Enterovirus‐A71 exploits peripherin and Rac1 to invade the central nervous system

Enterovirus‐A71 (EV‐A71) has been associated with severe neurological forms of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). EV‐A71 infects motor neurons at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) to invade the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we investigate the role of peripherin (PRPH) during EV‐A71 infection, a type III intermediate neurofilament involved in neurodegenerative conditions. In mice infected with EV‐A71, PRPH co‐localizes with viral particles in the muscles at NMJs and in the spinal cord. In motor neuron‐like and neuroblastoma cell lines, surface‐expressed PRPH facilitates viral entry, while intracellular PRPH influences viral genome replication through interactions with structural and non‐structural viral components. Importantly, PRPH does not play a role during infection with coxsackievirus A16, another causative agent of HFMD rarely associated with neurological complications, suggesting that EV‐A71 ability to exploit PRPH represents a unique attribute for successful CNS invasion. Finally, we show that EV‐A71 also exploits some of the many PRPH‐interacting partners. Of these, small GTP‐binding protein Rac1 represents a potential druggable host target to limit neuroinvasion of EV‐A71.     

The floating garden agricultural system of the Inle lake (Myanmar) as an example of equilibrium between food production and biodiversity maintenance

Biodiversity and Conservation - Humans have adapted to difficult environmental conditions throughout history to carry out agricultural activities that ensured their food security, modifying the...     

Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase in Microsomes and Oil Bodies of Oil Palm Mesocarp

Specific acyltransferase activities were detected in microsomesand oil bodies from palm mesocarp in the presence of exogenouslysophosphatidic acid, diacylglycerol and glycerol-3-phosphate.These activities were 2–3 times higher per mg proteinin oil bodies than in microsomes. Diacylglycerol acyltransferasein both preparations required Mg²⁺, dithiothreitol, gelatineand fat free bovine serum albumin for maximum activity at pH8.5. The enzyme had an apparent Km of 0.18 mM for dipalmitin.In both preparations, the enzyme was active with myristoyl-CoA,palmitoyl-CoA, stearoyl-CoA and oleoyl-CoA. When presented witha mixture of two acyl- CoAs, microsomal enzyme showed no selectivitybut oil body enzyme had a preference for oleoyl-CoA over palmitoyl-CoA. (Received October 11, 1991; Accepted December 27, 1991)     

Resonant Aluminum Nanodisk Array for Enhanced Tunable Broadband Light Trapping in Ultrathin Bulk Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaic Devices

A cost-effective approach to enhancing broadband light trapping in ultrathin bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices is proposed. This is achieved by simply inserting an array of Al nanodisks at the interface of the ITO anode and the organic active layer; forming circular plasmonic nanopatch cavities (between the nanodisks and the Al cathode) that sandwich the active layer. Through interactions between the surface plasmon polaritons localized at the nanodisk and the cathode, a tunable broadband resonance peak spanning 450?C700?nm in the scattering cross-section spectrum is formed, thereby enhancing the electromagnetic field in the active layer. Compared to an OPV device with a 60-nm-thick PCPDTBT/PC₆₀BM layer, our numerical simulations reveal that integrated absorption enhancements of up to 40?% can be achieved in an equivalent device integrated with an array of nanodisks with a diameter of 100?nm and a periodicity of 250?nm. From the analysis of the structure?Cperformance relationships, implications for the design of these nanopatch cavities for light harvesting in ultrathin OPV devices are discussed.     

Hepatitis E virus: cDNA cloning and expression.

Viral hepatitis E is endemic, frequently provoking epidemic outbreaks in many developing countries. We have attempted to clone the viral genome and to develop an antibody assay system. A lambda gt11 cDNA library was constructed from the bile juice containing putative causative viruses and was immunoscreened by the antisera obtained from patients and monkeys infected with hepatitis E. Three virus-specific clones were isolated and were revealed to overlap one another in sequence, with 1,459 nucleotides in total length. These clones direct the synthesis of polypeptides probably having common immunological epitope(s). Immunoplaque assay revealed the occurrence of antibodies against this epitope in the sera from experimental monkeys with the convalescent phase and from patients of Myanmar, Nepal and India. The data indicate that the cDNA fragments are useful for immunodiagnosis of hepatitis E.