Evolution of Pathogen Specialisation in a Host Metapopulation: Joint Effects of Host and Pathogen Dispersal

Metapopulation processes are important determinants of epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics in host-pathogen systems, and are therefore central to explaining observed patterns of disease or genetic diversity. In particular, the spatial scale of interactions between pathogens and their hosts is of primary importance because migration rates of one species can affect both spatial and temporal heterogeneity of selection on the other. In this study we developed a stochastic and discrete time simulation model to specifically examine the joint effects of host and pathogen dispersal on the evolution of pathogen specialisation in a spatially explicit metapopulation. We consider a plant-pathogen system in which the host metapopulation is composed of two plant genotypes. The pathogen is dispersed by air-borne spores on the host metapopulation. The pathogen population is characterised by a single life-history trait under selection, the infection efficacy. We found that restricted host dispersal can lead to high amount of pathogen diversity and that the extent of pathogen specialisation varied according to the spatial scale of host-pathogen dispersal. We also discuss the role of population asynchrony in determining pathogen evolutionary outcomes.     

Structure-Based Rational Design of a Phosphotriesterase

In silico substrate docking of both stereoisomers of the pesticide chlorfenvinphos (CVP) in the phosphotriesterase from Agrobacterium radiobacter identified two residues (F131 and W132) that prevent productive substrate binding and cause stereospecificity. A variant (W131H/F132A) was designed that exhibited ca. 480-fold and 8-fold increases in the rate of Z-CVP and E-CVP hydrolysis, respectively, eliminating stereospecificity.Synthetic organophosphate pesticides (OPs) can cause acute neurotoxicity in insects and humans as a result of their inhibition of acetylcholinesterase at the nerve synapse (15). The >90% identical bacterial phosphotriesterases (PTEs) from Pseudomonas diminuta (oph; PTE_Pd) (5) and Agrobacterium radiobacter (opdA; PTE_Ar) (9) efficiently catalyze the hydrolysis of a broad range of OPs, effectively detoxifying them. This has led to the commercialization of PTE_Ar as a free-enzyme bioremediant (14) and its use in treating OP poisoning in animal studies (1). However, not all OPs are efficiently turned over by the PTEs. For instance, despite having a reasonably reactive leaving group (Fig. ​(Fig.1),1), the turnover of chlorfenvinphos (CVP) by PTE_Ar was not detected in a previous study (9).Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Structures of the leaving groups of all the substrates discussed in this work. (a) 3,5,6-Trichloro-2-pyridinol for methyl chlorpyrifos oxon; (b) 4-nitrophenol for methyl paraoxon and methyl parathion; (c) 2,2-dichloroethenol for dichlorvos; (d) Z/E-2-chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)ethanol for E/Z-CVP; (e) 4-methoxyphenol for EPO.     

Structure-Based Design of Prefusion-Stabilized Filovirus Glycoprotein Trimers

1. Download : Download high-res image (196KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Plant Immunity: A Complex Interface between Host and Pathogen

Transgenic Research -     

Vector-Borne Pathogen and Host Evolution in a Structured Immuno-Epidemiological System

Vector-borne disease transmission is a common dissemination mode used by many pathogens to spread in a host population. Similar to directly transmitted diseases, the within-host interaction of a vector-borne pathogen and a host’s immune system influences the pathogen’s transmission potential between hosts via vectors. Yet there are few theoretical studies on virulence–transmission trade-offs and evolution in vector-borne pathogen–host systems. Here, we consider an immuno-epidemiological model that links the within-host dynamics to between-host circulation of a vector-borne disease. On the immunological scale, the model mimics antibody-pathogen dynamics for arbovirus diseases, such as Rift Valley fever and West Nile virus. The within-host dynamics govern transmission and host mortality and recovery in an age-since-infection structured host-vector-borne pathogen epidemic model. By considering multiple pathogen strains and multiple competing host populations differing in their within-host replication rate and immune response parameters, respectively, we derive evolutionary optimization principles for both pathogen and host. Invasion analysis shows that the \({\mathcal {R}}_0\) maximization principle holds for the vector-borne pathogen. For the host, we prove that evolution favors minimizing case fatality ratio (CFR). These results are utilized to compute host and pathogen evolutionary trajectories and to determine how model parameters affect evolution outcomes. We find that increasing the vector inoculum size increases the pathogen \({\mathcal {R}}_0\), but can either increase or decrease the pathogen virulence (the host CFR), suggesting that vector inoculum size can contribute to virulence of vector-borne diseases in distinct ways.     

Structure-Based Modification of D-Alanine-D-Alanine Ligase from Thermotoga maritima ATCC 43589 for Depsipeptide Synthesis

Depsipeptides are peptide-like polymers consisting of amino acids and hydroxy acids, and are expected to be new functional materials for drug-delivery systems and polymer science. In our previous study, D-alanyl-D-lactate, a type of depsipeptide, was enzymatically synthesized using D-alanine-D-alanine ligase from Thermotoga maritima ATCC 43589 (TmDdl) by Y207F substitution. Thereafter, in this study, further mutagenesis was introduced, based on structural comparison between TmDdl and a well-characterized D-alanine-D-alanine ligase from Escherichia coli. The S137A/Y207F mutant showed higher D-alanyl-D-lactate and lower D-alanyl-D-alanine synthesizing activity than the Y207F mutant. This suggests that substitution at the S137 residue contributes to product selectivity. Saturated mutagenesis on S137 revealed that the S137G/Y207F mutant showed the highest D-alanyl-D-lactate synthesizing activity. Moreover, the mutant showed broad substrate specificity toward D-amino acid and recognized D-lactate and D,L-isoserine as substrates. On the basis of these characteristics, various depsipeptides can be produced using S137G/Y207F-replaced TmDdl.     

联合疫苗应用现状及评价*

联合疫苗含有两种或多种免疫原（活的、灭活的病原体或者提纯的抗原）,用于预防多种疾病或由同一病原体的不同亚型或血清型引起的疾病,可以避免常规免疫多次注射的问题。然而和单价疫苗相比,联合疫苗研发的复杂性大大增加,将多种免疫原混合到一起进行免疫时不同免疫原间可能因为物理、化学和免疫学机制而干扰其他免疫原的免疫反应,此外佐剂和防腐剂等非活性成分也可能对联合后的活性成分产生影响,这就对联合疫苗的评价提出了特别的要求。本文对联合疫苗的研究应用现状、临床评价和发展前景等方面做一综述。     

The Development of Multi-epitope Vaccines: Epitope Identification, Vaccine Design and Clinical Evaluation

We have developed efficient methods for epitope identification and vaccine design. Our process for epitope selection based on the combined use of motif analyses, binding assays and immunogenicity evaluations is described. We also describe how the projected population coverage and vaccine design can be optimized. Finally, it is discussed how vaccine potency is evaluated by immunogenicity and antigenicity assays.     

化学修饰法在酶分子改造中的应用

酶的体外不稳定性限制了其工业应用,而化学修饰法通过化学手段在分子水平上对酶进行改造,可有效地改善酶的性质,为酶的应用提供更广泛的前景.综述酶分子的化学修饰方法及其影响因素,并介绍修饰产物的常用检测评价方法.     

Host Responses to the Pathogen Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and Beneficial Microbes Exhibit Host Sex Specificity

Differences between microbial pathogenesis in male and female hosts are well characterized in disease conditions connected to sexual transmission. However, limited biological insight is available on variances attributed to sex specificity in host-microbe interactions, and it is most often a minimized variable outside these transmission events. In this work, we studied two gut microbes—a pathogen, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, and a probiotic, Lactobacillus animalis NP-51—and the interaction between each agent and the male and female gastrointestinal systems. This trial was conducted in BALB/c mice (n = 5 per experimental group and per sex at a given time point), with analysis at four time points over 180 days. Host responses to M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and L. animalis were sensitive to sex. Cytokines that were significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) between the sexes included interleukin-1α/β (IL-1α/β), IL-17, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and were dependent on experimental conditions. However, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and IL-13/23 showed no sex specificity. A metabolomics study indicated a 0.5- to 2.0-fold (log₂ scale) increase in short-chain fatty acids (butyrate and acetate) in males and greater increases in o-phosphocholine or histidine from female colon tissues; variances distinct to each sex were observed with age or long-term probiotic consumption. Two genera, Staphylococcus and Roseburia, were consistently overrepresented in females compared to males; other species were specific to one sex but fluctuated depending on experimental conditions. The differences observed suggest that male and female gut tissues and microbiota respond to newly introduced microorganisms differently and that gut-associated microorganisms with host immune system responses and metabolic activity are supported by biology distinct to the host sex.     

候选结核疫苗的评价模型

卡介苗作为目前唯一批准使用的预防结核疫苗,由于无法提供充足的保护力,目前结核病依然是严重危害人类健康的传染病,因此筛选优质候选疫苗迫在眉睫。所有候选疫苗进入临床试验前必须评价其安全性、免疫原性以及有效性。评价结果在一定程度上也预示候选疫苗在人体的免疫作用,也是目前评价候选疫苗是否优于传统卡介苗的依据。论述候选结核疫苗临床试验前所使用的体内和体外评价模型。对评价模型的充分认识将提高候选疫苗评价数据对人体临床试验的预测意义,也可更具体地执行实验动物的替代、减少和优化原则。     

Network Analysis Highlights Complex Interactions between Pathogen,Host and Commensal Microbiota

Interactions between bacteria and their host represent a full continuum from pathogenicity to mutualism. From an evolutionary perspective, host-bacteria relationships are no longer considered a two-component system but rather a complex network. In this study, we focused on the relationship between brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) and bacterial communities developing on skin mucus. We hypothesized that stressful conditions such as those occurring in aquaculture production induce shifts in the bacterial community of healthy fish, thus allowing pathogens to cause infections. The results showed that fish skin mucus microbiota taxonomical structure is highly specific, its diversity being partly influenced by the surrounding water bacterial community. Two types of taxonomic co-variation patterns emerged across 121 contrasted communities’ samples: one encompassing four genera well known for their probiotic properties, the other harboring five genera mostly associated with pathogen species. The homeostasis of fish bacterial community was extensively disturbed by induction of physiological stress in that both: 1) the abundance of probiotic-like bacteria decreased after stress exposure; and 2) pathogenic bacteria increased following stress exposure. This study provides further insights regarding the role of mutualistic bacteria as a primary host protection barrier.     

Quantitation of Residual Host Protein in Chicken Embryo-Derived Vaccines by Radial Immunodiffusion

Quantitation of soluble residual host protein in chicken embryo-derived vaccines was performed rapidly, economically, and accurately by radial immunodiffusion.