Antibodies Induced by Smallpox Vaccination after at Least 45 Years Cross-React with and In Vitro Neutralize Mpox Virus: A Role for Polyclonal B Cell Activation?

AIMS: To evaluate whether antibodies specific for the vaccinia virus (VV) are still detectable after at least 45 years from immunization. To confirm that VV-specific antibodies are endowed with the capacity to neutralize Mpox virus (MPXV) in vitro. To test a possible role of polyclonal non-specific activation in the maintenance of immunologic memory. METHODS: Sera were collected from the following groups: smallpox-vaccinated individuals with or without latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), unvaccinated donors, and convalescent individuals after MPXV infection. Supernatant of VV- or MPXV-infected Vero cells were inactivated and used as antigens in ELISA or in Western blot (WB) analyses. An MPXV plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) was optimized and performed on study samples. VV- and PPD-specific memory T cells were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: None of the smallpox unvaccinated donors tested positive in ELISA or WB analysis and their sera were unable to neutralize MPXV in vitro. Sera from all the individuals convalescing from an MPXV infection tested positive for anti-VV or MPXV IgG with high titers and showed MPXV in vitro neutralization capacity. Sera from most of the vaccinated individuals showed IgG anti-VV and anti-MPXV at high titers. WB analyses showed that positive sera from vaccinated or convalescent individuals recognized both VV and MPXV antigens. Higher VV-specific IgG titer and specific T cells were observed in LTBI individuals. CONCLUSIONS: ELISA and WB performed using supernatant of VV- or MPXV-infected cells are suitable to identify individuals vaccinated against smallpox at more than 45 years from immunization and individuals convalescing from a recent MPXV infection. ELISA and WB results show a good correlation with PRNT. Data confirm that a smallpox vaccination induces a long-lasting memory in terms of specific IgG and that antibodies raised against VV may neutralize MPXV in vitro. Finally, higher titers of VV-specific antibodies and higher frequency of VV-specific memory T cells in LTBI individuals suggest a role of polyclonal non-specific activation in the maintenance of immunologic memory.

Assessing the Risk of Dengue Virus Local Transmission: Study on Vector Competence of Italian Aedes albopictus.

The frequency of locally transmitted dengue virus (DENV) infections has increased in Europe in recent years, facilitated by the invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus, which is well established in a large area of Europe. In Italy, the first indigenous dengue outbreak was reported in August 2020 with 11 locally acquired cases in the Veneto region (northeast Italy), caused by a DENV-1 viral strain closely related to a previously described strain circulating in Singapore and China. In this study, we evaluated the vector competence of two Italian populations of Ae. albopictus compared to an Ae. aegypti lab colony. We performed experimental infections using a DENV-1 strain that is phylogenetically close to the strain responsible for the 2020 Italian autochthonous outbreak. Our results showed that local Ae. albopictus is susceptible to infection and is able to transmit the virus, confirming the relevant risk of possible outbreaks starting from an imported case.

Identification of Anti-Influenza A Compounds Inhibiting the Viral Non-Structural Protein 1 (NS1) Using a Type I Interferon-Driven Screening Strategy.

There is an urgent need to identify efficient antiviral compounds to combat existing and emerging RNA virus infections, particularly those related to seasonal and pandemic influenza outbreaks. While inhibitors of the influenza viral integral membrane proton channel protein (M2), neuraminidase (NA), and cap-dependent endonuclease are available, circulating influenza viruses acquire resistance over time. Thus, the need for the development of additional anti-influenza drugs with novel mechanisms of action exists. In the present study, a cell-based screening assay and a small molecule library were used to screen for activities that antagonized influenza A non-structural protein 1 (NS1), a highly conserved, multifunctional accessory protein that inhibits the type I interferon response against influenza. Two potential anti-influenza agents, compounds 157 and 164, were identified with anti-NS1 activity, resulting in the reduction of A/PR/8/34(H1N1) influenza A virus replication and the restoration of IFN-ß expression in human lung epithelial A549 cells. A 3D pharmacophore modeling study of the active compounds provided a glimpse of the structural motifs that may contribute to anti-influenza virus activity. This screening approach is amenable to a broader analysis of small molecule compounds to inhibit other viral targets.

A cellular screening platform, stably expressing DENV2 NS5, defines a novel anti-DENV mechanism of action of Apigenin based on STAT2 activation.

Type I interferon (IFN-I) evasion by Dengue virus (DENV) is key in DENV pathogenesis. The non-structural protein 5 (NS5) antagonizes IFN-I response through the degradation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2). We developed a K562 cell-based platform, for high throughput screening of compounds potentially counteracting the NS5-mediated antagonism of IFN-I signaling. Upon a screening with a library of 1220 approved drugs, 3 compounds previously linked to DENV inhibition (Apigenin, Chrysin, and Luteolin) were identified. Luteolin and Apigenin determined a significant inhibition of DENV2 replication in Huh7 cells and the restoration of STAT2 phosphorylation in both cell systems. Apigenin and Luteolin were able to stimulate STAT2 even in the absence of infection. Despite the "promiscuous" and "pan-assay-interfering" nature of Luteolin, Apigenin promotes STAT2 Tyr 689 phosphorylation and activation, highlighting the importance of screening for compounds able to interact with host factors, to counteract viral proteins capable of dampening innate immune responses.

Diagnosis of Imported Dengue and Zika Virus Infections in Italy from November 2015 to November 2022: Laboratory Surveillance Data from a National Reference Laboratory.

Dengue (DENV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses are mosquito-borne human pathogens. In Italy, the presence of the competent vector Aedes albopictus increases the risk of autochthonous transmission, and a national plan for arboviruses prevention, surveillance, and response (PNA 2020-2025) is in place. The results of laboratory diagnosis of both viruses by the National Reference Laboratory for arboviruses (NRLA) from November 2015 to November 2022 are presented. Samples from 655 suspected cases were tested by both molecular and serological assays. Virus and antibody kinetics, cross-reactivity, and diagnostic performance of IgM ELISA systems were analysed. Of 524 cases tested for DENV, 146 were classified as confirmed, 7 as probable, while 371 were excluded. Of 619 cases tested for ZIKV, 44 were classified as confirmed, while 492 were excluded. All cases were imported. Overall, 75.3% (110/146) of DENV and 50% (22/44) of ZIKV cases were confirmed through direct virus detection methods. High percentages of cross reactivity were observed between the two viruses. The median lag time from symptoms onset to sample collection was 7 days for both DENV molecular (range 0-20) and NS1 ELISA (range 0-48) tests, with high percentages of positivity also after 7 days (39% and 67%, respectively). For ZIKV, the median lag time was 5 days (range 0-22), with 16% positivity after 7 days. Diagnostic performance was assessed with negative predictive values ranging from 92% to 95% for the anti-DENV systems, and of 97% for the ZIKV one. Lower positive predictive values were seen in the tested population (DENV: 55% to 91%, ZIKV: 50%). DENV and ZIKV diagnosis by molecular test is the gold standard, but sample collection time is a limitation. Serological tests, including Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test, are thus necessary. Co-circulation and cross-reactivity between the two viruses increase diagnostic difficulty. Continuous evaluation of diagnostic strategies is essential to improve laboratory testing.

Zika Virus Exploits Lipid Rafts to Infect Host Cells.

Several flaviviruses such as Hepatitis C virus, West Nile virus, Dengue virus and Japanese Encephalitis virus exploit the raft platform to enter host cells whereas the involvement of lipid rafts in Zika virus-host cell interaction has not yet been demonstrated. Zika virus disease is caused by a flavivirus transmitted by Aedes spp. Mosquitoes, although other mechanisms such as blood transfusion, sexual and maternal-fetal transmission have been demonstrated. Symptoms are generally mild, such as fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, but neurological complications, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, have been associated to this viral infection. During pregnancy, it can cause microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities in the fetus, as well as pregnancy complications, representing a serious health threat. In this study, we show for the first time that Zika virus employs cell membrane lipid rafts as a portal of entry into Vero cells. We previously demonstrated that the antifungal drug Amphotericin B (AmphB) hampers a microbe-host cell interaction through the disruption of lipid raft architecture. Here, we found that Amphotericin B by the same mechanism of action inhibits both Zika virus cell entry and replication. These data encourage further studies on the off-label use of Amphotericin B in Zika virus infections as a new and alternate antiviral therapy.

Dengue and Chikungunya virus circulation in Cameroon and Gabon: molecular evidence among symptomatic individuals.

We report the molecular evidence of dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection in symptomatic individuals in Cameroon and Gabon, respectively. Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are distributed in the tropical or subtropical regions, with DENV having the highest burden. The morbidity and mortality related to arboviral diseases raise the concern of timely and efficient surveillance and care. Our aim was to assess the circulation of arboviruses [DENV, CHIKV, Zika virus (ZIKV)] among febrile patients in Dschang (West Cameroon) and Kyé-ossi (South Cameroon, border with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea). Dried blood spots were collected from 601 consenting febrile patients, and 194 Plasmodium spp.-negative samples were tested for the molecular detection of cases of DENV, CHIKV and ZIKV infection. Overall, no case of ZIKV infection was found, whereas one case of DENV infection and one case of CHIKV infection were detected in Dschang and Kyé-ossi, respectively, with the CHIKV-infected patient being resident in Gabon. Our findings suggest the need to establish an active surveillance of arbovirus transmission in Cameroon and bordering countries.

Lack of Evidence of Chikungunya Virus Infection among Blood Donors during the Chikungunya Outbreak in Lazio Region, Italy, 2017.

BACKGROUND: The latest European Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak occurred in Italy in 2017, in the municipalities of Anzio and Rome (Lazio Region), with a secondary outbreak in the Calabrian Region. Most CHIKV infections are symptomatic but about 15% of people who acquire the infection may be asymptomatic. A retrospective study was conducted with the aim of assessing the prevalence of recent/ongoing CHIKV infections on the blood donor population in the Lazio Region, during the 2017 outbreak (including in the period before it was detected). METHODS: The study was conducted on 4595 plasma samples from donors who donated in 14 different Blood Establishments in the Lazio Region, in the period June-November 2017. A total of 389 of these samples were collected in provinces not affected by the outbreak and were used as negative controls. All samples were tested for IgM detection by the use of an ELISA test, and positive samples were tested for confirmation through the use of a PRNT. Molecular tests were performed on sera that were found to be IgM-positive or borderline. RESULTS: A total of 41 (0.89%) blood donors tested positive for IgM. None of these positive IgM ELISA results was confirmed either by PRNT or by molecular tests. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has shown no evidence of recent/ongoing CHIKV infection in blood donors of the affected area.

The common European mosquitoes Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus are unable to transmit SARS-CoV-2 after a natural-mimicking challenge with infected blood.

BACKGROUND: On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak to be a pandemic. As the mosquito season progressed, the understandable concern that mosquitoes could transmit the virus began to increase among the general public and public health organisations. We have investigated the vector competence of Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus, the two most common species of vector mosquitoes in Europe, for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Due to the very unusual feeding behaviour of Ae. albopictus, we also evaluated the role of this mosquito in a potential mechanical transmission of the virus. METHODS: For the vector competence study, mosquitoes were allowed to take several infectious blood meals. The mosquitoes were then collected and analysed at 0, 3, 7 and 10 days post-feeding. For the mechanical transmission test, Ae. albopictus females were allowed to feed for a short time on a feeder containing infectious blood and then on a feeder containing virus-free blood. Both mosquitoes and blood were tested for viral presence. RESULTS: Culex pipiens and Ae. albopictus were found not be competent vectors for SARS-CoV-2, and Ae. albopictus was unable to mechanically transmit the virus. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to show that the most common species of vector mosquitoes in Europe do not transmit SARS-CoV-2 and that Ae. albopictus is unable to mechanically transmit the virus from a positive host to a healthy host through host-feeding.

Multiplex Real-Time Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for Diagnostic Testing of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Seasonal Influenza Viruses: A Challenge of the Phase 3 Pandemic Setting.

BACKGROUND: Pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease represents a challenge for healthcare structures. The molecular confirmation of samples from infected individuals is crucial and therefore guides public health decision making. Clusters and possibly increased diffuse transmission could occur in the context of the next influenza season. For this reason, a diagnostic test able to discriminate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from influenza viruses is urgently needed. METHODS: A multiplex real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was assessed using 1 laboratory protocol with different real-time PCR instruments. Overall, 1000 clinical samples (600 from samples SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, 200 samples from influenza-infected patients, and 200 negative samples) were analyzed. RESULTS: The assay developed was able to detect and discriminate each virus target and to intercept coinfections. The limit of quantification of each assay ranged between 5 and 10 genomic copy numbers, with a cutoff value of 37.7 and 37.8 for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses, respectively. Only 2 influenza coinfections were detected in COVID-19 samples. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that multiplex assay is a rapid, valid, and accurate method for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses in clinical samples. The test may be an important diagnostic tool for both diagnostic and surveillance purposes during the seasonal influenza activity period.

IκB kinase-ε-mediated phosphorylation triggers IRF-1 degradation in breast cancer cells.

Interferon Regulatory Factors (IRFs) are key regulators of immunity, cell survival and apoptosis. IRF transcriptional activity and subcellular localization are tightly regulated by posttranscriptional modifications including phosphorylation. The IκB kinase family member IKK-ε is essential in regulating antiviral innate immunity mediated by IRFs but is now also recognized as an oncoprotein amplified and overexpressed in breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived tumors. In the present study, we report that the tumor suppressor IRF-1 is a specific target of IKK-ε in breast cancer cells. IKK-ε-mediated phosphorylation of IRF-1 dramatically decreases IRF-1 protein stability, accelerating IRF-1 degradation and quenching IRF-1 transcriptional activity. Chemical inhibition of IKK-ε activity, fully restores IRF-1 levels and function and positively correlates with inhibition of cell growth and proliferation of breast cancer cells. By using a breast cancer cell line stably expressing a dominant negative version of IRF-1 we were able to demonstrate that IKK-ε preferentially exerts its oncogenic potential in breast cancer through the regulation of IRF-1 and point to the IKK-ε-mediated phosphorylation of IRF-1 as a therapeutic target to overcome IKK-ε-mediated tumorigenesis.

Laboratory management for SARS-CoV-2 detection: a user-friendly combination of the heat treatment approach and rt-Real-time PCR testing.

The RNA purification is the gold standard for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in swab samples, but it is dependent on the availability of chemical reagents. In this study, we evaluated the heat treatment method without RNA extraction as a reliable option to nucleic acid purification.

Secondary Autochthonous Outbreak of Chikungunya, Southern Italy, 2017.

In 2017, a chikungunya outbreak in central Italy later evolved into a secondary cluster in southern Italy, providing evidence of disease emergence in new areas. Officials have taken action to raise awareness among clinicians and the general population, increase timely case detection, reduce mosquito breeding sites, and promote mosquito bite prevention.

Alternate NF-κB-Independent Signaling Reactivation of Latent HIV-1 Provirus.

Current combination antiretroviral therapies (cART) are unable to eradicate HIV-1 from infected individuals because of the establishment of proviral latency in long-lived cellular reservoirs. The shock-and-kill approach aims to reactivate viral replication from the latent state (shock) using latency-reversing agents (LRAs), followed by the elimination of reactivated virus-producing cells (kill) by specific therapeutics. The NF-κB RelA/p50 heterodimer has been characterized as an essential component of reactivation of the latent HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR). Nevertheless, prolonged NF-κB activation contributes to the development of various autoimmune, inflammatory, and malignant disorders. In the present study, we established a cellular model of HIV-1 latency in J-Lat CD4+ T cells that stably expressed the NF-κB superrepressor IκB-α 2NΔ4 and demonstrate that conventional treatments with bryostatin-1 and hexamethylenebisacetamide (HMBA) or ionomycin synergistically reactivated HIV-1 from latency, even under conditions where NF-κB activation was repressed. Using specific calcineurin phosphatase, p38, and MEK1/MEK2 kinase inhibitors or specific short hairpin RNAs, c-Jun was identified to be an essential factor binding to the LTR enhancer κB sites and mediating the combined synergistic reactivation effect. Furthermore, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a potent inhibitor of the NF-κB activator kinase IκB kinase ß (IKK-ß), did not significantly diminish reactivation in a primary CD4+ T central memory (TCM) cell latency model. The present work demonstrates that the shock phase of the shock-and-kill approach to reverse HIV-1 latency may be achieved in the absence of NF-κB, with the potential to avoid unwanted autoimmune- and or inflammation-related side effects associated with latency-reversing strategies.IMPORTANCE The shock-and-kill approach consists of the reactivation of HIV-1 replication from latency using latency-reversing agents (LRAs), followed by the elimination of reactivated virus-producing cells. The cellular transcription factor NF-κB is considered a master mediator of HIV-1 escape from latency induced by LRAs. Nevertheless, a systemic activation of NF-κB in HIV-1-infected patients resulting from the combined administration of different LRAs could represent a potential risk, especially in the case of a prolonged treatment. We demonstrate here that conventional treatments with bryostatin-1 and hexamethylenebisacetamide (HMBA) or ionomycin synergistically reactivate HIV-1 from latency, even under conditions where NF-κB activation is repressed. Our study provides a molecular proof of concept for the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin, capable of inhibiting NF-κB in patients under combination antiretroviral therapy during the shock-and-kill approach, to avoid potential autoimmune and inflammatory disorders that can be elicited by combinations of LRAs.

The Italian 2017 Outbreak Chikungunya Virus Belongs to an Emerging Aedes albopictus-Adapted Virus Cluster Introduced From the Indian Subcontinent.

BACKGROUND: Chikungunya virus is an emerging mosquito-borne pathogen with a wide global distribution. With the severe morbidity that it causes, chikungunya virus is a major public health problem in the affected areas and poses a considerable risk for unaffected areas hosting competent vector populations. In the summer of 2017, Italy experienced a chikungunya virus outbreak that spread in the Lazio region and caused a secondary outbreak in the Calabrian village of Guardavalle, with a final case number of 436. The causative strain was recognized as an Indian Ocean lineage (IOL) virus. METHODS: To understand the underlying genetic and molecular features of the outbreak virus, viruses from mosquito pools and clinical samples were isolated in cell culture and subjected to whole-genome sequencing and genetic analyses. RESULTS: All 8 characterized genomes shared a high sequence identity. A distinct substitution pattern in the Italian 2017 viruses (including mutations in E1, E2, and nsP4) was partly shared with the Pakistani 2016 outbreak viruses. Evolutionary analyses indicate that these 2 recent outbreaks and several geographically widely distributed, travel-associated viruses form a cluster of rapidly emerging Indian-origin IOL viruses. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses show that the 2017 Italian outbreak virus belongs to a cluster of novel IOL chikungunya viruses originating in India. Their emergence calls for enhanced monitoring and strengthened preparedness measures, including vector control programs and raised awareness among general practitioners in countries potentially at risk.

A model of the three-dimensional structure of human interferon responsive factor 1 and its modifications upon phosphorylation or phosphorylation-mimicking mutations.

Interferon responsive factor 1 (IRF-1) is a pleiotropic transcription factor, possessing non-redundant biological activities that depend on its interaction with different protein partners and multiple post-translational modifications including phosphorylation. In particular, a 5'-SXXXSXS-3' motif of the protein represents the target of the IκB-related kinases, TANK-binding kinase (TBK)-1 and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase (IKK)-ε. Here, a 3D model of human IRF-1 was determined by using multi-template comparative modeling and molecular dynamics approaches. Models obtained through either phosphorylation or aspartate mutation of residues 215, 219 and 221 were also calculated and compared to the wild type. Calculations indicated that each of these modifications mainly induces a rigidification of the protein structure and only slightly changes in electrostatics and hydrophobicity of IRF-1 surface, resulting in the impairment of the capacity of IRF-1 containing as partate mutations (S221D and S215D/S219D/S221D) to synergize with tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α stimulation in inducing interferon (IFN) promoter-mediated reporter gene activation. Therefore, these changes are qualitatively correlated to the amount of negative charge located on the 215-221 segments of IRF-1 by phosphorylation or aspartate mutation. Hypotheses on the structural mechanism that governs the phosphorylation-related damping of IRF-1 activity were also drawn. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

HIV-1 Tat Recruits HDM2 E3 Ligase To Target IRF-1 for Ubiquitination and Proteasomal Degradation.

In addition to its ability to regulate HIV-1 promoter activation, the viral transactivator Tat also functions as a determinant of pathogenesis and disease progression by directly and indirectly modulating the host anti-HIV response, largely through the capacity of Tat to interact with and modulate the activities of multiple host proteins. We previously demonstrated that Tat modulated both viral and host transcriptional machinery by interacting with the cellular transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1). In the present study, we investigated the mechanistic basis and functional significance of Tat-IRF-1 interaction and demonstrate that Tat dramatically decreased IRF-1 protein stability. To accomplish this, Tat exploited the cellular HDM2 (human double minute 2 protein) ubiquitin ligase to accelerate IRF-1 proteasome-mediated degradation, resulting in a quenching of IRF-1 transcriptional activity during HIV-1 infection. These data identify IRF-1 as a new target of Tat-induced modulation of the cellular protein machinery and reveal a new strategy developed by HIV-1 to evade host immune responses. IMPORTANCE: Current therapies have dramatically reduced morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection and have converted infection from a fatal pathology to a chronic disease that is manageable via antiretroviral therapy. Nevertheless, HIV-1 infection remains a challenge, and the identification of useful cellular targets for therapeutic intervention remains a major goal. The cellular transcription factor IRF-1 impacts various physiological functions, including the immune response to viral infection. In this study, we have identified a unique mechanism by which HIV-1 evades IRF-1-mediated host immune responses and show that the viral protein Tat accelerates IRF-1 proteasome-mediated degradation and inactivates IRF-1 function. Restoration of IRF-1 functionality may thus be regarded as a potential strategy to reinstate both a direct antiviral response and a more broadly acting immune regulatory circuit.

IFN Regulatory Factors and Antiviral Innate Immunity: How Viruses Can Get Better.

The interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family consists of transcriptional regulators that exert multifaceted and versatile functions in multiple biological processes. Their crucial role as central mediators in the establishment and execution of host immunity in response to pathogen-derived signals downstream pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) makes IRFs a hallmark of the host antiviral response. They function as hub molecules at the crossroad of different signaling pathways for the induction of interferon (IFN) and inflammatory cytokines, as well as of antiviral and immunomodulatory genes even in an IFN-independent manner. By regulating the development and activity of immune cells, IRFs also function as a bridge between innate and adaptive responses. As such, IRFs represent attractive and compulsive targets in viral strategies to subvert antiviral signaling. In this study, we discuss current knowledge on the wide array of strategies put in place by pathogenic viruses to evade, subvert, and/or hijack these essential components of host antiviral immunity.

ERP signs of categorical and supra-categorical processing of visual information.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent shared and distinct brain mechanisms are possibly subserving the processing of visual supra-categorical and categorical knowledge as observed with event-related potentials of the brain. Access time to these knowledge types was also investigated. Picture pairs of animals, objects, and mixed types were presented. Participants were asked to decide whether each pair contained pictures belonging to the same category (either animals or man-made objects) or to different categories by pressing one of two buttons. Response accuracy and reaction times (RTs) were also recorded. RESULTS: Both ERPs and RTs were grand-averaged separately for the same-different supra-categories and the animal-object categories. Behavioral performance was faster for more endomorphic pairs, i.e., animals vs. objects and same vs. different category pairs. For ERPs, a modulation of the earliest C1 and subsequent P1 responses to the same vs. different supra-category pairs, but not to the animal vs. object category pairs, was found. This finding supports the view that early afferent processing in the striate cortex can be boosted as a by-product of attention allocated to the processing of shapes and basic features that are mismatched, but not to their semantic quintessence, during same-different supra-categorical judgment. Most importantly, the fact that this processing accrual occurred independent of a traditional experimental condition requiring selective attention to a stimulus source out of the various sources addressed makes it conceivable that this processing accrual may arise from the attentional demand deriving from the alternate focusing of visual attention within and across stimulus categorical pairs' basic structural features. Additional posterior ERP reflections of the brain more prominently processing animal category and same-category pairs were observed at the N1 and N2 levels, respectively, as well as at a late positive complex level, overall most likely related to different stages of analysis of the greater endomorphy of these shape groups. Conversely, an enhanced fronto-central and fronto-lateral N2 as well as a centro-parietal N400 to man-made objects and different-category pairs were found, possibly indexing processing of these entities' lower endomorphy and isomorphy at the basic features and semantic levels, respectively. CONCLUSION: Overall, the present ERP results revealed shared and distinct mechanisms of access to supra-categorical and categorical knowledge in the same way in which shared and distinct neural representations underlie the processing of diverse semantic categories. Additionally, they outlined the serial nature of categorical and supra-categorical representations, indicating the sequential steps of access to these separate knowledge types.

Type I IFN--a blunt spear in fighting HIV-1 infection.

For more than 50 years, Type I Interferon (IFN) has been recognized as critical in controlling viral infections. IFN is produced downstream germ-line encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) upon engagement by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). As a result, hundreds of different interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) are rapidly induced, acting in both autocrine and paracrine manner to build a barrier against viral replication and spread. ISGs encode proteins with direct antiviral and immunomodulatory activities affecting both innate and adaptive immune responses. During infection with viruses, as HIV-1, that can establish a persistent infection, IFN although produced, is not able to block the initial infection and a chronic IFN-mediated immune activation/inflammation becomes a pathogenic mechanism of disease progression. This review will briefly summarize when and how IFN is produced during HIV-1 infection and the way this innate immune response is manipulated by the virus to its own advantage to drive chronic immune activation and progression to AIDS.