Primary structure of the nuclear-encoded 18.3 kDa subunit of NADH: ubiquinone reductase (complex I) from Neurospora crassa mitochondria.

The primary structure of the nuclear-encoded 18.3 kDa subunit of the respiratory chain NADH: ubiquinone reductase (complex I) from Neurospora crassa was determined by sequencing cDNA and the N-terminus of the protein. The cDNA contains an open reading frame for a protein of 206 amino acids. The mature protein consists of 173 amino acids and has a molar mass of 18,341 Da. The precursor protein includes a characteristic mitochondrial import sequence with a typical matrix peptidase processing site.     

SARS-CoV-2 infection,neuropathogenesis and transmission among deer mice: Implications for spillback to New World rodents

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) emerged in late 2019 in China and rapidly became pandemic. As with other coronaviruses, a preponderance of evidence suggests the virus originated in horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) and may have infected an intermediate host prior to spillover into humans. A significant concern is that SARS-CoV-2 could become established in secondary reservoir hosts outside of Asia. To assess this potential, we challenged deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) with SARS-CoV-2 and found robust virus replication in the upper respiratory tract, lungs and intestines, with detectable viral RNA for up to 21 days in oral swabs and 6 days in lungs. Virus entry into the brain also occurred, likely via gustatory-olfactory-trigeminal pathway with eventual compromise to the blood-brain barrier. Despite this, no conspicuous signs of disease were observed, and no deer mice succumbed to infection. Expression of several innate immune response genes were elevated in the lungs, including IFNα, IFNβ, Cxcl10, Oas2, Tbk1 and Pycard. Elevated CD4 and CD8β expression in the lungs was concomitant with Tbx21, IFNγ and IL-21 expression, suggesting a type I inflammatory immune response. Contact transmission occurred from infected to naive deer mice through two passages, showing sustained natural transmission and localization into the olfactory bulb, recapitulating human neuropathology. In the second deer mouse passage, an insertion of 4 amino acids occurred to fixation in the N-terminal domain of the spike protein that is predicted to form a solvent-accessible loop. Subsequent examination of the source virus from BEI Resources determined the mutation was present at very low levels, demonstrating potent purifying selection for the insert during in vivo passage. Collectively, this work has determined that deer mice are a suitable animal model for the study of SARS-CoV-2 respiratory disease and neuropathogenesis, and that they have the potential to serve as secondary reservoir hosts in North America.     

Die Typen der Isoptera-Sammlung des Zoologischen Staatsinstituts und Zoologischen Museums Hamburg

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Primary structure of the nuclear-encoded 29.9 kDa subunit of NADH: ubiquinone reductase from Neurospora crassa mitochondria.

We isolated and sequenced cDNA for the 29.9 kDa subunit of mitochondrial NADH: ubiquinone reductase (complex I) from a Neurospora crassa library in the lambda gt11 expression vector. The N-terminus of the mature protein was determined by Edman-degradation. The cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding a preprotein of 273 amino acids. The presequence of the transit protein essential for mitochondrial import is eight residues long. Northern-blot analysis shows, that the level of the corresponding mRNA is increased 3-fold if cells are grown in the presence of chloramphenicol.