Virus Weekly articles from January 2009

Virus Weekly archives from January 2009

New acute myelocytic leukemia findings from Soochow University described.
January 6, 2009... In this recent study, researchers in Suzhou, People's Republic of China conducted a study "To report here a new acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) cell line SH-2 and describe its biological characteristics. Mononuclear cells isolated from a...

New adenoid cystic cancer study findings have been reported by T.R. Liu and co-researchers.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Laryngoscope, "Nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (NACC) is a rare malignancy with special biological features. Clear consensus is not available regarding the clinical characters,...

Study findings from A. Kulkarni et al broaden understanding of Alzheimer disease.
January 6, 2009... "One of the key pro-inflammatory mediators activated by amyloid protein in neurodegenerative disorders of the brain, such as Alzheimer's disease is the complement system. Vaccinia virus complement control protein secreted by vaccinia virus,...

Reports outline bird flu study findings from I. Kiss and colleagues.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research published in the Virology Journal, "The analysis of the nonstructural (NS) gene of the highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 avian influenza viruses (AIV) isolated in Sweden early 2006 indicated the co-circulation of two...

Studies from Syracuse University further understanding of bird flu.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Human Ecology Review, "Journalistic reporting of global warming and of avian influenza rose and fell nearly simultaneously in newspapers of the United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland, and...

Research conducted at T.P. Lin and co-researchers has updated our knowledge about Epstein-Barr virus.
January 6, 2009... "Andrographis paniculata N-EES is a medicinal plant that is commonly used in Asia. This work demonstrates that 25 mu g/ml of ethanolic extract from A. paniculata (EEAP) and 5 mu g/ml of andrographolide, a bioactive compound in EEAP, effectively...

Findings from H.A. Arcuri and co-authors provide new insights into fusion proteins.
January 6, 2009... "The Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (HRSV) fusion protein (F) was expressed in Escherichia call BL21A using the pET28a vector at 37 degrees C. The protein was purified from the soluble fraction using affinity resin. The structural quality of...

Research conducted at University of Helsinki has updated our knowledge about hantavirus.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research from Helsinki, Finland, "We have previously reported that the apathogenic Tula hantavirus induces apoptosis in Vero E6 epithelial cells. To assess the molecular mechanisms behind the induced apoptosis we studied the...

Scientists at University of Hawaii describe research in hantavirus.
January 6, 2009... "Recent molecular evidence of genetically distinct hantaviruses in shrews, captured in widely separated geographical regions, corroborates decades-old reports of hantavirus antigens in shrew tissues. Apart from challenging the conventional view...

Researchers from Sichuan University publish findings in proteinuria.(Report)
January 6, 2009... "Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is a negatively charged glycoprotein and has a very similar structure to that of cell surface heparin sulfate (HS). Thus, LMWH, an analog of HS, may inhibit positively charged respiratory syncytial virus...

Research from University of Edinburgh yields new data on semliki forest virus.
January 6, 2009... According to a study from Scotland, "The Alphavirus genus within the Togaviridae family contains several important mosquito-borne arboviruses. Other than the antiviral activity of RNAi, relatively little is known about alphavirus interactions...

Scientists at University of Hong Kong, Department of Microbiology target coronavirus.(Report)
January 6, 2009... Research findings, 'Spike protein, S, of human coronavirus HKU1: role in viral life cycle and application in antibody detection,' are discussed in a new report. According to recent research from Hong Kong, "We recently described the discovery,...

New respiratory tract study results from MedImmune, Inc. described.
January 6, 2009... New investigation results, 'Identification of antibody neutralization epitopes on the fusion protein of human metapneumovirus,' are detailed in a study published in The Journal of General Virology. "Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is genetically...

New research on antivirals from J. Mages and co-authors summarized.(Report)
January 6, 2009... "Diseases caused by gammaherpesviruses continue to be a challenge for human health and antiviral treatment. Most of the commonly used antiviral drugs are directed against viral gene products," investigators in Munich, Germany report (see also...

Studies from Guizhou University yield new information about antivirals.
January 6, 2009... "Target compounds 4a-n were obtained by the reaction of 1-substituted phenyl-3-methyl-5-substituted phenylthio-4-pyrazolaidoximes (3) with chloromethylated heterocyclic compounds (CICH2-R-3) under reflux conditions in ethanol. Subsequently,...

Data on baculovirus published by researchers at Oxford Brookes University.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research from Oxford, the United Kingdom, "The baculovirus expression system is one of the most popular methods used for the production of recombinant proteins but has several complex steps which have proved inherently...

Scientists at University of Tromso target baculovirus.(Report)
January 6, 2009... "This study presents the heterologous production and purification of a soluble and functional form of the hemagglutinin esterase (HE) of the infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) isolate 4 (Glesvaer/2/90). The HE possesses receptor binding and...

Researchers at Fourth Military Medical University target Bell palsy.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research from Xian, People's Republic of China, "Although Bell's palsy is the most common acute facial paralysis, the cause of it is still unknown. This made the treatment for it remain very limited." "Many methods are...

Data on chickenpox published by researchers at University of Toronto.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research from Toronto, Canada, "Varicella-Zoster virus infection (VZV) has a high incidence post-allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT). However, data regarding long-term acyclovir prophylaxis for VZV...

New findings from University of Kentucky in the area of cytomegalovirus published.
January 6, 2009... "The aim was to evaluate three primer-probe sets and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in dental plaque from individual periodontal sites. Fifty subgingival plaque specimens from 13...

New dengue fever study findings recently were reported by J.B. Siqueira and co-researchers.
January 6, 2009... "Dengue virus (DENV) affects nonimunne human populations in tropical and subtropical regions. In the Americas, dengue has drastically increased in the last two decades and Brazil is considered one of the most affected countries," scientists...

New data from I. Buccione et al illuminate research in encephalitis.
January 6, 2009... "Patients with damage to the mesial and anterior portions of the temporal lobes suffer from a memory impairment involving both anterograde and retrograde amnesia. In the retrograde domain, it has been suggested that the relative severity of...

Study findings from C.G. Ng et al broaden understanding of encephalomyelitis.
January 6, 2009... "The alphavirus Sindbis virus (SINV) causes encephalomyelitis in mice. Lipid-containing membranes, particularly cholesterol and sphingomyelin (SM), play important roles in virus entry, RNA replication, glycoprotein transport, and budding,"...

Study results from Kyoto University in the area of endocytosis published.
January 6, 2009... "Glutamate uptake by the Na+- dependent glutamate transporter GLT-1, which is predominantly expressed in astrocytes, is crucial for regulating glutamate concentration at the synaptic cleft and achieving proper excitatory neurotransmission. A...

New influenza study results reported from S.J. Drews et al.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health - Revue Canadienne de Sante Publique, "The Ontario Public Health Laboratories system (OPHL) is in the midst of a six-year plan to implement molecular tools for...

New influenza study results reported from University of Cambridge.
January 6, 2009... "Coupled expression of the M1 and BM2 open-reading frames (ORFs) of influenza B from the dicistronic segment 7 mRNA occurs by a process of termination-dependent reinitiation. The AUG start codon of the BM2 ORF overlaps the stop codon of the...

New life sciences study findings have been reported from University of Delaware.
January 6, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "The consequences of viral infection within microbial communities are dependent on the nature of the viral life cycle. Among the possible outcomes is the substantial influence of temperate viruses on...

Research conducted at University of Cape Town has provided new information about life sciences.
January 6, 2009... "Recent reports have indicated that single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses in the taxonomic families Geminiviridae, Parvoviridae and Anellovirus may be evolving at rates of similar to 10(-4) substitutions per site per year (subs/site/year). These...

Research from University of Texas yields new data on life sciences.
January 6, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "West Nile virus (WNV) has recently emerged in North America as a significant disease threat to humans and animals. Unfortunately, no approved antiviral drugs exist to combat WNV or other members of...

Research results from J.S. Griffin and colleagues update understanding of life sciences.(Report)
January 6, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Currently applied indicator organism systems, such as coliforms, are not fully protective of public health from enteric viruses in water sources. Waterborne disease outbreaks have occurred in...

Researchers' work from University of London, Imperial College focuses on microscopy.
January 6, 2009... "Primary human alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells were immortalized by transduction with the catalytic subunit of telomerase and simian virus 40 large-tumor antigen. Characterization by immunochemical and morphologic methods demonstrated an AT1-like...

Study results from Stanford University, Medical Department broaden understanding of proteomics.
January 6, 2009... "Baculovirus mediated gene transduction of mammalian cells (BacMam) is an emerging technique for rapid recombinant protein expression in mammalian cells. We constructed two baculovirus transfer vectors that incorporate several mammalian...

Research from Northumbria University provides new data on retrovirology.
January 6, 2009... "Journal impact factor ( which reflects a particular journal's quality) and H index ( which reflects the number and quality of an author's publications) are two measures of research quality. It has been argued that the H index outperforms the...

Studies from C. Miguel et al in the area of retrovirus described.
January 6, 2009... "Retroviruses differ from retrotransposons due to their infective capacity, which depends critically on the encoded envelope. Some plant retroelements contain domains reminiscent of the env of animal retroviruses but the number of such elements...

Data from Chung-Yuan Christian University provide new insights into ribosomes.
January 6, 2009... According to a study from Chungli, Taiwan, "Studies of eukaryotes have yielded 2 translation initiation mechanisms: a classical cap-dependent mechanism and a cap-independent mechanism proceeding through the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)....

New ribosomes study findings have been reported by researchers at University of Maryland.
January 6, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "During cap-dependent translation of eukaryotic mRNAs, initiation factors interact with the 5' cap to attract ribosomes. When animal viruses translate in a cap-independent fashion, ribosomes assemble...

New SARS study results reported from Purdue University.
January 6, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, "We report the discovery and optimization of a potent inhibitor against the papain-like protease (PLpro) from...

Study results from G. Carpi and colleagues update understanding of tick-borne encephalitis.
January 6, 2009... "Roe deer Capreolus capreolus are among the most important feeding hosts for the sheep tick Ixodes ricinus, thus contributing to the occurrence of tick-borne diseases in Europe. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), which is transmitted by co-feeding,...

Study findings from N. Smadja-Lamere et al broaden understanding of adenovirus.
January 6, 2009... Investigators publish new data in the report 'JNK-mediated phosphorylation of paxillin in adhesion assembly and tension-induced cell death by the adenovirus death factor E4orf4.' "The adenovirus type 2 Early Region 4 ORF4 (E4orf4) protein...

Recent studies from Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases add new data to dengue fever.
January 6, 2009... A report, 'Dengue virus regulates type I interferon signalling in a strain-dependent manner in human cell lines,' is newly published data in The Journal of General Virology. According to recent research from Singapore, Singapore, "Outbreaks of...

Data from City of Hope National Medical Center advance knowledge in enzyme research.(Report)
January 6, 2009... Researchers detail in 'Novel roles for protein kinase Cdelta-dependent signaling pathways in acute hypoxic stress-induced autophagy,' new data in enzyme research. "Macroautophagy, a tightly orchestrated intracellular process for bulk...

Research conducted at University of Rochester has provided new information about enzyme research.
January 6, 2009... A new study, 'The human H5N1 influenza A virus polymerase complex is active in vitro over a broad range of temperatures, in contrast to the WSN complex, and this property can be attributed to the PB2 subunit,' is now available. According to a...

Research results from Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences update understanding of hemorrhagic disease genetics.(Report)
January 6, 2009... Data detailed in 'A DNA-launched reverse genetics system for rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus reveals that the VP2 protein is not essential for virus infectivity' have been presented. According to a study from Hangzhou, People's Republic of...

Studies from University of Cambridge, Department of Pathology further understanding of herpes simplex virus.(Report)
January 6, 2009... Research findings, 'A historical analysis of herpes simplex virus promoter activation in vivo reveals distinct populations of latently infected neurones,' are discussed in a new report. "Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has the capacity to...

Data on influenza reported by researchers at University of Massachusetts.(Report)
January 6, 2009... Research findings, 'The cotranslational maturation program for the type II membrane glycoprotein influenza neuraminidase,' are discussed in a new report. "The earliest steps in nascent protein maturation greatly affect its overall efficiency....

New influenza genetics research from Yangzhou University, College of Veterinary Medicine described.
January 6, 2009... Researchers detail in 'Characterization of H9N2 influenza viruses isolated from vaccinated flocks in an integrated broiler chicken operation in eastern China during a 5 year period (1998-2002),' new data in influenza. According to recent...

Investigators at Northwestern University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute target life sciences.
January 6, 2009... A new study, 'The influenza A virus spliced messenger RNA M mRNA3 is not required for viral replication in tissue culture,' is now available. "Influenza A virus genome RNA segment 7 encodes three known mRNAs, two of which, M2 mRNA and M mRNA3,...

Studies from University of California, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the area of life sciences described.(Report)
January 6, 2009... Researchers detail in 'Effect of bone morphogenetic protein signaling on development of the jaw skeleton,' new data in life sciences. According to recent research published in the journal Developmental Dynamics, "Bone morphogenetic proteins...

New measles data have been reported by researchers at University of Tokyo, Institute of Medical Science.
January 6, 2009... Data detailed in 'Inhibition of host protein synthesis in B95a cells infected with the HL strain of measles virus' have been presented. According to recent research from Tokyo, Japan, "The shut-off of host protein synthesis in virus-infected...

Reports summarize virology research from Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Virology.
January 6, 2009... Scientists discuss in 'Evolutionary dynamics of human and avian metapneumoviruses' new findings in virology. According to recent research from Netherlands, "Human (HMPV) and avian (AMPV) metapneumoviruses are closely related viruses that cause...

GSK Ready to Supply RELENZA(R) to Meet New CDC Interim Recommendations this Flu Season.
January 6, 2009... GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is prepared to respond to public health needs for RELENZA(R) (zanamivir) Inhalation Powder this flu season following a Health Alert Advisory issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). RELENZA is a...

Health Department Reports This Season's First Lab-Confirmed Flu Case in the Northeast Region.
January 6, 2009... A girl in Lehigh County is this season's first state laboratory-confirmed case of influenza in Pennsylvania's northeast region, the Department of Health said (see also Pennsylvania Department of Health). "We want to remind Pennsylvanians...

Reports outline bird flu study findings from Y.Y. Zhao and colleagues.
January 13, 2009... "The mechanism of systemic spread of H5N1 virus in patients with avian influenza is unknown," researchers in Beijing, People's Republic of China report (see also Bird Flu). "Here, H5N1 nucleoprotein and hemagglutinin were identified by...

Research reports from W.F. Shi and co-authors provide new insights into bird flu.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Science in China Series C - Life Sciences, "We investigated the selection pressures on the haemagglutinin genes of H5N1 avian influenza viruses using fixed effects likelihood models. We...

Data on chimeric viruses described by V. Truniger et al.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research published in the Plant Journal, "Translation initiation factors are universal determinants of plant susceptibility to RNA viruses, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that a sequence...

Findings from D.D. Henry and co-authors provide new insights into Epstein-Barr virus.
January 13, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "D.D. Henry, S.P. Hunger, R.C. Braylan, V.R. Dharnidharka. Low viral load post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease localized within the tongueTranspl Infect Dis 2008: 10: 426-430 Post-transplant...

Louisiana State University publishes research in Epstein-Barr virus.
January 13, 2009... "Deletions and rearrangements in the genome of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) strain P3HR-1 generate subgenomic infectious particles that, unlike defective interfering particles in other viral systems, enhance rather than restrict EBV replication in...

Researchers from Emory University, Medical Department describe findings in Epstein-Barr virus.
January 13, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "We describe the validation of a test for the quantification of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA (viral load) using the Artus EBV TM PCR analyte-specific reagent (ASR: QIAGEN Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany)....

Study results from National Taiwan University in the area of Epstein-Barr virus published.(Report)
January 13, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "DNA viruses adopt various strategies to modulate the cellular environment for efficient genome replication and virion production. Previously, we demonstrated that the BGLF4...

Investigators at University of Pecs target hantavirus.
January 13, 2009... "Tula hantavirus (TULV) is a member of the genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae and is mainly carried by the European common vole ( Microtus arvalis). In order to detect TULV, we tested Microtus arvalis ( MAR) and Microtus subterraneus (MSU)...

New findings from University of Freiburg describe advances in life sciences.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "Infection of mice with pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) is used as a natural host experimental model for studying the pathogenesis of infection with the closely related human...

Report summarizes respiratory syncytial virus study findings from J.L. Reed and co-researchers.
January 13, 2009... Current study results from the report, 'Macrophage impairment underlies airway occlusion in primary respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis,' have been published. "Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the most important...

Research conducted at Food & Drug Administration has updated our knowledge about adenovirus.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Kupffer cells (KCs) rapidly remove intravenously injected adenovirus (Ad) vectors from the circulation. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved could suggest strategies to improve...

Research from Louisiana State University in the area of adenovirus published.
January 13, 2009... "Human adenovirus Ad36 is causally and correlatively associated in animals and humans, respectively, with increased adiposity and altered metabolic profile. We inoculated rats with Ad36 or UV-inactivated Ad36, or mock-infected them,"...

Reports summarize antifungals study results from Sichuan University.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Plant Science, "A novel mannose-binding lectin (designated OJL) was purified from rhizomes of Ophiopogon japonicus by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose and gel filtration on...

New findings reported from National University describe advances in arteritis.
January 13, 2009... "Equine arteritis virus (EAV) was isolated from a testicle of the presumable first stallion infected with EAV in Argentina. This virus isolate ( named LT-LP-ARG) was confirmed by GP5-specific PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assays,"...

New biochemistry study findings reported from Harvard University.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "The tripartite motif (TRIM) protein, TRIM5 alpha, is an endogenous factor in primates that recognizes the capsids of certain retroviruses after virus entry into the host cell....

Data on cerebral palsy reported by G.L. Mcmichael and co-researchers.
January 13, 2009... "Apolipoprotein E (APOE) plays a significant role in lipid metabolism and has been implicated in the growth and repair of injured neurons. Two small studies have suggested an association between APOE genotype and cerebral palsy," investigators...

Study results from State University of New York broaden understanding of chickenpox.
January 13, 2009... "The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) origin of DNA replication (oriS) contains a 46-bp AT-rich palindrome and three consensus binding sites for the VZV origin binding protein (OBP) encoded by VZV ORF51. All three OBP binding sites are upstream of...

New chronic fatigue syndrome findings from Vrije University described.
January 13, 2009... "This study aimed to examine the associations between bodily pain, pain catastrophizing, depression, activity limitations/participation restrictions, employment status, and exercise performance in female patients with chronic fatigue syndrome...

Data on cytomegalovirus described by researchers at McGill University.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research from Montreal, Canada, "Cow1 was the first mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) resistance locus identified in C57BL/6 mice. It encodes Ly49H, a NK cell-activating receptor that specifically recognizes the m157 viral...

New cytomegalovirus study findings have been reported by scientists at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University.
January 13, 2009... "Cytomegaloviruses express glycoproteins that interfere with antigen presentation to CD8 T cells. Although the molecular modes of action of these ''immunoevasins'' differ between cytomegalovirus species, the convergent biological outcome is an...

New data from Oregon Health & Science University illuminate research in cytomegalovirus.
January 13, 2009... "Herpesviruses use a cascade of interactions with different cell surface molecules to gain entry into cells. In many cases, this involves binding to abundant glycosaminoglycans or integrins followed by interactions with more limited cell...

Research from University of Toronto provides new data on depression.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research from Toronto, Canada, "Most previous research regarding chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and depression has relied on clinical samples. The current research determined the prevalence and correlates of depression among...

Researchers from Duke University describe findings in encephalitis.(Report)
January 13, 2009... In this recently published article, scientists in the United States conducted a study "To test the hypothesis that patterns of signal intensity abnormality in human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6)-positive patients would allow distinction from patients...

Research in the area of encephalomyelitis reported from University of Illinois.
January 13, 2009... "The Cardiovirus genus of the family Picornaviridae includes two distinct species, Encephalomyocarditis virus and Theilovirus. We now report the complete nucleotide sequences of three Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) strains (TO...

Researchers at Cornell University, Medical Department have published new data on endocytosis.
January 13, 2009... "Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a member of the Alphaherpesvirinae, and its broad tissue tropism suggests that EHV-1 may use multiple receptors to initiate virus entry. EHV-1 entry was thought to occur exclusively through fusion at the plasma...

Reports summarize enzyme research study results from M.A. Pagano and co-researchers.
January 13, 2009... "CK2 (casein kinase 2) is a very pleiotropic serine/threonine protein kinase whose abnormally high constitutive activity has often been correlated to pathological conditions with special reference to neoplasia. The two most widely used cell...

Study results from University Hospital provide new insights into functional dyspepsia.
January 13, 2009... "Gastric sensorimotor dysfunction, psychosocial factors and somatisation are all implicated in symptom generation in functional dyspepsia (FD). To determine the relative contribution of each of these factors to overall dyspeptic symptom...

Data on herpes simplex virus published by researchers at University Hospital.
January 13, 2009... "To evaluate the relationship between the HSV-1 and -2 loads in BAL fluid (BALF) and clinical outcome. Retrospective study. The general intensive care unit of the University Hospital Maastricht," researchers in Netherlands report (see also...

Findings from University of Porto advance knowledge in herpes simplex virus.
January 13, 2009... According to recent research from Oporto, Portugal, "Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) vectors are known to inhibit nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord after peripheral applications. Similar approaches may also be useful when applied...

Research from C.M. Preston and co-authors reveals new findings on herpes simplex virus.
January 13, 2009... "Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) mutants impaired in the activities of the structural protein VP16 and the immediate-early (IE) proteins ICP0 and ICP4 establish a quiescent infection in human fibroblasts, with most cells retaining an...

Researchers from Harvard University, Medical Department detail new studies and findings in the area of herpes simplex virus.(Report)
January 13, 2009... "CJ9-gD belongs to a new class of replication-defective recombinant herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) type 1 that can function in trans to prevent the replication of wild-type HSV in co-infected cells. Furthermore, CJ9-gD cannot establish latent...

Reports outline herpesvirus study results from University of Minnesota, Medical Department.
January 13, 2009... "Experimental murine herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 brain infection stimulates microglial cell-driven proinflammatory chemokine production which precedes the presence of brain-infiltrating systemic immune cells. In the present study, we...