Review
Virology
Po-Yu Sung, Polly Roy
Summary: The mechanism of genome packaging for BTV and related dsRNA viruses is complex, involving the role of UTRs, specific order of interactions, participation of specific capsid proteins, and recruitment of segments into assembling capsids through a networked process. This discovery opens up new avenues for potential interventions in BTV and related dsRNA viruses.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lukas Sukenik, Liya Mukhamedova, Michaela Prochazkova, Karel Skubnik, Pavel Plevka, Robert Vacha
Summary: Virus-like nanoparticles and wild-type viruses share similar protein shells and aims of delivering genes into cells, but the mechanism of gene release differs. Interactions between capsid subunits and compactness of genes affect the speed and pathways of release, providing insights for drug delivery design.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Tushar Ranjan, Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Mohammad Ansar, Jitesh Kumar, Auroshikha Mohanty, Anamika Kumari, Khushbu Jain, Kumari Rajani, Sailabala Dei, Mohammad Feza Ahmad
Summary: Genome packaging is a crucial step for plant viruses, and there are three reported packaging systems. The type I system involves energy-dependent nucleation and encapsidation of RNA genomes, while the type II and III systems involve translocation and packaging inside the prohead using ATP. Each system has a unique ATP hydrolysis and genome packaging mechanism.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Krishanthi S. Karunatilaka, David J. Filman, Mike Strauss, Joseph J. Loparo, James M. Hogle
Summary: The study developed a fluorescence imaging assay to visualize poliovirus genome release using a synthetic vesicle system. The results not only provide new mechanistic insights into poliovirus genome translocation, but also offer a cell-free assay to bridge gaps in understanding of this process in other nonenveloped viruses.
Article
Virology
Chih-Chi Lee, Hung-Wei Hsu, Chun-Yi Lin, Nicolas Gustafson, Kenji Matsuura, Chow-Yang Lee, Chin-Cheng Scotty Yang
Summary: In this study, a transcriptomic database was generated for the yellow crazy ant to identify RNA viruses and characterize their genomes. Multiple virus species were discovered, including the polycipivirus AgrV-3, which showed high genetic diversity and evolved following the quasispecies model. The viral pathogen hotspot of the ant was found in Southeast Asia, consistent with its native range, and multiple virus species were prevalent in field colonies, possibly linked to the ant's social organization.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Priscilla L. S. Boon, Ana S. Martins, Xin Ni Lim, Francisco J. Enguita, Nuno C. Santos, Peter J. Bond, Yue Wan, Ivo C. Martins, Roland G. Huber
Summary: Dengue virus is a significant health risk in tropical and subtropical regions. The structure of the packaged genome in complex with C proteins remains elusive. This study investigates the interactions of C proteins with viral RNA and shows their role in coordinating key interactions for proper packaging of viral RNA.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Virology
Brianna M. Woodbury, Tina Motwani, Makayla N. Leroux, Lauren F. Barnes, Nicholas A. Lyktey, Sanchari Banerjee, Corynne L. Dedeo, Martin F. Jarrold, Carolyn M. Teschke
Summary: This study demonstrates the crucial role of specific tryptophan residues within the wing domain of the bacteriophage P22 portal protein in its function and assembly.
Article
Biology
Xiao Lei, Daniel Goncalves-Carneiro, Trinity M. Zang, Paul D. Bieniasz
Summary: Encapsidation of HIV-1 gRNA into virions is facilitated by the binding of HIV-1 Gag polyprotein's nucleocapsid (NC) domain to the viral RNA packaging signal (psi). However, the subcellular location and oligomeric status of Gag during initial Gag-psi encounter are still uncertain. To investigate the contribution of Gag domains to psi recognition in cells, protein-protein and protein-RNA crosslinking studies were conducted. The results revealed that NC alone does not specifically bind to psi, while full-length Gag and CANC subdomain do. Furthermore, proper assembly of a nascent immature capsid (CA) lattice is essential for the specific interaction between Gag and psi in cells.
Article
Biology
Joseph Newman, David J. Rowlands, Tobias J. Tuthill
Summary: This study compared the characteristics of recombinant assembly and disassembly pentamers of picornavirus, specifically FMDV. Assembly pentamers sedimented faster and had higher reactivity with anti-VP4 antibodies compared to the disassembly pentamers. However, the reactivity with other antibodies was similar between the two pentamers, suggesting that major antigenic features may be preserved between assembly pentamers containing VP4 and disassembly pentamers lacking VP4.
Article
Fisheries
Lenaig Louboutin, Nolwenn M. Dheilly, Joelle Cabon, Sara Picon Camacho, Aurelie Leroux, Pierrick Lucas, Alain Le Breton, Yannick Blanchard, Thierry Morin
Summary: The present study investigated an unusual mortality among 50-day post-hatching gilthead seabream larvae in a hatchery, revealing the presence of a novel Potamipivirus species associated with focal degeneration in the intestinal mucosa. The viral agent, with a typical picornavirus genome organization, showed a high sequence similarity to Eel Picornavirus-1. Further studies are needed to determine the etiological role and prevalence of this virus in natural and aquaculture-reared populations of gilthead seabream.
JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Virology
Liqing Ye, Uddhav B. Ambi, Marco Olguin-Nava, Anne-Sophie Gribling-Burrer, Shazeb Ahmad, Patrick Bohn, Melanie M. Weber, Redmond P. Smyth
Summary: The generation of infectious viral particles involves the specific selection of genomic RNA from a complex mixture of cellular and non-genomic viral RNAs. This process is influenced by viral encoded RNA structures, packaging signals constructed from base pairings within viral genomes, and the biophysical properties of RNA. Additionally, the impact of RNA packaging signals on viral evolution is examined.
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
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
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Keith Saunders, Eva C. Thuenemann, Hadrien Peyret, George P. Lomonossoff
Summary: The presence of the origin of assembly sequence (OAS) is necessary for the specific encapsidation of replicating viral RNA, providing a unique site for the initiation of viral assembly and leading to the formation of specific nucleoprotein nanorods.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Kate Dicker, Aino I. Jarvelin, Manuel Garcia-Moreno, Alfredo Castello
Summary: RNA viruses rely on cellular RNA-binding proteins to facilitate replication and spread, with a pool of RBPs typically incorporated into viral particles. These RBPs play crucial roles in viral particle formation and infectivity, suggesting broader implications for host RBPs in virus infection than previously thought.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Joseph Newman, Amin S. Asfor, Stephen Berryman, Terry Jackson, Stephen Curry, Tobias J. Tuthill
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2018)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aurelie Mousnier, Andrew S. Bell, Dawid P. Swieboda, Julia Morales-Sanfrutos, Inmaculada Perez-Dorado, James A. Brannigan, Joseph Newman, Markus Ritzefeld, Jennie A. Hutton, Anabel Guedan, Amin S. Asfor, Sean W. Robinson, Iva Hopkins-Navratilova, Anthony J. Wilkinson, Sebastian L. Johnston, Robin J. Leatherbarrow, Tobias J. Tuthill, Roberto Solari, Edward W. Tate
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gareth Shimmon, Abhay Kotecha, Jingshan Rene, Amin S. Astor, Joseph Newman, Stephen Berryman, Eleanor M. Cottam, Sarah Gold, Toby J. Tuthil, Donald P. King, Emiliana Brocchi, Andrew M. Q. King, Ray Owens, Elizabeth E. Fry, David Stuart, Alison Burman, Terry Jackson
Article
Microbiology
Diana Steinhauer, Marie Salat, Regula Frey, Andreas Mosbach, Torsten Luksch, Dirk Balmer, Rasmus Hansen, Stephanie Widdison, Grace Logan, Robert A. Dietrich, Gert H. J. Kema, Stephane Bieri, Helge Sierotzki, Stefano F. F. Torriani, Gabriel Scalliet
Article
Immunology
Simon P. Graham, Rebecca K. McLean, Alexandra J. Spencer, Sandra Belij-Rammerstorfer, Daniel Wright, Marta Ulaszewska, Jane C. Edwards, Jack W. P. Hayes, Veronica Martini, Nazia Thakur, Carina Conceicao, Isabelle Dietrich, Holly Shelton, Ryan Waters, Anna Ludi, Ginette Wilsden, Clare Browning, Dagmara Bialy, Sushant Bhat, Phoebe Stevenson-Leggett, Philippa Hollinghurst, Ciaran Gilbride, David Pulido, Katy Moffat, Hannah Sharpe, Elizabeth Allen, Valerie Mioulet, Chris Chiu, Joseph Newman, Amin S. Asfor, Alison Burman, Sylvia Crossley, Jiandong Huo, Raymond J. Owens, Miles Carroll, John A. Hammond, Elma Tchilian, Dalan Bailey, Bryan Charleston, Sarah C. Gilbert, Tobias J. Tuthill, Teresa Lambe
Article
Virology
David J. King, Graham Freimanis, Lidia Lasecka-Dykes, Amin Asfor, Paolo Ribeca, Ryan Waters, Donald P. King, Emma Laing
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tiong Kit Tan, Pramila Rijal, Rolle Rahikainen, Anthony H. Keeble, Lisa Schimanski, Saira Hussain, Ruth Harvey, Jack W. P. Hayes, Jane C. Edwards, Rebecca K. McLean, Veronica Martini, Miriam Pedrera, Nazia Thakur, Carina Conceicao, Isabelle Dietrich, Holly Shelton, Anna Ludi, Ginette Wilsden, Clare Browning, Adrian K. Zagrajek, Dagmara Bialy, Sushant Bhat, Phoebe Stevenson-Leggett, Philippa Hollinghurst, Matthew Tully, Katy Moffat, Chris Chiu, Ryan Waters, Ashley Gray, Mehreen Azhar, Valerie Mioulet, Joseph Newman, Amin S. Asfor, Alison Burman, Sylvia Crossley, John A. Hammond, Elma Tchilian, Bryan Charleston, Dalan Bailey, Tobias J. Tuthill, Simon P. Graham, Helen M. E. Duyvesteyn, Tomas Malinauskas, Jiandong Huo, Julia A. Tree, Karen R. Buttigieg, Raymond J. Owens, Miles W. Carroll, Rodney S. Daniels, John W. McCauley, David I. Stuart, Kuan-Ying A. Huang, Mark Howarth, Alain R. Townsend
Summary: This study introduces a potential vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2, utilizing a synthetic virus-like particle platform to present the receptor-binding domain of the virus spike protein. The vaccine induces strong neutralizing antibody responses in mice and pigs, demonstrating thermostability and the potential for global distribution.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Jessica Swanson, Rennos Fragkoudis, Philippa C. Hawes, Joseph Newman, Alison Burman, Anusha Panjwani, Nicola J. Stonehouse, Tobias J. Tuthill
Summary: This study successfully displayed the N-terminal epitope of FMDV VP4 using HBc VLPs. The research found that inserting VP4 into the spike induced VP4-specific antibodies, while attaching VP4 peptides to the spikes did not.
Article
Microbiology
Lidia Lasecka-Dykes, Fiona Tulloch, Peter Simmonds, Garry A. Luke, Paolo Ribeca, Sarah Gold, Nick J. Knowles, Caroline F. Wright, Jemma Wadsworth, Mehreen Azhar, Donald P. King, Tobias J. Tuthill, Terry Jackson, Martin D. Ryan
Summary: Our study revealed that only three out of 46 conserved RNA structures located within the regions encoding nonstructural proteins of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) genome are essential for replicon replication, while disruption of the other 43 structures had no effect. This suggests that some RNA structures are not required for virus replication, providing potential targets for large-scale attenuation of a wide range of FMDV strains.
Article
Biology
Joseph Newman, David J. Rowlands, Tobias J. Tuthill
Summary: This study compared the characteristics of recombinant assembly and disassembly pentamers of picornavirus, specifically FMDV. Assembly pentamers sedimented faster and had higher reactivity with anti-VP4 antibodies compared to the disassembly pentamers. However, the reactivity with other antibodies was similar between the two pentamers, suggesting that major antigenic features may be preserved between assembly pentamers containing VP4 and disassembly pentamers lacking VP4.
Article
Biology
Diego Cantoni, Martin Mayora-Neto, Nazia Thakur, Ahmed M. E. Elrefaey, Joseph Newman, Sneha Vishwanath, Angalee Nadesalingam, Andrew Chan, Peter Smith, Javier Castillo-Olivares, Helen Baxendale, Bryan Charleston, Jonathan Heeney, Dalan Bailey, Nigel Temperton
Summary: Bat coronavirus RaTG13, a close relative of SARS-CoV-2, can be more efficiently neutralized by antibodies from convalescent patients and vaccinated healthcare workers. RaTG13 and SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins can tolerate multiple amino acid substitutions within their receptor binding domains without dramatically reducing neutralization. Introducing the 484K mutation into RaTG13 enhances its neutralization, contrary to its role in immune evasion in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Neeltje van Doremalen, Jonathan E. Schulz, Danielle R. Adney, Taylor A. Saturday, Robert J. Fischer, Claude Kwe Yinda, Nazia Thakur, Joseph Newman, Marta Ulaszewska, Sandra Belij-Rammerstorfer, Greg Saturday, Alexandra J. Spencer, Dalan Bailey, Colin A. Russell, Sarah C. Gilbert, Teresa Lambe, Vincent J. Munster
Summary: This study evaluates the efficacy of the AZD1222 vaccine and an updated AZD2816 vaccine against variants of concern using a Syrian hamster model. The results show that both vaccines provide protection against the Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants in the hamster model.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Joseph C. Ward, Lidia Lasecka-Dykes, Chris Neil, Oluwapelumi O. Adeyemi, Sarah Gold, Niall McLean-Pell, Caroline Wright, Morgan R. Herod, David Kealy, Emma Warner, Terry Jackson, Donald P. King, Tobias J. Tuthill, David J. Rowlands, Nicola J. Stonehouse
Summary: This study confirms the conservation and structure of putative pseudoknots (PKs) in the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) genome and demonstrates that the presence of at least one PK is essential for the production of infectious virus particles. However, the presence of two or more PKs confers an advantage in replication competition experiments. These findings correlate with the observation that all known FMDV field isolates have at least two PK structures. The study suggests that PKs play roles in both replication and virion assembly.
Article
Microbiology
Joseph Newman, Nazia Thakur, Thomas P. Peacock, Dagmara Bialy, Ahmed M. E. Elrefaey, Carlijn Bogaardt, Daniel L. Horton, Sammy Ho, Thivya Kankeyan, Christine Carr, Katja Hoschler, Wendy S. Barclay, Gayatri Amirthalingam, Kevin E. Brown, Bryan Charleston, Dalan Bailey
Summary: Analysis of sera from vaccinated individuals aged 70-89 reveals a decrease in neutralizing antibody titres against SARS-CoV-2 wildtype and antigenic escape of various variants of concern. Booster vaccination increases neutralizing antibody titres against Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants in older adults.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
David J. King, Graham Freimanis, Chris Neil, Andrew Shaw, Tobias J. Tuthill, Emma Laing, Donald P. King, Lidia Lasecka-Dykes
Summary: This study investigates the impact of serum-neutralising antibodies on the evolution of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) using an in vitro system. The presence of sub-neutralising dilutions of specific antisera delayed the onset of virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) and resulted in genetic mutations in the virus. These findings highlight the various ways in which FMDV populations can escape neutralising antibodies and support the use of in vitro approaches to study the evolution of viruses and the immune system's response.