Article
Virology
Alexandre Freitas da Silva, Filipe Zimmer Dezordi, Lais Ceschini Machado, Rodrigo Dias de Oliveira, Si Qin, Hang Fan, Xianglilan Zhang, Yigang Tong, Monica Medeiros Silva, Elgion Lucio Silva Loreto, Gabriel Luz Wallau
Summary: This study characterized the RNA viruses interacting with Mansonia wilsoni and Coquillettidia hermanoi mosquito species, identifying new viral lineages and enriching our understanding of the virome of these two sylvatic Mansoniini mosquitoes.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tanamas Siriphanitchakorn, R. Manjunatha Kini, Eng Eong Ooi, Milly M. Choy
Summary: Dengue virus closely interacts with host cell machinery to complete its life cycle by interacting with host factors with pro-viral activities. Understanding these interactions is crucial for the success of DENV infection.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Steven M. M. Abel, Zhenchen Hong, Desiree Williams, Sally Ireri, Michelle Q. Q. Brown, Tianyun Su, Kim Y. Y. Hung, Jennifer A. A. Henke, John P. P. Barton, Karine G. G. Le Roch
Summary: In this study, deep sequencing of small RNA samples from Culex mosquitoes in Southern California revealed patterns of viral infection and identified miRNAs involved in immune responses. These findings demonstrate the potential of small RNA sequencing for virus discovery and surveillance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Yinghua Su, Ting Lin, Chun Liu, Cui Cheng, Xiao Han, Xiwen Jiang
Summary: Dengue virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause a range of symptoms from mild fever to life-threatening hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome. miRNAs, important non-coding RNAs, play crucial roles in regulating gene expression and cell processes, including virus infections.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hong Zhan, Nuruddin Unchwaniwala, Andrea Rebolledo-Viveros, Janice Pennington, Mark Horswill, Roma Broadberry, Jonathan Myers, Johan A. den Boon, Timothy Grant, Paul Ahlquist
Summary: Positive-strand RNA viruses replicate their genomes in virus-induced membrane vesicles, and the resulting RNA replication complexes are a major target for virus control. Using cryoelectron microscopy, researchers have discovered that mature nodavirus crowns are composed of two stacked 12-mer rings of viral RNA replication protein A, demonstrating the multifunctionality and flexibility of viral proteins.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Mayra Diosa-Toro, Debbie R. Kennedy, Vanessa Chuo, Vsevolod L. Popov, Julien Pompon, Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco
Summary: Infection with dengue virus induces rearrangements of the endoplasmic reticulum, and a host RNA-binding protein YBX1 plays a crucial role in viral replication and assembly by interacting with the viral nucleocapsid and participating in assembly sites.
Article
Microbiology
Mayra Diosa-Toro, Debbie R. Kennedy, Vanessa Chuo, Vsevolod L. Popov, Julien Pompon, Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco
Summary: Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) interacts with the viral nucleocapsid, distributes to DENV assembly sites, and is necessary for efficient assembly of intracellular infectious virions.
Article
Parasitology
Daniel Chieh-Ding Lin, Shih-Che Weng, Po-Nien Tsao, Justin Jang Hann Chu, Shin-Hong Shiao
Summary: Co-infection of dengue virus and Zika virus in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes enhance viral replication and suggest that the NS5 protein is a potential target for vector control.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
N. Veena Rani, Neera Kapoor, Anuja Krishnan
Summary: This study explores the importance of utilizing viral-like particles (VLPs) for diagnostics, drug delivery, and vaccine production, as well as their role as a model system for studying virus assembly and fusion processes. By replacing certain regions of the E protein of Dengue virus (DENV) with corresponding regions of the G protein of Vesicular Stomatitis virus (VSV), chimeric VLPs were generated that showed higher levels of VLP production compared to the wild type. These chimeric VLPs also demonstrated effective recognition by dengue-infected patient sera, suggesting their potential for vaccine production and serodiagnosis.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chih-Chieh Cheng, Eny Sofiyatun, Wei-June Chen, Lian-Chen Wang
Summary: Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease that is increasingly important globally, causing heavy burdens in tropical and subtropical regions. The virus alternately infects mosquito and human cells, leading to apoptosis in infected human cells but mostly survival in mosquito cells, which allows for efficient transmission. Various antioxidant genes and antiapoptotic processes play crucial roles in the ability of mosquito cells to survive DENV infection.
Article
Virology
Reid Warsaba, Nikolay Stoynov, Kyung-Mee Moon, Stephane Flibotte, Leonard Foster, Eric Jan
Summary: Viral protein genome-linked (VPg) plays an essential role in protein-primed replication of plus-stranded RNA viruses. Some viruses have multiple VPgs, but their roles are not well-defined. This study using cricket paralysis virus as a model reveals a relationship between VPg copy number and IRES translation activity, and uncovers a novel viral strategy where VPg copies in dicistrovirus genomes compensate for differences in IRES translation efficiencies to promote infection.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gyeung Haeng Hur, Eun-Ha Hwang, Bon-Sang Koo, Hanseul Oh, Green Kim, Hoyin Jung, Seung Ho Baek, You Jung An, Jong-Hwan Park, Jung Joo Hong
Summary: Dengue viruses exploit monocytes and macrophages for viral dissemination and replication, with monocytes being suitable carriers for circulatory viral dissemination. Monocyte-derived macrophages are more efficient in viral replication compared to monocytes, and the attachment of viruses to monocytes is similar to that of macrophages. These findings provide insights into the role of circulating monocytes in dengue virus infection and suggest potential interventions.
Article
Microbiology
Jennifer Gribble, Laura J. Stevens, Maria L. Agostini, Jordan Anderson-Daniels, James D. Chappell, Xiaotao Lu, Andrea J. Pruijssers, Andrew L. Routh, Mark R. Denison
Summary: Recombination is essential for coronavirus diversity and the emergence of new strains. The mechanisms of CoV recombination are not well understood, but studies have shown extensive and diverse recombination products in CoVs during replication. The nsp14-ExoN protein is crucial for native recombination in CoVs, highlighting its potential as a target for inhibitors to control SARS-CoV-2 and future emerging zoonotic CoVs.
Article
Virology
Zena Cai, Ping Fu, Lihua Xu, Li Deng, Yousong Peng
Summary: Virus-encoded small RNAs (vsRNAs) play an important role in viral infections. This study systematically characterized and provided a resource of 19,734 high-confidence vsRNAs, including 2,746 microRNAs (miRNAs), from 64 viral species. Plant viruses exhibited a larger and higher expression level of vsRNAs compared to animal viruses. Additionally, vsRNAs showed specificity in their expression patterns among different strains of a virus, different hosts, cells, or tissues infected by the same virus. This study enhances our understanding of vsRNA diversity and complexity, and provides a valuable resource for further vsRNA studies.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Asuka Nanbo, Wakako Furuyama, Zhen Lin
Summary: The article provides an overview of the roles of microRNAs in regulating gene expression and the impact of virus-encoded miRNAs on viral replication and immune evasion. It also discusses the persistence of RNA virus-encoded miRNAs in hosts, as well as the potential applications of miRNAs in diagnosis and therapeutics.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Seyede Fatemeh Nasehi, Yaghoub Fathipour, Sassan Asgari, Mohammad Mehrabadi
Summary: Temperature has a greater impact on the CI phenotype of Habrobracon hebetor wasps than male age, reducing CI penetrance and decreasing the expression of CI factors. CifA shows higher expression levels than CifB, and temperature affects Wolbachia and prophage WO titers as well as the expression levels of cif genes that modulate CI levels.
Article
Agronomy
Zeynab Bagheri, Ali Asghar Talebi, Sassan Asgari, Mohammad Mehrabadi
Summary: The research demonstrates that Wolbachia modulates inbreeding avoidance behavior and promotes sib mating in wasps, leading to an increase in the production of female progeny. This effect helps enhance the transmission of Wolbachia to the next generation.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Hugo D. Perdomo, Mazhar Hussain, Rhys Parry, Kayvan Etebari, Lauren M. Hedges, Guangmei Zhang, Benjamin L. Schulz, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The study demonstrated that human blood miRNAs can be abundantly transported into the fat body tissue of Aedes aegypti, affecting and regulating mosquito gene expression. By feeding mosquitoes with a mimic of human blood miRNA and conducting proteomics analysis, over 40 proteins were found to show differential expression in female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes after feeding. The miRNA was shown to positively regulate vitellogenin, which plays a role in egg production, potentially impacting progeny production in Ae. aegypti.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Michael Leitner, Kayvan Etebari, Sassan Asgari
Summary: This study examines the transcriptional response of Wolbachia-transinfected Aedes aegypti cells to dengue virus (DENV) infection. Differential expression of immune genes, as well as genes related to post-transcriptional modifications, antioxidant enzymes, and heat-shock response, are identified. Additionally, several long non-coding RNAs show differential regulation. These findings provide insights into the initial virus recognition and transcriptional response of Wolbachia-transinfected Aedes aegypti to DENV infection.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Rhys Parry, Henry de Malmanche, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The study suggests that Wolbachia does not restrict host resistance to RNA viruses and establishes an in vitro model for investigating the interactions between Lepidoptera and Wolbachia viruses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kayvan Etebari, Dianne B. J. Taylor, Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Kunjithapatham Dhileepan, Michael J. Furlong, Sassan Asgari
Summary: This study identified a significant mortality in the imported leaf-mining moth population in Australia. Using next generation sequencing, the researchers found highly expressed sequences related to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a type of yeast, in the infected dataset.
Article
Agronomy
Farzad Bidari, Yaghoub Fathipour, Sassan Asgari, Mohammad Mehrabadi
Summary: This study characterized and analyzed the expression of miRNA core genes in B. tabaci and investigated the impact of their silencing on the insect's fitness. The results showed that silencing the miRNA core genes reduced miRNA levels and affected the fertility and survival of B. tabaci. The miRNA core genes could serve as attractive targets for developing an RNAi-based strategy against this insect pest.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Zhenkai Dai, Kayvan Etebari, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The analysis of m(6)A RNA modifications in the mosquito transcriptome and their changes during dengue virus infection provides insights into the role of epigenetics in regulating viral replication in mosquitoes.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Henry de Malmanche, Mazhar Hussain, Esteban Marcellin, Steve Reid, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The Sf9 cell line, widely used for the production of recombinant proteins and virus-like particles, has been found to use RNA interference (RNAi) as an antiviral response to baculovirus infection. Knocking out Dicer-2, a key protein in the RNAi pathway, resulted in increased viral replication in Sf9 cells, indicating a potential role for RNAi in managing chronic viral infections in this cell line.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cameron Bishop, Mazhar Hussain, Leon E. Hugo, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia can affect the longevity of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes by regulating their miRNA, providing a potential biocontrol strategy for viruses transmitted by these mosquitoes.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Sassan Asgari
Summary: Insect pathogens are crucial in controlling medical and agricultural pests. Cui et al. found that genetically modified fungi, expressing host mosquito miRNAs, can enhance the fungus's efficacy by suppressing the host immune response. This discovery paves the way for the utilization of cross-kingdom RNA interference in biocontrol.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mazhar Hussain, Guangmei Zhang, Michael Leitner, Lauren M. Hedges, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The study found that the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia blocks replication of dengue virus by inducing the expression of RNase HI gene, and knocking down this gene increases dengue virus replication. Moreover, overexpressing the RNase HI gene can reduce replication of positive sense RNA viruses but has no effect on negative sense RNA viruses, revealing the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhenkai Dai, Sassan Asgari
Summary: Potential erasers of m(6)A in insects have been identified, including the candidate eraser ALKBH8. Experimental results showed that ALKBH8 can reduce the m(6)A levels in Aedes aegypti and Drosophila melanogaster RNAs.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Virology
Peter Speck, Jason Mackenzie, Rowena A. Bull, Barry Slobedman, Heidi Drummer, Johanna Fraser, Lara Herrero, Karla Helbig, Sarah Londrigan, Gregory Moseley, Natalie Prow, Grant Hansman, Robert Edwards, Chantelle Ahlenstiel, Allison Abendroth, David Tscharke, Jody Hobson-Peters, Robson Kriiger-Loterio, Rhys Parry, Glenn Marsh, Emma Harding, David A. Jacques, Matthew J. Gartner, Wen Shi Lee, Julie McAuley, Paola Vaz, Frank Sainsbury, Michelle D. Tate, Jane Sinclair, Allison Imrie, Stephen Rawlinson, Andrew Harman, Jillian M. Carr, Ebony A. Monson, Merilyn Hibma, Timothy J. Mahony, Thomas Tu, Robert J. Center, Lok Bahadur Shrestha, Robyn Hall, Morgyn Warner, Vernon Ward, Danielle E. Anderson, Nicholas S. Eyre, Natalie E. Netzler, Alison J. Peel, Peter Revill, Michael Beard, Alistair R. Legione, Alexandra J. Spencer, Adi Idris, Jade Forwood, Subir Sarker, Damian F. J. Purcell, Nathan Bartlett, Joshua M. Deerain, Bruce J. Brew, Sassan Asgari, Helen Farrell, Alexander Khromykh, Daniel Enosi Tuipulotu, David Anderson, Sevim Mese, Yaman Tayyar, Kathryn Edenborough, Jasim Muhammad Uddin, Abrar Hussain, Connor J. I. Daymond, Jacinta Agius, Karyn N. Johnson, Paniz Shirmast, Mahdi Abedinzadeshahri, Robin MacDiarmid, Caroline L. Ashley, Jay Laws, Lucy L. Furfaro, Thomas D. Burton, Stephen M. R. Johnson, Zahra Telikani, Mary Petrone, Justin A. Roby, Carolyn Samer, Andreas Suhrbier, April van der Kamp, Anthony Cunningham, Celeste Donato, Jackie Mahar, Wesley D. Black, Subhash Vasudevan, Roman Lenchine, Kirsten Spann, Daniel J. Rawle, Penny Rudd, Jessica Neil, Richard Kingston, Timothy P. Newsome, Ki Wook Kim, Johnson Mak, Kym Lowry, Nathan Bryant, Joanne Meers, Jason A. Roberts, Nigel McMillan, Larisa I. Labzin, Andrii Slonchak, Leon E. Hugo, Bennett Henzeler, Natalee D. Newton, Cassandra T. David, Patrick C. Reading, Camille Esneau, Tatiana Briody, Najla Nasr, Donna McNeale, Brian McSharry, Omid Fakhri, Bethany A. Horsburgh, Grant Logan, Paul Howley, Paul Young
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Mazhar Hussain, Kayvan Etebari, Sassan Asgari
Summary: Wolbachia pipientis can block replication of positive sense RNA viruses. A study on Aedes aegypti cell lines revealed that dengue virus (DENV) was blocked in cells carrying the wAlbB strain of Wolbachia, but significantly inhibited in tetracycline-cured cells. RNA-Seq analysis showed the removal of Wolbachia and absence of Wolbachia gene expression in tetracycline-cured cells, while the abundance of phasi charoen-like virus (PCLV) was increased. Decreasing PCLV levels through RNAi resulted in increased DENV replication, indicating an antagonistic interaction between DENV and PCLV.
