retroviral infections
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2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huan Luo ◽  
Xuming Hu ◽  
Huixian Wu ◽  
Gul Zaib ◽  
Wenxian Chai ◽  
...  

Abstract Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections dating back many millions of years, and their derived transcripts with viral signatures are important sources of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). We have previously shown that the chicken ERV-derived lncRNA lnc-ALVE1-AS1 exerts antiviral innate immunity in chicken embryo fibroblasts. However, it is not clear whether this endogenous retroviral RNA has a similar function in immune cells. Here, we found that lnc-ALVE1-AS1 was persistently inhibited in chicken macrophages after avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) infection. Furthermore, overexpression of lnc-ALVE1-AS1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of exogenous ALV-J, whereas knockdown of lnc-ALVE1-AS1 promoted the proliferation of ALV-J in chicken macrophages. This phenomenon is attributed to the induction of antiviral innate immunity by lnc-ALVE1-AS1 in macrophages, whereas knockdown of lnc-ALVE1-AS1 had the opposite effect. Mechanistically, lnc-ALVE1-AS1 can be sensed by the cytosolic pattern recognition receptor TLR3 and trigger the type I interferons response. The present study provides novel insights into the antiviral defense of ERV-derived lncRNAs in macrophages and offers new strategies for future antiviral solutions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1009-1015
Author(s):  
Michel Toledano ◽  
Allen J. Aksamit Jr

Retroviruses are a family of RNA viruses that replicate by reverse transcription. The family includes HIV and human T-lymphotropic virus. This chapter reviews neurologic manifestations of these retroviruses. A retrovirus in the genus Lentivirus, HIV has 2 forms, HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is associated with the global AIDS pandemic, whereas HIV-2 causes an AIDS-like illness primarily in West Africa, although pockets of infection exist globally.


BMC Surgery ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giziew Bawoke ◽  
Segni Kejela ◽  
Abebe Alemayehu ◽  
Girmaye Tamirat Bogale

Abstract Background Modified radical mastectomy is the procedure of choice in centers with little to no radiotherapy services. Studying the in-hospital outcome and complications associated with the procedure is important in low-income countries. Methods This is a multi-center prospective observational study involving all patients operated with modified radical mastectomy with curative intent. Results A total of 87 patients were studied with 10.3% of which were male and 54% were between the age of 30–49 years. Clinical stage IIB and IIIA were reported in 33 (37.9%) and 25 (28.7%) respectively and 62.1% had clinically positive lymph nodes at presentation. All of the studied patients underwent curative surgery, with an average lymph node dissection of 10.2 ± 0.83. Seroma rate was 17.2% and was significantly associated with diabetes (AOR: 6.2 (CI 1.5–8.7)) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (AOR: 8.9 (CI 1.2–14.2)). Surgical site infection occurred in 14.9% and was significantly associated with Retroviral infections (AOR: 4.2 (CI 2.1–5.8)) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (AOR: 1.8 (CI 1.3–3.9)). No in-hospital mortality occurred during the course of the study. Conclusion Seroma rate was lower than published studies while surgical site infections rate was higher. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with increase in seroma and surgical site infection rates. Additionally, diabetes increased the rate of seroma. Surgical site infections were higher in patients with retroviral infections.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. e1009730
Author(s):  
Jialu Zheng ◽  
Jianhua Wang ◽  
Zhen Gong ◽  
Guan-Zhu Han

The ancestor of cetaceans underwent a macroevolutionary transition from land to water early in the Eocene Period >50 million years ago. However, little is known about how diverse retroviruses evolved during this shift from terrestrial to aquatic environments. Did retroviruses transition into water accompanying their hosts? Did retroviruses infect cetaceans through cross-species transmission after cetaceans invaded the aquatic environments? Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) provide important molecular fossils for tracing the evolution of retroviruses during this macroevolutionary transition. Here, we use a phylogenomic approach to study the origin and evolution of ERVs in cetaceans. We identify a total of 8,724 ERVs within the genomes of 25 cetaceans, and phylogenetic analyses suggest these ERVs cluster into 315 independent lineages, each of which represents one or more independent endogenization events. We find that cetacean ERVs originated through two possible routes. 298 ERV lineages may derive from retrovirus endogenization that occurred before or during the transition from land to water of cetaceans, and most of these cetacean ERVs were reaching evolutionary dead-ends. 17 ERV lineages are likely to arise from independent retrovirus endogenization events that occurred after the split of mysticetes and odontocetes, indicating that diverse retroviruses infected cetaceans through cross-species transmission from non-cetacean mammals after the transition to aquatic life of cetaceans. Both integration time and synteny analyses support the recent or ongoing activity of multiple retroviral lineages in cetaceans, some of which proliferated into hundreds of copies within the host genomes. Although ERVs only recorded a proportion of past retroviral infections, our findings illuminate the complex evolution of retroviruses during one of the most marked macroevolutionary transitions in vertebrate history.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 665
Author(s):  
Alex Moskaluk ◽  
Mary Nehring ◽  
Sue VandeWoude

We evaluated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specificity for measuring seroantibody responses to two types of retroviral infections in domestic cats: feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline foamy virus (FFV). We compared the seroreactivity of specific pathogen-free (SPF) cat sera, sera from SPF cats inoculated with either FIV or FFV, and field isolates (e.g., shelter or privately owned cats). Sera from SPF cats experimentally infected with the cognate virus had significantly lower background in both FIV and FFV ELISAs compared to sera from negative field isolates. ELISA values for SPF cats exposed to either FIV or FFV tended to have higher OD values on the opposite ELISA antigen plate. FIV nonspecific background absorbance was greater than that of FFV, and 10 of 15 sera samples from FIV seronegative field samples were measured in the indeterminant range. These findings highlight that exposure to off-target pathogens elicit antibodies that may nonspecifically bind to antigens used in binding assays; therefore, validation using sera from SPF animals exposed during controlled infection results in the setting of a cutoff value that may be inappropriately low when applied to field samples. Our work also suggests that infection of domestic cats with pathogens other than FIV results in antibodies that cross-react with the FIV Gag antigen.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 55-61
Author(s):  
Mary-Benedicta Obikili

Apolipoprotein B editing complex (APOBEC3/A3) genes are found in mammalian cells. In primates, there are 7 APOBEC3 genes, namely, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3DE, 3F, 3G, and 3H. Previous research has shown that A3 proteins help to inhibit viral infection via their cytidine deaminase activity. However, it has also been found that A3 proteins could also lead to viral evolution, where viruses such as HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) instead gain beneficial mutations that enable them to overcome the antiviral activity of A3 proteins, gain resistance to certain drugs used for treating viral infections and escape recognition by the immune system. This paper is a review article summarizing the role of A3G on viral infection and evolution, and the potential impact viral evolution could have in treatment of retroviral infections such as HIV.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1477
Author(s):  
Tamsyn Stephenson ◽  
Natasha Speight ◽  
Wai Yee Low ◽  
Lucy Woolford ◽  
Rick Tearle ◽  
...  

Koala retrovirus, a recent discovery in Australian koalas, is endogenised in 100% of northern koalas but has lower prevalence in southern populations, with lower proviral and viral loads, and an undetermined level of endogenisation. KoRV has been associated with lymphoid neoplasia, e.g., lymphoma. Recent studies have revealed high complexity in southern koala retroviral infections, with a need to clarify what constitutes positive and negative cases. This study aimed to define KoRV infection status in Mount Lofty Ranges koalas in South Australia using RNA-seq and proviral analysis (n = 216). The basis for positivity of KoRV was deemed the presence of central regions of the KoRV genome (gag 2, pol, env 1, and env 2) and based on this, 41% (89/216) koalas were positive, 57% (124/216) negative, and 2% inconclusive. These genes showed higher expression in lymph node tissue from KoRV positive koalas with lymphoma compared with other KoRV positive koalas, which showed lower, fragmented expression. Terminal regions (LTRs, partial gag, and partial env) were present in SA koalas regardless of KoRV status, with almost all (99.5%, 215/216) koalas positive for gag 1 by proviral PCR. Further investigation is needed to understand the differences in KoRV infection in southern koala populations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Jansz ◽  
Geoffrey J. Faulkner

AbstractEndogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are emerging as promising therapeutic targets in cancer. As remnants of ancient retroviral infections, ERV-derived regulatory elements coordinate expression from gene networks, including those underpinning embryogenesis and immune cell function. ERV activation can promote an interferon response, a phenomenon termed viral mimicry. Although ERV expression is associated with cancer, and provisionally with autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, ERV-mediated inflammation is being explored as a way to sensitize tumors to immunotherapy. Here we review ERV co-option in development and innate immunity, the aberrant contribution of ERVs to tumorigenesis, and the wider biomedical potential of therapies directed at ERVs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayle K. McEwen ◽  
David E. Alquezar-Planas ◽  
Anisha Dayaram ◽  
Amber Gillett ◽  
Rachael Tarlinton ◽  
...  

AbstractRepeated retroviral infections of vertebrate germlines have made endogenous retroviruses ubiquitous features of mammalian genomes. However, millions of years of evolution obscure many of the immediate repercussions of retroviral endogenisation on host health. Here we examine retroviral endogenisation during its earliest stages in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), a species undergoing germline invasion by koala retrovirus (KoRV) and affected by high cancer prevalence. We characterise KoRV integration sites (IS) in tumour and healthy tissues from 10 koalas, detecting 1002 unique IS, with hotspots of integration occurring in the vicinity of known cancer genes. We find that tumours accumulate novel IS, with proximate genes over-represented for cancer associations. We detect dysregulation of genes containing IS and identify a highly-expressed transduced oncogene. Our data provide insights into the tremendous mutational load suffered by the host during active retroviral germline invasion, a process repeatedly experienced and overcome during the evolution of vertebrate lineages.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 446-455
Author(s):  
Vidya Venkateswaran ◽  
Vinduja Vasudevan ◽  
Aradhana Karthikeyan ◽  
Vrithi Sundararaman ◽  
Ineya Madhavan ◽  
...  

Since December 2019 world news broadcasted stories of a deadly disease caused by SARS CoV-19, which is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus that replicates in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Coronaviruses (CoVs) and the associated severe acquired respiratory syndrome (SARS - CoV) are potential agents to infect the respiratory tract of humans and animals. Much scientific effort has been focused on the development of vaccine and medicines to protect future outbreaks. However, the chances to rapidly develop an effective vaccine are difficult now. Due to the sudden and explosive emergence of the disease, empirical strategies have been used to treat the patients. The increasing demand for natural products as an alternative therapy for pandemic viral diseases has encouraged research into the pharmacological importance of bioactive compounds from plants, especially Indian herbs. Ethnopharmacological studies have been extremely relevant to discover promising drugs for the treatment of viral diseases. This review is intended to focus on the traditionally practised Indian medicinal plants and bioactive compounds with anti-viral properties used for the treatment of respiratory associated viral infections and other retroviral infections. It may lead us to develop a broad spectrum of anti-viral for the prevention and control of these viral pathogens in the current situation.


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