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Biologic-biologic and biologic-JAK inhibitor combination therapy in refractory systemic autoinflammatory diseases.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) arise from genetic defects in innate immunity, leading to dysregulated activation of inflammatory pathways, including interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, TNF, and JAK/STAT. Clinical manifestations range from recurrent fever to severe complications such as encephalitis and AA amyloidosis. Management aims to control inflammation using immunosuppressive agents and targeted monotherapies (biologics or JAK inhibitors). Advanced combination therapy (ACT), defined as the use of biologics and/or JAK inhibitors in combination, has emerged as a strategy for refractory disease. METHODS: In this observational retrospective longitudinal cohort study, patients with SAIDs treated with ACT were included. Demographic, clinical, treatment, and safety data were collected. Treatment response was assessed using a composite outcome incorporating corticosteroid dose, C-reactive protein (CRP), and clinical improvement and categorized as non-response, partial response, or complete response. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients (median age 30 years [range 4-76]) were included. The most common indications for ACT were pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum and acne (PAPA), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), and undifferentiated SAIDs. Most patients had disease-related complications and were dependent on glucocorticoids and/or opioids to control inflammation and pain, respectively. Following multiple ACT trials, complete response was observed in 21 patients (55.3%), partial response in 12 (31.6%), and no response in 5 (13.1%). Overall, 65 ACT regimens were administered, most commonly combining IL-1 and TNF inhibitors. Thirty-nine regimens were discontinued because of lack of efficacy, secondary loss of response, or adverse events. At the final follow-up, 26 patients (68%) remained on ACT, with a median treatment duration of 60 months (range, 11-186). CONCLUSIONS: ACT offers significant clinical benefits for patients with difficult-to-treat SAIDs, though challenges such as secondary loss of efficacy and infection risks remain.

Humans

Meniscal preservation in the age of biologics: toward a quantitative decision algorithm for personalized repair.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in arthroscopic repair and biologic augmentation, surgical indication for meniscal tears remains heterogeneous. No standardized framework currently integrates biomechanical, clinical, and biological determinants to guide repair versus resection. PURPOSE: To develop a quantitative decision model-the Meniscal Preservation Score (MPS)-that unifies biomechanical and biological evidence to stratify reparability potential and standardize treatment selection in meniscal surgery. METHODS: A systematic evidence synthesis conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 reporting standards of studies published from 2000 to 2025 in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus identified key determinants of meniscal healing. Five consistent predictors-patient age, vascularity, tear morphology, associated pathology, and activity profile-were weighted through a two-round modified Delphi consensus among ten experienced knee surgeons. The resulting 0-9-point MPS was incorporated into a stepwise decision tree linking lesion morphology, biological context, and surgical strategy. Conceptual validation used 50 simulated cases and a retrospective cohort of 45 patients to test agreement between algorithm recommendations and expert surgical decisions. RESULTS: The MPS achieved 86% concordance with expert judgment in simulation and 84% agreement in clinical validation. In this retrospective exploratory cohort, cases in which surgical management was concordant with MPS recommendations demonstrated higher mean IKDC scores at 24 months and lower observed reoperation rates. These findings should be interpreted as associative rather than causal, as treatment allocation was not controlled and discordant cases may have represented inherently more complex pathology. CONCLUSION: The MPS represents an evidence-informed decision-support framework designed to systematize reparability assessment. While exploratory analyses suggest structural coherence with expert reasoning, prospective implementation and external validation are required before clinical adoption as a predictive tool. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: conceptual model with exploratory validation.

Humans

Sulfonic Ion-Exchange Resins as Versatile Tools for the Oxidative Degradation of Chemical and Biological Hazardous Agents.

Commercial sulfonic styrene-divinylbenzene ion-exchange resins are activated with aqueous H2O2 to generate metal-free decontamination systems that combine strong Brønsted acidity with immobilized oxidizing capability. Among five tested materials, Amberlyst 15 dry showed the best performance in terms of oxidant immobilization capacity and promoting the oxidative degradation of the sulfur mustard simulant (2-chloroethyl)ethyl sulfide, CEES, and the organophosphorus pesticide malathion under very mild conditions. Control experiments with K2CO3-exchanged resin demonstrate that efficient decontamination requires the synergy between surface acidity and peroxide functionality. The activated resins also display rapid biocidal activity, strongly reducing viable Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and completely suppressing the infectivity of HSV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 within min. These findings identify peroxide-activated sulfonic resins as simple, sustainable, regenerable, and versatile tools for efficient combined hazardous chemical and biological decontamination.

Oxidation-Reduction

Targeted Nanoparticle Delivery CRISPR/Cas9: overcoming biological barriers, enhancing stability, and improving therapeutic precision.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) has emerged as a promising gene-editing platform for genetic disorders; however, its in vivo application remains limited by low delivery efficiency and biological barriers. Many CRISPR payloads fail to reach target sites due to extracellular degradation, immune clearance, and intracellular trafficking limitations. This review examines the interplay between biological barriers and nanoparticle engineering strategies for CRISPR/Cas9 delivery. A barrier-oriented engineering approach is proposed as a central framework, encompassing ligand-based surface modification for enhanced targeting and uptake, improved circulation stability via PEGylation and biomimetic coatings, and optimized payload release through endosomal escape strategies. Stimulus-responsive nanoparticle systems further enable spatiotemporal control over payload release. Nuclear targeting strategies, including optimization of nuclear localization signals (NLS) and exploitation of endogenous trafficking pathways, are highlighted as key factors for improving genome-level editing efficiency. Despite these advances, major challenges-including limited intracellular delivery efficiency, insufficient targeting precision, and safety concerns-continue to hinder clinical translation. Future directions highlight artificial intelligence-driven nanoparticle design, personalized delivery systems, and next-generation CRISPR platforms. Overall, an integrated, barrier-oriented engineering strategy is essential for advancing CRISPR/Cas9 delivery toward clinical applications, ultimately advancing global good health and well-being.

CRISPR/Cas9

Beyond antigen matching: compatibility intelligence theory for transfusion as an emergent biological system.

BACKGROUND: Despite major advances in serologic testing, extended phenotyping, and blood group genomics, clinically similar transfusion exposures may result in markedly different immune and clinical outcomes. Existing compatibility strategies do not fully explain this biological variability. OBJECTIVES: To examine transfusion compatibility as an emergent donor-recipient biological state and propose a systems-level conceptual framework that integrates established biological determinants into a testable model for future precision transfusion medicine. METHODS: This narrative review critically synthesizes current evidence from blood group genomics, recipient immunobiology, inflammation, disease-specific biology, transfusion medicine, and computational prediction. The proposed framework distinguishes Compatibility Intelligence Theory (CIT) as a biological interpretation from Precision Transfusion Intelligence (PTI) as its potential clinician-supervised translational application. RESULTS: The review argues that transfusion compatibility is shaped by interactions among donor genetics, recipient immune biology, inflammatory physiology, disease context, transfusion history, and longitudinal adaptation rather than by antigen matching alone. CIT provides an organizational framework for integrating these determinants, whereas PTI describes a possible clinician-supervised translation. To address current feasibility, the revised framework separates variables into routinely measurable, contextually available but incompletely standardized, and research-stage domains, and proposes a staged strategy for deriving rather than assuming their quantitative weights. Any clinical implementation would require comparative validation against current serologic, phenotypic, and genotype-based practice. CONCLUSIONS: Compatibility Intelligence Theory offers a testable systems-level framework for understanding transfusion compatibility without replacing established transfusion practices. The framework is not presented as a ready-to-use score: currently measurable variables can be organized for structured risk review, whereas inflammatory, immunogenetic, and multi-omic inputs require prospective standardization and validation. If future studies demonstrate incremental predictive and patient-centered benefit, CIT-informed PTI could support an adaptive, evidence-based extension of current precision transfusion practice.

Humans

Construction of an infectious clone of Spodoptera frugiperda densovirus and its biological characteristics.

Densoviruses are highly pathogenic to their insect hosts and have great potential for biocontrol. Spodoptera frugiperda densovirus (SfDV) was isolated from diseased larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda, while its biological functions remain unclear. Herein, we successfully constructed an infectious clone of SfDV. The S. frugiperda larvae transfected with the infectious clone exhibited anorexia, stunted growth, and reduced activity. Histopathological analysis further showed that the epidermis, fat body and trachea were infected instead of muscle and midgut tissues. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that numerous virions of about 22 nm were distributed within both the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm of epidermal cells. Moreover, many virions were also found contained within vesicles in the cytoplasm. The replication kinetics of the rescued SfDV (rSfDV) was similar to that of the parental SfDV. The median lethal dose (LD50) and median lethal time (LT50) values of rSfDV were 6.63 × 107 viral genome copies (vgc), 5.23 d, respectively, which were also comparable to those of the parental SfDV. Taken together, the infectious clone of SfDV provides an important tool for further exploring the genome function, pathogenesis, and interactions with its hosts.

Animals

Accelerated Biological Aging Increases the Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: Insights From Genetic Instruments of Epigenetic Clocks.

Epigenetic clocks are robust biomarkers of biological aging and have been associated with cancer susceptibility. However, the relationship between genetically predicted epigenetic age acceleration and head and neck cancer risk remains unclear. Using a large case-control study of 2189 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cases and 2189 age- and sex-matched controls, we investigated the associations between polygenic scores (PGSs) for multiple epigenetic clocks and HNSCC risk, and evaluated their potential causal roles using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). Genome-wide association study (GWAS)-identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with four epigenetic clocks (HannumAge, HorvathAge, GrimAge, and PhenoAge) were used to construct clock-specific PGSs. Logistic regression models were applied to assess associations between PGSs and HNSCC risk, while MR analyses, including inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and MR-Egger methods, were used to infer potential causal relationships. Among the 48 epigenetic clock-associated SNPs, 12 showed nominal associations with HNSCC risk, and one variant (rs2275558 in PBX1) remained significant after Bonferroni correction (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.60-0.76). PGSs for all four epigenetic clocks were higher in cases than in controls. In logistic regression analyses, each standard deviation increase in HannumAge PGS was associated with a 25% higher risk of HNSCC (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.10-1.41), whereas HorvathAge, GrimAge, and PhenoAge PGSs showed weaker positive associations (ORs ranging from 1.06 to 1.10). Individuals in the highest PGS quartile for all four epigenetic clocks exhibiting 14%-25% higher risk than those in the lower three quartiles. MR analyses supported potential causal effects of genetically predicted HannumAge (IVW OR = 1.24 per SD increase, 95% CI: 1.09-1.42) and GrimAge (IVW OR = 1.23 per SD increase, 95% CI: 0.98-1.56) on HNSCC risk, with consistent estimates in weighted median analyses. Our results highlight biological aging as a potential etiologic mechanism for HNSCC and suggest that epigenetic clock-related genetic profiles may improve HNSCC risk stratification.

Humans

Epigenetic Clocks of Biological Aging and Cognitively Healthy Longevity: The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) clocks are capable of predicting exceptional longevity with or without preserved cognitive function. METHODS: We examined 5844 women from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study. Fifteen epigenetic clocks were measured at baseline (1996-1999). Longevity outcomes were defined as: 1) survival to age 90 with preserved cognition (n = 1726, 29.5%); or 2) survival to age 90 with cognitive impairment (n = 956, 16.4%); vs. 3) death before age 90 (n = 2611, 44.7%). Logistic regression models examined associations between the 15 clocks and survival to age 90 (vs. death before age 90), adjusting for covariates. Multinomial logistic regression models examined associations with survival to age 90 without cognitive impairment and survival to age 90 with cognitive impairment (each vs. death before age 90), also adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Each standard deviation increase in EAA for the first-generation clocks was associated with 7%-18% reduced odds of survival to age 90 vs. earlier death. Stronger associations were observed for second- and third-generation clocks, including AgeAccelGrim2 (OR = 0.66; 95% CI 0.61-0.71), PCGrimAge (OR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.59-0.69), PCPhenoAge (OR = 0.73; 95% CI 0.68-0.78) and DunedinPACE (OR = 0.77; 95% CI 0.72-0.82). None of the clocks was more strongly associated with survival to age 90 with preserved cognition than with survival to age 90 with cognitive impairment, relative to death before age 90. CONCLUSION: All epigenetic clocks were associated with exceptional longevity, but none were associated with cognitive healthspan. Developing clocks that can differentiate long survival with and without preserved cognitive function is critical.

Healthspan

Modelling the effects of biological intervention in a dynamical gene network.

Cellular response to environmental and internal signals can be modeled by dynamical gene regulatory networks (GRN). In the literature, three main classes of gene network models can be distinguished: (1) non-quantitative (or data-based) models which do not describe the probability distribution of gene expressions; (2) quantitative models which fully describe the probability distribution of all genes co-expression; and (3) mechanistic models which allow for a causal interpretation of gene interactions. We propose two rigorous frameworks to model gene alteration in a dynamical GRN, depending on whether the network model is quantitative or mechanistic. We explain how these models can be used for design of experiment, or, if additional alteration data are available, for validation purposes or to improve the parameter estimation of the original model. We apply these methods to the Gaussian graphical model, which is quantitative but non-mechanistic, and to mechanistic models of Bayesian networks and penalized linear regression.

Gene Regulatory Networks

Loss, persistence and reversal of phenotypic traits.

The irreversibility of complex trait loss has long been a tenet of evolutionary biology. However, this idea is increasingly at odds with the numerous documented exceptions across the Tree of Life. We synthesise this growing body of evidence across a diverse array of taxa and traits, exploring the evolutionary conditions that enable evolutionary reversal. By integrating macroevolutionary, genetic, and developmental information, we argue that trait reversal is commonly fostered by some form of persistence in the generative developmental pathway of the lost trait. We identify three overarching modes of trait reversal and support them with multiple case studies: by pleiotropy (the involvement of the same generative components in other traits and/or functions), by plasticity (environment-dependent expression of the trait) and by hemiplasy (persistence in another lineage, followed by reticulate evolution). We also examine important affinities between trait reversal and evolutionary novelties, undermining a neat distinction between what is old and what is new in evolution. This survey may provide a useful framework for future explorations of the developmental mechanisms underlying these still overlooked macroevolutionary dynamics.

Phenotype

Biological mechanisms of atropine in myopia control (Review).

Myopia is now recognized as a progressive, potentially sight‑threatening disease rather than just a refractive error, with its prevalence rising rapidly worldwide due to its high occurrence, major vision losses and huge public health cost. The World Health Organization estimates that 2.6 billion individuals in the world were myopic in 2020 this figure is projected to increase to 3.364 billion by 2030. Although myopia may be better controlled in its early stages, it may not be completely reversed at this time. Of all of the methods for controlling myopia, atropine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, remains an effective pharmacological option for slowing myopia progression in children. However, the mechanisms of action of atropine remain to be fully elucidated. This review provided a systematic review for myopia epidemiology, pathogenesis, the effects and side effects, as well as up‑to‑date possible mechanisms, in the hope of facilitating that researchers in this field elucidate its underlying mechanisms so that clinical ophthalmologists may be able to better control this disease.

Humans

Assembly and Characterization of the First Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Tussilago farfara L.: Insights into Biological Functions and Phylogenetic Relationships within the Asteraceae Family.

Tussilago farfara L., a member of the Asteraceae family, is an economically valuable species due to its edible and medicinal properties. To elucidate the structural characteristics, genetic mechanisms, and evolutionary pathways of the organelle genomes of T. farfara, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated its mitochondrial genome for the first time. The complete mitochondrial genome of T. farfara spans 306,024 bp and contains 33 mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs), 3 rRNAs, and 22 tRNAs. Analysis of the nucleotide substitution rate and genetic diversity revealed that most mitochondrial genome genes may have undergone purifying selection, indicating a slow evolutionary rate and a relatively conserved genomic structure. We further identified 13 fragments of chloroplast-derived DNA integrated into the mitochondrial genome, evidencing intracellular gene transfer. Collinearity analysis showed that Arctium lappa shares the most extensive mitochondrial homologous sequences and the highest sequence similarity with T. farfara. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial genome helped to clarify the evolutionary and taxonomic position of T. farfara within the Asteraceae family. The mitochondrial genome sequence of T. farfara provides a valuable genomic resource for species identification and for evolutionary studies within the Asteraceae family.

Genome, Mitochondrial

The Meaning and Significance of Breastfeeding for Biological Mothers of Children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate.

INTRODUCTION: Given the functional, emotional, and symbolic challenges imposed by cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), mothers often experience early breastfeeding cessation with impacts on maternal identity and the mother-infant bond. This study aimed to explore the meanings, feelings, and experiences of mothers of children with CL/P regarding breastfeeding in the face of these adversities. METHODS: This qualitative study applied the Clinical-Qualitative Method as proposed by Turato. Six in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with biological mothers of children with CL/P, recruited from a specialized craniofacial reference center in Brazil. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach, grounded in psychodynamic concepts from the Medical Psychology theoretical framework. RESULTS: Based on the analysis of the collected material, three analytical categories were identified and constructed: (1) "Existential conflict regarding the inability to fulfill the ideal maternal role"; (2) "Duality between the need and the fear of caregiving"; and (3) "The anguish experienced between tangible and intangible support during breastfeeding."Conclusions:Although the inability to EBF in children with CL/P generates emotional distress, motherhood is reimagined through adaptive forms of care and bonding, highlighting gaps in institutional support and the need for more humanized, emotionally sensitive health practices.

Humans

Biological characterization of Candida parapsilosis haploids induced by voriconazole.

OBJECTIVES: Candida parapsilosis is an important opportunistic fungal pathogen causing serious human infections in nosocomial settings. It has long been thought that C. parapsilosis has a diploid genome with a high homozygosity between chromosome homologs. METHODS: In this study, we report the discovery of C. parapsilosis haploids induced by voriconazole, a triazole with broad antifungal activity against fungal pathogens, in an experimental evolutionary assay. RESULTS: The haploid strains were able to undergo auto-diploidization under in vitro culture conditions or during systemic infection at a low frequency. Compared to the progenitor diploid strain, C. parapsilosis haploid and auto-diploid strains exhibited a reduced ability of invasive growth and biofilm formation. Global transcriptional expression analysis indicated that haploid and auto-diploid strains had a similar transcriptomic profile, which showed a remarkable difference from the progenitor diploid strain perhaps due to the loss of chromosome heterozygosity. Moreover, the haploid and diploid strains had distinct fungal burdens in different animal tissues, suggesting the haploid state could have a colonization advantage over the diploids in certain tissues such as the brain and spleen. CONCLUSIONS: The discovery of C. parapsilosis haploids not only sheds lights on the biology of this important fungal pathogen, but also provides a tool for genetic modifications for the field.

Voriconazole

Building phenotypic character matrices for phylogenetic inference: exploration of 35 years of practice.

Recent methodological development in phylogenetic inference has focused predominantly on molecular data. However, renewed interest in other data types, particularly morphological data, has followed from the increased recognition of the power of total evidence and tip-dating approaches, including fossil data, for inference of time-scaled trees and rates of evolution. However, attention has largely focused on the improvement of models of morphological evolution and other analytical tools with much less discussion about data acquisition itself. Here we review past and current practice for describing and collecting morphological data for phylogenetic inference. We present a systematic review of 164 phylogenetic analyses conducted over the last 35 years and focused on a diverse group of extinct arthropods: trilobites. Trends in increasing matrix size, data type, and coding strategy are evident. Where present, polymorphic characters have been predominantly derived from discretized continuous characters, although increasingly practitioners are utilizing alternative approaches for the treatment of quantitative characters. Not surprisingly, traditional indices that describe character consistency are highly correlated with matrix size but show surprising variation at different taxonomic scales. More recent attempts to describe data quality using information theory imply that characters can have high information content even if data are missing for many tips, providing support against the exclusion of characters because of missing data. In consideration of this, as well as advances in the study of developmental biology and variational complexity, we identify several avenues for increasing the quality and quantity of morphological data going forward.

Phylogeny

Copper-Containing Surface Engineering for Soft-Tissue Biomedical Devices: Structure-Function Relationships and Ion Release-Driven Biological Performance, A Systematic Review.

Copper and copper-based materials have gained increasing attention for the functional modification of implantable medical devices intended for prolonged soft-tissue contact, including vascular stents, catheters, and intrauterine devices. Owing to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, redox reactivity, and involvement in angiogenesis and cellular signaling, copper-based systems offer significant potential for multifunctional surface engineering. However, achieving a balance between antibacterial efficacy, corrosion behavior, controlled ion release, and cytocompatibility remains a critical challenge. This PRISMA-compliant systematic review analyzes copper-containing materials and surface modification strategies for soft-tissue biomedical applications. A structured search of Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed (2015-2025) identified 65 eligible studies. The review encompasses bulk copper-containing alloys, electrochemical and chemical surface modification techniques, physical vapor deposition approaches, and advanced hybrid systems integrating copper with polymers, hydrogels, or metal-phenolic networks. Across the reviewed literature, antibacterial performance was strongly dependent on copper concentration, microstructural distribution, and spatiotemporal ion release profiles. Moderate, well-controlled copper incorporation frequently improved antibacterial efficacy while maintaining acceptable hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility, particularly in vascular and blood-contacting devices. In contrast, excessive copper loading often accelerated corrosion and induced adverse cellular responses. Emerging multifunctional architectures demonstrated improved regulation of biological interactions, enabling simultaneous antibacterial, antithrombotic, and proendothelial effects. Overall, copper-based surface technologies represent a versatile platform for soft-tissue implant modification. Future translational progress will require precise control of copper release kinetics and comprehensive long-term in vivo validation to ensure safety and sustained therapeutic performance. From the authors' perspective, the most promising future direction involves multifunctional copper-based hybrid coatings capable of dynamically regulating ion release, host tissue integration, and antibacterial performance simultaneously. Strategies integrating hierarchical architectures, stimulus-responsive release systems, and clinically scalable fabrication methods are expected to play a key role in translating copper-containing surfaces from experimental concepts toward commercially viable soft-tissue biomedical devices.

Copper

Molecular characterization and biological characteristics of a highly pathogenic recombinant ALV-J strain (HUE2023) with cross-clade gp85 recombination.

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) has undergone extensive diversification into phylogenetically distinct clades, yet whether recombination between these clades within the gp85 envelope glycoprotein generates variants with altered pathogenicity has received little direct investigation. A field strain (HUE2023) was recovered from breeding roosters displaying vascular tumors. The viral genome was sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic and recombination analyses. The three-dimensional structure of gp85 was predicted with AlphaFold3; electrostatic surface potentials and surface hydrophobicity were computed using the Adaptive Poisson-Boltzmann Solver and the Eisenberg hydrophobicity scale, respectively. Pathogenicity and immunosuppressive effects were assessed in Hy-Line Brown chickens. Recombination analysis revealed that HUE2023 is an inter-clade recombinant derived from Clade 1.1 (major parent: JS14NT01) and Clade 1.2 (minor parent: JS09GY3). A single-residue deletion at position 61 within receptor-binding domain 1 (RBD-1), unique to the recombinant, induced a localized conformational rearrangement that generated a concentrated electronegative surface patch and a contiguous hydrophobic pocket not observed in either parental gp85. Animal challenge showed that HUE2023 is highly pathogenic: female chickens in the high-dose group reached only 61% survival and displayed significant growth retardation (P&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.05) together with marked immunosuppression. The recombination in the RBD-1 led to local conformational rearrangement, resulting in a concentrated and negatively charged surface area as well as a continuous hydrophobic pocket, which were never present in any of the parental gp85 sequences. These results indicate that gp85 recombination across clades can yield variants with fundamentally altered receptor-binding surfaces and argue for integrating structural surveillance into ALV-J monitoring programmes.

Animals