Klebicin E, a pore-forming bacteriocin of Klebsiella pneumoniae, exploits the porin OmpC and the Ton system for translocation.

Bacteriocins, which have narrow-spectrum activity and limited adverse effects, are promising alternatives to antibiotics. In this study, we identified klebicin E (KlebE), a small bacteriocin derived from Klebsiella pneumoniae. KlebE exhibited strong efficacy against multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates and conferred a significant growth advantage to the producing strain during intraspecies competition. A giant unilamellar vesicle leakage assay demonstrated the unique membrane permeabilization effect of KlebE, suggesting that it is a pore-forming toxin. In addition to a C-terminal toxic domain, KlebE also has a disordered N-terminal domain and a globular central domain. Pulldown assays and soft agar overlay experiments revealed the essential role of the outer membrane porin OmpC and the Ton system in KlebE recognition and cytotoxicity. Strong binding between KlebE and both OmpC and TonB was observed. The TonB-box, a crucial component of the toxin-TonB interaction, was identified as the 7-amino acid sequence (E3ETLTVV9) located in the N-terminal region. Further studies showed that a region near the bottom of the central domain of KlebE plays a primary role in recognizing OmpC, with eight residues surrounding this region identified as essential for KlebE toxicity. Finally, based on the discrepancies in OmpC sequences between the KlebE-resistant and sensitive strains, it was found that the 91st residue of OmpC, an aspartic acid residue, is a key determinant of KlebE toxicity. The identification and characterization of this toxin will facilitate the development of bacteriocin-based therapies targeting multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae infections.

An alpha-herpesvirus employs host HEXIM1 to promote viral transcription.

Although it is widely accepted that herpesviruses utilize host RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) to transcribe viral genes, the mechanism of utilization varies significantly among herpesviruses. With the exception of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) in alpha-herpesviruses, the mechanism by which RNAPII transcribes viral genes in the remaining alpha-herpesviruses has not been reported. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional mechanism of an avian alpha-herpesvirus, Anatid herpesvirus 1 (AnHV-1). We discovered for the first time that hexamethylene-bis-acetamide-inducing protein 1 (HEXIM1), a major inhibitor of positive elongation factor B (P-TEFb), was significantly upregulated during AnHV-1 infection, and its expression was dynamically regulated throughout the progression of the disease. However, the expression level of HEXIM1 remained stable before and after HSV-1 infection. Excessive HEXIM1 assists AnHV-1 in progeny virus production, gene expression, and RNA polymerase II recruitment by promoting the formation of more inactive P-TEFb and the loss of RNAPII S2 phosphorylation. Conversely, the expression of some host survival-related genes, such as SOX8, CDK1, MYC, and ID2, was suppressed by HEXIM1 overexpression. Further investigation revealed that the C-terminus of the AnHV-1 US1 gene is responsible for the upregulation of HEXIM1 by activating its promoter but not by interacting with P-TEFb, which is the mechanism adopted by its homologs, HSV-1 ICP22. Additionally, the virus proliferation deficiency caused by US1 deletion during the early infection stage could be partially rescued by HEXIM1 overexpression, suggesting that HEXIM1 is responsible for AnHV-1 gaining transcription advantages when competing with cells. Taken together, this study revealed a novel HEXIM1-dependent AnHV-1 transcription mechanism, which has not been previously reported in herpesvirus or even DNA virus studies.IMPORTANCEHexamethylene-bis-acetamide-inducing protein 1 (HEXIM1) has been identified as an inhibitor of positive transcriptional elongation factor b associated with cancer, AIDS, myocardial hypertrophy, and inflammation. Surprisingly, no previous reports have explored the role of HEXIM1 in herpesvirus transcription. This study reveals a mechanism distinct from the currently known herpesvirus utilization of RNA polymerase II, highlighting the dependence on high HEXIM1 expression, which may be a previously unrecognized facet of the host shutoff manifested by many DNA viruses. Moreover, this discovery expands the significance of HEXIM1 in pathogen infection. It raises intriguing questions about whether other herpesviruses employ similar mechanisms to manipulate HEXIM1 and if this molecular target can be exploited to limit productive replication. Thus, this discovery not only contributes to our understanding of herpesvirus infection regulation but also holds implications for broader research on other herpesviruses, even DNA viruses.

Roles of long non-coding RNAs in plant immunity.

Robust plant immune systems are fine-tuned by both protein-coding genes and non-coding RNAs. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) refer to RNAs with a length of more than 200 nt and usually do not have protein-coding function and do not belong to any other well-known non-coding RNA types. The non-protein-coding, low expression, and non-conservative characteristics of lncRNAs restrict their recognition. Although studies of lncRNAs in plants are in the early stage, emerging studies have shown that plants employ lncRNAs to regulate plant immunity. Moreover, in response to stresses, numerous lncRNAs are differentially expressed, which manifests the actions of low-expressed lncRNAs and makes plant-microbe/insect interactions a convenient system to study the functions of lncRNAs. Here, we summarize the current advances in plant lncRNAs, discuss their regulatory effects in different stages of plant immunity, and highlight their roles in diverse plant-microbe/insect interactions. These insights will not only strengthen our understanding of the roles and actions of lncRNAs in plant-microbe/insect interactions but also provide novel insight into plant immune responses and a basis for further research in this field.

Serum GSDMD for Early Diagnosis of Bloodstream Infection and Differentiating Bacterial from Fungal Infections.

BACKGROUND: The role of Gasdermin D (GSDMD) in bloodstream infection (BSI) diagnosis is unknown. METHODS: Serum GSDMD levels were measured in BSI patients. Endothelial cells and PBMCs were isolated, infected with bacteria/fungi, and intracellular/extracellular GSDMD concentrations were measured. An animal model was established to investigate the association between serum GSDMD levels and BSI incidence/progression. RESULTS: ROC curve analysis indicated that GSDMD could be a potential early diagnostic biomarker for BSI (AUC = 0.9885). Combining GSDMD with procalcitonin (PCT) improved the differential diagnosis of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (AUC = 0.6699, 66.15% specificity), and early diagnosis of Gram-positive bacteria (98.46% sensitivity), while PCT was not significantly elevated. The combined GSDMD and G-test had higher sensitivity (AUC = 0.7174) for differential diagnosis of bacterial and fungal infections, and early detection of fungal infections (98.44% sensitivity). In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that GSDMD levels increased significantly within 2 hours, peaked at 16 hours, and exhibited a time-dependent upward trend. CONCLUSIONS: Serum GSDMD, alone or combined with other biomarkers, has potential for early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of BSI caused by various pathogens. This finding offers a new strategy for early detection and treatment of BSI.

Genome-wide association study reveals serovar-associated genetic loci in Riemerella anatipestifer.

BACKGROUND: The disease caused by Riemerella anatipestifer (R. anatipestifer, RA) results in large economic losses to the global duck industry every year. Serovar-related genomic variation, such as the O-antigen and capsular polysaccharide (CPS) gene clusters, has been widely used for serotyping in many gram-negative bacteria. RA has been classified into at least 21 serovars based on slide agglutination, but the molecular basis of serotyping is unknown. In this study, we performed a pan-genome-wide association study (Pan-GWAS) to identify the genetic loci associated with RA serovars. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant association between the putative CPS synthesis gene locus and the serological phenotype. Further characterization of the CPS gene clusters in 11 representative serovar strains indicated that they were highly diverse and serovar-specific. The CPS gene cluster contained the key genes wzx and wzy, which are involved in the Wzx/Wzy-dependent pathway of CPS synthesis. Similar CPS loci have been found in some other species within the family Weeksellaceae. We have also shown that deletion of the wzy gene in RA results in capsular defects and cross-agglutination. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the CPS synthesis gene cluster of R. anatipestifer is a serotype-specific genetic locus. Importantly, our finding provides a new perspective for the systematic analysis of the genetic basis of the R anatipestifer serovars and a potential target for establishing a complete molecular serotyping scheme.

Revealing the Heterogeneous Bubble Nucleation at Individual Silica Nanoparticles.

Deep understanding of the bubble nucleation process is universally important in systems, from chemical engineering to materials. However, due to its nanoscale and transient nature, effective probing of nucleation behavior with a high spatiotemporal resolution is prohibitively challenging. We previously reported the measurement of a single nanobubble nucleation at a nanoparticle using scanning electrochemical cell microscopy, where the bubble nucleation and formation were inferred from the voltammetric responses. Here, we continue the study of heterogeneous bubble nucleation at interfaces by regulating the local nanostructures using silica nanoparticles with a distinct surface morphology. It is demonstrated that, compared to the smooth spherical silica nanoparticles, the raspberry-like nanoparticles can further significantly reduce the nucleation energy barrier, with a critical peak current about 23% of the bare carbon surfaces. This study advances our understanding of how surface nanostructures direct the heterogeneous nucleation process and may offer a new strategy for surface engineering in gas involved energy conversion systems.

Iron efflux by IetA enhances ß-lactam aztreonam resistance and is linked to oxidative stress through cellular respiration in Riemerella anatipestifer.

BACKGROUND: Riemerella anatipestifer encodes an iron acquisition system, but whether it encodes the iron efflux pump and its role in antibiotic resistance are largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: To screen and identify an iron efflux gene in R. anatipestifer and determine whether and how the iron efflux gene is involved in antibiotic resistance. METHODS: In this study, gene knockout, streptonigrin susceptibility assay and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were used to screen for the iron efflux gene ietA. The MIC measurements, scanning electron microscopy and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection were used to verify the role of IetA in aztreonam resistance and its mechanism. Mortality and colonization assay were used to investigate the role of IetA in virulence. RESULTS: The deletion mutant ΔietA showed heightened susceptibility to streptonigrin, and prominent intracellular iron accumulation was observed in ΔfurΔietA under excess iron conditions. Additionally, ΔietA exhibited increased sensitivity to H2O2-produced oxidative stress. Under aerobic conditions with abundant iron, ΔietA displayed increased susceptibility to the ß-lactam antibiotic aztreonam due to heightened ROS production. However, the killing efficacy of aztreonam was diminished in both WT and ΔietA under anaerobic or iron restriction conditions. Further experiments demonstrated that the efficiency of aztreonam against ΔietA was dependent on respiratory complexes Ⅰ and Ⅱ. Finally, in a duckling model, ΔietA had reduced virulence compared with the WT. CONCLUSION: Iron efflux is critical to alleviate oxidative stress damage and ß-lactam aztreonam killing in R. anatipestifer, which is linked by cellular respiration.

RNF123 Mediates Ubiquitination and Degradation of SOCS1 To Regulate Type I Interferon Production during Duck Tembusu Virus Infection.

Many RING domain E3 ubiquitin ligases play critical roles in fine-tuning the innate immune response, yet little is known about their regulatory role in flavivirus-induced innate immunity. In previous studies, we found that the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) protein mainly undergoes lysine 48 (K48)-linked ubiquitination. However, the E3 ubiquitin ligase that promotes the K48-linked ubiquitination of SOCS1 is unknown. In the present study, we found that RING finger protein 123 (RNF123) binds to the SH2 domain of SOCS1 through its RING domain and facilitates the K48-linked ubiquitination of the K114 and K137 residues of SOCS1. Further studies found that RNF123 promoted the proteasomal degradation of SOCS1 and promoted Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)- and interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 7 (IRF7)-mediated type I IFN production during duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) infection through SOCS1, ultimately inhibiting DTMUV replication. Overall, these findings demonstrate a novel mechanism by which RNF123 regulates type I IFN signaling during DTMUV infection by targeting SOCS1 degradation. IMPORTANCE In recent years, posttranslational modification (PTM) has gradually become a research hot spot in the field of innate immunity regulation, and ubiquitination is one of the critical PTMs. DTMUV has seriously endangered the development of the waterfowl industry in Southeast Asian countries since its outbreak in 2009. Previous studies have shown that SOCS1 is modified by K48-linked ubiquitination during DTMUV infection, but E3 ubiquitin ligase catalyzing the ubiquitination of SOCS1 has not been reported. Here, we identify for the first time that RNF123 acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates TLR3- and IRF7-induced type I IFN signaling during DTMUV infection by targeting the K48-linked ubiquitination of the K114 and K137 residues of SOCS1 and the proteasomal degradation of SOCS1.

Characterization of a Unique Novel LORF3 Protein of Duck Plague Virus and Its Potential Pathogenesis.

Duck plague virus (DPV) is a high-morbidity fowl alphaherpesvirus that causes septicemic lesions in various organs. Most DPV genes are conserved among herpesviruses, while a few are specific to fowl herpesviruses, including the LORF3 gene, for which there is currently no literature describing its biological properties and functions. This study first addressed whether the LORF3 protein is expressed by making specific polyclonal antibodies. We could demonstrate that DPV LORF3 is an early gene and encodes a protein involved in virion assembly, mainly localized in the nucleus of DPV-infected DEF cells. To investigate the role of this novel LORF3 protein in DPV pathogenesis, we generated a recombinant virus that lacks expression of the LORF3 protein. Our data revealed that the LORF3 protein is not essential for viral replication but contributes to DPV replication in vitro and in vivo and promotes duck plague disease morbidity and mortality. Interestingly, deletion of the LORF3 protein abolished thymus atrophy in DPV-vaccinated ducks. In conclusion, this study revealed the expression of avian herpesviruses-specific genes and unraveled the role of the early protein LORF3 in the pathogenesis of DPV. IMPORTANCE DPV is a highly lethal alphaherpesvirus that causes duck plague in birds of the order Anseriformes. The virus has caused huge economic losses to the poultry industry due to high morbidity and mortality and the cost of vaccination. DPV encodes 78 open reading frames (ORFs), and these genes are involved in various processes of the viral life cycle. Functional characterization of DPV genes is important for understanding the complex viral life cycle and DPV pathogenesis. Here, we identified a novel protein encoded by LORF3, and our data suggest that the LORF3 protein is involved in the occurrence and development of duck plague.

Duck Tembusu virus NS3 protein induces apoptosis by activating the PERK/PKR pathway and mitochondrial pathway.

IMPORTANCE: Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) is an emerging pathogenic flavivirus that replicates well in mosquito, bird, and mammalian cells. An in vivo study revealed that BALB/c mice and Kunming mice were susceptible to DTMUV after intracerebral inoculation. Moreover, there are no reports about DTMUV-related human disease, but antibodies against DTMUV and viral RNA were detected in the serum samples of duck industry workers. This information implies that DTMUV has expanded its host range and poses a threat to mammalian health. Thus, understanding the pathogenic mechanism of DTMUV is crucial for identifying potential antiviral targets. In this study, we discovered that NS3 can induce the mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway through the PERK/PKR pathway; it can also interact with voltage-dependent anion channel 2 to induce apoptosis. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the pathogenic mechanism of DTMUV infection and identifying potential antiviral targets and may also serve as a reference for exploring the pathogenesis of other flaviviruses.

Functional characterization of a TerC family protein of Riemerella anatipestifer in manganese detoxification and virulence.

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element for bacteria, but the overload of manganese is toxic. In a previous study, we showed that the cation diffusion facilitator protein MetA and the resistance-nodulation-division efflux pump MetB are responsible for Mn efflux in the bacterial pathogen Riemerella anatipestifer CH-1. However, whether this bacterium encodes additional manganese efflux proteins is unclear. In this study, we show that R. anatipestifer CH-1 encodes a tellurium resistance C (TerC) family protein with low similarity to other characterized TerC family proteins. Compared to the wild type (WT), the terC mutant of R. anatipestifer CH-1 (∆terC) is sensitive to Mn(II) intoxication. The ability of TerC to export manganese is higher than that of MetB but lower than that of MetA. Consistently, terC deletion (∆terC) led to intracellular accumulation of Mn2+ under excess manganese conditions. Further study showed that ∆terC was more sensitive than the WT to the oxidant hypoclorite but not to hydrogen peroxide. Mutagenesis studies showed that the mutant at amino acid sites of Glu116 (E116), Asp122 (D122), Glu245 (E245) Asp248 (D248), and Asp254 (D254) may be involved in the ability of TerC to export manganese. The transcription of terC was upregulated under excess manganese and downregulated under iron-limited conditions. However, this was not dependent on the manganese metabolism regulator MetR. In contrast to a strain lacking the manganese efflux pump MetA or MetB, the terC mutant is attenuated in virulence in a duckling model of infection due to increased sensitivity to duck serum. Finally, comparative analysis showed that homologs of TerC are distributed across the bacterial kingdom, suggesting that TerC exerts a conserved manganese efflux function.IMPORTANCERiemerella anatipestifer is a notorious bacterial pathogen of ducks and other birds. In R. anatipestifer, the genes involved in manganese efflux have not been completely identified, although MetA and MetB have been identified as two manganese exporters. Additionally, the function of TerC family proteins in manganese efflux is controversial. Here, we demonstrated that a TerC family protein helps prevent Mn(II) intoxication in R. anatipestifer and that the ability of TerC to export manganese is intermediate compared to that of MetA and MetB. Sequence analysis and mutagenesis studies showed that the conserved key amino sites of TerC are Glu116, Asp122, Glu245, Asp248, and Asp254. The transcription of terC was regulated by manganese excess and iron limitation. Finally, we show that TerC plays a role in the virulence of R. anatipestifer due to the increased sensitivity to duck serum, rather than the increased sensitivity to manganese. Taken together, these results expand our understanding of manganese efflux and the pathogenic mechanisms of R. anatipestifer.

AQP8 Modulates Mitochondrial H2O2 Transport to Influence Glioma Proliferation.

BACKGROUND: Aquaporin-8 (AQP8) is involved in impacting glioma proliferation and can effect tumour growth by regulating Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling levels. In addition to transporting H2O2, AQP8 has been shown to affect ROS signaling, but evidence is lacking in gliomas. In this study, we aimed to investigate how AQP8 affects ROS signaling in gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We constructed A172 and U251 cell lines with AQP8 knockdown and AQP8 rescue by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and overexpression of lentiviral vectors. We used CCK-8 and flow cytometry to test cell proliferation and cycle, immunofluorescence and Mito-Tracker CMXRos to observe the distribution of AQP8 expression in glioma cells, Amplex and DHE to study mitochondria release of H2O2, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and NAD+/NADH ratio to assess mitochondrial function and protein blotting to detect p53 and p21 expression. RESULT: We found that AQP8 co-localised with mitochondria and that knockdown of AQP8 inhibited the release of H2O2 from mitochondria and led to increased levels of ROS in mitochondria, thereby impairing mitochondrial function. We also discovered that AQP8 knockdown resulted in suppression of cell proliferation and was blocked at the G0/G1 phase with increased expression of mitochondrial ROS signalling-related p53/p21. CONCLUSIONS: This finding provides further evidence for mechanistic studies of AQP8 as a prospective target for the treatment of gliomas.

Rapid improvement of grain appearance in three-line hybrid rice via CRISPR/Cas9 editing of grain size genes.

KEY MESSAGE: Genetic editing of grain size genes quickly improves three-line hybrid rice parents to increase the appearance quality and yield of hybrid rice. Grain size affects rice yield and quality. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to edit the grain size gene GW8 in the maintainer line WaitaiB (WTB) and restorer line Guanghui998 (GH998). The new slender sterile line WTEA (gw8) was obtained in the BC2F1 generation by transferring the grain mutation of the maintainer plant to the corresponding sterile line WantaiA (WTA, GW8) in the T1 generation. Two slender restorer lines, GH998E1 (gw8(II)) and GH998E2 (gw8(I)), were obtained in T1 generation. In the early stage, new sterile and restorer lines in grain mutations were created by targeted editing of GS3, TGW3, and GW8 genes. These parental lines were mated to detect the impact of grain-type mutations on hybrid rice yield and quality. Mutations in gs3, gw8, and tgw3 had a minimal impact on agronomic traits except the grain size and thousand-grain weight. The decrease in grain width in the combination mainly came from gw8/gw8, gs3/gs3 increased the grain length, gs3/gs3-gw8/gw8 had a more significant effect on the grain length, and gs3/gs3-gw8/gw8(I) contributed more to grain length than gs3/gs3-gw8/gw8(II). The heterozygous TGW3/tgw3 may not significantly increase grain length. Electron microscopy revealed that the low-chalky slender-grain variety had a cylindrical grain shape, a uniform distribution of endosperm cells, and tightly arranged starch grains. Quantitative fluorescence analysis of endospermdevelopment-related genes showed that the combination of slender grain hybrid rice caused by gs3 and gw8 mutations promoted endosperm development and improved appearance quality. An appropriate grain size mutation resulted in hybrid rice varieties with high yield and quality.

Effects of gut microbiome on type 1 diabetes susceptibility and complications: A large-scale bidirectional Mendelian randomization and external validation study.

AIM: To assess and verify the effect of the gut microbiome on the susceptibility and complications of type 1 diabetes (T1D). MATERIALS AND METHODS: To achieve this aim, a two-sample and reverse Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted. In addition, an external validation study was performed using individual microbiome data of patients with T1D from the gutMEGA datasets and the National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases. The circulating metabolites facilitated two-sample MR analysis, mediation and multivariable MR analysis to evaluate the direct relationship between the gut microbiome and T1D complications. RESULTS: The MR analysis results from the discovery and validation phases confirmed that Veillonellaceae can potentially reduce the susceptibility of T1D. In the gutMEGA dataset, the average relative abundance of Veillonellaceae in patients with T1D was 0.66%, compared with 1.09% in the controls. Furthermore, the external validation, which included 60 patients with T1D and 30 matched healthy controls, found that the median relative abundance of Veillonellaceae was also lower than controls at 1.10% (95% CI 0.50%-1.80%). Specifically, the Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group, known for its ability to regulate cholesterol, was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing renal, neurological and ophthalmic complications in T1D. Moreover, high cholesterol in small high-density lipoprotein and cholesteryl esters in high-density lipoprotein were associated with a reduced risk of T1D renal and ophthalmic complications. The mediation and multivariable MR analysis combining cholesterol indicated that the E. coprostanoligenes group is the most dominant factor influencing T1D complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings supported the potential causal effect of gut microbiota on the susceptibility and complications of T1D.

Application of high-resolution MRI in evaluating statin efficacy on symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of statins on symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic plaques using high-resolution 3.0 T MR vessel wall imaging (HR-MRI). METHODS: Patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic plaques (cerebral ischemic events within the last three months) confirmed by HR-MRI from July 2017 to August 2022 were retrospectively included in this study. The enrolled patients started statin therapy at baseline. All the patients underwent the follow-up HR-MRI examination after statin therapy for at least 3 months. A paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to evaluate the changes in plaque characteristics after statin therapy. Multivariate linear regression was further used to investigate the clinical factors associated with statin efficacy. RESULTS: A total of 48 patients (37 males; overall mean age = 60.2 ± 11.7 years) were included in this study. The follow-up time was 7.0 (5.6-12.0) months. In patients treated with statins for > 6 months (n = 31), plaque length, wall thickness, plaque burden, luminal stenosis and plaque enhancement were significantly reduced. Similar results were found in patients with good lipid control (n = 21). Younger age, lower BMI and hypertension were associated with decreased plaque burden. Lower BMI, hypertension and longer duration of statin therapy were associated with decreased plaque enhancement. Younger age and hypertension were associated with decreased luminal stenosis (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HR-MRI can effectively evaluate plaques changes after statin therapy. Statins can reduce plaque burden and stabilize plaques. The effect of statin may have a relationship with age, BMI, hypertension, and duration of statin therapy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: High-resolution MRI can be applied to evaluate the efficacy of statins on symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic plaques. Long-term statin use and well-controlled blood lipid levels can help reduce plaque burden and stabilize plaques. KEY POINTS: High-resolution MRI provides great help evaluating the changes of plaque characteristics after statin therapy. Efficacy of statins is associated with duration of use, controlled lipid levels, and clinical factors. High-resolution MRI can serve as an effective method for following-up symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis.

Vector competence of Culex quinquefasciatus for Tembusu virus and viral factors for virus transmission by mosquitoes.

The ongoing epidemic of flaviviruses worldwide has underscored the importance of studying flavivirus vector competence, considering their close association with mosquito vectors. Tembusu virus is an avian-related mosquito-borne flavivirus that has been an epidemic in China and Southeast Asia since 2010. However, the reason for the outbreak of Tembusu virus in 2010 remains unclear, and it is unknown whether changes in vector transmission played an essential role in this process. To address these questions, we conducted a study using Culex quinquefasciatus as a model for Tembusu virus infection, employing both oral infection and microinjection methods. Our findings confirmed that both vertical and venereal transmission collectively contribute to the cycle of Tembusu virus within the mosquito population, with persistent infections observed. Importantly, our data revealed that the prototypical Tembusu virus MM_1775 strain exhibited significantly greater infectivity and transmission rates in mosquitoes than did the duck Tembusu virus (CQW1 strain). Furthermore, we revealed that the viral E protein and 3' untranslated region are key elements responsible for these differences. In conclusion, our study sheds light on mosquito transmission of Tembusu virus and provides valuable insights into the factors influencing its infectivity and transmission rates. These findings contribute to a better understanding of Tembusu virus epidemiology and can potentially aid in the development of strategies to control its spread.

Duck hepatitis A virus utilizes PCBP2 to facilitate viral translation and replication.

Duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1) is an important member of the Picornaviridae family that causes highly fatal hepatitis in ducklings. Since picornaviruses have small genomes with limited coding capacity, they must utilize host proteins for viral cap-independent translation and RNA replication. Here, we report the role of duck poly(rC)-binding protein 2 (PCBP2) in regulating the replication and translation of DHAV-1. During DHAV-1 infection, PCBP2 expression was upregulated. A biotinylated RNA pull-down assay revealed that PCBP2 positively regulates DHAV-1 translation through specific interactions with structural domains II and III of the DHAV-1 internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Further studies revealed that PCBP2 promotes DHAV-1 replication via an interaction of its KH1 domain (aa 1-92) with DHAV-1 3Dpol. Thus, our studies demonstrated the specific role of PCBP2 in regulating DHAV-1 translation and replication, revealing a novel mechanism by which host‒virus interactions regulate viral translation and replication. These findings contribute to further understanding of the pathogenesis of picornavirus infections.

Duck STING mediates antiviral autophagy directing the interferon signaling pathway to inhibit duck plague virus infection.

Migratory birds are important vectors for virus transmission, how migratory birds recognize viruses and viruses are sustained in birds is still enigmatic. As an animal model for waterfowl among migratory birds, studying and dissecting the antiviral immunity and viral evasion in duck cells may pave a path to deciphering these puzzles. Here, we studied the mechanism of antiviral autophagy mediated by duck STING in DEF cells. The results collaborated that duck STING could significantly enhance LC3B-II/I turnover, LC3B-EGFP puncta formation, and mCherry/EGFP ratio, indicating that duck STING could induce autophagy. The autophagy induced by duck STING is not affected by shRNA knockdown of ATG5 expression, deletion of the C-terminal tail of STING, or TBK1 inhibitor BX795 treatment, indicating that duck STING activated non-classical selective autophagy is independent of interaction with TBK1, TBK1 phosphorylation, and interferon (IFN) signaling. The STING R235A mutant and Sar1A/B kinase mutant abolished duck STING induced autophagy, suggesting binding with cGAMP and COPII complex mediated transport are the critical prerequisite. Duck STING interacted with LC3B through LIR motifs to induce autophagy, the LIR 4/7 motif mutants of duck STING abolished the interaction with LC3B, and neither activated autophagy nor IFN expression, indicating that duck STING associates with LC3B directed autophagy and dictated innate immunity activation. Finally, we found that duck STING mediated autophagy significantly inhibited duck plague virus (DPV) infection via ubiquitously degraded viral proteins. Our study may shed light on one scenario about the control and evasion of diseases transmitted by migratory birds.

HSP70 positively regulates translation by interacting with the IRES and stabilizes the viral structural proteins VP1 and VP3 to facilitate duck hepatitis A virus type 1 replication.

The maintenance of viral protein homeostasis depends on the interaction between host cell proteins and viral proteins. As a molecular chaperone, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has been shown to play an important role in viral infection. Our results showed that HSP70 can affect translation, replication, assembly, and release during the life cycle of duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1). We demonstrated that HSP70 can regulate viral translation by interacting with the DHAV-1 internal ribosome entry site (IRES). In addition, HSP70 interacts with the viral capsid proteins VP1 and VP3 and promotes their stability by inhibiting proteasomal degradation, thereby facilitating the assembly of DHAV-1 virions. This study demonstrates the specific role of HSP70 in regulating DHAV-1 replication, which are helpful for understanding the pathogenesis of DHAV-1 infection and provide additional information about the role of HSP70 in infection by different kinds of picornaviruses, as well as the interaction between picornaviruses and host cells.

Characteristics of the a sequence of the duck Plague virus genome and specific cleavage of the viral genome based on the a sequence.

During the replication process, the herpesvirus genome forms the head-to-tail linked concatemeric genome, which is then cleaved and packaged into the capsid. The cleavage and packing process is carried out by the terminase complex, which specifically recognizes and cleaves the concatemeric genome. This process is governed by a cis-acting sequence in the genome, named the a sequence. The a sequence and genome cleavage have been described in some herpesviruses, but it remains unclear in duck plague virus. In this study, we analysed the location, composition, and conservation of a sequence in the duck plague virus genome. The structure of the DPV genome has an a sequence of (DR4)m-(DR2)n-pac1-S termini (32 bp)-L termini (32 bp)-pac2, and the length is 841 bp. Direct repeat (DR) sequences are conserved in different DPV strains, but the number of DR copies is inconsistent. Additionally, the typical DR1 sequence was not found in the DPV a sequence. The Pac1 and pac2 motifs are relatively conserved between DPV and other herpesviruses. Cleavage of the DPV concatemeric genome was detected, and the results showed that the DPV genome can form a concatemer and is cleaved into a monomer at a specific site. We also established a sensitive method, TaqMan dual qRT‒PCR, to analyse genome cleavage. The ratio of concatemer to total viral genome was decreased during the replication process. These results will be critical for understanding the process of DPV genome cleavage, and the application of TaqMan dual qRT‒PCR will greatly facilitate more in-depth research.