Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a major global health problem, can cause chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinomas in chronically infected patients. However, before HBV infection can be adequately controlled, many mysteries about the HBV life cycle must be solved. In this study, we identified TIMM29, an inner mitochondrial membrane protein, as an interaction partner of the preS1 region

JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) is a common human pathogen that results in a chronic asymptomatic infection in healthy adults. Upon conditions of immunosuppression, JCPyV spreads to the central nervous system and can cause the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a disease for which there are no vaccines or antiviral therapies. Retro‐2 is a previously identified small

Brucellosis is a major zoonotic disease, and Brucella melitensis is the species most often associated with human infection. Vaccination is the most efficient tool for controlling animal brucellosis, with a consequent decrease of incidence of human infections. Commercially available live attenuated vaccines provide some degree of protection but retain residual pathogenicity to human and animals. In

An important toxin‐antitoxin (TA) system hok/sok, encoded by R1 plasmid of Escherichia coli, is involved in post segregation killing of cells that have lost the plasmid. The lethal properties of hok protein have been utilized for the environmental containment of microbes and the development of potential vaccine candidates. We aim to demonstrate the potent anti‐microbial property of 19 amino acid (AA)

The use of non‐human animal models for infection experiments is important for investigating the infectious processes of human pathogenic bacteria at the molecular level. Mammals, such as mice and rabbits, are also utilized as animal infection models, but large numbers of animals are needed for these experiments, which is costly, and fraught with ethical issues. Various non‐mammalian animal infection

In recent years, viral vector based in vivo gene delivery strategies have achieved a significant success in the treatment of genetic diseases. RNA virus‐based episomal vector lacking viral glycoprotein gene (ΔG‐REVec) is a nontransmissive gene delivery system that enables long‐term gene expression in a variety of cell types in vitro, yet in vivo gene delivery has not been successful due to the difficulty

Type I IFNs are a range of host‐derived molecules with adjuvant potential; they have been used for many years in the treatment of cancer and viral hepatitis. Therefore, the safety of IFNs for human use has been established. In this study, we evaluated the mucosal adjuvanticity of IFN‐β administered intranasally to mice with diphtheria toxoid, and suggested a method to improve its adjuvanticity. When

The thymic microenvironment plays an important role in the development of T cells. A decrease of thymic epithelial cells is the main cause of age‐related thymic atrophy or degeneration. Resveratrol (RSV), a phytoalexin produced from plants, has been shown to inhibit the adverse effects of dietary obesity on the structure and function of the thymus. D‐Galactose (D‐gal) can induce accelerated aging in

Abiotrophia defectiva is a species of nutritionally variant streptococci that is found in human saliva and dental plaques and that has been associated with infective endocarditis. In our previous study, we found that A. defectiva could bind specifically to saliva‐coated hydroxyapatite beads (SHA). In this study, we identified a cell surface component of A. defectiva that promotes adherence to SHA beads

Emergence of anti‐microbial resistant P. aeruginosa has accelerated in the veterinary field. Therefore, phage therapy has been received significant attention as an approach for the anti‐microbial resistance. In this context, we characterized isolated four Pseudomonas bacteriophages. Phylogenetic analysis showed that isolated phages are classified as novel Myoviridae Pbunavirus PB1‐like phages and ØR12

Human herpesvirus 6B (HHV‐6B) U79/80 gene belongs to the early gene class and appears as early as 3 hours post‐infection. It is one of the most abundantly expressed transcripts and a useful diagnostic marker for viral reactivation. However, the expression mechanisms of U79/80 gene remain unclear. To identify the viral factor(s) that activates the U79/80 promoter along with other HHV‐6B core early gene

After eradication and containment of wild poliovirus (PV) and cessation of oral polio vaccinations, it is critical to minimize the risk of reintroducing PV into PV‐free communities via facilities that handle the virus. The potential risk of unintentional PV propagation through unidentified contaminated materials is a serious issue. This study reports the generation of HeLa and RD‐A cells deficient

Shiga‐toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major bacterium responsible for disease resulting from foodborne infection, including bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). STEC produces important virulence factors such as Shiga toxin (Stx) 1 and/or 2. In the STEC family, some Locus for Enterocyte Effacement (LEE)‐negative STEC produce two different types of cytotoxins, Stx2 and Subtilase

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The treatment of HCV infection has become more complicated due to various genotypes and subtypes of HCV. Treatment of HCV has made significant advances with direct‐acting antivirals. However, for the choice of medicine or the combination of drugs for hepatitis C, it is imperative to detect and discriminate the crucial HCV genotypes

The Gram‐negative bacterial pathogen Yersinia delivers six effector proteins into the host cells to block the host innate immune response. One of the effectors, YopT, is a potent cysteine protease that causes the disruption of the actin cytoskeleton to inhibition of phagocytosis of the pathogen, however, its molecular mechanism and relevance to pathogenesis need further investigation. In this report

Pili or fimbriae, which are filamentous structures present on the surface of bacteria, were purified from a periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis, in 1980s. The protein component of pili (stalk pilin), which is its major component, was named FimA; it has a molecular weight of approximately 41 kDa. Because the molecular weight of the pilin from P. gingivalis is twice that of pilins from other

Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV‐6A) is a member of the genus Roseolovirus and the subfamily Betaherpesvirinae. It is similar to human herpesvirus 7 (HHV‐7) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). HHV‐6A encodes a 41‐kDa nuclear phosphoprotein, U27, which acts as a processivity factor in the replication of the viral DNA. HHV‐6A U27 has 43% amino acid sequence homology with HCMV UL44, which is important for DNA

Macrophages represent the first line of defence against the invading Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In order to enhance intracellular survival, Mtb targets various components of the host signalling pathways to limit macrophage functions. Outcome of Mtb infection depends on various factors derived from both host and pathogen. Detailed understanding of such factors operating during interaction of

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium, STM) is a leading cause of non‐typhoidal salmonellosis (NTS) worldwide. The pathogenesis of NTS has been studied extensively using a streptomycin‐pretreated mouse colitis model with the limited numbers of laboratory S. Typhimurium strains. However, the pathogenicity of the clinically isolated S. Typhimurium (STMC) strains endemic in Thailand

Antigen‐specific CD8+ T‐lymphocytes (cytotoxic T‐lymphocytes: CTL), as well as CD4+ T‐lymphocytes (helper T‐lymphocytes: Th), simultaneously play an important role in elimination of intracellular bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Listeria monocytogenes . Administration of T‐cell epitope short peptide needs large numbers of peptides for effective vaccination due to its easily degradable

Group A rotavirus (RVA) rarely causes severe complications such as encephalitis/encephalopathy. However, the pathophysiology of this specific complication remains unclear. Next‐generation sequence analysis was used to compare the entire genome sequences of RVAs detected in patients with encephalitis/encephalopathy and gastroenteritis. This study enrolled eight patients with RVA encephalitis/encephalopathy

To clarify the persistence of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase (ESBL) producers, 13 plasmids from two broiler farms were analyzed. On the farm not using antimicrobials, one plasmid from Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from a day‐old chick was similar to that from Escherichia coli isolated a year later, with the deletion of two transposons. On the farm using antimicrobials, most circulating plasmids (8/9)

In 2016, López‐Hernández et al. published an interesting article titled Killer Immunoglobulin‐like receptor repertoire analysis in a Caucasian Spanish cohort with inflammatory bowel disease (1). In this article, the authors found and reported positive associations between KIR2DL5, KIR2DS1, KIR2DS5 and KIR3DS1 with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) susceptibility, KIR2DS1 and KIR2DS5 with Crohn's Disease

Immunologic abnormalities of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells play a role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). CD161 is expressed on most of the NK cells and on some T cells. The quantities of CD161‐expressing cells and expression levels of CD161 were analyzed in T cells and NK cells from patients with SLE compared with normal controls. The expression of CD161 on NK cells

Vibrio vulnificus is a foodborne pathogen causing septicemia with high mortality rate. In this study, we explored how Escherichia coli, one of the commensal bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract, can interact with V. vulnificus. Our study results show that the amount of biofilm produced by V. vulnificus was reduced in the presence of E. coli ATCC 35218, although the growth of V. vulnificus L‐180

In this study, the anti–severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2) activity of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and IMD‐0354 was analyzed. These compounds were chosen based on their antiviral activities against other coronaviruses. Because they also inhibit dengue virus (DENV) infection, other anti‐DENV compounds/drugs were also assessed. On SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected VeroE6/TMPRSS2 monolayers

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal infections. Most isolates are β‐hemolytic, and their activity is considered to be pivotal for GBS pathogenicity. We report a case of a neonate with meningitis caused by nonhemolytic GBS. The patient developed meningitis 3 days after birth. Genotyping was performed and the characteristics of the strain (GCMC97051) identified by whole genome

Extensive rate of variations in the S1 gene (spike glycoprotein subunit gene) of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes challenges for clinicians in counting variants for differentiation of infected from vaccinated birds and addressing the variants of unknown significance. This study investigated the possibility of using an RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase gene (RdRp) as a target for molecular characterization

The present study was to demonstrate that the G protein coupled receptors serve as targets for the treatment of autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Rats received pristane at the base of the tail. Affected joints were counted daily. The T cell mediated autoimmune diseases such as pristine‐induced arthritis (PIA) and autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in a rat model

An autotransporter of Bordetella pertussis , virulence‐associated gene 8 (Vag8), binds and inactivates the complement regulator, C1 inhibitor (C1‐Inh), and plays a role in evasion of the complement system. However, the molecular interaction between Vag8 and C1‐Inh remains unclear. Here, we localized the minimum region of Vag8 required for interaction with C1‐Inh by examining the differently truncated

Streptococcus mutans is the main pathogen of dental caries and adheres to the tooth surface via soluble and insoluble glucans produced by the bacterial glucosyltransferase enzyme. Thus, the S. mutans glucosyltransferase is an important virulence factor for this cariogenic bacterium. Sulfated vizantin effectively inhibits biofilm formation by S. mutans without affecting its growth. In this study, less

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is the causative agent of botulism in humans and animals. Only BoNT serotype A subtype 1 (BoNT/A1) is used clinically because of its high potency and long duration of action. BoNT/A1 and BoNT/A subtype 2 (BoNT/A2) have a high degree of amino acid sequence similarity in the light chain (LC) (96%), whereas their N‐and C‐terminal heavy chain (HN and HC) differ by 13%. The LC

A reverse genetics technology is an incredibly useful technique both for a proper understanding of different aspects of virus biology and for the generation of complementary DNA (cDNA)‐derived infectious viruses, which can act as safe and effective vaccines and viral vectors. Rotaviruses (RVAs), especially human RVAs (HuRVAs), had been very refractory to this technology until very recently. Here, we

mTOR inhibitors exert a preventive effect on cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in CMV seropositive (R+) kidney transplant recipients, but their impact during the curative treatment of CMV disease in high‐risk kidney transplant recipients has not been investigated. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of mTOR inhibitors compared with mycophenolic acid in 63 consecutive kidney transplant recipients

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito‐borne virus that causes arthralgic fever. Fibroblast‐like synoviocytes play a key role in joint damage in inflammatory arthritides and can additionally serve as target cells for CHIKV infection. To gain a better understanding of CHIKV‐induced arthralgia, the interaction between CHIKV and synoviocytes was investigated at the protein level. A gel‐enhanced liquid

TOLL‐interacting protein (Tollip) is a critical regulator of TLRs (toll‐like receptors) signaling pathway. It is predominantly associated with TLR2 and TLR4 during the acute inflammatory conditions and inhibits the TLR‐mediated NF‐κB activation by suppressing the auto‐phosphorylation of interleukin‐1 receptor associated kinase (IRAK1) and its kinase activity. This article describes about the Tollip

We performed RNA sequencing on Bordetella pertussis , the causative agent of whooping cough, and identified nine novel small RNAs (sRNAs) that were transcribed during the bacterial colonization of murine tracheas. Among them, four sRNAs were more strongly expressed in vivo than in vitro . Moreover, the expression of eight sRNAs was not regulated by the BvgAS two‐component system, which is the master

Non‐O1/non‐O139 nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae associated with cholera‐like diarrhea has been reported in Kolkata, India. However, the property involved in the pathogenicity of these strains has remained unclear. The character of 25 non‐O1/non‐O139 nontoxigenic V. cholerae isolated during 8 years from 2007 to 2014 in Kolkata was examined. Determination of the serogroup showed that the serogroups O6,

HIV replication can be inhibited by CXCR5+CD8 T cells (follicular cytotoxic T cell [TFC]) which transfer into B‐cell follicles where latent HIV infection persists. However, how cytokines affect TFC remain unclear. Understanding which cytokines show the ability to affect TFC could be a key strategy toward curing HIV. Similar mechanisms could be used for the growth and transfer of TFCs and follicular

Morbilliviruses use the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) as a receptor to infect their hosts. Seals are almost the only animal species that show apparent infection with phocine distemper virus (PDV). Seal SLAM functioned as a PDV receptor. However, dolphin‐ and dog‐SLAM molecules, but not human SLAM, were also fully functional PDV receptors. These data suggest that the host range of

Streptococcus mutans is a major cause of tooth decay due to its promotion of biofilm formation and acid production. Several plant extracts have been reported to have multiple biological activities such as anti‐inflammation and antibacterial effects. This study investigated the antibacterial activity of three plant extracts, phellodendron bark (PB), yucca, and black ginger, and found that PB had a stronger

Papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) is a foot disease causing lameness in dairy cattle. It is regarded as a polymicrobial infection, although its etiology is not fully understood. PDD is treated by the topical or systemic administration of antibiotics such as lincomycin (LCM); however, the milk of the cows cannot be marketed during the treatment and withdrawal period due to the residual antibiotics

Liver transplantation (LT) is a potentially curative treatment for terminal stage hepatic diseases. Bacterial infections are the main causes of mortality and morbidity in the early period after LT. Identifying the risk factors could help in minimizing their development. We prospectively investigated the incidence, characteristics, and risk factors of bacterial infections among the recipients during

Previously, it was found that the hepatitis C virus NS5A interacted with ACBD3 in a genotype‐dependent manner. However, the region in NS5A responsible for association with ACBD3 is not clear. Domain I of NS5A was identified as critical for ACBD3 binding. By comparing the differences of amino acids in domain I from different genotypes of NS5A, it was found that key amino acids potentially corresponded

Malaria is one of the most widespread human infectious diseases worldwide and a cause of mortality. It is difficult to induce immunological memory against the malarial parasite Plasmodium . The immunity to clinical malaria disease is acquired with multiple infection and treatment cycles, along with substantial reduction in parasite burden. However, the mechanism of the acquired immunity remains largely

Worldwide, many emerging porcine parvoviruses (PPVs) have been linked to porcine circovirus‐2 (PCV2) associated disease (PCVAD), which includes post‐weaning multi‐systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), PCV2‐related reproductive failure (PCV2‐RF), as well as other syndromes. To determine the DNA prevalence of PPVs and their relationship with PMWS and PCV2‐RF in Mexico, 170 formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded

In the 1980s, I found that the chromosomal β-lactamase of Klebsiella pneumoniae LEN-1 showed a very high similarity to the R-plasmid-mediated penicillinase TEM-1 on amino acid sequence level, and this strongly suggested the TEM-1 originated from the chromosomal penicillinases of K. pneumoniae or related bacteria. Moreover, the chromosomal K1 β-lactamase (KOXY) of Klebsiella oxytoca was found to belong

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) has begun to spread globally among men who have sex with men (MSM). Hepatitis E virus (HEV) also may be transmitted through sexual contact among MSM. To assess the current status of these viruses among MSM in Japan, the seroprevalence of both viruses using 503 plasma samples collected between 2009 and 2018 from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐positive male donors who were

Because broad genetic diversity has recently been detected in Torque teno sus viruses (TTSuV1 and TTSuVk2), the viral genome detection method needs to be improved to understand the prevalence of these viruses. Here, we established single PCR‐based detection methods for the TTSuV1 and TTSuVk2a genomes with newly designed primer pairs and applied them to investigate the prevalence of TTSuV1 and TTSuVk2a

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is associated with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), but its impact on clinical severity and outcomes in KTRs with PJP is unknown. We reviewed 1994 medical records of KTRs from January 1997 to March 2019. PJP or CMV infection was diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction or culturing using blood or respiratory specimens. We divided

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) sometime induces lethal cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although nucleot(s)ide analogs are used as main treatment for HBV infection, the emergence of the drug‐resistant viruses has become a problem. To discover novel antivirals with low side effects and low risk of emergence of resistant viruses, screening for anti‐HBV compounds was performed with

In recent years, numerous outbreaks of multidrug‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been reported across the world. Once an outbreak occurs, besides routinely testing isolates for susceptibility to antimicrobials, it is required to check their virulence genotypes and clonality profiles. Replacing pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis DNA fingerprinting are faster, easier‐to‐use, and less expensive polymerase

Intranasally administered influenza vaccines could be more effective than injected vaccines, because intranasal vaccination can induce virus-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in the upper respiratory tract, which is the initial site of infection. In this study, immune responses elicited by an intranasal inactivated vaccine of influenza A(H5N1) virus were evaluated in healthy individuals naive

Approaches based on association studies have proven useful in identifying genetic predictors for many diseases, including susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B. In this study we were interested by the IL‐1B genetic variants that have been involved in the immune response and we analyzed their role in the susceptibility to develop chronic hepatitis B in the Tunisian population. IL‐ 1B is a potent proinflammatory

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) recognize sialic acid linked α2,3 to galactose (SAα2,3Gal) glycans as receptors. In this study, the interactions between hemagglutinins (HAs) of AIVs and sulfated SAα2,3Gal glycans were analyzed to clarify the molecular basis of interspecies transmission of AIVs from ducks to chickens. It was revealed that E190V and N192D substitutions of the HA increased the recovery