Differentiation between wild-type and vaccines strains of varicella zoster virus (VZV) based on four single nucleotide polymorphisms

2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (12) ◽  
pp. 2618-2625
Author(s):  
L. JIN ◽  
S. XU ◽  
P. A. C. MAPLE ◽  
W. XU ◽  
K. E. BROWN

SummaryVaricella–zoster virus (VZV) infection (chickenpox) results in latency and subsequent reactivation manifests as shingles. Effective attenuated vaccines (vOka) are available for prevention of both illnesses. In this study, an amplicon-based sequencing method capable of differentiating between VZV wild-type (wt) strains and vOka vaccine is described. A total of 44 vesicular fluid specimens collected from 43 patients (16 from China and 27 from the UK) with either chickenpox or shingles were investigated, of which 10 had received previous vaccination. Four sets of polymerase chain reactions were set up simultaneously with primers amplifying regions encompassing four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), ‘69349-106262-107252-108111’. Nucleotide sequences were generated by Sanger sequencing. All samples except one had a wt SNP profile of ‘A-T-T-T’. The sample collected from a patient who received vaccine 7–10 days ago, along with VZV vaccine preparations, Zostavax and Baike-varicella gave a SNP profile ‘G-C-C-C’. The results show that this method can distinguish vaccine-derived virus from wt viruses from main four clades, (clades 1–4) and should be of utility worldwide.

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 808
Author(s):  
Laura Pérez-Lago ◽  
Teresa Aldámiz-Echevarría ◽  
Rita García-Martínez ◽  
Leire Pérez-Latorre ◽  
Marta Herranz ◽  
...  

A successful Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant, B.1.1.7, has recently been reported in the UK, causing global alarm. Most likely, the new variant emerged in a persistently infected patient, justifying a special focus on these cases. Our aim in this study was to explore certain clinical profiles involving severe immunosuppression that may help explain the prolonged persistence of viable viruses. We present three severely immunosuppressed cases (A, B, and C) with a history of lymphoma and prolonged SARS-CoV-2 shedding (2, 4, and 6 months), two of whom finally died. Whole-genome sequencing of 9 and 10 specimens from Cases A and B revealed extensive within-patient acquisition of diversity, 12 and 28 new single nucleotide polymorphisms, respectively, which suggests ongoing SARS-CoV-2 replication. This diversity was not observed for Case C after analysing 5 sequential nasopharyngeal specimens and one plasma specimen, and was only observed in one bronchoaspirate specimen, although viral viability was still considered based on constant low Ct values throughout the disease and recovery of the virus in cell cultures. The acquired viral diversity in Cases A and B followed different dynamics. For Case A, new single nucleotide polymorphisms were quickly fixed (13–15 days) after emerging as minority variants, while for Case B, higher diversity was observed at a slower emergence: fixation pace (1–2 months). Slower SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary pace was observed for Case A following the administration of hyperimmune plasma. This work adds knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 prolonged shedding in severely immunocompromised patients and demonstrates viral viability, noteworthy acquired intra-patient diversity, and different SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary dynamics in persistent cases.


Author(s):  
Oriana Kreutzfeld ◽  
Stephanie A. Rasmussen ◽  
Aarti A. Ramanathan ◽  
Patrick K. Tumwebaze ◽  
Oswald Byaruhanga ◽  
...  

Among novel compounds under recent investigation as potential new antimalarial drugs are three independently developed inhibitors of the Plasmodium falciparum P-type ATPase (PfATP4): KAE609 (cipargamin), PA92, and SJ733. We assessed ex vivo susceptibilities to these compounds of 374 fresh P. falciparum isolates collected in Tororo and Busia districts, Uganda from 2016-2019. Median IC 50 s were 65 nM for SJ733, 9.1 nM for PA92, and 0.5 nM for KAE609. Sequencing of pfatp4 for 218 of these isolates demonstrated many non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms; the most frequent mutations were G1128R (69% of isolates mixed or mutant), Q1081K/R (68%), G223S (25%), N1045K (16%) and D1116G/N/Y (16%). The G223S mutation was associated with decreased susceptibility to SJ733, PA92 and KAE609. The D1116G/N/Y mutations were associated with decreased susceptibility to SJ733, and the presence of mutations at both codons 223 and 1116 was associated with decreased susceptibility to PA92 and SJ733. In all of these cases, absolute differences in susceptibilities of wild type (WT) and mutant parasites were modest. Analysis of clones separated from mixed field isolates consistently identified mutant clones as less susceptible than WT. Analysis of isolates from other sites demonstrated presence of the G223S and D1116G/N/Y mutations across Uganda. Our results indicate that malaria parasites circulating in Uganda have a number of polymorphisms in PfATP4 and that modestly decreased susceptibility to PfATP4 inhibitors is associated with some mutations now present in Ugandan parasites.


2002 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 2131-2140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chikh Bengra ◽  
Theodore E Mifflin ◽  
Yuri Khripin ◽  
Paolo Manunta ◽  
Scott M Williams ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Human hypertension is a complex, multifactorial disease with a heritability of more than 30–50%. A genetic screening test based on analysis of multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to assess the likelihood of developing hypertension would be helpful for disease management. Methods: Tailed allele-specific primers were designed to amplify by PCR six biallelic SNP loci [three in G protein-coupled receptor kinase type 4 (GRK4): R65L, A142V, and A486V; two in angiotensinogen: −6G→A and M235T; and one in aldosterone synthase: −344C→T] associated with essential hypertension. PCRs of SNP loci were coupled (via a common sequence of 21 nucleotide tails) to incorporate Universal Amplifluor™ primers labeled with fluorescein or sulforhodamine in a homogeneous format. Use of Amplifluors in SNP PCRs produced labeled amplicons, the fluorescence of which was quantified by a microplate reader and then analyzed via an Excel macro to provide genotypes for all six SNP loci. Unique restriction endonucleases were identified for five SNP loci that could independently confirm homogeneous PCR results when needed. Results: We developed six homogeneous PCR assays that were set up, performed, and fluorometrically analyzed in 96-well microplates. Allele frequencies were determined for six SNPs in 60 Italian hypertensive patients and a control group of 60 normotensive persons. A significant correlation (P = 0.034) between one SNP [GRK4 (A486V)] and the hypertensive patients was observed. Genotyping results for five of six SNPs were confirmed by digesting corresponding amplicons with locus-specific restriction endonucleases. Conclusions: We developed a simple and homogeneous fluorescent protocol that has been used to determine the SNP genotype for six loci in a population of hypertensive and normotensive persons. We also observed a significant association (P = 0.034) between one SNP (A486V) and an Italian population of mildly hypertensive patients.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 5658-5664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soo-Jin Yang ◽  
Nagendra N. Mishra ◽  
Aileen Rubio ◽  
Arnold S. Bayer

ABSTRACTSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within themprFopen reading frame (ORF) have been commonly observed in daptomycin-resistant (DAPr)Staphylococcus aureusstrains. Such SNPs are usually associated with a gain-in-function phenotype, in terms of either increased synthesis or enhanced translocation (flipping) of lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol (L-PG). However, it is unclear if suchmprFSNPs are causal in DAPrstrains or are merely a biomarker for this phenotype. In this study, we used an isogenic set ofS. aureusstrains: (i) Newman, (ii) its isogenic ΔmprFmutant, and (iii) several intransplasmid complementation constructs, expressing either a wild-type or point-mutated form of themprFORF cloned from two isogenic DAP-susceptible (DAPs)-DAPrstrain pairs (616-701 and MRSA11/11-REF2145). Complementation of the ΔmprFstrain with singly point-mutatedmprFgenes (mprFS295LormprFT345A) revealed that (i) individual and distinct point mutations within themprFORF can recapitulate phenotypes observed in donor strains (i.e., changes in DAP MICs, positive surface charge, and cell membrane phospholipid profiles) and (ii) these gain-in-function SNPs (i.e., enhanced L-PG synthesis) likely promote reduced DAP binding toS. aureusby a charge repulsion mechanism. Thus, for these two DAPrstrains, the definedmprFSNPs appear to be causally related to this phenotype.


2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 963-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan J. McGeoch

Relationships among varicella-zoster virus (VZV; Human herpesvirus 3) genome sequences were examined to evaluate descent of strains, structures of lineages and incidence of recombination events. Eighteen complete, published genome sequences were aligned and 494 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) extracted, each as two alleles. At 281 SNPs, a single sequence differed from all the others. Distributions of the remaining 213 SNPs indicated that the sequences fell into five groups, which coincided with previously recognized phylogenetic groupings, termed E1, E2, J, M1 and M2. The 213-SNP set was divisible into 104 SNPs that were specific to a single group, and 109 cross-group SNPs that defined relationships among groups. This last set was evaluated by criteria of continuities in relationships between groups and breaks in such patterns, to identify crossover points and ascribe them to lineages. For the 99 cross-group SNPs in the genome's long unique region, it was seen that the E2 and M2 groups were almost completely distinct in their SNP alleles, and the E1 group was derived from a recombinant of E2 and M2. A valid phylogenetic tree could thus be constructed for the four E2 and two M2 strains. There was no substantive evidence for recombination within the E2 group or the E1 group (ten strains). The J and M1 groups each contained only one strain, and both were interpreted as having substantial distinct histories plus possible recombinant elements from the E2 and M2 lineages. The view of VZV recombination and phylogeny reached represents a major clarification of deep relationships among VZV lineages.


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