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Viruses Jul 2023Baculovirology has been studied on the African continent for the development of insect virus-based biopesticides and, to a much lesser extent, vaccine production and... (Review)
Review
Baculovirology has been studied on the African continent for the development of insect virus-based biopesticides and, to a much lesser extent, vaccine production and delivery, since the 1960s. In this review, we focus only on baculoviruses as biopesticides for agricultural pests in Africa. At least 11 species of baculovirus have been discovered or studied on the African continent, some with several distinct isolates, with the objective in most cases being the development of a biopesticide. These include the nucleopolyhedroviruses of , , , , , and , as well as the granuloviruses of , , () , , and . Eleven different baculovirus-based biopesticides are recorded as being registered and commercially available on the African continent. Baculoviruses are recorded to have been isolated, researched, utilised in field trials, and/or commercially deployed as biopesticides in at least 13 different African countries. Baculovirus research is ongoing in Africa, and researchers are confident that further novel species and isolates will be discovered, to the benefit of environmentally responsible agricultural pest management, not only in Africa but also elsewhere.
Topics: Animals; Biological Control Agents; Baculoviridae; Moths; Nucleopolyhedroviruses; Africa; Spodoptera
PubMed: 37515205
DOI: 10.3390/v15071519 -
MAbs 2012A majority of human therapeutic antibody candidates show pharmacokinetic properties suitable for clinical use, but an unexpectedly fast antibody clearance is sometimes...
A majority of human therapeutic antibody candidates show pharmacokinetic properties suitable for clinical use, but an unexpectedly fast antibody clearance is sometimes observed that may limit the clinical utility. Pharmacokinetic data in cynomolgus monkeys collected for a panel of 52 antibodies showed broad distribution of target-independent clearance values (2.4-61.3 mL/day/kg), with 15 (29%) having clearance > 10 mL/day/kg. Alteration in the interaction with the recycling FcRn receptor did not account for the faster than expected clearance observed for the antibodies; off-target binding was presumed to account for the fast clearance. We developed an assay based on ELISA detection of non-specific binding to baculovirus particles that can identify antibodies having increased risk for fast clearance. This assay can be used during lead generation or optimization to identify antibodies with increased risk of having fast clearance in both humans and cynomolgus monkeys, and thus increase the likelihood of obtaining a suitable drug candidate.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Baculoviridae; Drug Discovery; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Macaca fascicularis; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Protein Binding; Risk Adjustment; Virion
PubMed: 23778268
DOI: 10.4161/mabs.22189 -
Viruses Jul 2019The baculovirus nucleocapsid is formed through a rod-like capsid encapsulating a genomic DNA molecule of 80~180 kbp. The viral capsid is a large oligomer composed of... (Review)
Review
The baculovirus nucleocapsid is formed through a rod-like capsid encapsulating a genomic DNA molecule of 80~180 kbp. The viral capsid is a large oligomer composed of many copies of various protein subunits. The assembly of viral capsids is a complex oligomerization process. The timing of expression of nucleocapsid-related proteins, transport pathways, and their interactions can affect the assembly process of preformed capsids. In addition, the selection of viral DNA and the injection of the viral genome into empty capsids are the critical steps in nucleocapsid assembly. This paper reviews the replication and recombination of baculovirus DNA, expression and transport of capsid proteins, formation of preformed capsids, DNA encapsulation, and nucleocapsid formation. This review will provide a basis for further study of the nucleocapsid assembly mechanism of baculovirus.
Topics: Baculoviridae; DNA, Viral; Genome, Viral; Nucleocapsid; Virus Assembly
PubMed: 31266177
DOI: 10.3390/v11070595 -
Trends in Microbiology May 2017Increasing evidence indicates that viruses do not simply propagate as independent virions among cells, organs, and hosts. Instead, viral spread is often mediated by... (Review)
Review
Increasing evidence indicates that viruses do not simply propagate as independent virions among cells, organs, and hosts. Instead, viral spread is often mediated by structures that simultaneously transport groups of viral genomes, such as polyploid virions, aggregates of virions, virion-containing proteinaceous structures, secreted lipid vesicles, and virus-induced cell-cell contacts. These structures increase the multiplicity of infection, independently of viral population density and transmission bottlenecks. Collective infectious units may contribute to the maintenance of viral genetic diversity, and could have implications for the evolution of social-like virus-virus interactions. These may include various forms of cooperation such as immunity evasion, genetic complementation, division of labor, and relaxation of fitness trade-offs, but also noncooperative interactions such as negative dominance and interference, potentially leading to conflict.
Topics: Animals; Baculoviridae; Biological Evolution; Genetic Variation; Virion; Virus Diseases
PubMed: 28262512
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2017.02.003 -
Virology Jan 2006Although the Baculoviridae are a large and diverse family of viruses, they are united by a number of shared features that form the basis for their unique life cycle.... (Review)
Review
Although the Baculoviridae are a large and diverse family of viruses, they are united by a number of shared features that form the basis for their unique life cycle. These include the mechanism of cell entry, genome replication and processing, and late and very late gene transcription. In this review, the molecular systems that are conserved within the Baculoviridae and that are responsible these processes are described.
Topics: Animals; Baculoviridae; DNA, Viral; Genes, Viral; Nucleocapsid; Transcription, Genetic; Viral Proteins; Virus Replication
PubMed: 16364739
DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2005.09.019 -
Viruses Apr 2015Baculoviruses are widely encountered in nature and a great deal of data is available about their safety and biology. Recently, these versatile, insect-specific viruses... (Review)
Review
Baculoviruses are widely encountered in nature and a great deal of data is available about their safety and biology. Recently, these versatile, insect-specific viruses have demonstrated their usefulness in various biotechnological applications including protein production and gene transfer. Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies exist and support their use as gene delivery vehicles in vertebrate cells. Recently, baculoviruses have also demonstrated high potential in RNAi applications in which several advantages of the virus make it a promising tool for RNA gene transfer with high safety and wide tropism.
Topics: Animals; Arthropods; Baculoviridae; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genetic Vectors; RNA Interference; Transduction, Genetic; Vertebrates
PubMed: 25912715
DOI: 10.3390/v7042099 -
Virology Feb 2015Negatively-supercoiled-ds DNA molecules, including the genomes of baculoviruses, spontaneously wrap around cores of histones to form nucleosomes when present within... (Review)
Review
Negatively-supercoiled-ds DNA molecules, including the genomes of baculoviruses, spontaneously wrap around cores of histones to form nucleosomes when present within eukaryotic nuclei. Hence, nucleosome management should be essential for baculovirus genome replication and temporal regulation of transcription, but this has not been documented. Nucleosome mobilization is the dominion of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes. SWI/SNF and INO80, two of the best-studied complexes, as well as chromatin modifier TIP60, all contain actin as a subunit. Retrospective analysis of results of AcMNPV time course experiments wherein actin polymerization was blocked by cytochalasin D drug treatment implicate actin-containing chromatin modifying complexes in decatenating baculovirus genomes, shutting down host transcription, and regulating late and very late phases of viral transcription. Moreover, virus-mediated nuclear localization of actin early during infection may contribute to nucleosome management.
Topics: Animals; Baculoviridae; Genome, Viral; Insect Proteins; Insecta; Nucleosomes; Virus Replication
PubMed: 25569454
DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.12.022 -
Biotechnology Journal Jan 2019To stop the spread of future epidemics and meet infant vaccination demands in low- and middle-income countries, flexible, rapid and low-cost vaccine development and... (Review)
Review
To stop the spread of future epidemics and meet infant vaccination demands in low- and middle-income countries, flexible, rapid and low-cost vaccine development and manufacturing technologies are required. Vaccine development platform technologies that can produce a wide range of vaccines are emerging, including: a) humanized, high-yield yeast recombinant protein vaccines; b) insect cell-baculovirus ADDomer vaccines; c) Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA) vaccines; d) RNA vaccines. Herein, existing and future platforms are assessed in terms of addressing challenges of scale, cost, and responsiveness. To assess the risk and feasibility of the four emerging platforms, the following six metrics are applied: 1) technology readiness; 2) technological complexity; 3) ease of scale-up; 4) flexibility for the manufacturing of a wide range of vaccines; 5) thermostability of the vaccine product at tropical ambient temperatures; and 6) speed of response from threat identification to vaccine deployment. The assessment indicated that technologies in the order of increasing feasibility and decreasing risk are the yeast platform, ADDomer platform, followed by RNA and GMMA platforms. The comparative strengths and weaknesses of each technology are discussed in detail, illustrating the associated development and manufacturing needs and priorities.
Topics: Baculoviridae; Biotechnology; Humans; Technology, Pharmaceutical; Vaccination; Vaccines
PubMed: 30537361
DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800376 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2024Baculoviruses are viral pathogens that infect different species of Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera, with a global distribution. Due to their biological... (Review)
Review
Baculoviruses are viral pathogens that infect different species of Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera, with a global distribution. Due to their biological characteristics and the biotechnological applications derived from these entities, the family is an important subject of study and manipulation in the natural sciences. With the advent of RNA interference mechanisms, the presence of baculoviral genes that do not code for proteins but instead generate transcripts similar to microRNAs (miRNAs) has been described. These miRNAs are functionally associated with the regulation of gene expression, both in viral and host sequences. This article provides a comprehensive review of miRNA biogenesis, function, and characterization in general, with a specific focus on those identified in baculoviruses. Furthermore, it delves into the specific roles of baculoviral miRNAs in regulating viral and host genes and presents structural and thermodynamic stability studies that are useful for detecting shared characteristics with predictive utility. This review aims to expand our understanding of the baculoviral miRNAome, contributing to improvements in the production of baculovirus-based biopesticides, management of resistance phenomena in pests, enhancement of recombinant protein production systems, and development of diverse and improved BacMam vectors to meet biomedical demands.
Topics: MicroRNAs; Baculoviridae; RNA Interference; Biological Control Agents; Biotechnology
PubMed: 38203774
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010603 -
Trends in Biotechnology Sep 2015DNA transposons offer an efficient nonviral method of permanently modifying the genomes of mammalian cells. The piggyBac transposon system has proven effective in... (Review)
Review
DNA transposons offer an efficient nonviral method of permanently modifying the genomes of mammalian cells. The piggyBac transposon system has proven effective in genomic engineering of mammalian cells for preclinical applications, including gene discovery, simultaneous multiplexed genome modification, animal transgenesis, gene transfer in vivo achieving long-term gene expression in animals, and the genetic modification of clinically relevant cell types, such as induced pluripotent stem cells and human T lymphocytes. piggyBac has many desirable features, including seamless excision of transposons from the genomic DNA and the potential to target integration events to desired DNA sequences. In this review, we explore these recent applications and also highlight the unique advantages of using piggyBac for developing new molecular therapeutic strategies.
Topics: Animals; Baculoviridae; Genetic Engineering; Genetic Vectors; Genome; Humans; Mice
PubMed: 26211958
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.06.009