Rotavirus virus-like particles (RV-VLPs) vaccines: An update.

Rotaviruses (RVs) cause over 0.2 million deaths annually and are reported to be the foremost cause of gastroenteritis in infants and children worldwide. Vaccination against RVs is the most successful and unsurpassed strategy to combat infection to date. Although the 2 current vaccines, Rotarix and RotaTeq, have dramatically reduced the disease burden, still there is a need for new vaccines. In this context, RV virus-like particles (RV-VLPs) represent potential vaccine candidates as they are noninfectious and effective nonreplicating immunogens that may reduce the risk of side effects related to the conventional vaccines. VLPs being conformationally similar to the parent virus are highly immunogenic and hence provide enhanced protection and better serotype coverage. In this review, we have highlighted the various advantages and the implications of RV-VLPs, discussed the general strategies employed for their production, and talked about the recent developments made in this regard. Overall, the review emphasizes the probable utility of RV-VLPs in eradicating the highly widespread RVs.

Investigating regulatory signatures of human autophagy related gene 5 (ATG5) through functional in silico analysis.

Autophagy is an essential, homeostatic process which removes damaged cellular proteins and organelles for cellular renewal. ATG5, a part of E3 ubiquitin ligase-like complex (Atg12-Atg5/Atg16L1), is a key regulator involved in autophagosome formation - a crucial phase of autophagy. In this study, we used different in silico methods for comprehensive analysis of ATG5 to investigate its less explored regulatory activity. We have predicted various physico-chemical parameters and two possible transmembrane models that helped in exposing its functional regions. Twenty four PTM sites and 44 TFBS were identified which could be targeted to modulate the autophagy pathway. Furthermore, LD analysis identified 3 blocks of genotyped SNPs and 2 deleterious nsSNPs that may have damaging impact on protein function and thus could be employed for carrying genome-wide association studies. In conclusion, the information obtained in this study could be helpful for better understanding of regulatory roles of ATG5 and provides a base for its implication in population-based studies.