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21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

AmpSeqR: an R package for amplicon deep sequencing data analysis.

Amplicon sequencing (AmpSeq) is a methodology that targets specific genomic regions of interest for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification so that they can be sequenced to a high depth of coverage. Amplicons are typically chosen to be highly polymorphic, usually with several highly informative, high frequency single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) segregating in an amplicon of 100-200 base pair (bp). This allows high sensitivity detection and quantification of the frequency of each sequence within each sample making it suitable for applications such as low frequency somatic mosaicism detection or minor clone detection in mixed samples. AmpSeq is being increasingly applied to both biological and medical studies, in applications such as cancer, infectious diseases and brain mosaicism studies. Current bioinformatics pipelines for AmpSeq data processing lack downstream analysis, have difficulty distinguishing between true sequences and PCR sequencing errors and artifacts, and often require bioinformatic expertise. We present a new R package: AmpSeqR, designed for the processing of deep short-read amplicon sequencing data, with a focus on infectious diseases. The pipeline integrates several existing R packages combining them with newly developed functions to perform optimal filtering of reads to remove noise and improve the accuracy of the detected sequences data, permitting detection of very low frequency clones in mixed samples. The package provides useful functions including data pre-processing, amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) estimation, data post-processing, data visualization, and automatically generates a comprehensive Rmarkdown report that contains all essential results facilitating easy inclusion into reports and publications. AmpSeqR is publicly available at https://github.com/bahlolab/AmpSeqR.

High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing

Systematic mapping of insertion-tolerant regions enables capsid engineering of an infectious RNA phage.

RNA phages are attractive platforms for the design of programmable bioparticles, but their development has been constrained by limited knowledge of genomic sites that can tolerate sequence insertion. Here, we combined MuA transposase-mediated in vitro insertion mutagenesis with our established reverse genetics systems to systematically identify insertion-tolerant regions (ITRs) in the RNA phages MS2 and PP7. Screening of 4,555 MS2 and 2,228 PP7 random insertion clones identified 29 and 26 non-redundant ITRs, respectively. We further analyzed and compared these ITRs in the context of RNA genome organization and virion architecture. Both phages contained ITRs within the maturation protein, whereas only PP7 tolerated insertions within the coat protein (CP). On the basis of structural location and plaque-forming capacity, an ITR situated between Gly74 and Glu75 (GGC^GAG) in the PP7 CP was selected for further study. Infectious phage particles generated from complementary DNA clones retained the 15-bp insertion at both the RNA and protein levels. Engineered PP7 phages carrying an Arg-Gly-Asp motif inserted into the CP at this ITR displayed enhanced in vivo clearance in a Drosophila model, despite having in vitro stability comparable to that of the wild type. These findings provide the first example of CP engineering in an infectious RNA phage and establish a framework for engineering RNA phages for biological and biotechnological applications.IMPORTANCEA major obstacle to developing RNA phages as synthetic biology platforms is the lack of design principles for genomic insertion. Here, we address this limitation by establishing a mutagenesis-and-recovery workflow that systematically identifies insertion-tolerant regions (ITRs) in the RNA phages MS2 and PP7. The resulting maps reveal distinct structural constraints in the two phages and enable rational engineering of a peptide-display site in the PP7 capsid. Using this approach, we generated an engineered infectious phage with a modified capsid, thereby providing the first demonstration of capsid engineering in an infectious RNA phage, to our knowledge. This study lays the groundwork for the rational design of live RNA phage virions as tractable and engineerable scaffolds for future biological and biotechnological applications.

Animals

First report of tomato spotted wilt virus (Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae) and phytoplasma in China aster and development of duplex PCR, LAMP, and qPCR assays for rapid detection.

UNLABELLED: China aster (Callistephus chinensis) is an economically important ornamental crop widely cultivated for cut flowers and landscaping. During field surveys conducted in three districts of Karnataka, India, China aster plants exhibiting chlorotic and necrotic ring spots, leaf deformation, and witches' broom symptoms were collected and analyzed to determine the causal agents. Mechanical inoculation of symptomatic leaf sap onto cowpea (Vigna unguiculata cv. C-152) produced characteristic chlorotic and necrotic ring spots on newly emerging leaves indicating the presence of an infectious viral agent. Serological assay by DAC-ELISA followed by RT-PCR confirmed the presence of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV, Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae) in symptomatic plants. Similarly the plants exhibiting witches' broom symptoms tested positive for phytoplasma infection using universal and Nested primers PCR assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Sequence analysis of TSWV CP gene revealed more than 97% nucleotide identity with TSWV isolates reported from India and other countries. Based on these results, one representative isolate was selected for complete genome sequencing. The complete sequences of the L, M, S RNA segements were amplified cloned, and sequenced showing more than 97% nucleotide identity with global TSWV isolates available in database. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene of the phytoplasma associated with witches' broom symptoms was identified as 'Candidatus Phytoplasma australasiaticum' belonging to the 16SrII-D subgroup, sharing 99.2% nucleotide identity with previously reported isolates. Phylogenetic analysis further supported the placement of both the TSWV and phytoplasma isolates within their respective taxonomic groups. To facilitate rapid and sensitive diagnosis, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and RT-LAMP assays were developed for TSWV detection. In addition a duplex PCR assay was optimized for simultaneous detection of TSWV and phytoplasma from infected China aster plants in a single reaction. This study represents the first reports of the complete genome characterization of TSWV and phytoplasma infection in China aster in India along with the development of sensitive qPCR, RT-LAMP, and duplex PCR assays for rapid detection of these pathogens providing valuable tools for disease diagnosis, epidemiological studies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-026-05038-w.

China aster