Composition of Eukaryotic Viruses and Bacteriophages in Individuals with Acute Gastroenteritis

Metagenomics based on the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique is a target-independent assay that enables the simultaneous detection and genomic characterization of all viruses present in a sample. There is a limited amount of data about the virome of individuals with gastroenteritis (GI). In this study, the enteric virome of 250 individuals (92% were children under 5 years old) with GI living in the northeastern and northern regions of Brazil was characterized. Fecal samples were subjected to NGS, and the metagenomic analysis of virus-like particles (VLPs) identified 11 viral DNA families and 12 viral RNA families. As expected, the highest percentage of viral sequences detected were those commonly associated with GI, including rotavirus, adenovirus, norovirus (94.8%, 82% and 71.2%, respectively). The most common co-occurrences, in a single individual, were the combinations of rotavirus-adenovirus, rotavirus-norovirus, and norovirus-adenovirus (78%, 69%, and 62%, respectively). In the same way, common fecal-emerging human viruses were also detected, such as parechovirus, bocaporvirus, cosavirus, picobirnavirus, cardiovirus, salivirus, and Aichivirus. In addition, viruses that infect plants, nematodes, fungi, protists, animals, and arthropods could be identified. A large number of unclassified viral contigs were also identified. We show that the metagenomics approach is a powerful and promising tool for the detection and characterization of different viruses in clinical GI samples.

From Toxicity to Selectivity: Coculture of the Fluorescent Tumor and Non-Tumor Lung Cells and High-Throughput Screening of Anticancer Compounds

For the search of anticancer compounds in modern large chemical libraries, new approaches are of great importance. Cocultivation of the cells of tumor and non-tumor etiology may reveal specific action of chemicals on cancer cells and also take into account some effects of the tumor cell’s microenvironment. The fluorescent cell cocultivation test (FCCT) has been developed for screening of substances that are selectively cytotoxic on cancerous cells. It is based on the mixed culture of lung carcinoma cells A549’_EGFP and noncancerous fibroblasts of lung VA13_Kat, expressing different fluorescent proteins. Analysis of the cells was performed with the high-resolution scanner to increase the detection rate. The combination of cocultivation of cells with scanning of fluorescence reduces the experimental protocol to three steps: cells seeding, addition of the substance, and signal detection. The FCCT analysis does not disturb the cells and is compatible with other cell-targeted assays. The suggested method has been adapted for a high-throughput format and applied for screening of 2,491 compounds. Three compounds were revealed to be reproducibly selective in the FCCT although they were invisible in cytotoxicity tests in individual lines. Six structurally diverse indole, coumarin, sulfonylthiazol, and rifampicin derivatives were found and confirmed with an independent assay (MTT) to be selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells in the studied model.

4945Inclisiran-mediated reductions in Lp(a) in the ORION-1 trial

Background PCSK9 inhibitors and statins both lower LDL-C by increasing LDL-receptor (LDLR) function. PCSK9 inhibitors lower Lp(a) by 20–30%, whereas statins do not lower Lp(a). The mechanism by which PCSK9 inhibitors lower Lp(a) is unclear. We assessed the role of the LDLR in Lp(a) reductions produced by inclisiran, an siRNA which prevents hepatic synthesis of PCSK9. Methods ORION-1 was a phase 2 trial of inclisiran in subjects at high ASCVD risk with elevated LDL-C on optimized statin therapy. Subjects received one dose of inclisiran (200, 300, or 500 mg) or two doses at days 1 and 90 (100, 200, or 300 mg). We assessed the correlations between % change in Lp(a) and LDL-C at Day 180 for the inclisiran groups using Spearman correlation coefficients. We additionally assessed the correlation between % change in Lp(a) and absolute change in LDL-C as a proxy for LDLR expression. Lp(a) was measured using an isoform-independent assay and LDL-C with β-quantification. Results ORION-1 included 501 subjects; mean age 63; 65% male; 73% on statins. Median baseline Lp(a) was 37.0 nmol/l (IQR: 11.5–142.0 nmol/l), median LDL-C was 117.0 (IQR: 92.5–149.5 mg/dL). Inclisiran dose-dependently lowered Lp(a) by 14% to 26%. Overall, there was a significant but weak correlation between % change in Lp(a) LDL-C (Spearman coefficient 0.35, p<0.001). This correlation appeared to be stronger at higher inclisiran doses and with repeat dosing (table), as well as in statin-users versus non-users (Spearman coefficient 0.37 vs. 0.21). The correlation between % Lp(a) change and absolute LDL-C change was weaker (0.27, p<0.001). Correlation coefficients LDL-C – Lp(a) Single-dose groups Two-dose groups Inclisiran overall 200 mg (n=60) 300 mg (n=60) 500 mg (n=60) 100 mg (n=59) 200 mg (n=60) 300 mg (n=59) Lp(a) ∼ % change LDL-C 0.22 0.26 0.22 0.29 0.47 0.51 0.35 Lp(a) ∼ absolute change LDL-C 0.35 0.12 0.04 0.22 0.45 0.24 0.27 Lp(a) ∼ % change LDL-C - Statin users 0.16 0.28 0.28 0.31 0.45 0.55 0.37 Lp(a) ∼ % change LDL-C - Non statin users 0.80 -0.08 0.09 0.10 0.63 0.09 0.21 Conclusion The dose-dependent correlation between % changes in LDL-C and Lp(a) suggests that the LDLR may be partially responsible for Lp(a) reductions produced by inclisiran. The numerically stronger correlation in statin-users supports the idea that LDL-C may compete with Lp(a) for LDLR binding especially at low LDL-C levels. Acknowledgement/Funding The Medicines Company

Monitoring food preference in Drosophila by oligonucleotide tagging

Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model organism for dissecting the neurogenetic basis of appetitive and aversive behaviors. However, some methods used to assay food preference require or cause starvation. This can be problematic for fly ethanol research because it can be difficult to dissociate caloric preference for ethanol from pharmacological preference for the drug. We designed BARCODE, a starvation-independent assay that uses trace levels of oligonucleotide tags to differentially mark food types. In BARCODE, flies feed ad libitum, and relative food preference is monitored by qPCR of the oligonucleotides. Persistence of the ingested oligomers within the fly records the feeding history of the fly over several days. Using BARCODE, we identified a sexually dimorphic preference for ethanol. Females are attracted to ethanol-laden foods, whereas males avoid consuming it. Furthermore, genetically feminizing male mushroom body lobes induces preference for ethanol. In addition, we demonstrate that BARCODE can be used for multiplex diet measurements when animals are presented with more than two food choices.

Invasive Drosophila suzukii facilitates Drosophila melanogaster infestation and sour rot outbreaks in the vineyards

How do invasive pests affect interactions between members of pre-existing agrosystems? The invasive pest Drosophila suzukii is suspected to be involved in the aetiology of sour rot, a grapevine disease that otherwise develops following Drosophila melanogaster infestation of wounded berries. We combined field observations with laboratory assays to disentangle the relative roles of both Drosophila in disease development. We observed the emergence of numerous D. suzukii , but no D. melanogaster flies, from bunches that started showing mild sour rot symptoms days after field collection. However, bunches that already showed severe rot symptoms in the field mostly contained D. melanogaster . In the laboratory, oviposition by D. suzukii triggered sour rot development. An independent assay showed the disease increased grape attractiveness to ovipositing D. melanogaster females. Our results suggest that in invaded vineyards, D. suzukii facilitates D. melanogaster infestation and, consequently, favours sour rot outbreaks. Rather than competing with close species, the invader subsequently permits their reproduction in otherwise non-accessible resources and may cause more frequent, or more extensive, disease outbreaks.

The Prevalence of Lipoprotein(a) Measurement and Degree of Elevation Among 2710 Patients With Calcific Aortic Valve Stenosis in an Academic Echocardiography Laboratory Setting

Lipoprotein(a; Lp[a]) and its associated oxidized phospholipids are causal, genetic risk factors for calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). We determined the prevalence of Lp(a) measurement among 2710 patients with CAVS and 1369 control patients (∼50% of study group) without CAVS with an echocardiogram between January 2010 and February 2016 in an academic echocardiography laboratory. Lipoprotein(a) measurements were performed at a referral laboratory using an isoform-independent assay. The prevalence of any Lp(a) measurement was 4.6% (124 of the 2710) in patients with CAVS and 3.1% (42 of the 1369) in the control group ( P = .021). In patients with CAVS, mean (standard deviation) Lp(a) levels were 38 (54) mg/dL and median (interquartile range) Lp(a) levels were 14 (6-48) mg/dL. Of the 124 patients with CAVS having Lp(a) measurements, 83 (66.9%) had Lp(a) <30 mg/dL and 41 (33.1%) had Lp(a) ≥30 mg/dL. This study reflects low physician testing of Lp(a) levels in CAVS. Given the role of Lp(a) as a causal risk factor for CAVS, and the ongoing development of therapies to normalize Lp(a) levels, our results suggest that Lp(a) measurements in CAVS should be more widely obtained in clinical practice.