Recent advances in the study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and pathogenesis

It has now been over twenty years since a novel herpesviral genome was identified in Kaposi's sarcoma biopsies. Since then, the cumulative research effort by molecular biologists, virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists alike has led to the extensive characterization of this tumor virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV; also known as human herpesvirus 8(HHV-8)), and its associated diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of KSHV biology and pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on new and exciting advances in the field of epigenetics. We also discuss the development and practicality of various cell culture and animal model systems to study KSHV replication and pathogenesis.     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial studies of hydrazone derivatives of 4-[3-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-4-formyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]benzoic acid and 4-[3-(3,4-difluorophenyl)-4-formyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl]benzoic acid

Microbial resistance to antibiotics is an unresolved global concern, which needs urgent and coordinated action. One of the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) to combat antibiotic resistance is the development of new antibiotics to treat drug-resistant bacteria. In our effort to find new antibiotics, we report the synthesis and antimicrobial studies of 30 new pyrazole derivatives. These novel molecules have been synthesized by using readily available starting materials and benign reaction conditions. Some of these molecules have shown activity with MIC values as low as 0.78?µg/mL against four bacterial strains; Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Furthermore, active molecules are non-toxic to mammalian cell line.

     

Novel compounds with potent CDK9 inhibitory activity for the treatment of myeloma

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and Polo-like kinases (PLKs) play key role in the regulation of the cell cycle. The aim of our study was originally the further development of our recently discovered polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitors. A series of new 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine derivatives were synthesized around the original hit, but their PLK1 inhibitory activity was very poor. However the novel compounds showed nanomolar CDK9 inhibitory activity and very good antiproliferative effect on multiple myeloma cell lines (RPMI-8226).     

Construction and verification of an infectious cDNA clone of coxsackievirus B5

Highlights:
· An infectious cDNA clone of CV-B5 was constructed.
· The rescued and parental virus possessed similar biological characteristics.
· The virulence of the rescued virus was similiar to that of the parental virus.
· Viral distribution and tissue tropism of those two viruses were in agreement.     

Isolation and characterization of a novel linear-plasmid phage from the sediment of the Mariana Trench

Highlights
1. HMP1 is the first bacteriophage that was isolated from hadal sediment, the water depth at which HMP1 was isolated is the highest on record up to now.
2. The isolation of HMP1 extends the habitat of linear plasmid phages from the surface to the deep ocean.
3. The genomic and morphological features of HMP1 provide hints with regard to the vertical exchange of viral communities in the ocean.
4. HMP1 and Halomonas sp. MT08-1 contribute a useful phage-host system for in-depth analysis of the life strategy of viruses and their interactions with bacterial hosts in extreme hadal environments.     

Prevalence and Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus in Domestic Animals and Rodents in Hubei Province,China

<正>Dear Editor,In 2009, an outbreak of an unknown infectious disease occurred in rural areas of Hubei Province, China, affecting17 persons, five of whom died. It was initially suspected to be human anaplasmosis(Zhang et al. 2008). However, the laboratory evidence was insufficient to verify the diagnosis     

Polymorphism of melanic ladybirds maintained by frequency-dependent sexual selection

Sexual selection, whether by female preference or male competition, is almost inevitably frequency-dependent. Female preference gives rise to a 'rare male effect', by which the rarer male phenotypes gain a relatively greater selective advantage. In addition to this effect, the proportion of females expressing a preference may also be frequency-dependent.
Frequency-dependent expression of mating preference can arise in at least two ways: (1) when females encounter a succession of courting males while searching for a male they prefer; (2) when females chose a male from within a lek. Models of mating behaviour reveal a clear distinction between the frequency dependence in the expression of female preference and the frequency dependence in the consequent selection of the males. When expression of preference is highly dependent on frequency, the selection of males is constant or only slightly frequency-dependent: constant expression of preference produces high frequency dependence of selection. Analysis of general models shows that genetic polymorphisms can be maintained under a wide range of conditions.
The ladybird, Adalia bipunctata , is polymorphic for several melanic and non-melanic phenotypes. Females have a genetically determined preference for melanic males. Non-melanic phenotypes mate assortatively. By estimating the parameters of a detailed model of natural selection, sexual selection and assortative mating, it has been shown that the Adalia bipunctata polymorphism will be maintained at frequencies observed in the wild.     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.     

The Future is Now: Frontiers on Display at Yale-NAVBO Cardiovascular Inflammation and Remodeling Symposium 2014

Earlier this year, 200 researchers from across the globe gathered at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, for 3 days of talks from 30 of the leading pioneers in modern cardiovascular medicine. From May 8 to 10, 2014, scientists discussed and dissected topics ranging from the clinical treatment of atherosclerosis to the molecular biology of leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions. With other sessions exploring vascular malformation and aneurysm, hypertension, the endothelial-mesenchymal transition (endo-MT), and the role of metabolism in cardiovascular disease, conference participants gained striking insights into rapid advances and ongoing challenges in the field of cardiovascular inflammation and remodeling.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.