Recombinant Production and Characterization of a New Toxin from Cryptops iheringi Centipede Venom Revealed by Proteome and Transcriptome Analysis

Among the Chilopoda class of centipede, the Cryptops genus is one of the most associated with envenomation in humans in the metropolitan region of the state of São Paulo. To date, there is no study in the literature about the toxins present in its venom. Thus, in this work, a transcriptomic characterization of the Cryptops iheringi venom gland, as well as a proteomic analysis of its venom, were performed to obtain a toxin profile of this species. These methods indicated that 57.9% of the sequences showed to be putative toxins unknown in public databases; among them, we pointed out a novel putative toxin named Cryptoxin-1. The recombinant form of this new toxin was able to promote edema in mice footpads with massive neutrophils infiltration, linking this toxin to envenomation symptoms observed in accidents with humans. Our findings may elucidate the role of this toxin in the venom, as well as the possibility to explore other proteins found in this work.

Genetic diversity of multiple human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) clades in West Papua

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) genetic variability is classified into types, groups, and subtypes. HIV is divided into 2 types, HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 was divided into groups M (Main), N (New), and O (Outlier). Group M was divided into 9 subtypes and 48 Circulating Recombinant Form (CRF). Understanding HIV-1 subtype distribution and epidemiology can assist preventive measures and clinical decisions. Sequence variation may affect drug resistance, disease progression, and transmission route. This study aimed to determine human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) subtypes which circulate in West Papua based on gene fragments encoding the glycoprotein-41 (gp41) of the HIV envelope. The descriptive-analytic method was attended at the VCT clinic in West Papua. Samples of blood plasma from patients with HIV were amplified using RT-PCR and nested PCR. Genetic variability was analyzed using DNA sequencing. The HIV-1 subtype was determined for 35 samples which 15 were from female patients and 20 were from male patients. 3 subtypes were detected: Circulating Recombinant Form AE (CRF01_AE, n=21), B (n=12), and 52_01B (n=2). Subtypes AE predominated in HIV-1 acquired heterosexually 100 % and clinical stage level III. Subtypes AE strains of group M viruses predominated in West Papua in HIV transmitted by heterosexual contact.

Genomic surveillance of enterovirus associated with aseptic meningitis cases in southern Spain, 2015–2018

New circulating Enterovirus (EV) strains often emerge through recombination. Upsurges of recombinant non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) associated with neurologic manifestations such as EVA71 or Echovirus 30 (E30) are a growing public health concern in Europe. Only a few complete genomes of EVs circulating in Spain are available in public databases, making it difficult to address the emergence of recombinant EVs, understand their evolutionary relatedness and the possible implication in human disease. We have used metagenomic (untargeted) NGS to generate full-length EV genomes from CSF samples of EV-positive aseptic meningitis cases in Southern Spain between 2015 and 2018. Our analyses reveal the co-circulation of multiple Enterovirus B (EV-B) types (E6, E11, E13 and E30), including a novel E13 recombinant form. We observed a genetic turnover where emergent lineages (C1 for E6 and I [tentatively proposed in this study] for E30) replaced previous lineages circulating in Spain, some concomitant with outbreaks in other parts of Europe. Metagenomic sequencing provides an effective approach for the analysis of EV genomes directly from PCR-positive CSF samples. The detection of a novel, disease-associated, recombinant form emphasizes the importance of genomic surveillance to monitor spread and evolution of EVs.

Structural Basis for a Neutralizing Antibody Response Elicited by a Recombinant Hantaan Virus Gn Immunogen

The spillover of pathogenic hantaviruses from rodent reservoirs into the human population poses a continued threat to human health. Here, we show that a recombinant form of the Hantaan virus (HTNV) surface-displayed glycoprotein, Gn, elicits a neutralizing antibody response in rabbits.

Identification of CRF89_BF, a new member of an HIV-1 circulating BF intersubtype recombinant form family widely spread in South America

Circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) contribute substantially to the HIV-1 pandemic. Among 105 CRFs described in the literature, 16 are BF intersubtype recombinants, most of South American origin, of which CRF12_BF is the most widely spread. A BF recombinant cluster identified in Bolivia was suggested to represent a new CRF_BF. Here we find that it belongs to a larger cluster incorporating 39 viruses collected in 7 countries from 3 continents, 22 of them in Spain, most from Bolivian or Peruvian individuals, and 12 in South America (Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru). This BF cluster comprises three major subclusters, two associated with Bolivian and one with Peruvian individuals. Near full-length genome sequence analyses of nine viruses, collected in Spain, Bolivia, and Peru, revealed coincident BF mosaic structures, with 13 breakpoints, 6 and 7 of which coincided with CRF12_BF and CRF17_BF, respectively. In a phylogenetic tree, they grouped in a clade closely related to these CRFs, and more distantly to CRF38_BF and CRF44_BF, all circulating in South America. These results allowed to identify a new HIV-1 CRF, designated CRF89_BF. Through phylodynamic analyses, CRF89_BF emergence was estimated in Bolivia around 1986. CRF89_BF is the fifth CRF member of the HIV-1 recombinant family related to CRF12_BF.