scholarly journals Discoveries of Exoribonuclease-Resistant Structures of Insect-Specific Flaviviruses Isolated in Zambia

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1017
Author(s):  
Christida E. Wastika ◽  
Hayato Harima ◽  
Michihito Sasaki ◽  
Bernard M. Hang’ombe ◽  
Yuki Eshita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Untranslated Regions ◽  
Full Genome Sequence ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Stem Loop ◽  
Avian Cell ◽  
Rapid Amplification ◽  
Generation Sequencing

To monitor the arthropod-borne virus transmission in mosquitoes, we have attempted both to detect and isolate viruses from 3304 wild-caught female mosquitoes in the Livingstone (Southern Province) and Mongu (Western Province) regions in Zambia in 2017. A pan-flavivirus RT-PCR assay was performed to identify flavivirus genomes in total RNA extracted from mosquito lysates, followed by virus isolation and full genome sequence analysis using next-generation sequencing and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. We isolated a newly identified Barkedji virus (BJV Zambia) (10,899 nt) and a novel flavivirus, tentatively termed Barkedji-like virus (BJLV) (10,885 nt) from Culex spp. mosquitoes which shared 96% and 75% nucleotide identity with BJV which has been isolated in Israel, respectively. These viruses could replicate in C6/36 cells but not in mammalian and avian cell lines. In parallel, a comparative genomics screening was conducted to study evolutionary traits of the 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions (UTRs) of isolated viruses. Bioinformatic analyses of the secondary structures in the UTRs of both viruses revealed that the 5′-UTRs exhibit canonical stem-loop structures, while the 3′-UTRs contain structural homologs to exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs), SL-III, dumbbell, and terminal stem-loop (3′SL) structures. The function of predicted xrRNA structures to stop RNA degradation by Xrn1 exoribonuclease was further proved by the in vitro Xrn1 resistance assay.

scholarly journals Transcript Lifetime Is Balanced between Stabilizing Stem-Loop Structures and Degradation-Promoting Polyadenylation in Plant Mitochondria

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 731-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Kuhn ◽  
Ulrike Tengler ◽  
Stefan Binder
Keyword(s):  
Plant Mitochondria ◽  
Rna Stability ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Stem Loop ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
In Vitro Processing ◽  
Rapid Amplification ◽  
And Function

ABSTRACT To determine the influence of posttranscriptional modifications on 3′ end processing and RNA stability in plant mitochondria, peaatp9 and Oenothera atp1 transcripts were investigated for the presence and function of 3′ nonencoded nucleotides. A 3′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends approach initiated at oligo(dT)-adapter primers finds the expected poly(A) tails predominantly attached within the second stem or downstream of the double stem-loop structures at sites of previously mapped 3′ ends. Functional studies in a pea mitochondrial in vitro processing system reveal a rapid removal of the poly(A) tails up to termini at the stem-loop structure but little if any influence on further degradation of the RNA. In contrast 3′ poly(A) tracts at RNAs without such stem-loop structures significantly promote total degradation in vitro. To determine the in vivo identity of 3′ nonencoded nucleotides more accurately, pea atp9 transcripts were analyzed by a direct anchor primer ligation-reverse transcriptase PCR approach. This analysis identified maximally 3-nucleotide-long nonencoded extensions most frequently of adenosines combined with cytidines. Processing assays with substrates containing homopolymer stretches of different lengths showed that 10 or more adenosines accelerate RNA processivity, while 3 adenosines have no impact on RNA life span. Thus polyadenylation can generally stimulate the decay of RNAs, but processivity of degradation is almost annihilated by the stabilizing effect of the stem-loop structures. These antagonistic actions thus result in the efficient formation of 3′ processed and stable transcripts.

scholarly journals Polynucleotide Phosphorylase Functions as Both an Exonuclease and a Poly(A) Polymerase in Spinach Chloroplasts

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5408-5416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shlomit Yehudai-Resheff ◽  
Merav Hirsh ◽  
Gadi Schuster
Keyword(s):  
Transit Peptide ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Polynucleotide Phosphorylase ◽  
Chloroplast Transit Peptide ◽  
Stem Loop ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Spinach Chloroplasts ◽  
Endonucleolytic Cleavage ◽  
Exonucleolytic Degradation

ABSTRACT The molecular mechanism of mRNA degradation in the chloroplast consists of sequential events including endonucleolytic cleavage, the addition of poly(A)-rich sequences to the endonucleolytic cleavage products, and exonucleolytic degradation by polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase). In Escherichia coli,polyadenylation is performed mainly by poly(A)-polymerase (PAP) I or by PNPase in its absence. While trying to purify the chloroplast PAP by following in vitro polyadenylation activity, it was found to copurify with PNPase and indeed could not be separated from it. Purified PNPase was able to polyadenylate RNA molecules with an activity similar to that of lysed chloroplasts. Both activities use ADP much more effectively than ATP and are inhibited by stem-loop structures. The activity of PNPase was directed to RNA degradation or polymerization by manipulating physiologically relevant concentrations of Piand ADP. As expected of a phosphorylase, Pi enhanced degradation, whereas ADP inhibited degradation and enhanced polymerization. In addition, searching the completeArabidopsis genome revealed several putative PAPs, none of which were preceded by a typical chloroplast transit peptide. These results suggest that there is no enzyme similar to E. coli PAP I in spinach chloroplasts and that polyadenylation and exonucleolytic degradation of RNA in spinach chloroplasts are performed by one enzyme, PNPase.

scholarly journals Using Barcoded Zika Virus to Assess Virus Population Structure in vitro and in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Weger-Lucarelli ◽  
Selene M. Garcia ◽  
Claudia Rückert ◽  
Alex Byas ◽  
Shelby L. O’Connor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Viral Diversity ◽  
Virus Population ◽  
Generation Sequencing

ABSTRACTArboviruses such as Zika virus (ZIKV, Flaviviridae; Flavivirus) replicate in both mammalian and insect hosts where they encounter a variety of distinct host defenses. To overcome these pressures, arboviruses exist as diverse populations of distinct genomes. However, transmission between hosts and replication within hosts can involve genetic bottlenecks, during which population size and viral diversity may be significantly reduced, potentially resulting in large fitness losses. Understanding the points at which bottlenecks exist during arbovirus transmission is critical to identifying targets for preventing transmission. To study these bottleneck effects, we constructed 4 “barcoded” ZIKV clones - 2 with an 8-base-pair degenerate insertion in the 3’ UTR and 2 with 8 or 9 degenerate synonymous changes in the coding sequence, theoretically containing thousands of variants each. We passaged these viruses 3 times each in 2 mammalian and 2 mosquito cell lines and characterized selection of the “barcode” populations using deep sequencing. Additionally, the viruses were used to feed three recently field-caught populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to assess bottlenecks in a natural host. The barcoded viruses replicated well in multiple cell lines in vitro and in vivo in mosquitoes and could be characterized using next-generation sequencing. The stochastic nature of mosquito transmission was clearly shown by tracking individual barcodes in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. Barcoded viruses provide an efficient method to examine bottlenecks during virus infection.AUTHOR SUMMARYIn general, mosquito-borne viruses like ZIKV must replicate in two very different host environments: an insect and a mammalian host. RNA viruses such as ZIKV must maintain genetic diversity in order to adapt to these changing conditions. During this transmission cycle, several barriers exist which can severely restrict viral genetic diversity, causing bottlenecks in the virus population. It is critical to understand these bottlenecks during virus transmission as this will provide important insights into the selective forces shaping arbovirus evolution within and between hots. Here, we employ a set of barcoded ZIKV constructs containing a degenerate stretch of nucleotides that can be tracked using next-generation sequencing. We found that the insertion site in the genome was an important determinant of the resulting diversity of the genetic barcode. We also found that bottlenecks varied between different mosquito populations and patterns of genetic diversity were distinct among individual mosquitoes within a single population, highlighting the randomness of virus dissemination in mosquitoes. Our study characterizes a new tool for tracking bottlenecks during virus transmission in vivo and highlights the importance of both viral and host factors on the maintenance of viral diversity.

scholarly journals The poly(A) tail inhibits the assembly of a 3'-to-5' exonuclease in an in vitro RNA stability system.

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 398-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
L P Ford ◽  
P S Bagga ◽  
J Wilusz
Keyword(s):  
Mrna Stability ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Stability ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Exonuclease Activity ◽  
Stem Loop ◽  
In Vitro System ◽  
Loop Element

We have developed an in vitro system which faithfully reproduces several aspects of general mRNA stability. Poly(A)- RNAs were rapidly and efficiently degraded in this system with no detectable intermediates by a highly processive 3'-to-5' exonuclease activity. The addition of a poly(A) tail of at least 30 bases, or a 3' histone stem-loop element, specifically stabilized these transcripts. Stabilization by poly(A) required the interaction of proteins with the poly(A) tail but did not apparently require a 3' OH or interaction with the 5' cap structure. Finally, movement of the poly(A) tract internal to the 3' end caused a loss of its ability to stabilize transcripts incubated in the system but did not affect its ability to interact with poly(A) binding proteins. The requirement for the poly(A) tail to be proximal to the 3' end indicates that it mediates RNA stability by blocking the assembly, but not the action, of an exonuclease involved in RNA degradation in vitro.

scholarly journals Non-Coding RNAs are Differentially Expressed by Nocardia brasiliensis in Vitro and in Experimental Actinomycetoma

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josué S. Cruz-Rabadán ◽  
Juan Miranda-Ríos ◽  
Guadalupe Espín-Ocampo ◽  
Luis J. Méndez-Tovar ◽  
Héctor Rubén Maya-Pineda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
23S Rrna ◽  
Traumatic Injuries ◽  
Nocardia Brasiliensis ◽  
Intergenic Regions ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Rapid Amplification ◽  
Generation Sequencing

Introduction: Nocardia spp. are common soil-inhabiting bacteria that frequently infect humans through traumatic injuries or inhalation routes and cause infections, such as actinomycetoma and nocardiosis, respectively. Nocardia brasiliensis is the main aetiological agent of actinomycetoma in various countries. Many bacterial non-coding RNAs are regulators of genes associated with virulence factors. Objective: The aim of this work was to identify non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) expressed during infection conditions and in free-living form (in vitro) in Nocardia brasiliensis. Methods and Result: The N. brasiliensis transcriptome (predominately < 200 nucleotides) was determined by RNA next-generation sequencing in both conditions. A total of seventy ncRNAs were identified in both conditions. Among these ncRNAs, 18 were differentially expressed, 12 were located within intergenic regions, and 2 were encoded as antisense of 2 different genes. Finally, 10 of these ncRNAs were studied by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and/or quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Interestingly, 3 transcripts corresponded to tRNA-derived fragments (tRNAsCys, Met, Thr), and one transcript was overlapped between an intergenic region and the 5´end of the 23S rRNA. Expression of these last four transcripts was increased during N. brasiliensis infection compared with the in vitro conditions. Conclusion: The results of this work suggest a possible role for these transcripts in the regulation of virulence genes in actinomycetoma pathogenesis.

scholarly journals Rhamnolipids Nano-Micelles as a Potential Hand Sanitizer

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 751
Author(s):  
Marwa Reda Bakkar ◽  
Ahmed Hassan Ibrahim Faraag ◽  
Elham R. S. Soliman ◽  
Manar S. Fouda ◽  
Amir Mahfouz Mokhtar Sarguos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Specific Interaction ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Future Perspective ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
In Silico Studies

COVID-19 is a pandemic disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2, which continues to cause global health and economic problems since emerging in China in late 2019. Until now, there are no standard antiviral treatments. Thus, several strategies were adopted to minimize virus transmission, such as social distancing, face covering protection and hand hygiene. Rhamnolipids are glycolipids produced formally by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and as biosurfactants, they were shown to have broad antimicrobial activity. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of rhamnolipids against selected multidrug resistant bacteria and SARS-CoV-2. Rhamnolipids were produced by growing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain LeS3 in a new medium formulated from chicken carcass soup. The isolated rhamnolipids were characterized for their molecular composition, formulated into nano-micelles, and the antibacterial activity of the nano-micelles was demonstrated in vitro against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive drug resistant bacteria. In silico studies docking rhamnolipids to structural and non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 was also performed. We demonstrated the efficient and specific interaction of rhamnolipids with the active sites of these proteins. Additionally, the computational studies suggested that rhamnolipids have membrane permeability activity. Thus, the obtained results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 could be another target of rhamnolipids and could find utility in the fight against COVID-19, a future perspective to be considered.

scholarly journals Efficient Peptide-Mediated In Vitro Delivery of Cas9 RNP

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 878
Author(s):  
Oskar Gustafsson ◽  
Julia Rädler ◽  
Samantha Roudi ◽  
Tõnis Lehto ◽  
Mattias Hällbrink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Freeze Drying ◽  
Cell Penetrating Peptide ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Editing Efficiency ◽  
Freeze Thaw ◽  
Enzyme Digest ◽  
Clinical Potential ◽  
Generation Sequencing

The toolbox for genetic engineering has quickly evolved from CRISPR/Cas9 to a myriad of different gene editors, each with promising properties and enormous clinical potential. However, a major challenge remains: delivering the CRISPR machinery to the nucleus of recipient cells in a nontoxic and efficient manner. In this article, we repurpose an RNA-delivering cell-penetrating peptide, PepFect14 (PF14), to deliver Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP). The RNP-CPP complex achieved high editing rates, e.g., up to 80% in HEK293T cells, while being active at low nanomolar ranges without any apparent signs of toxicity. The editing efficiency was similar to or better compared to the commercially available reagents RNAiMAX and CRISPRMax. The efficiency was thoroughly evaluated in reporter cells and wild-type cells by restriction enzyme digest and next-generation sequencing. Furthermore, the CPP-Cas9-RNP complexes were demonstrated to withstand storage at different conditions, including freeze-thaw cycles and freeze-drying, without a loss in editing efficiency. This CPP-based delivery strategy complements existing technologies and further opens up new opportunities for Cas9 RNP delivery, which can likely be extended to other gene editors in the future.

Comparative Evaluation of In Vitro and In Vivo Assays for the Detection of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus as a Contaminant of Live Poultry Vaccines

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 629-634
Author(s):  
Emiliana Falcone ◽  
Edoardo Vignolo ◽  
Livia Di Trani ◽  
Simona Puzelli ◽  
Maria Tollis
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Bronchitis Virus ◽  
Serological Response ◽  
Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
In Vivo Test ◽  
Infectious Bronchitis

A reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay specific for identifying avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in poultry vaccines, and the serological response to IBV induced by the inoculation of chicks with a Newcastle disease vaccine spiked with the Massachusetts strain of IBV, were compared for their ability to detect IBV as a contaminant of avian vaccines. The sensitivity of the IBV-RT-PCR assay provided results which were at least equivalent to the biological effect produced by the inoculation of chicks, allowing this assay to be considered a valid alternative to animal testing in the quality control of avian immunologicals. This procedure can easily be adapted to detect a number of contaminants for which the in vivo test still represents the only available method of detection.

scholarly journals The Double Mutation DSG2-p.S363X and TBX20-p.D278X Is Associated with Left Ventricular Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy: Case Report

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6775
Author(s):  
Roman Myasnikov ◽  
Andreas Brodehl ◽  
Alexey Meshkov ◽  
Olga Kulikova ◽  
Anna Kiseleva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Screening ◽  
Ventricular Dysfunction ◽  
Layer Structure ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Cell Transfection ◽  
Nonsense Mutations ◽  
Double Mutation ◽  
T Box ◽  
Generation Sequencing

Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) is a rare heart disease, with or without left ventricular dysfunction, which is characterized by a two-layer structure of the myocardium and an increased number of trabeculae. The study of familial forms of LVNC is helpful for risk prediction and genetic counseling of relatives. Here, we present a family consisting of three members with LVNC. Using a next-generation sequencing approach a combination of two (likely) pathogenic nonsense mutations DSG2-p.S363X and TBX20-p.D278X was identified in all three patients. TBX20 encodes the cardiac T-box transcription factor 20. DSG2 encodes desmoglein–2, which is part of the cardiac desmosomes and belongs to the cadherin family. Since the identified nonsense variant (DSG2-p.S363X) is localized in the extracellular domain of DSG2, we performed in vitro cell transfection experiments. These experiments revealed the absence of truncated DSG2 at the plasma membrane, supporting the pathogenic relevance of DSG2-p.S363X. In conclusion, we suggest that in the future, these findings might be helpful for genetic screening and counseling of patients with LVNC.

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