Application value of EV/EV71/CA16-SAT detection in children with hand-foot-mouth disease.

The objective of this work was to explore the application value of a new type of fluorescent nucleic acid isothermal amplification (SAT) to detect EV/EV71/CA16-SAT in children with hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD). For this purpose, from March 2017 to September 2019, Chengdu Children's Specialized Hospital collected throat swabs from children with clinical manifestations of hand, foot and mouth disease, and used SAT technology to screen and detect universal enterovirus (EV) nucleic acid (There were 1860 children with EV-RNA) positive. Patients who are EV-RNA positive at any time: first use the same throat swab specimen to detect EV71/CA16-RNA; secondly, collect venous blood and use the colloidal gold method to detect IgM antibodies in EV71/CA16 serum. The patients with positive EV71/CA16-RNA or EV71/CA16-IgM (or both) were repeated the above two methods 2 weeks and 4 weeks after standard treatment for review and comprehensive analysis. Results showed that 763 cases were enrolled for the first time: 59.76% were male and 40.24% were female; the age ranged from 1 month to 13 years, of which 69.06% were from 1 to 4 years old; CA16-RNA positive 56.23%, EV71-RNA positive 21.89%, CA16/EV71 -RNA were all positive in 1.57%; CA16-IgM was positive in 64.48%, EV71-IgM was positive in 54.26%, and CA16/EV71-IgM were both positive in 18.74%. After 2 weeks, 722 cases were reexamined: 26.73% were positive for CA16-RNA, 7.89% were positive for EV71-RNA, 0.28% were both positive for CA16/EV71-RNA; 66.21% were positive for CA16-IgM, 51.52% were positive for EV71-IgM, and IgM were all positive in 17.73%. Four weeks later, 489 cases were reexamined: among them, CA16-RNA positive 5.73% of which were positive for EV71 color RNA (0.005%), and 12.68% of them were all positive for EV71lym. The strategy of combining SAT technology and colloidal gold method to detect EV/EV71/CA16 nucleic acid (RNA) and serum IgM antibody in children HFMD can improve the early detection rate and accuracy of HFMD; According to the comprehensive analysis of the detection results of children with HFMD at the early stage, 2 weeks and 4 weeks of the present study, it is suggested that EV/EV71/CA16-SAT nucleic acid detection can be used to judge the prognosis, follow-up treatment, set isolation time, return students to school, and community management in children with HFMD. and prevention and control have more clinical application value.

Exploring potential SARS-CoV-2 Mpro non-covalent inhibitors through docking, pharmacophore profile matching, molecular dynamic simulation, and MM-GBSA.

CONTEXT: In the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the main protease (Mpro/3CLpro) is significant. It is conserved in a number of novel coronavirus variations, and no known human proteases share its cleavage sites. Therefore, 3CLpro is an ideal target. In the report, we screened five potential inhibitors (1543, 2308, 3717, 5606, and 9000) of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro through a workflow. The calculation of MM-GBSA binding free energy showed that three of the five potential inhibitors (1543, 2308, 5606) had similar inhibitor effects to X77 against Mpro of SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, the manuscript lays the groundwork for the design of Mpro inhibitors. METHODS: In the virtual screening phase, we used structure-based virtual screening (Qvina2.1) and ligand-based virtual screening (AncPhore). In the molecular dynamic simulation part, we used the Amber14SB + GAFF force field to perform molecular dynamic simulation of the complex for 100 ns (Gromacs2021.5) and performed MM-GBSA binding free energy calculation according to the simulation trajectory.

A chromosome-level genome assembly of Artocarpus nanchuanensis (Moraceae), an extremely endangered fruit tree.

Artocarpus nanchuanensis (Moraceae), which is naturally distributed in China, is a representative and extremely endangered tree species. In this study, we obtained a high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly and annotation information for A. nanchuanensis using integrated approaches, including Illumina, Nanopore sequencing platform, and Hi-C. A total of 128.71 Gb of raw Nanopore reads were generated from 20-kb libraries, and 123.38 Gb of clean reads were obtained after filtration with 160.34× coverage depth and a 17.48-kb average read length. The final assembled A. nanchuanensis genome was 769.44 Mb with a 2.09 Mb contig N50, and 99.62% (766.50 Mb) of the assembled data was assigned to 28 pseudochromosomes. In total, 39,596 genes (95.10%, 39,596/41,636) were successfully annotated, and 129 metabolic pathways were detected. Plants disease resistance/insect resistance genes, plant-pathogen interaction metabolic pathways, and abundant biosynthesis pathways of vitamins, flavonoid, and gingerol were detected. Unigene reveals the basis of species-specific functions, and gene family in contraction and expansion generally implies strong functional differences in the evolution. Compared with other related species, a total of 512 unigenes, 309 gene families in contraction, and 559 gene families in expansion were detected in A. nanchuanensis. This A. nanchuanensis genome information provides an important resource to expand our understanding of the unique biological processes, nutritional and medicinal benefits, and evolutionary relationship of this species. The study of gene function and metabolic pathway in A. nanchuanensis may reveal the theoretical basis of a special trait in A. nanchuanensis and promote the study and utilization of its rare medicinal value.

DEFB126 polymorphisms and association with idiopathic asthenozoospermia in China.

Idiopathic asthenozoospermia, a common factor in male infertility, is characterized by altered sperm motility function in fresh ejaculate. Although the ß-defensin 126 (DEFB126) protein is associated with asthenozoospermia, DEFB126 gene polymorphisms have not been extensively studied. Therefore, the association between DEFB126 gene polymorphisms and asthenozoospermia requires further investigation. Screening was performed by semen analysis, karyotype analysis, and Y microdeletion detection, and 102 fertile men and 106 men with asthenozoospermia in Chengdu, China, were selected for DEFB126 gene sequence analyses. Seven nucleotide mutations and two nucleotide deletions in the DEFB126 gene were detected. rs11467417 (317-318 del/del), rs11467497 (163-166 wt/del), c.152T>C, and c.227A>G were significantly different between the control and asthenozoospermia groups, likely representing high-risk genetic factors for asthenozoospermia among males. DEFB126 expression was not observed in sperm with rs11467497 homozygous deletion and was unstable in sperm with rs11467417 homozygous deletion. The rs11467497 four-nucleotide deletion leads to truncation of DEFB126 at the carboxy-terminus, and the rs11467417 binucleotide deletion produces a non-stop messenger RNA (mRNA). The above deletions may be responsible for male hypofertility and infertility by reducing DEFB126 affinity to sperm surfaces. Based on in silico analysis, the amino acids 51M and 76K are located in the highly conserved domain; c.152T>C (M51T) and c.227A>G (K76R) are predicted to be damaging and capable of changing alternative splice, structural and posttranslational modification sites of the RNA, as well as the secondary structure, structural stability, and hydrophobicity of the protein, suggesting that these mutations are associated with asthenozoospermia.

The polymorphism analysis and epitope predicted of Alphapapillomavirus 9 E6 in Sichuan, China.

BACKGROUND: The Alphapapillomavirus 9 (α-9 HPV) is a member of the Alphapapillomavirus genus and Papillomaviridae family. These viruses are almost all carcinogenic HPV, which is closely related to 75% of invasive cervical cancer worldwide, and has a high prevalence in Sichuan. The carcinogenic function is mainly realized by its E6 oncoprotein. METHODS: Cell samples were collected by cervical scraped for HPV detecting and typing. HPV-16, HPV-31, HPV-33, HPV-52, HPV-58 5 α-9 genus HPV subtype positive samples were selected, their E6 gene was sequenced and analyzed. The positive selection sites of HPV E6 genes were estimated by PAML 4.8 server. The secondary and tertiary structure of E6 protein were predicted by PSIPred and Swiss-model. The T-cell antigen epitopes of E6 protein were predicted by IEDB. RESULTS: α-9 HPV has a high prevalence in Sichuan, China. From 2012 to 2017, 18,067 cell cervical samples were collected, and 3135 were detected with α-9 HPV infection. Among which, 250 cases HPV-16 E6, 96 cases HPV-31 E6, 216 cases HPV-33 E6, 288 cases HPV-52 E6 and 405 cases HPV-58 E6 were successfully amplified, 17, 6, 6, 13, and 4 non-synonymous nucleotide mutations were respectively detected in HPV-16, 31, 33, 52, and 58 E6, 7 positive selection sites of α-9 HPV E6 were selected out (D32E of HPV-16 E6, K35N, K93N and R145I of HPV-33 E6, K93R of HPV-52 E6, K93N and R145K of HPV-58 E6). The structure and antigen epitopes of E6 protein with amino acid substitution differ from those of wild-type E6 protein, especially for the mutation located in the E6 positive selection site. CONCLUSIONS: HPV E6 nucleotide non-synonymous mutation in the positive selection site influence the protein structure and decrease the antigen epitopes affinity of the E6 protein overall, making it more difficult for the HPV-infected cells to be detected by the immune system, and enhancing the HPV adaptability to the environment. Mutations influence the validity of HPV clinical diagnostic probes, the polymorphism analysis of α-9 HPV E6 enrich the data of HR-risk HPV in Sichuan China, and the detection probes designed with the polymorphism data in mind can improve the efficiency of clinical detection; Mutations influence epitopes affinity, the association of E6 polymorphism and epitope affinity can improve the design of therapeutic vaccine with good immunity and high generality antigen epitope; The above study all provide a good theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of HPV-related diseases.

Human papillomavirus 68 prevalence and genetic variability based on E6/E7 genes in Sichuan.

HPV68 is a common HR-HPV, its persistent infection is closely related with the occurrence of cervical cancer. In this study, 2939 (27.60%, 2939/10650) positive samples were detected, and 174 (5.92%, 174/2939) were HPV68. 150 HPV68 E6-E7 were successful sequenced, 4 non-synonymous mutations were detected in E6, and E7 were 12. N133S non-synonymous mutations of HPV 68 E6 and C67G, T68 A/M of HPV68 E7 are E6, E7 positive selection sites, they all located in the key domains and major motifs of E6/E7 protein, the above amino-acid substitutions changed the protein structure, disturbed the interaction with other protein or cellular factors and make a difference in epitopes affinity, may affect the pathogenicity and adaptability of HPV68 to the environment. The enrichment of HPV68 data is of great significance for understanding the inherent geographical and biological differences of HPV68 in China.

The genetic variability, phylogeny and functional significance of E6, E7 and LCR in human papillomavirus type 52 isolates in Sichuan, China.

BACKGROUND: Variations in human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 and E7 have been shown to be closely related to the persistence of the virus and the occurrence and development of cervical cancer. Long control region (LCR) of HPV has been shown multiple functions on regulating viral transcription. In recent years, there have been reports on E6/E7/LCR of HPV-16 and HPV-58, but there are few studies on HPV-52, especially for LCR. In this study, we focused on gene polymorphism of the HPV-52 E6/E7/LCR sequences, assessed the effects of variations on the immune recognition of viral E6 and E7 antigens, predicted the effect of LCR variations on transcription factor binding sites and provided more basic date for further study of E6/E7/LCR in Chengdu, China. METHODS: LCR/E6/E7 of the HPV-52 were amplified and sequenced to do polymorphic and phylogenetic analysis. Sequences were aligned with the reference sequence by MEGA 7.0 to identify SNP. A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree was constructed by MEGA 7.0, followed by the secondary structure prediction of the related proteins using PSIPRED 4.0. The selection pressure of E6 and E7 coding regions were estimated by Bayes empirical Bayes analysis of PAML 4.9. The HLA class-I and II binding peptides were predicted by the Immune Epitope Database server. The B cell epitopes were predicted by ABCpred server. Transcription factor binding sites in LCR were predicted by JASPAR database. RESULTS: 50 SNP sites (6 in E6, 10 in E7, 34 in LCR) were found. From the most variable to the least variable, the nucleotide variations were LCR > E7 > E6. Two deletions were found between the nucleotide sites 7387-7391 (TTATG) and 7698-7700 (CTT) in all samples. A deletion was found between the nucleotide sites 7287-7288 (TG) in 97.56% (40/41) of the samples. The combinations of all the SNP sites and deletions resulted in 12 unique sequences. As shown in the neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree, except for one belonging to sub-lineage C2, others sequences clustered into sub-lineage B2. No positive selection was observed in E6 and E7. 8 non-synonymous amino acid substitutions (including E3Q and K93R in the E6, and T37I, S52D, Y59D, H61Y, D64N and L99R in the E7) were potential affecting multiple putative epitopes for both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells and B-cells. A7168G was the most variable site (100%) and the binding sites for transcription factor VAX1 in LCR. In addition, the prediction results showed that LCR had the high probability binding sites for transcription factors SOX9, FOS, RAX, HOXA5, VAX1 and SRY. CONCLUSION: This study provides basic data for understanding the relation among E6/E7/LCR mutations, lineages and carcinogenesis. Furthermore, it provides an insight into the intrinsic geographical relatedness and biological differences of the HPV-52 variants, and contributes to further research on the HPV-52 therapeutic vaccine development.

Genetic variability of human papillomavirus type 39 based on E6, E7 and L1 genes in Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus type 39 associated with genital intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cancers, has a high prevalence in Southwest China. HPV E6, E7 are two main papillomavirus oncoproteins, closely relate to the function of HPV immortalization, cell transformation, and carcinogenesis. L1 is the major capsid protein, can reflect the replication status of the virus in cells and the progression of cervical lesions. The purpose of this study is to reveal the prevalence of HPV 39 and the genetic polymorphisms of HPV39 based on E6, E7 and L1 gene in southwest China. METHODS: Cell samples were collected by cervical scraped for HPV detecting and typing, and HPV39 positive samples were selected out. Important E6, E7 and L1 genes of HPV39 were sequenced and analyzed for the study of HPV39 genetic polymorphisms. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by Maximum-likelihood and Kimura 2-parameters methods in Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis version 6.0. The selection pressures of E6, E7 and L1 genes were estimated by Datamonkey web server. The secondary and three-dimensional structure of HPV39 E6, E7 proteins were created by sopma server and SWISS-MODEL software. RESULTS: 344 HPV39 positive samples were selected from 5718 HPV positive cell samples. Among HPV39 E6-E7 sequences, 20 single nucleotide mutations were detected, including 10 non-synonymous and 10 synonymous mutations; 26 single nucleotide mutations were detected in HPV39 L1 sequences, including 7 non-synonymous and 19 synonymous mutations respectively. 11 novel variants of HPV39 E6-E7 (5 in E6 and 6 in E7) and 14 novel variants of HPV39 L1 were identified in this study. A-branch was the most frequent HPV39 lineage in southwest China during our investigation. Selective pressure analysis showed that codon sites 26, 87, 151 in E6 and 75, 180, 222, 272, 284, 346, 356 in L1 were positively selected sites, as well as codon sites 45, 138, 309, 381 were negative selection sites in L1 gene, E7 has neither positive selection sites nor negative selection sites. A certain degree of secondary and three-dimensional structure dislocation was existed due to the non-synonymous mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Amino acid substitution affected the secondary and three-dimensional structure of HPV39, and resulting in the differences of carcinogenic potential and biological functions as well as the immune response due to the antigen epitopes difference, the antigen epitopes with stronger adaptability in Southwest will be screened out based on the above research results for the later vaccine development. And gene polymorphism of HPV39 in Southwest China may improve the effectiveness of clinical test and vaccine design, specifically for women in Southwest China.

[Influence of Meteorological Factors on HFMD and Construction of Prediction Model in Sichuan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Sichuan Province from 2013 to 2019. To study the correlation between meteorological factors and the incidence of HFMD and construct a prediction model. METHODS: The HMFD surveillance data and meteorological data from 2013 to 2019 in Sichuan Province were collected through the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the China Meteorological data Network. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the relationship between HFMD incidence and meteorological factors. Multiple regression model and support vector regression (SVR) model were used to construct HFMD incidence prediction models respectively. RESULTS: A total of 615 840 cases of HFMD and 81 deaths were reported from 2013 to 2019. The average annual incidence rate was 107.31/105, and the mortality rate was 0.16/106. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the monthly incidence rate of HFMD was correlated with monthly average relative humidity (r=0.342), monthly average temperature (r=0.284), monthly average water vapor pressure (r=0.304) and monthly average days of precipitation (r=0.259). The prediction effect of the SVR model (R2=0.836) was better than the multiple regression model (R2=0.375). The SVR model provided a good fit to the monthly incidence of HFMD from 2013 to 2018, and can predict the peak incidence of HFMD in 2019. CONCLUSION: Relative humidity has the greatest influence on the incidence of HFMD. The fitting value of SVR model is in good agreement with the actual value, which is valuable in predicting the incidence of HFMD in Sichuan Province.

Genetic variability, phylogeny and functional implication of the long control region in human papillomavirus type 16, 18 and 58 in Chengdu, China.

BACKGROUND: Long control region (LCR) of human papillomavirus (HPV) has shown multiple functions on regulating viral transcription. The variations of LCR related to different lineages/sub-lineages have been found to affect viral persistence and cervical cancer progression differently. In this study, we focused on gene polymorphism of HPV16/18/58 LCR to assess the effect variations caused on transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) and provided more data for further study of LCR in Southwest China. METHODS: LCR of HPV16/18/58 were amplified and sequenced to do polymorphic and phylogenetic anlysis. Sequences of each type were aligned with the reference sequence by MEGA 6.0 to identify SNPs. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA 6.0. Transcription factor binding sites were predicted by JASPAR database. RESULTS: The prevalence of these three HPVs ranked as HPV16 (12.8%) > HPV58 (12.6%) > HPV18 (3.5%) in Chengdu, Southwest China. 59 SNPs were identified in HPV16-LCR, 18 of them were novel mutations. 30 SNP were found in HPV18-LCR, 8 of them were novel. 55 SNPs were detected in HPV58-LCR, 18 of them were novel. Also, an insertion (CTTGTCAGTTTC) was detected in HPV58-LCR between position 7279 and 7280. As shown in the neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees, most isolates of HPV16/18/58 were clustered into lineage A. In addition, one isolate of HPV16 was classified into lineage C and 3 isolates of HPV58 were classified as lineage B. JASPAR results suggested that TFBS were potentially influenced by 7/6 mutations on LCR of HPV16/18. The insertion and 5 mutations were shown effects in LCR of HPV58. CONCLUSION: This study provides more data for understanding the relation among LCR mutations, lineages and carcinogenesis. It also helps performing further study to demonstrate biological function of LCR and find potential marker for diagnosis and therapy.

[Identification of a Novel Mutation of EPB41 Gene in a Family Affected with Hereditary Elliptocytosis].

OBJECTIVE: To analyse potential genetic cause of a family affected with hereditary elliptocytosis （HE）. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from this HE family were collected. Targeted capture and high-throughput sequencing of 4 813 genetic disease-associated genes was performed in four members of the family. Possible causative genetic variation was obtained and further confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Fifty healthy control subjects were recruited for detection of the candidate variation. RESULTS: High-throughput sequencing detected a nonsense mutation c.1215G>A（p.Trp405Ter）in exon 13 of the EPB41 gene in the proband and his mother presenting with moderate anemia. The pathogenicity of this loss-of-function mutation is very strong, because the G→A transition leads to introduce the premature stop codon instead of tryptophan codon at position 405, which producing a truncating protein with loss of important functional domains. This causative mutation is extremely rare in the population, and it has not yet been reported. The grandmother of the proband was heterozygous for the same mutation. Genotype-phenotype cosegregation was observed in this family. This mutation was not found in the 50 unrelated healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The c.1215G>A mutation of the EPB41 gene probably accounts for the disease in this HE family. This study reports a pathogenic EPB41 mutation in a Chinese HE family for the first time.

Identification of variants and therapeutic epitopes in HPV-33/HPV-58 E6 and E7 in Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 and E7 oncoproteins play a crucial role in HPV-related diseases, such as cervical cancer, and can be used as ideal targets for therapeutic vaccines. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) participates in the immune response to block HPV infection and invasion by its target/recognition function. HPV-33 and HPV-58 are highly prevalent among Chinese women. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the E6 and E7 region-specific gene polymorphisms of HPV-33 and HPV-58 in Southwest China and to identify ideal epitopes for vaccine design. Both HPV-33 and HPV-58 belong to α-9 genus HPV and are highly homologous, so their correlations are included in our research. METHODS: To study the E6 and E7 variations and polymorphisms of HPV-33 and HPV-58 in Southwest China, we collected samples, extracted and sequenced DNA, and identified variants. Nucleotide sequences were translated into amino acids by Mega 6.0 software. The physical/chemical properties, amino acid-conserved sequences and secondary structure of protein sequences were analysed by the Protparam server, ConSurf server and PSIPRED software. The T and B cell epitopes of the E6/E7 reference and variant sequences in HPV-33 and HPV-58 were predicted by the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) analysis server and the ABCpred server, respectively. RESULTS: Five and seven optimal HLA-I restricted T cell epitopes were selected from HPV-33 and HPV-58 E6, respectively, and these optimal epitopes are mainly located in 41-58EVYDFAFADLTVVYREGN of HPV-33 E6 and 40-60SEVYDFVFADLRIVYRDGNPF of HPV-58 E6. Six optimal HLA-I-restricted T cell epitopes were selected from HPV-33 and HPV-58 E7, and these epitopes are mainly located in 77-90RTIQQLLMGTVNIV of HPV-33 E7 and 78-91RTLQQLLMGTCTIV of HPV-58 E7. CONCLUSIONS: HPV-33/HPV-58 E6/E7 gene polymorphisms and T/B cell epitopes of their reference and variant sequences were studied, and candidate epitopes were selected by bioinformatics techniques for therapeutic vaccine design for people in Southwest China. This study was the first to investigate the correlation of epitopes between HPV-33 and HPV-58. After experimental validation, these selected epitopes will be employed to induce a wide range of immune responses in heterogeneous HLA populations.

Genetic variability of human papillomavirus type 51 E6, E7, L1 and L2 genes in Southwest China.

Genetic variations among HR-HPV types lead to altered biological functions with possible clinical significance in different geographical locations. To explore intratype genetic variations of HPV51 E6, E7, L1 and L2 genes originating from Southwest China, a total of 5204 cervical scraped cell samples were collected for DNA extraction and HPV typing. And then the E6, E7, L1 and L2 genes of HPV51 (n = 79) were sequenced and compared to the reference sequence (M62877). The ConSurf server was used for identification of conserved structural and functional amino acids of the E6 and E7 oncogenes, and the changes of the secondary structure were analyzed by PSIPred software. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by the maximum likelihood method implemented in IQ-TREE. The selection pressure acting on the E6, E7, L1 and L2 genes was estimated by Datamonkey web server. 13 nucleotide polymorphism sites were observed in E6-E7 gene and the most common mutation sites were C395T (S100L), C756T (S66L), C796T, A832G. 36 nucleotide polymorphism sites were identified in full length L1 gene and the non-synonymous mutations T6311G, A6312T (V264G), G6313A (G265S) A5674C (I52L), A6335C (N272T), A6586C (T354P) and synonymous mutations A5649T, C6147T, A6435G, G6570A, A6651G, T6774C, A6784C, A6882G, C6918A, and G6984A were the most common mutations. 53 nucleotide variation sites were identified in full-length L2 gene including four insertion sites (4418A, 4670G, 4693A, 4694C) and one deletion site (A4430). Besides, the non-synonymous mutations G4227A (V32I), A4407G (I92V), G4945A (D271N), C4985A (T284K), T5260G (L376V), A5335C (T401P) and the synonymous mutations A4166G, G4229A, G4283A, T4453C, C4566A, T4596C, C4695T, C4830T, G4839A, A5160C, and T5286G were the most common mutations. Specially, a triallelic mutation site (G4461C/A) in L2 was identified, with 26% G4461C (E109D) being non-synonymous mutation. Selective pressure analysis showed that only codon site 66 in E7 and 52 in L1 were the positively selected sites and codon sites 72, 107, 342, 412, 427 were negatively selected sites in L2 gene. Our investigation also suggests that A2 and A4 were the most frequent HPV51 lineage in Southwest China.

Genetic variability and lineage phylogeny of human papillomavirus type 45 based on E6 and E7 genes in Southwest China.

The current study investigated nucleotide variability and phylogeny in high-risk HPV45 collected from Chinese women. Fifty-one samples positive for single infections of HPV45 were collected for DNA extraction and HPV typing. The E6 and E7 genes of HPV45 were sequenced, and then the phylogenetic tree was reconstructed by the maximum likelihood method implemented in IQ-TREE under the HKY nucleotide substitution model. The selection pressures of the E6 and E7 genes were estimated using PAML software. Eleven nucleotide polymorphism sites were observed in the HPV45 E6 sequences, with 6 synonymous (C134T, T163C, A284C, T341C, T482C, A497G) and 5 non-synonymous (A124C, C157T, T162A, G259T, G487A) mutations. Six nucleotide polymorphism sites were observed in the E7 sequences, with 5 non-synonymous (G600A, A603C, A769C, G808T, G832T) and 1 synonymous (A718C) mutation. Our investigation suggests that B2 was the most frequent HPV45 sublineage in Southwest China, followed by A2; no A1 or A3 variants were detected. Selective pressure analysis showed that these mutations could reflect positive selection in HPV45 E6 and E7 genes.

Phylogeny and polymorphism in the long control regions E6, E7, and L1 of HPV Type 56 in women from southwest China.

Globally, human papillomavirus (HPV)­56 accounts for a small proportion of all high­risk HPV types; however, HPV­56 is detected at a higher rate in Asia, particularly in southwest China. The present study analyzed polymorphisms, intratypic variants, and genetic variability in the long control regions (LCR), E6, E7, and L1 of HPV­56 (n=75). The LCRs, E6, E7 and L1 were sequenced using a polymerase chain reaction and the sequences were submitted to GenBank. Maximum­likelihood trees were constructed using Kimura's two­parameter model, followed by secondary structure analysis and protein damaging prediction. Additionally, in order to assess the effect of variations in the LCR on putative binding sites for cellular proteins, MATCH server was used. Finally, the selection pressures of the E6­E7 and L1 genes were estimated. A total of 18 point substitutions, a 42­bp deletion and a 19­bp deletion of LCR were identified. Some of those mutations are embedded in the putative binding sites for transcription factors. 18 single nucleotide changes occurred in the E6­E7 sequence, 11/18 were non­synonymous substitutions and 7/18 were synonymous mutations. A total 24 single nucleotide changes were identified in the L1 sequence, 6/24 being non­synonymous mutations and 18/24 synonymous mutations. Selective pressure analysis predicted that the majority of mutations of HPV­56 E6, E7 and L1 were of positive selection. The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that the isolates distributed in two lineages. Data on the prevalence and genetic variation of HPV­56 types in southwest China may aid future studies on viral molecular mechanisms and contribute to future investigations of diagnostic probes and therapeutic vaccines.

Genetic variability in E5, E6, E7 and L1 genes of human papillomavirus type 31.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 31 is an important pathogenic subtype associated with cervical cancer. The aims of the present study were to analyze E5, E6, E7 and L1 gene mutations of HPV­31 among females, and to elucidate the evolutionary associations between them. In total, 87 positive samples were collected. The E5, E6, E7 and L1 genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Subsequently, two phylogenetic trees were constructed from the nucleotide sequences of the E5, E6 and E7 and the L1 variants of HPV­31. In total, 31 mutation sites of E5, E6 and E7 genes were identified, of which 16 were non­synonymous. T4053A (F80I), C285T (H60Y), C520T (A138V) and A743G (K62E) were the most common non­synonymous mutations. A total of 30 mutation sites of L1 genes were identified, of which four were non­synonymous. The most common non­synonymous mutations of L1 genes were A6350G (T29A) and C6372A (T36N). By phylogenetic analysis, A and C variants were most frequently detected, while B variants were less frequently detected in this population. The sequence variation data obtained in the present study provides a foundation for future research regarding HPV­induced oncogenesis, and may prove valuable for developing diagnostic probes and in the design of HPV vaccines for targeted populations.

Altered gene expression profile in a rat model of gentamicin-induced ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity, and the potential role of upregulated Ifi44 expression.

As demonstrated by Alport syndrome, the co­occurrence of auditory and urinary system malformations, and gentamicin-induced ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity, the ears and kidneys potentially share certain molecular pathways. In the present study, microarray chips were used to analyze the changes in the gene expression profile using a rat model of gentamicin­induced ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity, using rat liver tissue as a control. A number of genes were identified to exhibit similar expression changes in the rat ears and kidney tissues, among which microtubule­associated protein 44 (Ifi44), was selected for further analysis to validate its expression changes and confirm potential involvement in the inflammation process in the disease model. Ifi44 is a member of the type I interferon­inducible gene family. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed; the results demonstrated that more inflammatory cells were present in cochlear and renal parenchyma in gentamycin­induced rats, and Ifi44 expression was increased in these two organs compared with control rats. Taken together, with its role in lupus nephritis and expression in the inner ear, the results suggested that Ifi44 is potentially involved in the inflammation associated with gentamicin­induced ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity. The approach of the current study has also provided a strategy for delineating common pathways shared by organs involved in specific diseases.

Correction: E6 and E7 Gene Polymorphisms in Human Papillomavirus Types-58 and 33 Identified in Southwest China.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171140.].

E6 and E7 Gene Polymorphisms in Human Papillomavirus Types-58 and 33 Identified in Southwest China.

Cancer of the cervix is associated with infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The gene variants differ in immune responses and oncogenic potential. The E6 and E7 proteins encoded by high-risk HPV play a key role in cellular transformation. HPV-33 and HPV-58 types are highly prevalent among Chinese women. To study the gene intratypic variations, polymorphisms and positive selections of HPV-33 and HPV-58 E6/E7 in southwest China, HPV-33 (E6, E7: n = 216) and HPV-58 (E6, E7: n = 405) E6 and E7 genes were sequenced and compared to others submitted to GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by Maximum-likelihood and the Kimura 2-parameters methods by MEGA 6 (Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis version 6.0). The diversity of secondary structure was analyzed by PSIPred software. The selection pressures acting on the E6/E7 genes were estimated by PAML 4.8 (Phylogenetic Analyses by Maximun Likelihood version4.8) software. The positive sites of HPV-33 and HPV-58 E6/E7 were contrasted by ClustalX 2.1. Among 216 HPV-33 E6 sequences, 8 single nucleotide mutations were observed with 6/8 non-synonymous and 2/8 synonymous mutations. The 216 HPV-33 E7 sequences showed 3 single nucleotide mutations that were non-synonymous. The 405 HPV-58 E6 sequences revealed 8 single nucleotide mutations with 4/8 non-synonymous and 4/8 synonymous mutations. Among 405 HPV-58 E7 sequences, 13 single nucleotide mutations were observed with 10/13 non-synonymous mutations and 3/13 synonymous mutations. The selective pressure analysis showed that all HPV-33 and 4/6 HPV-58 E6/E7 major non-synonymous mutations were sites of positive selection. All variations were observed in sites belonging to major histocompatibility complex and/or B-cell predicted epitopes. K93N and R145 (I/N) were observed in both HPV-33 and HPV-58 E6.

[Idiopathic teratozoospermia is not correlated with c.144delC polymorphism in the AURKC gene in Sichuan].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of a very common mutation of c.144delC in the aurora kinase C (AURKC) gene with idiopathic teratozoospermia in Chinese infertile men in Sichuan. METHODS: Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing, we analyzed the correlation between c.144delC polymorphism of the AURKC gene and male infertility in 98 idiopathic teratozoospermia patients in comparison with 162 normal fertile men. RESULTS: Neither c.144delC mutation nor other meaningful mutations were detected in the AURKC gene in the 98 idiopathic teratozoospermia patients or the 162 normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: Teratozoospermia is not correlated with c.144delC mutation in the AURKC gene in the men of the Sichuan area. Therefore, large-scale genotyping of the AURKC gene may not be necessary clinically among Chinese patients with idiopathic teratozoospermia.