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International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic. Known as COVID-19, it has affected billions of people worldwide, claiming...
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic. Known as COVID-19, it has affected billions of people worldwide, claiming millions of lives and posing a continuing threat to humanity. This is considered one of the most extensive pandemics ever recorded in human history, causing significant losses to both life and economies globally. However, the available evidence is currently insufficient to establish the effectiveness and safety of antiviral drugs or vaccines. The entry of the virus into host cells involves binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a cell surface receptor, via its spike protein. Meanwhile, transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), a host surface protease, cleaves and activates the virus's S protein, thus promoting viral infection. Plant protease inhibitors play a crucial role in protecting plants against insects and/or microorganisms. The major storage proteins in sweet potato roots include sweet potato trypsin inhibitor (SWTI), which accounts for approximately 60% of the total water-soluble protein and has been found to possess a variety of health-promoting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, ACE-inhibitory, and anticancer functions. Our study found that SWTI caused a significant reduction in the expression of the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 proteins, without any adverse effects on cells. Therefore, our findings suggest that the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 axis can be targeted via SWTI to potentially inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Topics: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; Animals; Serine Endopeptidases; Ipomoea batatas; Antiviral Agents; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; COVID-19; Trypsin Inhibitors; Virus Internalization; Chlorocebus aethiops; Vero Cells; Down-Regulation; Mice
PubMed: 38892254
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116067 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Negeviruses are insect-specific enveloped RNA viruses that exhibit a wide geographic distribution. A novel nege-like virus, tentatively named nege-like virus (AGNLV,...
Negeviruses are insect-specific enveloped RNA viruses that exhibit a wide geographic distribution. A novel nege-like virus, tentatively named nege-like virus (AGNLV, GenBank: OR880429.1), was isolated from aphids () in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China. AGNLV has a genome sequence of 9258 nt (excluding the polyA tail) encoding three open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 (7149 nt) encodes a viral methyltransferase, a viral RNA helicase, and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. ORF2 (1422 nt) encodes a DiSB-ORF2_chro domain and ORF3 encodes an SP24 domain. The genome sequence of AGNLV shares the highest nucleotide identity of 60.0% and 59.5% with Wuhan house centipede virus 1 (WHCV1) and Astegopteryx formosana nege-like virus (AFNLV), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase shows that AGNLV is clustered with other negeviruses and nege-like viruses discovered in aphids, forming a distinct "unclassified clade". Interestingly, AGNLV only encodes three ORFs, whereas AFNLV and WHCV1 have four ORFs. Structure and transmembrane domain predictions show the presence of eight alpha helices and five transmembrane helices in the AGNLV ORF3. Translational enhancement of the AGNLV 5' UTR was similar to that of the 5' UTR of plant viruses. Our findings provide evidence of the diversity and structure of nege-like viruses and are the first record of such a virus from a member of the genus .
Topics: Animals; Aphids; Genome, Viral; Phylogeny; Open Reading Frames; China; RNA Viruses; RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase; Viral Proteins; Insect Viruses; RNA, Viral
PubMed: 38891989
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115802 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Mycoviruses are usually transmitted horizontally via hyphal anastomosis and vertically through sporulation in natural settings. Oyster mushroom spherical virus (OMSV) is...
Mycoviruses are usually transmitted horizontally via hyphal anastomosis and vertically through sporulation in natural settings. Oyster mushroom spherical virus (OMSV) is a mycovirus that infects , with horizontal transmission via hyphal anastomosis. However, whether OMSV can be vertically transmitted is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the transmission characteristics of OMSV to progeny via basidiospores and horizontally to a new host. A total of 37 single-basidiospore offspring were obtained from OMSV-infected and for Western blot detection of OMSV. The OMSV-carrying rate among monokaryotic isolates was 19% in and 44% in . Then, OMSV-free and OMSV-infected monokaryotic isolates were selected for hybridization with harvested dikaryotic progeny strains. Western blot analyses of the offspring revealed that the OMSV transmission efficiency was 50% in and 75% in , indicating vertical transmission via sexual basidiospores. Furthermore, we observed the horizontal transfer of OMSV from to . OMSV infection in resulted in significant inhibition of mycelial growth and yield loss. This study was novel in reporting the vertical transmission of OMSV through basidiospores, and its infection and pathogenicity in a new host .
Topics: Pleurotus; Spores, Fungal; Fungal Viruses
PubMed: 38891868
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115677 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024RNA processing is a highly conserved mechanism that serves as a pivotal regulator of gene expression. Alternative processing generates transcripts that can still be...
RNA processing is a highly conserved mechanism that serves as a pivotal regulator of gene expression. Alternative processing generates transcripts that can still be translated but lead to potentially nonfunctional proteins. A plethora of respiratory viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), strategically manipulate the host's RNA processing machinery to circumvent antiviral responses. We integrated publicly available omics datasets to systematically analyze isoform-level expression and delineate the nascent peptide landscape of SARS-CoV-2-infected human cells. Our findings explore a suggested but uncharacterized mechanism, whereby SARS-CoV-2 infection induces the predominant expression of unproductive splicing isoforms in key IFN signaling, interferon-stimulated (ISGs), class I MHC, and splicing machinery genes, including , , and . In stark contrast, cytokine and chemokine genes, such as and , predominantly express productive (protein-coding) splicing isoforms in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We postulate that SARS-CoV-2 employs an unreported tactic of exploiting the host splicing machinery to bolster viral replication and subvert the immune response by selectively upregulating unproductive splicing isoforms from antigen presentation and antiviral response genes. Our study sheds new light on the molecular interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and the host immune system, offering a foundation for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat COVID-19.
Topics: Humans; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Protein Isoforms; Alternative Splicing; Interferons; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
PubMed: 38891862
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115671 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Plant glutamate receptor-like channels (GLRs) are homologs of animal ionotropic glutamate receptors. GLRs are critical in various plant biological functions, yet their...
Plant glutamate receptor-like channels (GLRs) are homologs of animal ionotropic glutamate receptors. GLRs are critical in various plant biological functions, yet their genomic features and functions in disease resistance remain largely unknown in many crop species. Here, we report the results on a thorough genome-wide study of the family in oilseed rape () and their role in resistance to the fungal pathogen . A total of 61 were identified in oilseed rape. They comprised three groups, as in . Detailed computational analyses, including prediction of domain and motifs, cellular localization, -acting elements, PTM sites, and amino acid ligands and their binding pockets in BnGLR proteins, unveiled a set of group-specific characteristics of the BnGLR family, which included chromosomal distribution, motif composition, intron number and size, and methylation sites. Functional dissection employing virus-induced gene silencing of in oilseed rape and mutants of homologs demonstrated that / positively, while / and / negatively, regulated plant resistance to , indicating that genes were differentially involved in this resistance. Our findings reveal the complex involvement of in resistance to and provide clues for further functional characterization of .
Topics: Brassica napus; Ascomycota; Disease Resistance; Plant Diseases; Receptors, Glutamate; Plant Proteins; Phylogeny; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Arabidopsis; Genome-Wide Association Study; Multigene Family; Genome, Plant
PubMed: 38891858
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115670 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The Lanzhou lily ( var. ) is a variant of the Sichuan lily of the lily family and is a unique Chinese 'medicinal and food' sweet lily. Somatic cell embryogenesis of has...
The Lanzhou lily ( var. ) is a variant of the Sichuan lily of the lily family and is a unique Chinese 'medicinal and food' sweet lily. Somatic cell embryogenesis of has played an important role in providing technical support for germplasm conservation, bulb propagation and improvement of genetic traits. (SERKs) are widely distributed in plants and have been shown to play multiple roles in plant life, including growth and development, somatic embryogenesis and hormone induction. Integrating the results of KEGG enrichment, GO annotation and gene expression analysis, a lily LdSERK1 gene was cloned. The full-length open reading frame of was 1875 bp, encoding 624 amino acids. The results of the phylogenetic tree analysis showed that was highly similar to rice, maize and other plant SERKs. The results of the subcellular localisation in the onion epidermis suggested that the protein was localised at the cell membrane. Secondly, we established the virus-induced gene-silencing (VIGS) system in lily scales, and the results of silencing by Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) showed that, with the down-regulation of expression, the occurrence of somatic embryogenesis and callus tissue induction in scales was significantly reduced. Finally, molecular assays from overexpression of the gene in showed that expression was significantly enhanced in the three transgenic lines compared to the wild type, and that the probability of inducing callus tissue in seed was significantly higher than that of the wild type at a concentration of 2 mg/L 2,4-D, which was manifested by an increase in the granularity of the callus tissue.
PubMed: 38891306
DOI: 10.3390/plants13111495 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Pers. is a holoparasitic plant that severely reduces tomato ( L.) production in China. However, there is a lack of effective control methods and few known sources of...
Pers. is a holoparasitic plant that severely reduces tomato ( L.) production in China. However, there is a lack of effective control methods and few known sources of genetic resistance. In this study, we focused on key genes in the family, comparing the family in (L. Heynh.) to the tomato genome. After identifying the family members in , we performed chromosomal localization and linear analysis with phylogenetic relationship analysis of the family. We also analyzed the gene structure of the gene family members in tomato and the homology of the genes among the different species to study their relatedness. The key genes for resistance were identified using VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing), and the parasitization rate of silenced tomato plants against increased by 47.23-91.13%. The genes were localized in the nucleus by subcellular localization. Heterologous overexpression in showed that the key gene had a strong effect on the parasitization process of , and the overexpression of the key gene reduced the parasitization rate of 1.69-fold. Finally, it was found that the gene can positively regulate the hormone content in tomato plants and affect plant growth and development, further elucidating the function of this gene.
PubMed: 38891302
DOI: 10.3390/plants13111493 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024In plants, the ubiquitin (Ub)-26S proteasome system (UPS) regulates numerous biological functions by selectively targeting proteins for ubiquitylation and degradation....
In plants, the ubiquitin (Ub)-26S proteasome system (UPS) regulates numerous biological functions by selectively targeting proteins for ubiquitylation and degradation. However, the regulation of Ub itself on plant growth and development remains unclear. To demonstrate a possible impact of Ub supply, as seen in animals and flies, we carefully analyzed the growth and developmental phenotypes of two different () gene overexpression plants of . One is transformed with (designated ), driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus promoter, while the other expresses (designated ), driven by the endogenous promoter of . We discovered that and had contrasting seed yields. Compared to wildtype (WT), the former exhibited a reduced seed yield, while the latter showed an increased seed production that was attributed to enhanced growth vigor and an elevated silique number per plant. However, reduced seed sizes were common in both and . Differences in the activity and size of the 26S proteasome assemblies in the two transgenic plants were also notable in comparison with WT, suggestive of a contributory role of expression in proteasome assembly and function. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that exogenous expression of recombinant Ub may optimize plant growth and development by influencing the UPS activities via structural variance, expression patterns, and abundance of free Ub supply.
PubMed: 38891294
DOI: 10.3390/plants13111485 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that infects Apis mellifera bees. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study aiming...
Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that infects Apis mellifera bees. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study aiming to detect and analyse the genetic diversity and prevalence of AmFV in Korean honeybee colonies. Phylogenetic analysis based on baculovirus repeat open reading frame-N gene (Bro-N) sequences revealed that AmFV isolates from the Republic of Korea (ROK) fell into two distinct lineages, with genetic origins in Switzerland and China, with nucleotide similarities of 98.3% and 98.2%, respectively. Our prevalence analysis demonstrated a noteworthy infection rate of AmFV in 545 honeybee colonies, reaching 33.09% in 2022 and increasing to 44.90% by 2023. Intriguingly, we also detected AmFV in Varroa destructor mites, highlighting their potential role as vectors and carriers of AmFV. The presence of AmFV was correlated with an increased infection rate of sacbrood virus, deformed wing virus, Lake Sinai virus 2, black queen cell virus, and Nosema ceranae in honeybee colonies. These findings provide valuable insight into the prevalence and potential transmission mechanisms of AmFV in honeybee colonies in the ROK. The results of this study may be instrumental in the effective management of viral infections in honeybee apiaries.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Varroidae; Republic of Korea; Phylogeny; DNA Viruses; Prevalence; Genetic Variation
PubMed: 38890496
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64882-z -
Journal of Environmental Health Science... Jun 2024More than 20 genetically modified (GM) food crops including rice have been approved in many countries. GM rice and derived products have not yet been approved in India...
PURPOSE
More than 20 genetically modified (GM) food crops including rice have been approved in many countries. GM rice and derived products have not yet been approved in India so they are considered as unauthorized genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the country. Therefore it is important to track whether the rice containing food items, available in the marketplace are GMO-free.
METHODS
A pilot study was conducted to check the GM status of 30 samples of packed rice grains and processed food products with rice as an ingredient, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting 35 S promoter (), nopaline synthase terminator (), phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase () and gene, which could cover screening for all the globally approved GM rice events.
RESULTS
Based on the results, none of the samples tested were found positive for , , and .
CONCLUSION
The unauthorized presence of GM rice ingredients was not detected in the samples tested. Such studies may further be conducted for the testing of GM ingredients derived from cereals other than rice in the food products imported from the country where GM events of respective cereal crop are approved, as a part of regulatory requirement.
PubMed: 38887773
DOI: 10.1007/s40201-024-00892-3