Article
Plant Sciences
Zhiwei Hou, Xiaoqing Pang, Boris Hedtke, Bernhard Grimm
Summary: In angiosperms, the control of chlorophyll synthesis relies on the light-operating enzyme POR. Darkness-induced interruption of chlorophyll synthesis is prevented by FLU through suppression of ALA synthesis to avoid overaccumulation of Pchlide. The results suggest that all three structural domains of FLU are necessary to repress ALA synthesis and maintain the balance in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis.
Article
Virology
Aitor Nogales, Michael Schotsaert, Raveen Rathnasinghe, Marta L. DeDiego, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Luis Martinez-Sobrido
Summary: The influenza A virus (IAV) can infect various mammalian and avian species, and studies have developed replication-competent IAV expressing traceable reporter genes to better understand its biology and pathogenesis. These novel approaches provide valuable tools for developing new therapeutic strategies against IAV infections.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chengjin Ye, Kevin Chiem, Jun-Gyu Park, Jesus A. Silvas, Desarey Morales Vasquez, Julien Sourimant, Michelle J. Lin, Alexander L. Greninger, Richard K. Plemper, Jordi B. Torrelles, James J. Kobie, Mark R. Walter, Juan Carlos de la Torre, Luis Martinez-Sobrido
Summary: The study presents a novel strategy placing reporter genes upstream of the highly expressed viral nucleocapsid gene to efficiently visualize SARS-CoV-2 in infected cells and organisms. Real-time viral infection can be tracked noninvasively using an in vivo imaging system, helping to identify neutralizing antibodies. The reporter-expressing rSARS-CoV-2 maintained pathogenicity and stability, supporting their use for investigating viral infection, dissemination, pathogenesis, and therapeutic interventions in vivo.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Virology
Yanqun Xu, Devin Vertrees, Yong He, Sanaz Momben-Abolfath, Xiaohong Li, Yambasu A. Brewah, Dorothy E. Scott, Krishnamurthy Konduru, Maria Rios, Evi B. Struble
Summary: Zika virus has become endemic in multiple regions and has the potential to cause teratogenic effects on fetuses. The mechanisms of viral spread to the placenta remain unknown. While there are no approved treatments or vaccines, appropriate tests can aid in understanding the infection and developing therapeutics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jia Miao, Minqian Miao, Yue Jiang, Min Zhao, Qing Li, Yuan Zhang, Yi An, Kanyi Pu, Qingqing Miao
Summary: A NIR-II fluorescent reporter with a donor-pi-acceptor architecture was developed for specific detection of A beta plaques in AD-model mice, enabling non-invasive imaging and deep deciphering of AD progression.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ui Jin Lee, Yunkwang Oh, Oh Seok Kwon, Yong-Beom Shin, Moonil Kim
Summary: We developed a highly sensitive and specific bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC)-based influenza A virus (IAV)-sensing system. The system utilizes a galactose/glucose-binding protein (GGBP) with a N-terminal large domain (YN1-172) and a C-terminal small domain (YC173-239) made up of enhanced yellow fluorescence protein (eYFP). The system demonstrated ultra-high sensitivity and selective responses for IAV detection, making it a simple and effective platform for IAV detection without the need for virus culture or RNA extraction processes.
Article
Virology
Daniela Loconsole, Francesca Centrone, Valerio Aprile, Anna Sallustio, Daniele Casulli, Marisa Accogli, Davide Sacco, Riccardo Zagaria, Maria Chironna
Summary: This study investigated an influenza outbreak that occurred in southern Italy in August 2022, and found that influenza viruses circulated out-of-season during the summer months, which may be linked to changing dynamics in the post-COVID-19 era and climate change. Year-round surveillance of respiratory viruses is necessary to monitor this phenomenon and provide effective prevention strategies.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tamami Yanagi, Kiichi Kaminaga, Michiyo Suzuki, Hiroshi Abe, Hiroki Yamamoto, Takeshi Ohshima, Akihiro Kuwahata, Masaki Sekino, Tatsuhiko Imaoka, Shizuko Kakinuma, Takuma Sugi, Wataru Kada, Osamu Hanaizumi, Ryuji Igarashi
Summary: The method described in this study utilizes controlled laser pulses to oscillate the fluorescence from nitrogen-vacancy centers (NVCs) in fluorescent nanodiamonds, while oscillating other optical signals in the opposite phase. This allows for the reconstruction of selective images of nanodiamonds with improved signal-to-background ratio, providing a powerful tool for investigating molecular dynamics in cells and in vivo.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mohammad Pabel Kabir, Daniel Ouedraogo, Yoelvis Orozco-Gonzalez, Giovanni Gadda, Samer Gozem
Summary: To expand the application range of FbFPs, researchers explored different strategies to modify the absorption and emission wavelengths. By placing positively charged amino acids near the flavin cofactor, previous studies achieved spectral tuning. In this work, the researchers proposed an alternative strategy by placing negatively charged amino acids near the flavin's N1 atom. Computational predictions and experimental results confirmed that this strategy resulted in a slight red shift in the fluorescence of the mutant protein iLOV-Q430E, indicating its potential for further red shifting.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Saima Hasan, Richard J. Webby, Muhammad Iqbal, Hamad Bin Rashid, Mansur-ud-Din Ahmad, Jawad Nazir, Jennifer DeBeauchamp, Shakera Sadiq, Mamoona Chaudhry
Summary: This study described the proportions, temporal and spatial distribution, and demographic and clinical characteristics of influenza A virus positive patients in Lahore, Pakistan. It identified distinct trends of ILI, SARI, and IAV positive cases, which can be used to inform public health interventions. Sampling from both ILI and SARI patients in routine surveillance is recommended.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Ling Bu, Boqian Chen, Lei Xing, Xuejun Cai, Shuhua Liang, Liying Zhang, Xinhua Wang, Wenjun Song
Summary: The study successfully generated a recombinant pdmH1N1 2009 IAV with mCherry gene marker through serial passage in mice, demonstrating comparable growth kinetics to the wild-type. The IAV reporter virus is a powerful tool for studying viral pathogenicity and transmission, as well as developing and evaluating novel anti-viral drugs, inhibitors, and vaccines in the future.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ladie Kimberly de la Cruz, Xingyue Ji, Xiaoxiao Yang, Binghe Wang
Summary: The article discusses recent advancements in utilizing prodrug approaches for the generation of carbon monoxide, including methods for CO release and formation of fluorescent reporters, and the construction of CO delivery platforms with additional functionalities. These approaches provide new insights for precise CO delivery and assessment of therapeutic efficacy.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Cait E. Hamele, Alistair B. Russell, Nicholas S. Heaton
Summary: Influenza A virus is a significant threat to public health, but why some individuals clear the infection asymptomatically while others become severely ill remains unclear. This study used single-cell RNA sequencing to explore the range of responses in susceptible epithelial cells during an acute influenza A virus infection. It was found that different preexisting gene expression patterns in the initial target cells may ultimately affect the establishment of viral disease.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eun-Jung Song, Erica Espano, Sang-Mu Shim, Jeong-Hyun Nam, Jiyeon Kim, Kiho Lee, Song-Kyu Park, Chong-Kil Lee, Jeong-Ki Kim
Summary: The study found that the serine protease inhibitor aprotinin has inhibitory effects on a wide range of influenza virus subtypes, including avian influenza viruses and oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses, and significantly increased survival rate in mice infected with a lethal dose of influenza virus. This suggests that aprotinin could be considered for development as a therapeutic agent against influenza.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Luigi Tortola, Federica Piattini, Annika Hausmann, Franziska Ampenberger, Esther Rosenwald, Sebastian Heer, Wolf-Dietrich Hardt, Thomas Rulicke, Jan Kisielow, Manfred Kopf
Summary: Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) is a transcription factor that plays a key role in various cellular processes, and the development of NF-kappa B reporter mice has enabled accurate monitoring of its activity. In this study, researchers successfully generated ROSA26 knock-in NF-kappa B reporter mice and used them to sensitively, dynamically, and faithfully monitor NF-kappa B transcriptional activity in different cell types during inflammatory and infectious diseases.
MUCOSAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Robert W. Gregg, Fathima Shabnam, Jason E. Shoemaker
Summary: The study revealed that cell heterogeneity can enhance IFN beta responses during infection. Only 20-30% of cells need to respond during infection, beyond which no additional protection against cell death or reduction of viral load is provided.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ahmed Magdy Khalil, Reiko Yoshida, Tatsunori Masatani, Ayato Takada, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: The study revealed that swine influenza A viruses related to A(H1N1)pdm09 have broader genetic diversity in their haemagglutinin gene, which is associated with antigenic variation in their HA. Among the 12 swIAVs isolated in Japan, five showed significant differences in HA antigenicity compared to an early A(H1N1)pdm09 isolate, with single amino acid substitutions and varying neutralization patterns observed. These findings emphasize the importance of monitoring for emergence of swIAV antigenic variants that may have public health implications.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ahmed Magdy Khalil, Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Isshu Kojima, Mana Esaki, Kyonha Ri, Tatsunori Masatani, Tsutomu Matsui, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: Two genetically identical highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of subtype H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4b were isolated from falcated duck (Anas falcata) feces and environmental water collected at an overwintering site in Japan. These isolates showed high genetic similarity with H5N8 HPAIVs recently isolated in South Korea, a distant part of Japan, and European countries, suggesting the potential role of falcated ducks in the dissemination of HPAIVs.
Article
Virology
Emily E. Ackerman, Jordan J. A. Weaver, Jason E. Shoemaker
Summary: The timing and magnitude of the innate immune response to viral infection vary across different influenza A virus subtypes. This study uses computational modeling and immunologic data to identify the immune interactions that differ in mice infected with low-pathogenic H1N1 or high-pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses. The production rate of interferon is found to be the major driver of strain-specific immune responses.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mana Esaki, Gakushi Ito, Kaori Tokorozaki, Tsutomu Matsui, Tatsunori Masatani, Kenichi Amano, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: Crane-associated adenovirus 1 (CrAdV-1) is a novel virus detected in hooded cranes in Japan and mainly spreads among cranes during the overwintering period. This virus primarily targets the brain, trachea, lung, and heart and is transmitted through the fecal-oral and airborne routes.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ahmed Magdy Khalil, Isshu Kojima, Wataru Fukunaga, Misuzu Okajima, Sumire Mitarai, Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Tsutomu Matsui, Masakazu Kuwahara, Tatsunori Masatani, Kosuke Okuya, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: By improving the method for isolating avian influenza viruses (AIVs) from environmental water samples, we were able to significantly increase the recovery efficiency and isolate a larger number of AIVs from water samples collected at a wintering site. Genetic analysis showed that multiple genetic constellations of the same AIV subtypes were circulating in a single winter season.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yuji Fujii, Tatsunori Masatani, Shoko Nishiyama, Misuzu Okajima, Fumiki Izumi, Katsunori Okazaki, Yoshihiro Sakoda, Ayato Takada, Makoto Ozawa, Makoto Sugiyama, Naoto Ito
Summary: A recent study revealed that migratory birds may be responsible for the global spread of avian rotavirus A (RVA), yet little is known about the types of RVAs they carry. In this study, a genetic analysis of an RVA strain from a gull species showed that all 11 genes were classified as new genotypes, indicating a greater genetic diversity of avian RVAs. This emphasizes the importance of investigating RVA strains in migratory birds, including gulls.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Isshu Kojima, Koji Onomoto, Wenjie Zuo, Makoto Ozawa, Kosuke Okuya, Kiyotada Naitou, Fumiki Izumi, Misuzu Okajima, Takuro Fujiwara, Naoto Ito, Mitsutoshi Yoneyama, Kentaro Yamada, Akira Nishizono, Makoto Sugiyama, Takashi Fujita, Tatsunori Masatani
Summary: Rabies virus (RABV) can induce the formation of stress granules (SGs), but the relationship between SG formation capacity and pathogenicity of RABV has been unclear. By comparing two RABV strains with completely different levels of virulence, we found that an amino acid mutation from valine to alanine at position 95 of matrix protein (M95), known to determine the difference in virulence, plays a major role in SG formation. Importantly, M95 is involved in the accumulation of RIG-I in SGs and in promoting interferon induction. These findings are the first report of the effect of a single amino acid substitution associated with SGs on viral virulence.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Kohei Ogasawara, Norikazu Isoda, Hitoshi Hatai, Kosuke Okuya, Yukiko Watanabe, Ayato Takada, Yoshihiro Sakoda, Keisuke Saito, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: This study demonstrates the susceptibility of white-tailed sea eagles to H5 HPAI virus and confirms the potential for indirect transmission within the population. Histopathological observations suggest that viral replication in the brain is responsible for the severity and mortality of the disease in this species.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Kosuke Okuya, Ahmed Magdy Khalil, Mana Esaki, Isshu Kojima, Natsuko Nishi, Donna Koyamada, Tsutomu Matsui, Yuuhei Yoshida, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: The Izumi plain in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, is a wintering site for over 30,000 migratory waterfowl, including endangered crane species. A study conducted in the area collected 238 water samples from artificial wet paddies created as crane roost sites and identified 22 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) of six subtypes. The genetic analysis revealed multiple genetic constellations within the same subtype isolated during a single winter season. Phylogenetic analysis suggested a potential genetic reassortant between two closely related isolates. This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring AIV circulation in migratory waterfowl populations for understanding AIV ecology.
Article
Virology
Sumire Mitarai, Kosuke Okuya, Kazuhiro Miyane, Machiko Miyamoto, Shingo Ishikawa, Hiroaki Kawaguchi, Itaru Hatazoe, Yasuo Suda, Eriko Arima, Hiroshi Nakazato, Seiji Hobo, Tatsunori Masatani, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: A study conducted genetic sequencing on Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) strains detected in Kagoshima prefecture and isolated in Hokkaido between 2017 and 2019, and compared them to a BRSV vaccine strain. The Japanese BRSV strains were found to be genetically similar to each other but different from the vaccine strain. Specific amino acid differences were identified in the glycoprotein (G protein) of the recent Japanese BRSV strains, suggesting potential antigenic differences from the vaccine strains.
ARCHIVES OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Nonoka Matsunaga, Moe Ijiri, Kemi Ishikawa, Makoto Ozawa, Kosuke Okuya, Ahmed Magdy Khalil, Isshu Kojima, Mana Esaki, Tatsunori Masatani, Tsutomu Matsui, Yoshikazu Fujimoto
Summary: This study conducted the first epidemiological survey of APMV-1 in Japan, and found that environmental water samples could be an effective method for detecting the virus in wild birds. The results also showed the continuous presence of APMV-1 strains with potential pathogenicity to chickens, circulating among waterfowl in Far East Asian countries.
MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Takashi Kajiya, Hayate Sawayama, Eriko Arima, Mika Okamoto, Masanori Baba, Masaaki Toyama, Kosuke Okuya, Makoto Ozawa, Nobuhiko Atsuchi, Junichiro Nishi, Yasuo Suda
Summary: This study provides a follow-up on hospitalized COVID-19 patients and explores the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on recovery time. The findings demonstrate that patients infected with the Delta variant have a longer recovery period, and the SGNP method shows a stronger correlation with patient symptoms compared to the commonly used Qiagen method.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Kosuke Okuya, Ahmed Magdy Khalil, Mana Esaki, Natsuko Nishi, Donna Koyamada, Rara Saito, Kaori Tokorozaki, Taichi Hasegawa, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: During the 2020/21 winter season in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, both H5N8 high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) and low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) of various subtypes were isolated from environmental water and wild birds. The H5 HPAIVs belonged to two different clusters, and the H5N8 HPAIVs could be classified into six genotypes. The study emphasizes the importance of monitoring both HPAIV and LPAIV to better understand avian influenza ecology in migratory waterfowl populations.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Kosuke Okuya, Junki Mine, Kaori Tokorozaki, Isshu Kojima, Mana Esaki, Kohtaro Miyazawa, Ryota Tsunekuni, Saki Sakuma, Asuka Kumagai, Yoshihiro Takadate, Yuto Kikutani, Tsutomu Matsui, Yuko Uchida, Makoto Ozawa
Summary: Genetic analyses revealed the coexistence of two genetic groups of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 subtype viruses among migratory waterfowl in the Izumi Plain, Japan. Continuous surveillance and timely information sharing are crucial for rapid risk assessment.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)