sub-variants are the SARS-CoV-2 strains with the highest number of known mutations. Herein, we found that human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) binding affinity to the receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of the four early Omicron sub-variants (BA.1, BA.

The molecular basis for SARS-CoV-2 binding to dog ACE2.

SARS-CoV-2 can infect many domestic animals, including dogs. Herein, we show that dog angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (dACE2) can bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein receptor binding domain (RBD), and that both pseudotyped and authentic SARS-CoV-2 can infect dACE2-expressing cells. We solved the crystal structure of RBD in complex with dACE2 and found that the total number of contact residues, contact atoms, hydrogen bonds and salt bridges at the binding interface in this complex are slightly fewer than those in the complex of the RBD and human ACE2 (hACE2).

Analysis of ACE2 Gene-Encoded Proteins Across Mammalian Species.

Human beings are currently experiencing a serious public health event. Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has infected about 3 million people worldwide and killed more than 200,000, most being the elderly or people with potential chronic diseases or in immunosuppressive states. According to big data analysis, there are many proteins homologous to or interacting with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which, therefore, may not be the only receptor for the novel coronavirus; other receptors may also exist in host cells of different species.

Computational predicting the human infectivity of H7N9 influenza viruses isolated from avian hosts.

The genome composition of a given avian influenza virus is the primary determinant of its potential for cross-species transmission from birds to humans. Here, we introduce a viral genome-based computational tool that can be used to evaluate the human infectivity of avian isolates of influenza A H7N9 viruses, which can enable prediction of the potential risk of these isolates infecting humans. This tool, which is based on a novel class weight-biased logistic regression (CWBLR) algorithm, uses the sequences of the eight genome segments of an H7N9 strain as the input and gives the probability of this strain infecting humans (reflecting its human infectivity).

The structural basis of African swine fever virus pA104R binding to DNA and its inhibition by stilbene derivatives.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly contagious nucleocytoplasmic large DNA virus (NCLDV) that causes nearly 100% mortality in swine. The development of effective vaccines and drugs against this virus is urgently needed. pA104R, an ASFV-derived histone-like protein, shares sequence and functional similarity with bacterial HU/IHF family members and is essential for viral replication.

Cryo-EM Structure of the African Swine Fever Virus.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus with an icosahedral multilayered structure. ASFV causes a lethal swine hemorrhagic disease and is currently responsible for widespread damage to the pork industry in Asia. Neither vaccines nor antivirals are available and the molecular characterization of the ASFV particle is outstanding.

Comparison of Long-term Survival of Patients With Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Surgery vs Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy.

Importance: Previous comparisons of surgery and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for early-stage (ES) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) did not account for the extent of regional lymph node examination (LNE) during surgery.

Objective: To compare long-term overall survival (OS) of patients with ES NSCLC after surgery vs SBRT when the extent of regional LNE in patients undergoing surgery is thoroughly considered.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Cohort study with survival comparisons using the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model and after propensity score matching.

Primary Pancreatic Neuroblastoma in an Infant.

A 2-month-old girl with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia was found at the surgery and by computed tomography to have a large mass originating in the pancreas. Histopathology, molecular testing, and staging evaluations showed this to be a stage 3, MYCN unamplified, intermediate-risk neuroblastoma. The patient had a partial response to risk-stratified chemotherapy.

Crystal Structure of African Swine Fever Virus dUTPase Reveals a Potential Drug Target.

E165R, a highly specific dUTP nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) encoded by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) genome, is required for productive replication of ASFV in swine macrophages. Here, we solved the high-resolution crystal structures of E165R in its apo state and in complex with its product dUMP. Structural analysis explicitly defined the architecture of the active site of the enzyme as well as the interaction between the active site and the dUMP ligand.

The Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Binding Protein: An Immunoglobulin G Constant Region-Like Protein That Interacts With HBV Envelop Proteins and Mediates HBV Entry.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure, affecting 350 million people worldwide. Currently available anti-HBV drugs include (PEGylated-) interferon-α and nucleos(t)ide analogs, which can cause significant side effects and drug-resistance in many cases of long-term treatment. The lack of a reliable and robust infection system is a major barrier for understanding the HBV life cycle and discovering novel therapeutic targets.

[Research advance of influenza B viruses].

Influenza B virus (IBV) is a segmented negative-strand RNA virus, which often causes local outbreak or seasonal epidemic along with influenza A virus (IAV) in the world. It is pathogenic to children, teenagers and elderly people and has a higher mortality rate in children and adolescents, so it poses a serious threat to public health and health. IBV is more likely to cause complications than IAV and the disease burden of IBV even exceeds IAV in the epidemic season.

Three amino acid substitutions in the NS1 protein change the virus replication of H5N1 influenza virus in human cells.

Influenza A viruses have sophisticated strategies to promote their own replication. Here, we found that three H5N1 influenza viruses display different replication patterns in human A549 and macrophage cells. The HN01 virus displayed poor replication compared to HN021 and JS01.

Bunyavirales ribonucleoproteins: the viral replication and transcription machinery.

The Bunyavirales order is one of the largest groups of segmented negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, which includes many pathogenic strains that cause severe human diseases. The RNA segments of the bunyavirus genome are separately encapsidated by multiple copies of nucleoprotein (N), and both termini of each N-encapsidated genomic RNA segment bind to one copy of the viral L polymerase protein. The viral genomic RNA, N and L protein together form the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex that constitutes the molecular machinery for viral genome replication and transcription.

Conserved epitopes dominate cross-CD8+ T-cell responses against influenza A H1N1 virus among Asian populations.

Novel strains of influenza A viruses (IAVs) have emerged with high infectivity and/or pathogenicity in recent years, causing worldwide concern. T cells are correlated with protection in humans through cross-reactive immunity against heterosubtypes of IAV. However, the different hierarchical roles of IAV-derived epitopes with distinct levels of polymorphism in the cross-reactive T-cell responses against IAV remain elusive.

From endocytosis to membrane fusion: emerging roles of dynamin in virus entry.

Dynamin, a large guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase), has been implicated in virus entry, but its mechanisms of action are controversial. The entry procedure of most enveloped viruses involves endocytosis and membrane fusion. Dynamin has been suggested to act both as a regulatory GTPase by controlling the early stages of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), which is an important endocytic pathway utilized by many viruses, and as a mechanochemical enzyme that induces membrane fission and pinches endocytic vesicles off from the cellular plasma membrane in later stages in several endocytic pathways, including CME.

Crystal structure of the swine-origin A (H1N1)-2009 influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA) reveals similar antigenicity to that of the 1918 pandemic virus.

Influenza virus is the causative agent of the seasonal and occasional pandemic flu. The current H1N1 influenza pandemic, announced by the WHO in June 2009, is highly contagious and responsible for global economic losses and fatalities. Although the H1N1 gene segments have three origins in terms of host species, the virus has been named swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) due to a predominant swine origin.

The membrane protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus acts as a dominant immunogen revealed by a clustering region of novel functionally and structurally defined cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), which emerged with highly contagious and life-threatening characteristics in 2002, remains a potential risk for future outbreaks. Membrane (M) and envelope (E) proteins are major structural proteins of the SARS-CoV. The M protein has been determined as a protective antigen in humoral responses.

In silico characterization of the functional and structural modules of the hemagglutinin protein from the swine-origin influenza virus A (H1N1)-2009.

The 2009 swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV, H1N1 subtype) has developed into a new pandemic influenza as announced by the World Health Organization. In order to uncover clues about the determinants for virulence and pathogenicity of the virus, we characterized the functional modules of the surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA), the most important protein in molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of influenza viruses. We analyzed receptor binding sites, basic patch, neutralization antibody epitopes and T cell epitopes in the HA protein of the current S-OIV according to the corresponding functional and structural modules previously characterized in other H1 HA molecules or HA molecules of other subtypes.

Identification and structural definition of H5-specific CTL epitopes restricted by HLA-A*0201 derived from the H5N1 subtype of influenza A viruses.

The haemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein of influenza A virus is a major antigen that initiates humoral immunity against infection; however, the cellular immune response against HA is poorly understood. Furthermore, HA-derived cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes are relatively rare in comparison to other internal gene products. Here, CTL epitopes of the HA serotype H5 protein were screened.