Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yinong Zhang, Yanxiang Cui, Jingchen Sun, Z. Hong Zhou
Summary: Zhang and Cui et al. present the in situ cryoEM structures of the trimeric spike of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus, revealing its open and close conformations and elucidating the triggering mechanism of spike detachment by SAM and ATP. This study provides important insights into the function of the trimeric spike during viral infections.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David C. Lamb, Jared Goldstone, Bin Zhao, Li Lei, Jonathan G. L. Mullins, Michael J. Allen, Steven L. Kelly, John J. Stegeman
Summary: Flavodoxins are small electron transport proteins involved in various metabolic pathways in bacteria, archaea, and algae. A bacteriophage called 0305 phi 8-36 was found to encode a flavodoxin protein, which has the potential to manipulate bacterial metabolism and affect the host biological fitness and microbiome. The flavodoxin was also shown to support specific chemical reactions in vitro and in vivo.
Article
Microbiology
Thomas Meunier, Lowiese Desmarets, Simon Bordage, Moussa Bamba, Kevin Hervouet, Yves Rouille, Nathan Francois, Marion Decossas, Valentin Sencio, Francois Trottein, Fezan Honora Tra Bi, Olivier Lambert, Jean Dubuisson, Sandrine Belouzard, Sevser Sahpaz, Karin Seron
Summary: The study identified pheophorbide a (Pba) as a highly active antiviral molecule against SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and other enveloped viruses. Pba inhibits virus entry by directly targeting the viral particle and stiffening the viral membrane. The antiviral activity of Pba is dependent on light exposure. This natural antiviral compound holds potential for COVID-19 therapy and disinfection of SARS-CoV-2-contaminated surfaces.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Janardhan Avilala, David Becnel, Ramsy Abdelghani, Asuka Nanbo, Jacob Kahn, Li Li, Zhen Lin
Summary: The review discusses the roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in human oncogenic viruses, highlighting their importance in viral infection cycles and virus-associated pathogenesis. The study also explores the recent advancements in identifying novel virally-encoded circRNAs (vcircRNAs) and the potential implications for further research in this field.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Xiang Xu, Shuxin Liu, He Gao, Ming Li, Junnan He, Yubin Zheng, Wangze Song, Nan Zheng
Summary: A library of polypeptides bearing fully-substituted triazoles (FT) was developed through a Cu-catalyzed multicomponent reaction (MCR). The introduction of FT avoided undesired hydrogen bonding and stabilized the alpha-helix structure in a broad pH range. Their gene delivery performance in serum also demonstrated their potential in biological applications.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sai Li
Summary: This article reviews the recent advances in the applications of cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) on enveloped viral structures and intracellular viral activities.
TRENDS IN BIOCHEMICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Anshuman Das, Efrain E. Rivera-Serrano, Xin Yin, Christopher M. Walker, Zongdi Feng, Stanley M. Lemon
Summary: In this Review, the authors discuss quasi-enveloped virions, their entry and release from human host cells, and their impact on host immunity and pathogenesis. They focus on hepatitis A and E viruses, which were previously considered non-enveloped but are now known to be released as quasi-enveloped virions cloaked in host membranes. Despite lacking virally encoded proteins on their surface, these virions efficiently enter cells and replicate. The authors also describe the mechanisms by which specific peptide sequences in the capsids of these virions mediate their release from hepatocytes and the current understanding of their cell entry mechanism.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Natalia Martin-Gonzalez, Alfonso Gomez-Gonzalez, Mercedes Hernando-Perez, Michael Bauer, Urs F. Greber, Carmen San Martin, Pedro J. de Pablo
Summary: Protein V in human adenovirus connects the inner capsid surface to the outer genome layer, providing mechanical reinforcement and facilitating genome release.
Article
Cell Biology
Victoria Cheung, Philip Chung, Max Bjorni, Varvara A. Shvareva, Yesenia C. Lopez, Evan H. Feinberg
Summary: Behavioral roles and physiology of projection neurons connecting different brain areas are a major focus in modern neuroscience. A high throughput sequencing method called VECTORseq has been developed to identify multiple neuronal subtypes based on connectivity, providing a roadmap for future research in this area.
Article
Virology
Madison Pletan, Xiaofang Liu, Grace Cha, Yu-Jie Chen, Jeffrey Knupp, Billy Tsai
Summary: During viral entry, non-enveloped viruses penetrate host cell membranes to cause infection, and this study reveals the critical roles of ER membrane proteins ATL2 and ATL3 in the formation of multi-tubular ER junctions and the penetration of non-enveloped viruses.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bo Kyeong Yoon, Won-Yong Jeon, Tun Naw Sut, Nam-Joon Cho, Joshua A. Jackman
Summary: This review highlights the importance of membrane-enveloped viruses and discusses the latest progress in developing novel membrane-targeting virus inhibition strategies with nanotechnology. These efforts have the potential to support the development of next-generation antiviral drug candidates and technologies, and to strengthen capabilities for virus pandemic preparedness.
Review
Microbiology
Chunxuan Wang, Yu Chen, Shunlin Hu, Xiufan Liu
Summary: The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is a molecular machinery in eukaryotic cells that facilitates membrane invagination and the formation of multivesicular bodies. It participates in various cellular processes and can be hijacked by enveloped viruses for their entry, replication, and budding. This review focuses on the interaction between ESCRT and different viruses.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Corneillie, Irma Lemmens, Claire Montpellier, Martin Ferrie, Karin Weening, Freya Van Houtte, Xavier Hanoulle, Laurence Cocquerel, Ali Amara, Jan Tavernier, Philip Meuleman
Summary: This study revealed the specific mechanism of cellular entry of the hepatitis E virus (HEV), showing that phosphatidylserine (PS) on the viral membrane and TIM1 protein play crucial roles in the envelope form of the virus.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Tom Gallagher
Summary: A recent study has identified protein complexes, including VPS29, that play a crucial role in creating favorable environments for virus entry into endocytic vesicles. Without VPS29, endosomes lack the necessary protease activities to support the entry of certain viruses. These findings provide valuable insights into the virus-host interactions and may have implications for developing targeted therapies against coronaviruses.
Article
Virology
Punam Bisht, Biswajit Das, Tatiana Borodianskiy-Shteinberg, Paul R. Kinchington, Ronald S. Goldstein
Summary: By altering the non-coding RNA of varicella zoster virus, we found that these RNA may play important roles in the latency of the virus.
