Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine H5N1 influenza virus.

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) viruses occasionally infect, but typically do not transmit, in mammals. In the Spring of 2024, an unprecedented outbreak of HPAI H5N1 in bovine herds occurred in the US, with virus spread within and between herds, infections in poultry and cats, and spillover into humans, collectively indicating an increased public health risk1-4. Here, we characterized an HPAI H5N1 virus isolated from infected cow milk in mice and ferrets. Like other HPAI H5N1 viruses, the bovine H5N1 virus spread systemically, including to the mammary glands of both species; however, this tropism was also observed for an older HPAI H5N1 virus isolate. Importantly, bovine HPAI H5N1 virus bound to sialic acids expressed in human upper airways and inefficiently transmitted to exposed ferrets (one of four exposed ferrets seroconverted without virus detection). Bovine HPAI H5N1 virus thus possesses features that may facilitate infection and transmission in mammals.

Eubacterium coprostanoligenes alleviates chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis by enhancing intestinal mucus barrier.

Chemotherapy-induced mucositis represents a severe adverse outcome of cancer treatment, significantly curtailing the efficacy of these treatments and, in some cases, resulting in fatal consequences. Despite identifying intestinal epithelial cell damage as a key factor in chemotherapy-induced mucositis, the paucity of effective treatments for such damage is evident. In our study, we discovered that Eubacterium coprostanoligenes promotes mucin secretion by goblet cells, thereby fortifying the integrity of the intestinal mucus barrier. This enhanced barrier function serves to resist microbial invasion and subsequently reduces the inflammatory response. Importantly, this effect remains unobtrusive to the anti-tumor efficacy of chemotherapy drugs. Mechanistically, E. copr up-regulates the expression of AUF1, leading to the stabilization of Muc2 mRNA and an increase in mucin synthesis in goblet cells. An especially significant finding is that E. copr activates the AhR pathway, thereby promoting the expression of AUF1. In summary, our results strongly indicate that E. copr enhances the intestinal mucus barrier, effectively alleviating chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis by activating the AhR/AUF1 pathway, consequently enhancing Muc2 mRNA stability.

Ipsilateral and contralateral coadministration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines produce similar antibody responses.

BACKGROUND: World Health Organisation (WHO) and USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) recommendations now allow simultaneous administration of COVID-19 and other vaccines. We compared antibody responses after coadministration of influenza and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines in the same (ipsilateral) arm vs. different (contralateral) arms. METHODS: Pre- and post-vaccination serum samples from individuals in the Prospective Assessment of COVID-19 in a Community (PACC) cohort were used to conduct haemaglutination inhibition (HI) assays with the viruses in the 2022-2023 seasonal influenza vaccine and focus reduction neutralisation tests (FRNT) using a BA.5 SARS-CoV-2 virus. The effect of ipsilateral vs. contralateral vaccination on immune responses was inferred in a model that accounted for higher variance in vaccine responses at lower pre-vaccination titers. FINDINGS: Ipsilateral vaccination did not cause higher influenza vaccine responses compared to contralateral vaccination. The response to SARS-CoV-2 was slightly increased in the ipsilateral group, but equivalence was not excluded. INTERPRETATION: Coadministration of influenza and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines in the same arm or different arms did not strongly influence the antibody response to either vaccine. FUNDING: This work was supported by the U.S. CDC (grant number: 75D30120C09259).

A flavonoid metabolon: cytochrome b5 enhances B-ring trihydroxylated flavan-3-ols synthesis in tea plants.

Flavan-3-ols are prominent phenolic compounds found abundantly in the young leaves of tea plants. The enzymes involved in flavan-3-ol biosynthesis in tea plants have been extensively investigated. However, the localization and associations of these numerous functional enzymes within cells have been largely neglected. In this study, we aimed to investigate the synthesis of flavan-3-ols in tea plants, particularly focusing on epigallocatechin gallate. Our analysis involving the DESI-MSI method to reveal a distinct distribution pattern of B-ring trihydroxylated flavonoids, primarily concentrated in the outer layer of buds. Subcellular localization showed that CsC4H, CsF3'H, and CsF3'5'H localizes endoplasmic reticulum. Protein-protein interaction studies demonstrated direct associations between CsC4H, CsF3'H, and cytoplasmic enzymes (CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, FLS, and ANR), highlighting their interactions within the biosynthetic pathway. Notably, CsF3'5'H, the enzyme for B-ring trihydroxylation, did not directly interact with other enzymes. We identified cytochrome b5 isoform C serving as an essential redox partner, ensuring the proper functioning of CsF3'5'H. Our findings suggest the existence of distinct modules governing the synthesis of different B-ring hydroxylation compounds. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying flavonoid diversity and efficient synthesis and enhances our understanding of the substantial accumulation of B-ring trihydroxylated flavan-3-ols in tea plants.

Characterization of a human H3N8 influenza virus.

BACKGROUND: In 2022 and 2023, novel reassortant H3N8 influenza viruses infected three people, marking the first human infections with viruses of this subtype. METHODS: Here, we generated one of these viruses (A/Henan/4-10CNIC/2022; hereafter called A/Henan/2022 virus) by using reverse genetics and characterized it. FINDINGS: In intranasally infected mice, reverse genetics-generated A/Henan/2022 virus caused weight loss in all five animals (one of which had to be euthanized) and replicated efficiently in the respiratory tract. Intranasal infection of ferrets resulted in minor weight loss and moderate fever but no mortality. Reverse genetics-generated A/Henan/2022 virus replicated efficiently in the upper respiratory tract of ferrets but was not detected in the lungs. Virus transmission via respiratory droplets occurred in one of four pairs of ferrets. Deep-sequencing of nasal swab samples from inoculated and exposed ferrets revealed sequence polymorphisms in the haemagglutinin protein that may affect receptor-binding specificity. We also tested 90 human sera for neutralizing antibodies against reverse genetics-generated A/Henan/2022 virus and found that some of them possessed neutralizing antibody titres, especially sera from older donors with likely exposure to earlier human H3N2 viruses. INTERPRETATION: Our data demonstrate that reverse genetics-generated A/Henan/2022 virus is a low pathogenic influenza virus (of avian influenza virus descent) with some antigenic resemblance to older human H3N2 viruses and limited respiratory droplet transmissibility in ferrets. FUNDING: This work was supported by the Japan Program for Infectious Diseases Research and Infrastructure (JP23wm0125002), and the Japan Initiative for World-leading Vaccine Research and Development Centers (JP233fa627001) from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).

Optimized design and experimental study of a macroscopic mirror to achieve linear amplification of optical force-induced displacement.

A new thin plane mirror with an Archimedes spiral structure (Archimedes-structure thin plane mirror - ATPM) that implements an elastic support boundary is proposed in this study. An optimal structure of ATPM is developed to achieve a linear displacement response with respect to optical forces. The displacement response of the optimized ATPM is analyzed by considering the combined effects of optical force and gravity. The distribution of the optical force density is calculated based on a tilted Gaussian laser beam. Experimental results demonstrate that the optimized ATPM can produce a steady-state displacement of 24.18 nm on average in a normal-gravity environment when subjected to an average optical force of 132.17 nN. When the optical force exceeds 133 nN, the nonlinearity of the displacement response of the optimized ATPM is less than 6.28%. An amplification of the optical force-induced displacement is achieved by more than 15 times compared with that for an unstructured mirror of the same size. The results of this study can assist the development of a miniaturized macroscale optical force platform based on an ATPM for practical applications including the in-situ laser power measurement and nN level force source in the atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing.

Highly Pathogenic H5 Influenza Viruses Isolated between 2016 and 2017 in Vietnamese Live Bird Markets.

Routine surveillance in live poultry markets in the northern regions of Vietnam from 2016 to 2017 resulted in the isolation of 27 highly pathogenic avian H5N1 and H5N6 viruses of 3 different clades (2.3.2.1c, 2.3.4.4f, and 2.3.4.4g). Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of these viruses revealed reassortment with various subtypes of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses. Deep-sequencing identified minor viral subpopulations encoding variants that may affect pathogenicity and sensitivity to antiviral drugs. Interestingly, mice infected with two different clade 2.3.2.1c viruses lost body weight rapidly and succumbed to virus infection, whereas mice infected with clade 2.3.4.4f or 2.3.4.4g viruses experienced non-lethal infections.

Competition between FLS and DFR regulates the distribution of flavonols and proanthocyanidins in Rubus chingii Hu.

Rubus chingii Hu is a berry plant of the genus Rubus of the Rosaceae family, which has high nutritional and medicinal value and is rich in flavonoids. Flavonol synthase (FLS) and dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) compete for the common substrate dihydroflavonols to regulate the metabolic flux of flavonoids. However, the competition between FLS and DFR based on enzyme is rarely reported. Here, we isolated and identified two FLS genes (RcFLS1 and RcFLS2) and one DFR gene (RcDFR) from Rubus chingii Hu. RcFLSs and RcDFR were highly expressed in stems, leaves, and flowers, although the flavonol accumulation in these organs was significantly higher than that of proanthocyanidins (PAs). The recombinant RcFLSs demonstrated bifunctional activities via hydroxylation and desaturation at the C-3α position having a lower Michaelis constant (Km) for dihydroflavonols than RcDFR. We also found that a low concentration of flavonols could significantly inhibit RcDFR activity. To investigate the competitive relationship between RcFLSs and RcDFR, we used a prokaryotic expression system (E. coli) to co-express these proteins. The transgenic cells expressing recombinant proteins were incubated with substrates, and the reaction products were analyzed. Furthermore, two transient expression systems (tobacco leaves and strawberry fruits) and a stable genetic system (Arabidopsis thaliana) were used to co-express these proteins in vivo. The results showed that RcFLS1 was dominant in the competition with RcDFR. Our results demonstrated that the competition between FLS and DFR regulated the metabolic flux distribution of flavonols and PAs, which will be of great significance for the molecular breeding of Rubus plants.

The flavonoid GL-V9 alleviates liver fibrosis by triggering senescence by regulating the transcription factor GATA4 in activated hepatic stellate cells.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Liver fibrosis is a critical risk factor for the progression from chronic liver injury to hepatocellular carcinoma. Clinically, there is a lack of therapeutic drugs for liver fibrosis. Previous studies have confirmed that GL-V9, a newly synthesized flavonoid derivative, exhibits anti-inflammatory activity, but whether it has anti-hepatic fibrosis actions remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the anti-fibrotic activities and potential mechanisms of GL-V9. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Bile duct ligation (BDL) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) challenges were used to assess the anti-fibrotic effects of GL-V9 in vivo. Mouse primary hepatic stellate cells (pHSCs) and the human HSC line LX2 also served as a liver fibrosis model in vitro. Cellular functions and molecular mechanism were analysed using senescence-associated beta-galactosidase staining, real-time PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, and co-immunoprecipitation. KEY RESULTS: GL-V9 attenuated hepatic histopathological injury and collagen accumulation, as well as decreasing the expression of fibrotic genes in vivo. GL-V9 promoted senescence and inhibited the expression of fibrogenic genes in HSCs in vitro. Mechanistic studies revealed that GL-V9 induced senescence by upregulating GATA4 expression in HSCs. Further studies confirmed that GL-V9 stabilized GATA4 by promoting autophagic degradation of P62. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: GL-V9 exerted potent anti-fibrotic effects both in vivo and in vitro by stabilizing GATA4, thereby promoting the senescence of HSCs, and by avoiding its activation and ultimately inhibiting liver fibrosis. This action indicated that the flavonoid GL-V9 is a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of liver fibrosis.

Influenza Viruses Suitable for Studies in Syrian Hamsters.

Several small animal models, including mice, Syrian hamsters, guinea pigs, and ferrets are used to study the pathogenicity, transmissibility, and antigenicity of seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses. Moreover, animal models are essential for vaccination and challenge studies to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of new vaccines. However, authentic human influenza viruses do not always replicate efficiently in these animal models. Previously, we developed a high-yield A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8-HY) vaccine virus backbone that conferred an increased virus yield to several seasonal influenza vaccines in eukaryotic cells and embryonated chicken eggs. Here, we show that this PR8-HY genetic backbone also increases the replication of several seasonal influenza viruses in Syrian hamsters compared to the authentic viruses. Therefore, the PR8-HY backbone is useful for animal studies to assess the biological properties of influenza viral HA and NA.

The chromosome-scale reference genome of Rubus chingii Hu provides insight into the biosynthetic pathway of hydrolyzable tannins.

Rubus chingii Hu (Fu-Pen-Zi), a perennial woody plant in the Rosaceae family, is a characteristic traditional Chinese medicinal plant because of its unique pharmacological effects. There are abundant hydrolyzable tannin (HT) components in R. chingii that provide health benefits. Here, an R. chingii chromosome-scale genome and related functional analysis provide insights into the biosynthetic pathway of HTs. In total, sequence data of 231.21 Mb (155 scaffolds with an N50 of 8.2 Mb) were assembled into seven chromosomes with an average length of 31.4 Mb, and 33 130 protein-coding genes were predicted, 89.28% of which were functionally annotated. Evolutionary analysis showed that R. chingii was most closely related to Rubus occidentalis, from which it was predicted to have diverged 22.46 million years ago (Table S8). Comparative genomic analysis showed that there was a tandem gene cluster of UGT, carboxylesterase (CXE) and SCPL genes on chromosome 02 of R. chingii, including 11 CXE, eight UGT, and six SCPL genes, which may be critical for the synthesis of HTs. In vitro enzyme assays indicated that the proteins encoded by the CXE (LG02.4273) and UGT (LG02.4102) genes have tannin hydrolase and gallic acid glycosyltransferase functions, respectively. The genomic sequence of R. chingii will be a valuable resource for comparative genomic analysis within the Rosaceae family and will be useful for understanding the biosynthesis of HTs.

Correction: Genetics, Receptor Binding Property, and Transmissibility in Mammals of Naturally Isolated H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004508.].

Identification of Key Amino Acids in the PB2 and M1 Proteins of H7N9 Influenza Virus That Affect Its Transmission in Guinea Pigs.

Efficient human-to-human transmission is a prerequisite for a novel influenza virus to cause an influenza pandemic; however, the genetic determinants of influenza virus transmission are still not fully understood. In this study, we compared the respiratory droplet transmissibilities of four H7N9 viruses that are genetic closely related and found that these viruses have dissimilar transmissibilities in guinea pigs: A/Anhui/1/2013 (AH/1) transmitted efficiently, whereas the other three viruses did not transmit. The three nontransmissible viruses have one to eight amino acid differences compared with the AH/1 virus. To investigate which of these amino acids is important for transmission, we used reverse genetics to generate a series of reassortants and mutants in the AH/1 background and tested their transmissibility in guinea pigs. We found that the neuraminidase (NA) of the nontransmissible virus A/chicken/Shanghai/S1053/2013 had low enzymatic activity that impaired the transmission of AH/1 virus, and three amino acid mutations-V292I and K627E in PB2 and D156E in M1-independently abolished the transmission of the AH/1 virus. We further found that an NA reassortant and three single-amino-acid mutants replicated less efficiently than the AH/1 virus in A549 cells and that the amino acid at position 156 of M1 affected the morphology of H7N9 viruses. Our study identifies key amino acids in PB2 and M1 that play important roles in H7N9 influenza virus transmission and provides new insights into the transmissibility of influenza virus.IMPORTANCE Efficient transmission is a prerequisite for a novel influenza virus to cause an influenza pandemic; however, the genetic determinants of influenza virus transmission remain poorly understood. H7N9 influenza viruses, which emerged in 2013 in China, have caused over 1,560 human infection cases, showing clear pandemic potential. Previous studies have shown that the H7N9 viruses differ in their transmissibility in animal models. In this study, we found two amino acids in PB2 (292V and 627K) and one in M1 (156D) that are extremely important for H7N9 virus transmission. Of note, PB2 292V and M1 156D appear in most H7N9 viruses, and the PB2 627K mutation could easily occur when the H7N9 virus replicates in humans. Our study thus identifies new amino acids that are important for influenza virus transmission and suggests that just a few key amino acid changes can render the H7N9 virus transmissible in mammals.

A humanized MDCK cell line for the efficient isolation and propagation of human influenza viruses.

Here, we developed hCK, a Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line that expresses high levels of human influenza virus receptors and low levels of avian virus receptors. hCK cells supported human A/H3N2 influenza virus isolation and growth much more effectively than conventional MDCK or human virus receptor-overexpressing (AX4) cells. A/H3N2 viruses propagated in hCK cells also maintained higher genetic stability than those propagated in MDCK and AX4 cells.

Glycosylation and an amino acid insertion in the head of hemagglutinin independently affect the antigenic properties of H5N1 avian influenza viruses.

Antigenic drift forces us to frequently update influenza vaccines; however, the genetic basis for antigenic variation remains largely unknown. In this study, we used clade 7.2 H5 viruses as models to explore the molecular determinants of influenza virus antigenic variation. We generated eight monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeted to the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of the index virus A/chicken/Shanxi/2/2006 and found that two representative antigenically drifted clade 7.2 viruses did not react with six of the eight MAbs. The E131N mutation and insertion of leucine at position 134 in the HA protein of the antigenically drifted strains eliminated the reactivity of the virus with the MAbs. We also found that the amino acid N131 in the H5 HA protein is glycosylated. Our results provide experimental evidence that glycosylation and an amino acid insertion or deletion in HA influence antigenic variation.

Stirring Up Acceptor Phase and Controlling Morphology via Choosing Appropriate Rigid Aryl Rings as Lever Arms in Symmetry-Breaking Benzodithiophene for High-Performance Fullerene and Fullerene-Free Polymer Solar Cells.

Two series of new polymers with medium and wide bandgaps to match fullerene (PC71 BM) and fullerene-free 3,9-bis(2-methylene-(3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-indanone))-5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3-d:2',3'-d']-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene (ITIC) acceptors are designed and synthesized, respectively. For constructing the key donor building blocks, the effective symmetry-breaking strategy is employed. Two common aromatic rings (thiophene and benzene) are chosen as one side substituted groups in the asymmetric benzodithiophene (BDT) monomers. In addition, another rigid benzene ring is inserted between aryl and thioether in the side chains, which results in larger twisting and destroying the aggregation and forming longer lever arms. As a result, highly ordered polymers (PBDTsTh-FBT and PBDTsPh-FBT) with strong aggregation properties can blend well with roughly spherical PC71 BM, while amorphous polymers (PBDTsThPh-BDD and PBDTsPhPh-BDD) with long and rigid aryl rings show good miscibility with elongated ITIC, and finally, both devices exhibit excellent power conversion efficiencies over 10%. Thus, it clearly shows that the asymmetric BDT unit is an excellent donor building block to construct highly efficient photovoltaic polymers. Meanwhile, this work demonstrates that it is not necessary that high-performance fullerene-free polymer solar cells (PSCs) require highly ordered microstructures in the blending films, different from the fullerene-based PSCs.

H7N9 virulent mutants detected in chickens in China pose an increased threat to humans.

Certain low pathogenic avian influenza viruses can mutate to highly pathogenic viruses when they circulate in domestic poultry, at which point they can cause devastating poultry diseases and severe economic damage. The H7N9 influenza viruses that emerged in 2013 in China had caused severe human infections and deaths. However, these viruses were nonlethal in poultry. It is unknown whether the H7N9 viruses can acquire additional mutations during their circulation in nature and become lethal to poultry and more dangerous for humans. Here, we evaluated the evolution of H7N9 viruses isolated from avian species between 2013 and 2017 in China and found 23 different genotypes, 7 of which were detected only in ducks and were genetically distinct from the other 16 genotypes that evolved from the 2013 H7N9 viruses. Importantly, some H7N9 viruses obtained an insertion of four amino acids in their hemagglutinin (HA) cleavage site and were lethal in chickens. The index strain was not lethal in mice or ferrets, but readily obtained the 627K or 701N mutation in its PB2 segment upon replication in ferrets, causing it to become highly lethal in mice and ferrets and to be transmitted efficiently in ferrets by respiratory droplet. H7N9 viruses bearing the HA insertion and PB2 627K mutation have been detected in humans in China. Our study indicates that the new H7N9 mutants are lethal to chickens and pose an increased threat to human health, and thus highlights the need to control and eradicate the H7N9 viruses to prevent a possible pandemic.

Characterization of Clade 7.2 H5 Avian Influenza Viruses That Continue To Circulate in Chickens in China.

The H5N1 avian influenza viruses emerged in Southeast Asia in the late 20th century and have evolved into multiple phylogenetic clades based on their hemagglutinin (HA)-encoding genes. The clade 7.2 viruses were first detected in chickens in northern China in 2006, and vaccines specifically targeted to the clade were developed and have been used in poultry in China since 2006. During routine surveillance and disease diagnosis, we isolated seven H5 viruses between 2011 and 2014 that bear the clade 7.2 HA genes. Here, we performed extensive studies to understand how the clade 7.2 H5 viruses have evolved in chickens in China. Full genome sequence analysis revealed that the seven viruses formed two subtypes (four H5N1 viruses and three H5N2 viruses) and four genotypes by deriving genes from other influenza viruses. All of the viruses had antigenically drifted from the clade 7.2 viruses that were isolated in 2006. Pathogenicity studies of four viruses, one from each genotype, revealed that all of the viruses are highly pathogenic in chickens, but none of them could replicate in ducks. The four viruses exclusively bound to avian-type receptors and replicated only in the turbinates and/or lungs of mice; none of them were lethal to mice at a dosage of 106 50% egg infective doses (EID50). Our study indicates that although the clade 7.2 viruses have not been eradicated from poultry through vaccination, they have not become more dangerous to other animals (e.g., ducks and mice) and humans. IMPORTANCE: Animal influenza viruses can acquire the ability to infect and kill humans. The H5N1 viruses have been a concern in recent decades because of their clear pandemic potential. We sorted H5N1 influenza viruses into different phylogenetic clades based on their HA genes. The clade 7.2 viruses were detected in chickens in several provinces of northern China in 2006. Vaccines for these viruses were subsequently developed and have been used ever since to control infection of poultry. Here, we analyzed the genetic and biologic properties of seven clade 7.2 viruses that were isolated from chickens between 2011 and 2014. We found that after nearly 9 years of circulation in chickens, the clade 7.2 viruses still exclusively bind to avian-type receptors and are of low pathogenicity to mice, suggesting that these H5 viruses pose a low risk to human public health.