Microplastics in Asian rivers: Geographical distribution, most detected types, and inconsistency in methodologies.

Microplastics pose a significant environmental threat, with potential implications for toxic chemical release, aquatic life endangerment, and human food chain contamination. In Asia, rapid economic growth coupled with inadequate waste management has escalated plastic pollution in rivers, positioning them as focal points for environmental concern. Despite Asia's rivers being considered the most polluted with plastics globally, scholarly attention to microplastics in the region's freshwater environments is a recent development. This study undertakes a systematic review of 228 scholarly articles to map microplastic hotspots in Asian freshwater systems and synthesize current research trends within the continent. Findings reveal a concentration of research in China and Japan, primarily investigating riverine and surface waters through net-based sampling methods. Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) emerge as the predominant microplastic types, frequently observed as fibers or fragments. However, the diversity of sampling methodologies and reporting metrics complicates data synthesis, underscoring the need for standardized analytical frameworks to facilitate comparative analysis. This paper delineates the distribution of microplastic hotspots and outlines the prevailing challenges and prospects in microplastic research within Asian freshwater contexts.

TRIM69 Inhibits Vesicular Stomatitis Indiana Virus.

Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV), formerly known as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) Indiana (VSVIND), is a model virus that is exceptionally sensitive to the inhibitory action of interferons (IFNs). Interferons induce an antiviral state by stimulating the expression of hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). These ISGs can constrain viral replication, limit tissue tropism, reduce pathogenicity, and inhibit viral transmission. Since VSIV is used as a backbone for multiple oncolytic and vaccine strategies, understanding how ISGs restrict VSIV not only helps in understanding VSIV-induced pathogenesis but also helps us evaluate and understand the safety and efficacy of VSIV-based therapies. Thus, there is a need to identify and characterize the ISGs that possess anti-VSIV activity. Using arrayed ISG expression screening, we identified TRIM69 as an ISG that potently inhibits VSIV. This inhibition was highly specific as multiple viruses, including influenza A virus, HIV-1, Rift Valley fever virus, and dengue virus, were unaffected by TRIM69. Indeed, just one amino acid substitution in VSIV can govern sensitivity/resistance to TRIM69. Furthermore, TRIM69 is highly divergent in human populations and exhibits signatures of positive selection that are consistent with this gene playing a key role in antiviral immunity. We propose that TRIM69 is an IFN-induced inhibitor of VSIV and speculate that TRIM69 could be important in limiting VSIV pathogenesis and might influence the specificity and/or efficacy of vesiculovirus-based therapies.IMPORTANCE Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV) is a veterinary pathogen that is also used as a backbone for many oncolytic and vaccine strategies. In natural and therapeutic settings, viral infections like VSIV are sensed by the host, and as a result the host cells make proteins that can protect them from viruses. In the case of VSIV, these antiviral proteins constrain viral replication and protect most healthy tissues from virus infection. In order to understand how VSIV causes disease and how healthy tissues are protected from VSIV-based therapies, it is crucial that we identify the proteins that inhibit VSIV. Here, we show that TRIM69 is an antiviral defense that can potently and specifically block VSIV infection.