Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),the pathogen responsible for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),continues to evolve,giving rise to more variants and global reinfections.Previous research ha...Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),the pathogen responsible for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),continues to evolve,giving rise to more variants and global reinfections.Previous research has demonstrated that barcode segments can effectively and cost-efficiently identify specific species within closely related populations.In this study,we designed and tested RNA barcode segments based on genetic evolutionary relationships to facilitate the efficient and accurate identification of SARS-CoV-2 from extensive virus samples,including human coronaviruses(HCoVs)and SARSr-CoV-2 lineages.Nucleotide sequences sourced from NCBI and GISAID were meticulously selected and curated to construct training sets,encompassing 1733 complete genome sequences of HCoVs and SARSr-CoV-2 lineages.Through genetic-level species testing,we validated the accuracy and reliability of the barcode segments for identifying SARS-CoV-2.Subsequently,75 main and subordinate species-specific barcode segments for SARS-CoV-2,located in ORF1ab,S,E,ORF7a,and N coding sequences,were intercepted and screened based on single-nucleotide polymorphism sites and weighted scores.Post-testing,these segments exhibited high recall rates(nearly 100%),specificity(almost 30%at the nucleotide level),and precision(100%)performance on identification.They were eventually visualized using one and two-dimensional combined barcodes and deposited in an online database(http://virusbarcodedatabase.top/).The successful integration of barcoding technology in SARS-CoV-2 identification provides valuable insights for future studies involving complete genome sequence polymorphism analysis.Moreover,this cost-effective and efficient identification approach also provides valuable reference for future research endeavors related to virus surveillance.展开更多
East Lake(Lake Donghu),located in Wuhan,China,is a typical city freshwater lake that has been experiencing eutrophic conditions and algal blooming during recent years.Marine and fresh water are considered to contain a...East Lake(Lake Donghu),located in Wuhan,China,is a typical city freshwater lake that has been experiencing eutrophic conditions and algal blooming during recent years.Marine and fresh water are considered to contain a large number of viruses.However,little is known about their genetic diversity because of the limited techniques for culturing viruses.In this study,we conducted a viral metagenomic analysis using a high-throughput sequencing technique with samples collected from East Lake in Spring,Summer,Autumn,and Winter.The libraries from four samples each generated 234,669,71,837,12,820,and 34,236 contigs(>90 bp each),respectively.The genetic structure of the viral community revealed a high genetic diversity covering 23 viral families,with the majority of contigs homologous to DNA viruses,including members of Myoviridae,Podoviridae,Siphoviridae,Phycodnaviridae,and Microviridae,which infect bacteria or algae,and members of Circoviridae,which infect invertebrates and vertebrates.The highest viral genetic diversity occurred in samples collected in August,then December and June,and the least diversity in March.Most contigs have low-sequence identities with known viruses.PCR detection targeting the conserved sequences of genes(g20,psbA,psbD,and DNApol)of cyanophages further confirmed that there are novel cyanophages in the East Lake.Our viral metagenomic data provide the first preliminary understanding of the virome in one freshwater lake in China and would be helpful for novel virus discovery and the control of algal blooming in the future.展开更多
Dear Editor,East Lake,located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,is a major source of drinking water for local residents.However,the large increase of population density and the rapid development of ...Dear Editor,East Lake,located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,is a major source of drinking water for local residents.However,the large increase of population density and the rapid development of industry has resulted in heavy eutrophication of East Lake over the past few decades.Microcystis aeruginosa is a well-known展开更多
The coronavirus 3C-like(3CL)protease,a cysteine protease,plays an important role in viral infection and immune escape.However,there is still a lack of effective tools for determining the cleavage sites of the 3CL prot...The coronavirus 3C-like(3CL)protease,a cysteine protease,plays an important role in viral infection and immune escape.However,there is still a lack of effective tools for determining the cleavage sites of the 3CL protease.This study systematically investigated the diversity of the cleavage sites of the coronavirus 3CL protease on the viral polyprotein,and found that the cleavage motif were highly conserved for viruses in the genera of Alphacoronavirus,Betacoronavirus and Gammacoronavirus.Strong residue preferences were observed at the neighboring positions of the cleavage sites.A random forest(RF)model was built to predict the cleavage sites of the coronavirus 3CL protease based on the representation of residues in cleavage motifs by amino acid indexes,and the model achieved an AUC of 0.96 in cross-validations.The RF model was further tested on an independent test dataset which were composed of cleavage sites on 99 proteins from multiple coronavirus hosts.It achieved an AUC of 0.95 and predicted correctly 80%of the cleavage sites.Then,1,352 human proteins were predicted to be cleaved by the 3CL protease by the RF model.These proteins were enriched in several GO terms related to the cytoskeleton,such as the microtubule,actin and tubulin.Finally,a webserver named 3CLP was built to predict the cleavage sites of the coronavirus 3CL protease based on the RF model.Overall,the study provides an effective tool for identifying cleavage sites of the 3CL protease and provides insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenicity of coronaviruses.展开更多
The frequent emergence of coronavirus(CoV)epidemics has seriously threatened public health and stock farming.The major hosts for CoVs are birds and mammals.Although most CoVs inhabit their specific natural hosts,some ...The frequent emergence of coronavirus(CoV)epidemics has seriously threatened public health and stock farming.The major hosts for CoVs are birds and mammals.Although most CoVs inhabit their specific natural hosts,some may occasionally cross the host barrier to infect livestock and even people,causing a variety of diseases.Since the beginning of the new century,increasing attention has been given to research on CoVs due to the emergence of highly pathogenic and genetically diverse CoVs that have caused several epidemics,including the recent COVID-19 pandemic.CoVs belong to the Coronaviridae family of the Nidovirales order.Recently,advanced techniques for viral detection and viral genome analyses have enabled characterization of many new nidoviruses than ever and have greatly expanded the Nidovirales order with new classification and nomenclature.Here,we first provide an overview of the latest research progress in the classification of the Nidovirales order and then introduce the host range,genetic variation,genomic pattern and pathogenic features of epidemic CoVs and other epidemic viruses.This information will promote understanding of the phylogenetic relationship and infectious transmission of various pathogenic nidoviruses,including epidemic CoVs,which will benefit virological research and viral disease control.展开更多
Background: Pyroptosis is defined as programmed necrosis executed by gasdermin D or E (GSDMD or GSDME), which punches cellular membrane. Morphologically, pyroptosis is characterized by cell swelling and cell membrane ...Background: Pyroptosis is defined as programmed necrosis executed by gasdermin D or E (GSDMD or GSDME), which punches cellular membrane. Morphologically, pyroptosis is characterized by cell swelling and cell membrane rupture, leading to the release of cellular contents that triggers intense inflammatory response. More and more studies have found that pyroptosis may be involved in the pathogenesis of viral infection, which may be a determinant for inflammation observed in most viral diseases. Objective: This paper aims to summarize the roles of pyroptosis in the pathogenesis of viral infectious diseases and to provide potential drug targets for the treatment of viral diseases, which will contribute to medical research and public health. Measures: This paper mainly summarizes pyroptosis occurring in diseases caused by different viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis virus, enterovirus, influenza virus and dengue fever virus. Meanwhile, the reported mechanism underlying pyroptosis mediating pathogenesis of these viral diseases will also be described. Conclusion: Current studies have shown that pyroptosis is a double-edged sword in viral infectious diseases. On one hand, pyroptosis leads to pathogenic inflammation of many viral infectious diseases which aggravate tissue damage initiated by viral infection, and blocking proptosis usually relieves the inflammation, which exerts therapeutic effects on viral diseases. On the other hand, moderating pyroptosis can contribute to defense against pathogen infection by releasing immune epitopes and inducing antiviral immune response.展开更多
The roles of lnc RNAs in the infection of enteroviruses have been barely demonstrated. In this study, we used coxsackievirus B3(CVB3), a typical enterovirus, as a model to investigate the expression profiles and funct...The roles of lnc RNAs in the infection of enteroviruses have been barely demonstrated. In this study, we used coxsackievirus B3(CVB3), a typical enterovirus, as a model to investigate the expression profiles and functional roles of lnc RNAs in enterovirus infection. We profiled lnc RNAs and m RNA expression in CVB3-infected He La cells by lnc RNA-m RNA integrated microarrays. As a result, 700 differentially expressed lnc RNAs(431 up-regulated and 269 down-regulated) and665 differentially expressed m RNAs(299 up-regulated and 366 down-regulated) were identified in CVB3 infection. Then we performed lnc RNA-m RNA integrated pathway analysis to identify potential functional impacts of the differentially expressed m RNAs, in which lnc RNA-m RNA correlation network was built. According to lnc RNA-m RNA correlation, we found that XLOC-001188, an lnc RNA down-regulated in CVB3 infection, was negatively correlated with NFAT5 m RNA,an anti-CVB3 gene reported previously. This interaction was supported by q PCR detection following si RNA-mediated knockdown of XLOC-001188, which showed an increase of NFAT5 m RNA and a reduction of CVB3 genomic RNA. In addition, we observed that four most significantly altered lnc RNAs, SNHG11, RP11-145 F16.2, RP11-1023 L17.1 and RP11-1021 N1.2 share several common correlated genes critical for CVB3 infection, such as BRE and IRF2 BP1. In all, our studies reveal the alteration of lnc RNA expression in CVB3 infection and its potential influence on CVB3 replication,providing useful information for future studies of enterovirus infection.展开更多
基金supported by grants from Key Research&Development Project of Nanhua Biomedical Co.,Ltd.(No.H202191490139)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31872866)+1 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Nos.2021M701160 and 2022M721101)Funds of Hunan university(521119400156).
文摘Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),the pathogen responsible for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),continues to evolve,giving rise to more variants and global reinfections.Previous research has demonstrated that barcode segments can effectively and cost-efficiently identify specific species within closely related populations.In this study,we designed and tested RNA barcode segments based on genetic evolutionary relationships to facilitate the efficient and accurate identification of SARS-CoV-2 from extensive virus samples,including human coronaviruses(HCoVs)and SARSr-CoV-2 lineages.Nucleotide sequences sourced from NCBI and GISAID were meticulously selected and curated to construct training sets,encompassing 1733 complete genome sequences of HCoVs and SARSr-CoV-2 lineages.Through genetic-level species testing,we validated the accuracy and reliability of the barcode segments for identifying SARS-CoV-2.Subsequently,75 main and subordinate species-specific barcode segments for SARS-CoV-2,located in ORF1ab,S,E,ORF7a,and N coding sequences,were intercepted and screened based on single-nucleotide polymorphism sites and weighted scores.Post-testing,these segments exhibited high recall rates(nearly 100%),specificity(almost 30%at the nucleotide level),and precision(100%)performance on identification.They were eventually visualized using one and two-dimensional combined barcodes and deposited in an online database(http://virusbarcodedatabase.top/).The successful integration of barcoding technology in SARS-CoV-2 identification provides valuable insights for future studies involving complete genome sequence polymorphism analysis.Moreover,this cost-effective and efficient identification approach also provides valuable reference for future research endeavors related to virus surveillance.
文摘East Lake(Lake Donghu),located in Wuhan,China,is a typical city freshwater lake that has been experiencing eutrophic conditions and algal blooming during recent years.Marine and fresh water are considered to contain a large number of viruses.However,little is known about their genetic diversity because of the limited techniques for culturing viruses.In this study,we conducted a viral metagenomic analysis using a high-throughput sequencing technique with samples collected from East Lake in Spring,Summer,Autumn,and Winter.The libraries from four samples each generated 234,669,71,837,12,820,and 34,236 contigs(>90 bp each),respectively.The genetic structure of the viral community revealed a high genetic diversity covering 23 viral families,with the majority of contigs homologous to DNA viruses,including members of Myoviridae,Podoviridae,Siphoviridae,Phycodnaviridae,and Microviridae,which infect bacteria or algae,and members of Circoviridae,which infect invertebrates and vertebrates.The highest viral genetic diversity occurred in samples collected in August,then December and June,and the least diversity in March.Most contigs have low-sequence identities with known viruses.PCR detection targeting the conserved sequences of genes(g20,psbA,psbD,and DNApol)of cyanophages further confirmed that there are novel cyanophages in the East Lake.Our viral metagenomic data provide the first preliminary understanding of the virome in one freshwater lake in China and would be helpful for novel virus discovery and the control of algal blooming in the future.
基金support from the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KSCX2-YW-Z-0954,KSCX2-EW-Z-3)
文摘Dear Editor,East Lake,located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,is a major source of drinking water for local residents.However,the large increase of population density and the rapid development of industry has resulted in heavy eutrophication of East Lake over the past few decades.Microcystis aeruginosa is a well-known
基金supported by the National Key Plan for Scientific Research and Development of China(2016YFD0500300)National Natural Science Foundation of China(32170651)Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(2020JJ3006)。
文摘The coronavirus 3C-like(3CL)protease,a cysteine protease,plays an important role in viral infection and immune escape.However,there is still a lack of effective tools for determining the cleavage sites of the 3CL protease.This study systematically investigated the diversity of the cleavage sites of the coronavirus 3CL protease on the viral polyprotein,and found that the cleavage motif were highly conserved for viruses in the genera of Alphacoronavirus,Betacoronavirus and Gammacoronavirus.Strong residue preferences were observed at the neighboring positions of the cleavage sites.A random forest(RF)model was built to predict the cleavage sites of the coronavirus 3CL protease based on the representation of residues in cleavage motifs by amino acid indexes,and the model achieved an AUC of 0.96 in cross-validations.The RF model was further tested on an independent test dataset which were composed of cleavage sites on 99 proteins from multiple coronavirus hosts.It achieved an AUC of 0.95 and predicted correctly 80%of the cleavage sites.Then,1,352 human proteins were predicted to be cleaved by the 3CL protease by the RF model.These proteins were enriched in several GO terms related to the cytoskeleton,such as the microtubule,actin and tubulin.Finally,a webserver named 3CLP was built to predict the cleavage sites of the coronavirus 3CL protease based on the RF model.Overall,the study provides an effective tool for identifying cleavage sites of the 3CL protease and provides insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenicity of coronaviruses.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32041001,81902070,U2002218)the Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province(No.2019JJ20004 and 2019JJ50035).
文摘The frequent emergence of coronavirus(CoV)epidemics has seriously threatened public health and stock farming.The major hosts for CoVs are birds and mammals.Although most CoVs inhabit their specific natural hosts,some may occasionally cross the host barrier to infect livestock and even people,causing a variety of diseases.Since the beginning of the new century,increasing attention has been given to research on CoVs due to the emergence of highly pathogenic and genetically diverse CoVs that have caused several epidemics,including the recent COVID-19 pandemic.CoVs belong to the Coronaviridae family of the Nidovirales order.Recently,advanced techniques for viral detection and viral genome analyses have enabled characterization of many new nidoviruses than ever and have greatly expanded the Nidovirales order with new classification and nomenclature.Here,we first provide an overview of the latest research progress in the classification of the Nidovirales order and then introduce the host range,genetic variation,genomic pattern and pathogenic features of epidemic CoVs and other epidemic viruses.This information will promote understanding of the phylogenetic relationship and infectious transmission of various pathogenic nidoviruses,including epidemic CoVs,which will benefit virological research and viral disease control.
文摘Background: Pyroptosis is defined as programmed necrosis executed by gasdermin D or E (GSDMD or GSDME), which punches cellular membrane. Morphologically, pyroptosis is characterized by cell swelling and cell membrane rupture, leading to the release of cellular contents that triggers intense inflammatory response. More and more studies have found that pyroptosis may be involved in the pathogenesis of viral infection, which may be a determinant for inflammation observed in most viral diseases. Objective: This paper aims to summarize the roles of pyroptosis in the pathogenesis of viral infectious diseases and to provide potential drug targets for the treatment of viral diseases, which will contribute to medical research and public health. Measures: This paper mainly summarizes pyroptosis occurring in diseases caused by different viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis virus, enterovirus, influenza virus and dengue fever virus. Meanwhile, the reported mechanism underlying pyroptosis mediating pathogenesis of these viral diseases will also be described. Conclusion: Current studies have shown that pyroptosis is a double-edged sword in viral infectious diseases. On one hand, pyroptosis leads to pathogenic inflammation of many viral infectious diseases which aggravate tissue damage initiated by viral infection, and blocking proptosis usually relieves the inflammation, which exerts therapeutic effects on viral diseases. On the other hand, moderating pyroptosis can contribute to defense against pathogen infection by releasing immune epitopes and inducing antiviral immune response.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81101234 to Lei Tong 81571999, 81871652 to Zhaohua Zhong+9 种基金 31470260 to Xingyi Ge 81672007 to Wenran Zhao 81772188 to Yan Wang)the Foundation of Heilongjiang Provincial Postdoctor of China (LBH-Z11076 to Lei Tong)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015M580269 to Lexun Lin)the Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province (12511176 to Lei Tong)the Hu-Xiang Youth Talents Scholar Program of Hunan Province (2017RS3017 to Xingyi Ge)Health and Family Planning Commission of Heilongjiang Province (2016-165 to Lexun Lin)the Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (Grant Number 2019JJ50035 to Ye Qiu)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant Number 531107051162 to Ye Qiu)
文摘The roles of lnc RNAs in the infection of enteroviruses have been barely demonstrated. In this study, we used coxsackievirus B3(CVB3), a typical enterovirus, as a model to investigate the expression profiles and functional roles of lnc RNAs in enterovirus infection. We profiled lnc RNAs and m RNA expression in CVB3-infected He La cells by lnc RNA-m RNA integrated microarrays. As a result, 700 differentially expressed lnc RNAs(431 up-regulated and 269 down-regulated) and665 differentially expressed m RNAs(299 up-regulated and 366 down-regulated) were identified in CVB3 infection. Then we performed lnc RNA-m RNA integrated pathway analysis to identify potential functional impacts of the differentially expressed m RNAs, in which lnc RNA-m RNA correlation network was built. According to lnc RNA-m RNA correlation, we found that XLOC-001188, an lnc RNA down-regulated in CVB3 infection, was negatively correlated with NFAT5 m RNA,an anti-CVB3 gene reported previously. This interaction was supported by q PCR detection following si RNA-mediated knockdown of XLOC-001188, which showed an increase of NFAT5 m RNA and a reduction of CVB3 genomic RNA. In addition, we observed that four most significantly altered lnc RNAs, SNHG11, RP11-145 F16.2, RP11-1023 L17.1 and RP11-1021 N1.2 share several common correlated genes critical for CVB3 infection, such as BRE and IRF2 BP1. In all, our studies reveal the alteration of lnc RNA expression in CVB3 infection and its potential influence on CVB3 replication,providing useful information for future studies of enterovirus infection.
