Expression of Endogenous Retrovirus ev/J gp85 Gene and Analysis of Its Immunoreactivity in Comparison with Exogenous Viral Protein

The envelope gene gp85 of ev/J,a new family of endogenous avian retroviral sequences identified recently, has the most extensive nucleotide sequence identity ever described with ALV-J avian ieukosis virus. This report described expression of ev/J envelope gene gp85 derived from commercial meat-type chicken using the Invitrogen Bac-to-Bac baculovirus expression system. The antigenicity and immunoreactivity of the recombinant endogenous gp85 gene product (SU) were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence, Western blot, indirect and blocking Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) using JE9 monoclonal antibody (MAb) against the envelope protein of ALV-J (ADOL-4817), positive mouse antiserum against the ev/J gp85 SU and sera from chicken naturally infected with ALV-J. The results showed that the ev/J gp85 SU can bind specifically to JE9 MAb and antiserum from chicken naturally infected with ALV-J, and the binding reactivity between exogenous ALV-J gp85 SU and natural positive chicken serum against exogenous ALV-J can be blocked by positive mouse serum against the ev/J gp85 SU. It is concluded that recombinant endogenous gp85 gene product (SU) has close immunological relatedness to the envelope protein of exogenous ALV-J (ADOL-4817 and IMC<,10200> strain).     

Mechanism and evolution of human ACE2 binding by SARS-CoV-2 spike

Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 mediates viral entry into host cells by facilitating virus attachment and membrane fusion. ACE2 is the main receptor of SARS-CoV-2 and its interaction with spike has shaped the virus’ emergence from an animal reservoir and subsequent evolution in the human host. Many structural studies on the spike:ACE2 interaction have provided insights into mechanisms driving viral evolution during the on-going pandemic. This review describes the molecular basis of spike binding to ACE2, outlines mechanisms that have optimised this interaction during viral evolution, and suggests directions for future research.     

Evolutionary Implication of Outer Membrane Lipoprotein-Encoding Genes ompL1,lipL32 and lipL41 of Pathogenic Leptospira Species

Leptospirosis is recognized as the most widespread zoonosis with a global distribution. In this study, the antigenic variation in Leptospira interrogans and Leptospira borgpetersenii isolated from human urine and field rat kidney was preliminarily confirmed by microscopic agglutination test using monoclonal antibodies, and was further subjected to amplification and identification of outer membrane lipoproteins with structural gene variation. Sequence similarity analysis revealed that these protein sequences...     

Suitable fusion of N-terminal heptad repeats to achieve covalently stabilized potent N-peptide inhibitors of HIV-1 infection

N-terminal heptad repeat (NHR)-derived peptide (N-peptide) fusion inhibitors, which are derived from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope glycoprotein 41 (gp41), are limited by aggregation and unstable trimer conformation. However, they could function as potent inhibitors of viral infection by forming a coiled-coil structure covalently stabilized by interchain disulfide bonds. We previously synthesized N-peptides with potent anti-HIV-1 activity and high stability by coiled-coil fusion and covalent stabilization. Here, we attempted to study the effects of NHRs of chimeric N-peptides by fusing de novo coiled-coil isopeptide bridge-tethered T21 peptides of different NHR lengths. Peptides (T21N23)₃ and (T21N36)₃ was a more potent HIV-1 fusion inhibitor than (T21N17)₃. The site of isopeptide bond formation was precisely controlled and had little influence on N-peptide properties. The N-peptide (T21N36)₃, which had a similar conformation as the NHR trimer and interacted well with the C34 peptide, may be useful for screening other C-peptides and small-molecule fusion inhibitors, and for studying the interactions between the NHR trimer and C-terminal heptad repeats.