Disrupting SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Activity: A Virtual Screening and Binding Assay Study.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory virus that emerged in late 2019 and rapidly spread worldwide, causing the COVID-19 pandemic. The spike glycoprotein (S protein) plays a crucial role in viral target recognition and entry by interacting with angiotensin, converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the functional receptor for the virus, via its receptor binding domain (RBD). The RBD availability for this interaction can be influenced by external factors, such as fatty acids.

Molecular Identification of Species in Ticks Infesting Hedgehogs ( and ) in North-Western Poland.

The western European hedgehog () and the northern white-breasted hedgehog () are natural hosts of the tick , the vector of tick-borne pathogens such as the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. The aim of this study was to identify these pathogens in ticks collected from hedgehogs in northwestern Poland and to assess their genetic diversity by molecular analysis of the detected pathogens based on the gene and the intergenic spacer. Among 101 hedgehogs examined, 737 ticks were found on 56 (55.

An Overview of Zika Virus and Zika Virus Induced Neuropathies.

Flaviviruses pose a major public health concern across the globe. Among them, Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging and reemerging arthropod-borne flavivirus that has become a major international public health problem following multiple large outbreaks over the past two decades. The majority of infections caused by ZIKV exhibit mild symptoms.

Development of In-Labeled Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting SFTSV Structural Proteins for Molecular Imaging of SFTS Infectious Diseases by SPECT.

No effective vaccines or treatments are currently available for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a fatal tick-borne infectious disease caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). This study evaluated the potential of In-labeled anti-SFTSV antibodies targeting SFTSV structural proteins as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging agents for the selective visualization of SFTSV-infected sites. This study used nuclear medicine imaging to elucidate the pathology of SFTS and assess its therapeutic efficacy.

First Molecular and Phylogenetic Characterization of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) and Equine Herpesvirus-4 (EHV-4) in Morocco.

This study aimed to investigate the molecular prevalence and genetic characterization of EHV-1 and EHV-4 in equid populations in Morocco. A total of 154 equids (114 horses, 9 donkeys, and 31 mules) were sampled, with nasal swabs and tissue samples subjected to multiplex real-time PCR for the detection of EHV-1 and EHV-4. Additionally, an isolate from the tissue of an aborted horse fetus was included in the analysis.

A BCG kill switch strain protects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice and non-human primates with improved safety and immunogenicity.

Improved vaccination strategies for tuberculosis are needed. Intravenous (i.v.

Engineered Mycobacterium tuberculosis triple-kill-switch strain provides controlled tuberculosis infection in animal models.

Human challenge experiments could accelerate tuberculosis vaccine development. This requires a safe Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strain that can both replicate in the host and be reliably cleared. Here we genetically engineered Mtb strains encoding up to three kill switches: two mycobacteriophage lysin operons negatively regulated by tetracycline and a degron domain-NadE fusion, which induces ClpC1-dependent degradation of the essential enzyme NadE, negatively regulated by trimethoprim.

Emergence of two novel tmexCD-toprJ subtypes mediating tigecycline resistance in the megaplasmids from Pseudomonas putida.

The widespread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem poses a serious health threat, leaving few drug choices, including tigecycline, to treat multidrug resistance pathogens. However, a plasmid-borne tigecycline resistance gene cluster, tmexCD1-toprJ1, emerged and conferred tigecycline resistance. In this study, we identified two novel subtypes, tmexCD2.

New insights into the epidemiology of Streptococcus suis in pig production systems using whole genome sequencing.

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a major pathogen for pigs, causing large economic losses to the swine industry. Moreover, this bacterium has a zoonotic potential, being capable of infecting humans in close contact with pigs or, less frequently, through contact with pork products.

Inhibition of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway interferes with macropinocytosis to suppress pseudorabies virus proliferation.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is one of the highly contagious pathogens causing significant economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. More importantly, PRV is becoming a potential "life-threatening zoonosis" since the human-originated PRV strain was first isolated in 2019. Previously we found that the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway facilitates PRV proliferation, while the underlying mechanism remains unknown.

Revealing Stachybotrys-like fungal growth in buildings - Possible exposure highlighted through three case studies.

Genus Stachybotrys (Stachybotryaceae, Hypocreales) requires high humidity to grow and represents one of the most notorious fungi associated with suspected illness in moist buildings. If Stachybotrys conidia are found in settled indoor dusts, their presence may indicate water intrusion and mold infestation revealed after dismantling the building structures. This study describes detection of Stachybotrys growth hidden inside the structures of three buildings in Finland.

Palmitoylation-dependent association with Annexin II directs hepatitis E virus ORF3 sorting into vesicles and quasi-enveloped virions.

Historically considered to be nonenveloped, hepatitis E virus (HEV), an important zoonotic pathogen, has recently been discovered to egress from infected cells as quasi-enveloped virions. These quasi-enveloped virions circulating in the blood are resistant to neutralizing antibodies, thereby facilitating the stealthy spread of infection. Despite abundant evidence of the essential role of the HEV-encoded ORF3 protein in quasi-enveloped virus formation, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Beyond Serology: A Meta-Analysis of Advancements in Molecular Detection of Brucella spp. in Seronegative Animals and Biological Samples.

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Brucella spp., affecting various animals and humans, leading to significant economic and public health impacts. Traditional diagnostic methods, mainly serological, often fail to detect seronegative carriers, which continue to spread the infection.

Genomic epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing from humans and a river in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, urinary tract infections in humans are commonly caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing . This group of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are often multidrug resistant. However, there is limited information on ESBL-producing found in the environment and their link with human clinical isolates.

A Highly Divergent Mitochondrial Genome in Extant Cape Buffalo From Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa.

The reduced cost of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has allowed researchers to generate nuclear and mitochondrial genome data to gain deeper insights into the phylogeography, evolutionary history and biology of non-model species. While the Cape buffalo () has been well-studied across its range with traditional genetic markers over the last 25 years, researchers are building on this knowledge by generating whole genome, population-level data sets to improve understanding of the genetic composition and evolutionary history of the species. Using publicly available NGS data, we assembled 40 Cape buffalo mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from four protected areas in South Africa, expanding the geographical range and almost doubling the number of mitogenomes available for this species.

Interplay of swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus and the host intrinsic and innate immunity.

Swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), a novel HKU2-related coronavirus of bat origin, is a newly emerged swine enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes severe diarrhoea in piglets. SADS-CoV has a broad cell tropism with the capability to infect a wide variety of cells from human and diverse animals, which implicates its ability to hold high risks of cross-species transmission. The intracellular antiviral immunity, comprised of the intrinsic and innate immunity, represents the first line of host defence against viral infection prior to the onset of adaptive immunity.

In vitro characterization of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria from wild and domestic pigs: probiotic potential for post-weaning piglets.

Background: Gastrointestinal diseases in weaned piglets are a frequent cause of high morbidity and mortality in domestic pigs. The use of antibiotics is problematic due to increasing antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations, for which reason the use of suitable probiotics is highly recommended to maintain animal health and welfare.

Results: In this study, 57 strains of biologically safe lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria originating from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of pigs were identified and characterized in terms of their probiotic properties for potential use in weaned piglets.

Transcriptome-wide dynamics of mA methylation in ISKNV and Siniperca chuatsi cells infected with ISKNV.

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is a highly virulent and rapidly transmissible fish virus that poses threats to the aquaculture of a wide variety of freshwater and marine fish. N6-methyladenosine (mA), recognized as a common epigenetic modification of RNA, plays an important regulatory role during viral infection. However, the impact of mA RNA methylation on the pathogenicity of ISKNV remains unexplored.

Influenza A Virus H7 nanobody recognizes a conserved immunodominant epitope on hemagglutinin head and confers heterosubtypic protection.

Influenza remains a persistent global health challenge, largely due to the virus' continuous antigenic drift and occasional shift, which impede the development of a universal vaccine. To address this, the identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies and their epitopes is crucial. Nanobodies, with their unique characteristics and binding capacity, offer a promising avenue to identify such epitopes.

Bayesian estimation of diagnostic accuracy of fecal smears, fecal PCR and serum ELISA for detecting Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infections in four domestic ruminant species in Saudi Arabia.

Paratuberculosis, a chronic wasting disease affecting domestic and wild ruminants worldwide, is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Various diagnostic tests exist for detecting MAP infection; however, none of them possess perfect accuracy to be qualified as a reference standard test, particularly due to their notably low sensitivity.

ZDHHC3-LYPLA1 regulates PRRSV-2 replication through reversible palmitoylation.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a highly contagious swine pathogen, causing respiratory problems in piglets and reproductive failure in sows. Palmitoylation, catalyzed by zinc finger Asp-His-His-Cys (ZDHHC) domain-containing palmitoyl acyltransferases, plays intricate roles in virus infection. However, whether palmitoylation regulates PRRSV replication is incompletely understood.

Superstable lipid vacuoles endow cartilage with its shape and biomechanics.

Conventionally, the size, shape, and biomechanics of cartilages are determined by their voluminous extracellular matrix. By contrast, we found that multiple murine cartilages consist of lipid-filled cells called lipochondrocytes. Despite resembling adipocytes, lipochondrocytes were molecularly distinct and produced lipids exclusively through de novo lipogenesis.

Broiler farming and antibiotic use through an agency theory lens. A case study from West Bengal, India.

Chicken meat (broiler) production is a rapidly growing livestock sector in India, and one dominated by contract farming. Studies have reported high levels of antibiotic use in Indian broiler farms which is concerning given this is one of the driving forces for the development of antibiotic resistance. This study used the economic lens of agency theory to examine strategic decisions which occur during contract broiler production and their potential impact on antibiotic use, using West Bengal as a case study.

Extracellular vesicles promote the infection and pathogenicity of Japanese encephalitis virus.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a neurotropic zoonotic pathogen that poses a serious threat to public health. Currently, there is no specific therapeutic agent available for JEV infection, primarily due to the complexity of its infection mechanism and pathogenesis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been known to play an important role in viral infection, but their specific functions in JEV infection remain unknown.