Computer Analysis of the Inhibition of ACE2 by Flavonoids and Identification of Their Potential Antiviral Pharmacophore Site.

In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activities of 17 flavonoids as natural products. These derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activities against HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Their antiviral activity was evaluated for the first time based on POM (Petra/Osiris/Molispiration) theory and docking analysis. POM calculation was used to analyze the atomic charge and geometric characteristics. The side effects, drug similarities, and drug scores were also assumed for the stable structure of each compound. These results correlated with the experimental values. The bioinformatics POM analyses of the relative antiviral activities of these derivatives are reported for the first time.

Effect of the nanocapsulated adjuvant Sapomax on the expression of some immune response genes.

The use of the nanocapsulated adjuvant Sapomax increased the expression of innate immunity genes (H2Q10, Ddx58, Tyk2, Tlr3, Tlr7, and TNF) responsible for the primary recognition of influenza virus, i.e., those belonging to the RLR and TLR families; genes involved in stimulating the production of type I and III IFN and pro-inflammatory cytokines; and Th1 and Th2 cellular immunity genes (Ccr4, Ccr5, IFNγ, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10) responsible for triggering regulatory immune mechanisms in the cell. The high immunological activity of the plant-derived nanocapsulated adjuvant Sapomax may be used to enhance the efficacy of vaccines.

Monitoring of Newcastle disease virus in environmental samples.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an important pathogen in poultry. Waterfowl and a number of other avian species serve as the host for NDV. Severity of the disease is variable and infected animals mainly develop respiratory and neurological symptoms. Outbreaks of NDV in poultry are recorded regularly in the Republic of Kazakhstan despite the widespread use of vaccines. Here we present evidence that nucleic acid found in open water bodies in Kazakhstan can be detected by means of next-generation sequencing and belongs to at least three distinct genotypes of NDV.

Draft genome sequence data of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, strain 4233.

Staphylococcus aureus is a conditionally pathogenic microorganism and one of the main causative agents of antibiotic resistant nosocomial infections. In immunocompromised people, S. aureus infection can cause folliculitis, furuncles, impetigo, osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, sepsis, endocarditis, pneumonia and meningitis. In the presented work, sequencing of a methicillin-resistant S. aureus, strain 4233, was performed on the Illumina MiSeq platform, followed by bioinformatics processing and gene annotation using SPAdes, RAST and CARD programs and databases. The submitted genome is a total of 2,790,390 bp long and contains 2759 genes, including 82 RNA genes. 33 % of the genes are functionally significant and represent 25 functional groups. Fourteen genes encoding resistance factors to 14 different types of antibacterial drugs were predicted. The information provided on the genome of S. aureus, strain 4233 will be of value in investigating the evolution and formation of antibiotic-resistant forms of S. aureus.

Isolation and Characterization of Jumbo Coliphage vB_EcoM_Lh1B as a Promising Therapeutic Agent against Chicken Colibacillosis.

Colibacillosis in chickens can cause the death of young stock, decrease weight gain and lead to significant economic losses. Currently, antibiotic therapy is the main method of treatment of infected animals, but unchecked use of antibiotics has led to widespread antibiotic resistance among microorganisms. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative methods of treating bacterial infections that are fully consistent with the One Health concept and introduce them into practice. Phage therapy meets the specified requirements perfectly. This study describes the isolation and characterization of the lytic jumbo phage vB_EcoM_Lh1B and evaluates its potential use in controlling antibiotic-resistant E. coli infection in poultry. The complete phage genome is 240,200 bp long. Open reading frame (ORF) prediction shows that the phage genome does not contain genes encoding antibiotic resistance and lysogeny factors. Based on phylogenetic and electron microscopic analysis, vB_EcoM_Lh1B belongs to the group of myoviruses of the Seoulvirus genus of the Caudoviricetes class. The bacteriophage has good resistance to a wide range of pH and temperatures and has the ability to suppress 19 out of 30 studied pathogenic E. coli strains. The biological and lytic properties of the isolated vB_EcoM_Lh1B phage make it a promising target of further study as a therapeutic agent against E. coli infections in poultry.

Draft genome sequences data of Mammaliicoccus lentus isolated from horse farm soil.

Mammallicoccus lentus is a member of the commensal microflora of the Staphylococcaceae family, which colonizes the skin of several species of farm animals, including poultry and dairy animals (Huber et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2009). The study of the members of the Staphylococcaceae family, such as the Mammaliicoccus genus, isolated from various sources is of great importance for agriculture and public health as contributes to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance gene transmission among bacterial pathogens. This thesis is supported by recent studies showing that some members of the Mammallicoccus genus serve as a reservoir of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes and may also be a source of horizontal gene transfer (Saraiva et al., 2021). Here, we present a draft genome sequence of Mammallicoccus lentus strain PVZ.22 from a horse farm soil sample. The sequencing was performed on the Illumina MiSeq platform. The genome was assembled using the Geneious software package. The genome contains 2,802,282 bp with a total of 2805 genes, 8 perfect and 12 strict AMR genes and 58 tRNAs genes.

Naturally Occurring Isorhamnetin Glycosides as Potential Agents Against Influenza Viruses: Antiviral and Molecular Docking Studies.

Influenza remains one of the most widespread infections, causing an annual illness in adults and children. Therefore, the search for new antiviral drugs is one of the priorities of practical health care. Eight isorhamnetin glycosides were purified from Persicaria species, characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry and then evaluated as potential agents against influenza virus. A comprehensive in vitro and in vivo assessment of the compounds revealed that compound 5 displayed the most potent inhibitory activity with an EC50 value of 1.2-1.3 µM, better than standard drugs (isorhamnetin 28.0-56.0 µM and oseltamivir 1.3-9.1 µM). Molecular docking results also revealed that compound 5 has the lowest binding energy (-10.7 kcal/mol) among the tested compounds and isorhamnetin (-8.1 kcal/mol). The ability of the isorhamnetin glycosides to suppress the reproduction of the influenza virus was studied on a model of a cell culture and chicken embryos. The ability of active compounds to influence the structure of the virion, as well as the activity of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, has been demonstrated. Compound 1, 5, and 6 demonstrated the most effective inhibition of virus replication for all tested viruses. Molecular dynamics simulation techniques were run for 100 ns for compound 5 with two protein receptors Hem (1RUY) and Neu (3BEQ). These results revealed that the Hem-complex system acquired a relatively more stable conformation and even better descriptors than the other Neu-complex studied systems, suggesting that it can be an effective inhibiting drug toward hemagglutinin than neuraminidase inhibition. Based on the reported results, compound 5 can be a good candidate to be evaluated for effectiveness in preclinical testing.

Metagenomic Exploration of Koumiss from Kazakhstan.

Here, we report a metagenomic analysis of koumiss from Kazakhstan. In this study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the RNA and DNA viral community was performed.

Isolation and Characterization of Lytic Bacteriophages Active against Clinical Strains of E. coli and Development of a Phage Antimicrobial Cocktail.

Pathogenic E. coli cause urinary tract, soft tissue and central nervous system infections, sepsis, etc. Lytic bacteriophages can be used to combat such infections. We investigated six lytic E. coli bacteriophages isolated from wastewater. Transmission electron microscopy and whole genome sequencing showed that the isolated bacteriophages are tailed phages of the Caudoviricetes class. One-step growth curves revealed that their latent period of reproduction is 20-30 min, and the average value of the burst size is 117-155. During co-cultivation with various E. coli strains, the phages completely suppressed bacterial host culture growth within the first 4 h at MOIs 10-7 to 10-3. The host range lysed by each bacteriophage varied from six to two bacterial strains out of nine used in the study. The cocktail formed from the isolated bacteriophages possessed the ability to completely suppress the growth of all the E. coli strains used in the study within 6 h and maintain its lytic activity for 8 months of storage. All the isolated bacteriophages may be useful in fighting pathogenic E. coli strains and in the development of phage cocktails with a long storage period and high efficiency in the treatment of bacterial infections.

Complete Genome Sequence of a Gamaleyavirus Phage, Lytic against Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli.

We report the complete genome sequence of the lytic bacteriophage vB_EcoS_Uz1, which was isolated from wastewater near Almaty, Kazakhstan using the avian pathogen Escherichia coli host. Its complete genome is 72,583 bp in length, with a GC content of 43%. vB_EcoS_Uz1 belongs to the Gamaleyavirus genus of the Caudoviricetes class.

Plant Metabolites as Antiviral Preparations Against Coronaviruses.

In 2019-2020, the Coronavirus (CoV) disease 2019 pandemic created a serious challenge for health care systems in several countries worldwide. A cure has not been developed yet and currently used treatment protocols are aimed at relieving clinical symptoms of the disease. This article presents a retrospective review of biologically active compounds of plant origin that can inhibit the reproduction of CoVs, which makes them potential candidates for creating medicinal antiviral preparations against severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 infections. A literature review of articles from highly rated journals was performed using public databases. The search was carried out using keywords related to CoVs, targets for therapy, and plant as antiviral agents. Although inhibition of viral replication is often considered the common mechanism of antiviral activity exerted by most natural products, several plant-derived compounds show specific activity for particular target viruses. In this context, certain classes of plant preparations can serve as a basis for designing modern antiviral agents. In addition, a large number of plant compounds that are potentially active against CoVs are the main components of certain common dietary supplements that can be used to improve the resistance of a population against certain respiratory infections. In this review, we have attempted to characterize the main groups of biologically active plant compounds that have the potential to disrupt the key stages of CoV replication. It has been shown that the use of certain herbal preparations can change the course of infection.

Metagenomic Exploration of Atelerix albiventris Gut Microbiome.

Here, we report the metagenomic analysis of the gut of Atelerix albiventris, an animal typically kept as a pet in Kazakhstan. In this case, shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the RNA and DNA viral community was performed.

Epipelagic microbiome of the Small Aral Sea: Metagenomic structure and ecological diversity.

Microbial diversity studies regarding the aquatic communities that experienced or are experiencing environmental problems are essential for the comprehension of the remediation dynamics. In this pilot study, we present data on the phylogenetic and ecological structure of microorganisms from epipelagic water samples collected in the Small Aral Sea (SAS). The raw data were generated by massive parallel sequencing using the shotgun approach. As expected, most of the identified DNA sequences belonged to Terrabacteria and Actinobacteria (40% and 37% of the total reads, respectively). The occurrence of Deinococcus-Thermus, Armatimonadetes, Chloroflexi in the epipelagic SAS waters was less anticipated. Surprising was also the detection of sequences, which are characteristic for strict anaerobes-Ignavibacteria, hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria, and archaeal methanogenic species. We suppose that the observed very broad range of phylogenetic and ecological features displayed by the SAS reads demonstrates a more intensive mixing of water masses originating from diverse ecological niches of the Aral-Syr Darya River basin than presumed before.

Virome Structure of the Small Aral Sea.

Here, we present a virome analysis of the surface waters of the Small Aral Sea. In this case, shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the RNA and DNA virus community was used.

Metagenome Analysis of Surface Waters of the Shardara Reservoir, the Largest Artificial Reservoir in Southern Kazakhstan.

Here, we present a metagenomic analysis of the microflora of the surface waters of the Shardara reservoir, the largest artificial reservoir in Southern Kazakhstan, created to meet irrigation and hydropower engineering needs. In this case, shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the microbial community DNA was used.

Complete Genome Sequence of vB_EcoP_PR_Kaz2018, a T7-Like Bacteriophage.

Here, we describe the complete genome sequence of the Escherichia coli bacteriophage vB_EcoP_PR_Kaz2018, isolated from a water sample. vB_EcoP_PR_Kaz2018 is a linear double-stranded DNA T7-like podophage with a genome of 39,704 bp containing 45 predicted open reading frames (ORFs).

Complete Genome Sequence of Escherichia-Infecting Phage CEC_KAZ_2018, Isolated from Soil.

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) bacteria are one of the main problems of the poultry industry. An effective way to combat colibacillosis is to use a phage preparation that lyses the bacteria. Here, we report the isolation of an E. coli-infecting phage, CEC_KAZ_2018, isolated from soil.

Comparative study of viromes from freshwater samples of the Ile-Balkhash region of Kazakhstan captured through metagenomic analysis.

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth and can be found in a variety of environments. A high prevalence of viruses in marine and freshwater systems was initially reported by Spencer in 1955, but the ecological significance of viruses is insufficiently known even until the present day. Viruses are known to play a key role in the biology of freshwater bacteria: controlling the bacterial abundance, composition of species, and acting as intermediaries in the transfer of genes between bacterial populations. In our study a variety of viromes of the Ile-Balkhash water basin were identified. It was found that the composition of viruses of the Ile-Balkhash region is made up not only of a wide variety of autochthonous viruses typical for phytoplankton hydro ecosystems, but also of representatives of allochthonous viruses-such families as Coronaviridae, Reoviridae and Herpesviridae-indicating anthropogenic pollution of the basin. The research designed to investigate the viral abundance, spread, infectious cycle, seasonal dynamics, composition of the viral community, and the influence of viruses on the bacteria, phytoplankton and recycling of nutrients, as well as the impact of environmental factors on the viral ecology in a variety of marine and freshwater systems is very relevant nowadays.