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Viruses may be etiologic agents for non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes.

Although diabetes mellitus is generally subclassified into either of two categories, insulin-dependent (type I) and non-insulin-dependent (type II), the heterogeneity of its clinical expressions, genetics, and etiologies may make a clear distinction in classification difficult. Evidence to date for the involvement of viruses in the etiology of the disease has involved only type I diabetes. However, clinical data derived from the subtle chronicity of type II diabetes, the lack of pathological alterations in the pancreas in some patients with type II diabetes, and animal and human studies with Venezuelan encephalitis virus and rubella virus suggest a possible role for viruses in the pathogenesis of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

Animals↗

Genetic requirements for the function of the archaeal virus SSV1 in Sulfolobus solfataricus: construction and testing of viral shuttle vectors.

Directed open reading frame (ORF) disruption and a serial selection technique in Escherichia coli and the extremely thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus allowed the identification of otherwise cryptic crucial and noncrucial viral open reading frames in the genome of the archaeal virus SSV1. It showed that the 15. 5-kbp viral genome can incorporate a 2.96-kbp insertion without loss of viral function and package this DNA properly into infectious virus particles. The selection technique, based on the preferential binding of ethidium bromide to relaxed DNA and the resulting inhibition of endonuclease cleavage to generate a pool of mostly singly cut molecules, should be generally applicable. A fully functional viral shuttle vector for S. solfataricus and E. coli was made. This vector spreads efficiently through infected cultures of S. solfataricus, its replication is induced by UV irradiation, it forms infectious virus particles, and it is stable at high copy number in both S. solfataricus and E. coli. The classification of otherwise unidentifiable ORFs in SSV1 facilitates genetic analysis of this virus, and the shuttle vector should be useful for the development of genetic systems for Crenarchaeota.

Cloning, Molecular↗

Rapid subtyping of dengue virus serotypes 1 and 4 by restriction site-specific PCR.

We previously reported a simple subtyping method, restriction site-specific PCR (RSS-PCR), for dengue virus serotypes 2 and 3; here we describe its application for subtyping dengue virus serotypes 1 and 4. Three major RSS-PCR types were observed for dengue virus serotype 1 and two types were observed for dengue virus serotype 4, in agreement with previous strain classifications based on sequence analysis. Because of its simplicity, this method is amenable to rapid subtyping and application to epidemiological studies of dengue in countries where dengue is endemic.

DNA Primers↗

Further evidence that the nucleic acid of avian encephalomyelitis virus consists of RNA.

The nucleic acid of the Van Roekel strain of avian encephalomyelitis virus (AEV) was determined to be RNA, according to the inability of the nucleoside analog 5-bromo 2'-deoxyuridine (BUdR) to inhibit its growth in chicken embryo kidney cell cultures. The test was carried out using known DNA and RNA viruses as controls, and the results are consistent with classification of AEV as a member of the family Picornaviridae within the genus Enterovirus.

Animals↗

Polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, and echoviruses comparison of the genomes by RNA hybridization.

Hybridization of single-stranded RNA from virions of human enteroviruses with denatured double-stranded RNA from infected cells indicates that a minimum of about 5% of the genome is shared by these viruses. Polynucleotide sequence relationships, furthermore, are consistent with the biologic classification into polioviruses, coxsackieviruses groups A and B, and echoviruses. In general, about 30 to 50% of the nucleotide sequences are shared by different serotypes of virus within each of these major groups, whereas among different groups less than 20% homology is observed. Coxsackievirus B4 appears to be more closely related to echoviruses than to group A coxsackieviruses, whereas polioviruses are only distantly related to any of the other agents.

Animals↗

[Advances in the research on non-A, non-B hepatitis: hepatitis C virus. Multicenter anti-HCV studies].

In the introduction, a brief overview is given on the clinical aspects and classification of non-A, non-B hepatitis and on the discovery of hepatitis C virus. Using a recombinant hepatitis C virus antigen in an ELISA test system, for the demonstration of the antibody to hepatitis C virus, a new possibility became available in the serological diagnosis of non-A, non-B hepatitis. According to the previous hepatitis C virus antibody studies performed in Western Europe and in Hungary, the results of the present multicentre study also show that hepatitis C virus infection is frequent mainly in the post-transfusion chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis (87%) and in haemophiliacs (86%). In addition, antibody to hepatitis C virus occurs in open-heart surgery (27%) as well as in haemodialysed patients (20%), furthermore, it can be found in other forms of liver disease of various aetiology, e. g. in chronic HBsAg-positive hepatitis (33%), autoimmune liver diseases (20%) and chronic alcoholic hepatitis (14%) as well. The parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis, practically the hepatitis C virus-related liver disease often leads to cirrhosis or even carcinoma. As its treatment is unsolved question yet, the prevention seems to be of great importance, the preventive measures of post-transfusion hepatitis C virus infection is listed.

Hepacivirus↗

Molecular epidemiology of echovirus 30: temporal circulation and prevalence of single lineages.

Echovirus 30 (EV30) is one of the most frequently isolated EVs, causing extensive outbreaks of EV30 aseptic meningitis in temperate climates. EV30 is antigenically heterogeneous, and three major antigenic groups have been defined, although the basis for the antigenic differences is unknown. A reverse transcription-nested PCR which amplifies the 3'-terminal region of the VP1 gene directly from clinical samples was selected for studying EV30 molecular epidemiology, since the major antigenic sites in this region reflect the serotypic pattern of this virus. The different previous approaches to the genetic classification of EV30 were analyzed. A complete study of the EV30 strains was performed by analyzing the sequences from the 112 EV30 strains amplified in this work and the complete set of EV30 strains previously published. A total of 318 strains of EV30 were divided into two broad genotypes (I and II). This classification was supported by the phylogenetic trees obtained from amino acid sequences, and it correlated with the antigenic heterogeneity of the reference strains described in earlier studies. The genotypes could be further divided into subgroups, and these subgroups could be divided into lineages based on their nucleotide distances and levels of bootstrapping. On the other hand, the subgroups and lineages did not result in the same correlation between amino acid and nucleotide differentiation. The molecular epidemiology of EV30 can be compared to influenza virus epidemiology, where prevailing lineages displace the less established lineages on the basis of immune escape. This pattern of evolution is clearly different from that of other enteroviruses. A single lineage at a time appears to be circulating worldwide. This behavior may be related to the epidemic activity of EV30.

Argentina↗

Testing for polyomavirus type BK DNA in plasma to identify renal-allograft recipients with viral nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Reactivation of polyomavirus type BK (BK virus) is increasingly recognized as a cause of severe renal-allograft dysfunction. Currently, patients at risk for nephropathy due to infection with the BK virus are identified by the presence of cells containing viral inclusion bodies ("decoy cells") in the urine or by biopsy of allograft tissue. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis, we performed polymerase-chain-reaction assays for BK virus DNA in plasma samples from 9 renal-allograft recipients with BK virus nephropathy; 41 renal-allograft recipients who did not have signs of nephropathy, 16 of whom had decoy cells in the urine; and as immunocompromised controls, 17 patients who had human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection (stage C3 according to the classification of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and who had not undergone transplantation. RESULTS: In all nine patients with BK virus nephropathy, BK virus DNA was detected in the plasma at the time of the initial histologic diagnosis (a mean [+/-SD] of 46+/-28 weeks after transplantation) and during the course of histologically diagnosed, persistent BK virus disease. In three of the six patients with nephropathy who were studied serially after transplantation, BK virus DNA was initially undetectable but was detected 16 to 33 weeks before nephropathy became clinically evident and was confirmed by biopsy. Tests for BK virus DNA in plasma became negative and the nephropathy resolved after the doses of immunosuppressive drugs were decreased in two patients and after removal of the renal allograft in three patients. BK virus DNA was found in the plasma of only 2 of the 41 renal-allograft recipients who had no signs of nephropathy and in none of the patients with HIV-1 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Testing for BK virus DNA in plasma from renal-allograft recipients with use of the polymerase chain reaction is a sensitive and specific method for identifying viral nephropathy.

BK Virus↗

Review: hepatitis delta.

The causative agent of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is the most unusual of all causative agents for all hepatitis viruses. Current knowledge of the molecular biology of HDV strengthens its proposed classification within the satellites, a family of subviral agents, some of which are pathogens of higher plants. Hepatitis delta virus is the only virus in the satellite family known to infect animal species, with hepatitis D having affected more than 10 million people worldwide who are also infected with its helper virus, HBV. Recently, the world map for hepatitis D appears somewhat modified, with decreasing HDV prevalence in certain areas and some new foci of HDV endemicity. Despite changing HDV prevalence, hepatitis. D, particularly the chronic form, is still an important health problem worldwide in terms of morbidity and mortality (mainly due to chronic liver disease, including hepatocellular carcinoma). Molecular studies have greatly advanced our understanding of the life cycle of HDV and of the function of its proteins. The new molecular information is of clinical relevance, with implications for the pathogenesis of liver damage, the diagnosis of HDV infection, for the natural course of the disease and, potentially, for therapy. Sensitive assays for HDV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing techniques have clarified the patterns of HDV transmission and have confirmed the existence of unusual clinical forms of the virus and their relationship to replicative levels and genotypes of HDV. Prevention and treatment of hepatitis D are still in their infancy. However, liver transplantation for delta cirrhosis has proven far more successful than in any other viral form of cirrhosis, with few reinfections of the grafted liver, and has given important information on HDV biology and the pathogenesis of liver damage.

Animals↗

Virus particles in the cochlear spiral ganglion of guinea pigs.

All examined spiral ganglions of several guinea pig populations from different breeds showed intracytoplasmic viruses in some granular spiral ganglion cells. According to their localization and morphology we classify these viruses with the oncorna group. This is not in agreement with the classification of other authors. Apparently there is a world-wide latent viral infection in guinea pigs. Beside the virus particles we found an accumulation of lysosomes which indicate a local increased lysosomal activity of the infected ganglion cells. Further influences on the infected cells can neither be demonstrated nor denied.

Animals↗

Identification and molecular characterization of 18 paramyxoviruses isolated from snakes.

Viral agents from 18 different snake species (families Colubridae, Viperidae, and Crotalidae) showing respiratory symptoms and neuronal disease were identified as paramyxoviruses by typical cytopathogenic effect (CPE), electron microscopy, and hemagglutination inhibition. Detailed molecular characterization of the viruses was performed by partial L- and F-gene-specific reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing, nucleotide and amino acid sequence alignment, and phylogenetic analysis (PHYLIP). RT-PCR of the partial L-gene (566 nt) was successful for all 18 viruses; amplicons of the partial F-gene (918 nt) could be obtained in 16 cases. F- and L-sequence alignment revealed similarities to Fer de Lance virus (FDLV) ranging from 79 to 88% on a nucleotide basis, and 94 to 99% on an amino acid basis. Phylogenetic analysis of the ophidian paramyxoviruses resulted in three clusters for the L-gene sequence and corresponding clusters for the F-gene sequence, indicating no species specificity. We analyzed the F-protein of the snake paramyxoviruses, which proved to have an identical conserved motif of heptad repeat A and predicted a furin cleavage site. This uniformity distinguishes the snake virus group from the other type species of the subfamily Paramyxovirinae. For further classification, we aligned the sequences of the ophidian paramyxoviruses and members of the Paramyxoviridae, such as Sendai virus (genus Respirovirus), mumps virus (genus Rubulavirus), measles virus (genus Morbillivirus), human respiratory syncytial virus (genus Pneumovirus) (Van Regenmortel and 10 co-authors, 2000) and Hendra virus, which have recently been suggested as type species of the genus Henipavirus (Wang et al., 2000). Maximum sequence similarity was found to the partial L-gene of Sendai virus, with 56% nucleotide and 61% amino acid identity. The FDLV and Sendai virus cluster in the phylogenetic analysis of L- and F-protein regarding the Paramyxovirus type species and Hendra virus and show the closest relationship. Regarding the biological properties, the antigenic distance, and particularly the low homology of available sequences, we propose a new genus for the reptilian paramyxoviruses within the Paramyxoviridae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

New human adenovirus associated with respiratory illness: candidate adenovirus type 39.

A new human adenovirus was isolated from a stool specimen from a 2-year-old El Salvadorian male hospitalized with severe respiratory illness. The virus, strain D335, is a typical adenovirus by routine classification tests and bears little resemblance to the other 38 adenovirus serotypes by standard hemagglutination inhibition and serum neutralization tests. The only significant cross-reaction observed was between adenovirus types 39 and 13, bilaterally, by the hemagglutination inhibition test. The virus was clearly differentiated from the other human adenoviruses by restriction enzyme analyses with SmaI, SacI, and KpnI enzymes. Strain D335 agglutinates human and rat erythrocytes to moderately high titers and is placed in hemagglutination subgroup 2B on the basis of differential hemagglutination with erythrocytes from 13 animal species. It has a density in cesium chloride of 1.339 g/ml and produces soluble components in human embryonic kidney culture that band at 1.303 g/ml (hexon), 1.283 g/ml (dodecon), and 1.212 g/ml (fiber), the last component being the only incomplete hemagglutinin found. The viral DNA is cleaved into 17 fragments by the SmaI restriction enzyme, indicating that strain D335 is a member of adenovirus subgenus D. Strain D335 is herein described as candidate adenovirus type 39 (Mastadenovirus h 39).

Adenoviruses, Human↗

Wavelets filtering for classification of very noisy electron microscopic single particles images--application on structure determination of VP5-VP19C recombinant.

BACKGROUND: Images of frozen hydrated [vitrified] virus particles were taken close-to-focus in an electron microscope containing structural signals at high spatial frequencies. These images had very low contrast due to the high levels of noise present in the image. The low contrast made particle selection, classification and orientation determination very difficult. The final purpose of the classification is to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the particle representing the class, which is usually the average. In this paper, the proposed method is based on wavelet filtering and multi-resolution processing for the classification and reconstruction of this very noisy data. A multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) is used for this classification. RESULTS: The MSA classification method is noise dependent. A set of 2600 projections from a 3D map of a herpes simplex virus--to which noise was added--was classified by MSA. The classification shows the power of wavelet filtering in enhancing the quality of class averages (used in 3D reconstruction) compared to Fourier band pass filtering. A 3D reconstruction of a recombinant virus (VP5-VP19C) is presented as an application of multi-resolution processing for classification and reconstruction. CONCLUSION: The wavelet filtering and multi-resolution processing method proposed in this paper offers a new way for processing very noisy images obtained from electron cryo-microscopes. The multi-resolution and filtering improves the speed and accuracy of classification, which is vital for the 3D reconstruction of biological objects. The VP5-VP19C recombinant virus reconstruction presented here is an example, which demonstrates the power of this method. Without this processing, it is not possible to get the correct 3D map of this virus.

Capsid Proteins↗

Retroviral aetiopathogenesis of ovine pulmonary carcinoma: a critical appraisal.

Although it has long been thought that a retrovirus is the responsible agent for ovine pulmonary carcinoma (OPC), identification of a replicative viral agent has proven difficult. Recently, the genome of a new retrovirus, jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV), found in the lung-wash of affected sheep lung, has been cloned and sequenced; characterization of this virus and its consistent presence in tumor cells argue for its role as the aetiologic agent of OPC. Analysis of the nucleic acid sequence of the JSRV genome, suggests a new class of retrovirus, one that is chimeric according to the morphological classification scheme used for retroviruses. The genome of this virus does not appear to contain an oncogene, and the mechanism by which it causes disease is still unknown. The presence of multiple copies of endogenous retroviruses related to JSRV in DNA of OPC-affected and unaffected sheep further complicates investigation of oncogenesis in OPC. This review examines the evidence for a retrovirus as the causative agent for OPC, with particular emphasis on the viruses studied to date. The significance of endogenous JSRV-related sequences is considered. The mechanisms by which a retrovirus such as JSRV might induce lung tumours in sheep, and which of these are most likely, are discussed in light of these developments, as are the prospects for new means of diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Animals↗

Protein pI alteration related to strain variation of infectious bronchitis virus, an avian Coronavirus.

Viral proteins of two strains of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which have different tissue trophism and serology, were separated on the basis of their isoelectric points (pI). The viruses have four structural proteins; the protein of greatest serological importance is found at the peplomer tip. The viral structural proteins separated by isoelectric focusing were identified by comparison to SDS-PAGE separations. Three protein bands were identical in pI and one protein band showed a difference in pI between strains. When the renatured viral proteins were Western blotted and reacted with strain-specific antiserum, antigen-antibody complexing was seen only at points corresponding to the strain-specific variant bands. For IBV strain Mass-41, antigen-antibody complexing occurred at a pI of 6.8, and, for IBV strain Ark-99, at 7.2. No cross reaction of antisera was observed for either strain. Since tissue affinities are a function of the viral peplomer-mediated attachment of virus to cells and are often directly related to pathogenicity, it appears that altered pathogenicity of strains of IBV may be detected by alteration of pI of the proteins. Classification by pI of proteins of at least the smaller viruses allows untypeable, highly pathogenic or persistent strains of these viruses to be characterized on the basis of variant proteins.

Antibodies, Viral↗

The nature of genetic variation among viruses.

Genetic variation among viruses may seem unimportant and academic--related only to pedagogical classification of things--but accurate determination of genetic relationships can have important implications, from characterizing the molecular basis of attenuation of viral vaccines to furthering knowledge about origins of viruses and even of life itself. It can even help to establish priority in the discovery of viruses when properly applied. The purpose of this brief review is to demonstrate how viruses change and what implications these changes can have on the delicate balance between the viral parasite and its host. Examples will be drawn from the hepatitis viruses when possible.

Animals↗