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C-reactive protein (CRP) is a plasma protein that is evolutionarily conserved, found in both vertebrates and many invertebrates. It is a member of the pentraxin superfamily, characterized by its pentameric structure and calcium-dependent binding to ligands like phosphocholine (PC). In humans and various other species, the plasma concentration of this protein is markedly elevated during inflammatory conditions, establishing it as a prototypical acute phase protein that plays a role in innate immune responses. This feature can also be used clinically to evaluate the severity of inflammation in the organism. Human CRP (huCRP) can exhibit contrasting biological functions due to conformational transitions, while CRP in various species retains conserved protective functions in vivo. The focus of this review will be on the structural traits of CRP, the regulation of its expression, activate complement, and its function in related diseases in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence indicates the importance of CD8+ T cells in autoimmune attack against CNS myelin and axon in multiple sclerosis (MS). Previous research has also discovered that myelin-reactive T cells have memory phenotype functions in MS patients. However, limited evidence is available regarding the role of CD8+ memory T cell subsets in MS. This study aimed to explore potential antigen-specific memory T cell-related biomarkers and their association with disease activity. Methods: The myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-specific CD8+ memory T cell subsets and their related cytokines (perforin, granzyme B, interferon (IFN)-γ) and negative co-stimulatory molecules (programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), T-cell Ig and mucin domain 3 (Tim-3)) were analyzed by flow cytometry and real-time PCR in peripheral blood of patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Results: We found that MS patients had elevated frequency of MOG-specific CD8+ T cells, MOG-specific central memory T cells (TCM), MOG-specific CD8+ effector memory T cells (TEM), and MOG-specific CD8+ terminally differentiated cells (TEMRA); elevated granzyme B expression on MOG-specific CD8+ TCM; and, on MOG-specific CD8+ TEM, elevated granzyme B and reduced PD-1 expression. The Expanded Disability Status Scale score (EDSS) in MS patients was correlated with the frequency of MOG-specific CD8+ TCM, granzyme B expression in CD8+ TCM, and granzyme B and perforin expression on CD8+ TEM, but with reduced PD-1 expression on CD8+ TEM. Conclusion: The dysregulation of antigen-specific CD8+ memory T cell subsets, along with the abnormal expression of their related cytokines and negative costimulatory molecules, may reflect an excessive or persistent inflammatory response induced during early stages of the illness. Our findings strongly suggest positive regulatory roles for memory T cell populations in MS pathogenesis, probably via molecular mimicry to trigger or promote abnormal peripheral immune responses. Furthermore, downregulated PD-1 expression may stimulate a positive feedback effect, promoting MS-related inflammatory responses via the interaction of PD-1 ligands. Therefore, these parameters are potential serological biomarkers for predicting disease development in MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sequential sera from pregnant women with HCMV primary infection (PI), the serum neutralizing activity is higher against virions produced in epithelial and endothelial cells than in fibroblasts. Immunoblotting shows that the pentamer complex/trimer complex (PC/TC) ratio varies according to the producer cell culture type used for the virus preparation to be employed in the neutralizing antibody (NAb) assay, and is lower in fibroblasts and higher in epithelial, and especially endothelial cells. The blocking activity of TC- and PC-specific inhibitors varies according to the PC/TC ratio of virus preparations. The rapid reversion of the virus phenotype following its back passage to the original cell culture (fibroblasts) potentially argues in favor of a producer cell effect on virus phenotype. However, the role of genetic factors cannot be overlooked. In addition to the producer cell type, the PC/TC ratio may differ in single HCMV strains. In conclusion, the NAb activity not only varies with different HCMV strains, but is a dynamic parameter changing according to virus strain, type of target and producer cells, and number of cell culture passages. These findings may have some important implications for the development of both therapeutic antibodies and subunit vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria utilize small extracellular molecules to communicate in order to collectively coordinate their behaviors in response to the population density. Autoinducer‐2 (AI‐2), a universal molecule for both intra‐ and inter‐species communication, is involved in the regulation of biofilm formation, virulence, motility, chemotaxis, and antibiotic resistance. While many studies have been devoted to understanding the biosynthesis and sensing of AI‐2, very little information is available on its export. The protein TqsA from Escherichia coli, which belongs to the AI‐2 exporter superfamily, has been shown to export AI‐2. Here, we report the cryogenic electron microscopic structures of two AI‐2 exporters (TqsA and YdiK) from E. coli at 3.35 Å and 2.80 Å resolutions, respectively. Our structures suggest that the AI‐2 exporter exists as a homo‐pentameric complex. In silico molecular docking and native mass spectrometry experiments were employed to demonstrate the interaction between AI‐2 and TqsA, and the results highlight the functional importance of two helical hairpins in substrate binding. We propose that each monomer works as an independent functional unit utilizing an elevator‐type transport mechanism. Synopsis: Bacteria communicate by releasing chemicals known as autoinducers; these autoinducers can modify colony behavior. This article describes the structure of two autoinducer‐2 (AI‐2) exporters from E. coli, proposing a mechanism for their activity. Cryo‐EM reveals the AI‐2 exporters TqsA and YdiK form pentameric protein complexes.Two helix–turn–helix motifs mediate substrate binding suggesting an elevator‐like transport mechanism.A similar mechanism to glutamate transporters is proposed in which each protomer works independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KCTD family proteins typically assemble into cullin-RING E3 ligases. KCTD1 is an atypical member that functions instead as a transcriptional repressor. Mutations in KCTD1 cause developmental abnormalities and kidney fibrosis in scalp-ear-nipple syndrome. Here, we present unexpected mechanistic insights from the structure of human KCTD1. Disease-causing mutation P20S maps to an unrecognized extension of the BTB domain that contributes to both its pentameric structure and TFAP2A binding. The C-terminal domain (CTD) shares its fold and pentameric assembly with the GTP cyclohydrolase I feedback regulatory protein (GFRP) despite lacking discernible sequence similarity. Most surprisingly, the KCTD1 CTD establishes a central channel occupied by alternating sodium and iodide ions that restrict TFAP2A dissociation. The elucidation of the structure redefines the KCTD1 BTB domain fold and identifies an unexpected ion-binding site for future study of KCTD1's function in the ectoderm, neural crest, and kidney., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Kv family of voltage‐gated potassium channels regulate neuronal excitability. The biophysical characteristics of Kv channels can be matched to the needs of different neurons by forming homotetrameric or heterotetrameric channels within one of four subfamilies. The cytoplasmic tetramerization (T1) domain plays a major role in dictating the compatibility of different Kv subunits. The only Kv subfamily lacking a representative structure of the T1 domain is the Kv2 family. Here, X‐ray crystallography was used to solve the structure of the human Kv2.1 T1 domain. The structure is similar to those of other T1 domains, but surprisingly formed a pentamer instead of a tetramer. In solution the Kv2.1 T1 domain also formed a pentamer, as determined by inline SEC–MALS–SAXS and negative‐stain electron microscopy. The Kv2.1 T1–T1 interface involves electrostatic interactions, including a salt bridge formed by the negative charges in a previously described CDD motif, and inter‐subunit coordination of zinc. It is shown that zinc binding is important for stability. In conclusion, the Kv2.1 T1 domain behaves differently from the other Kv T1 domains, which may reflect the versatility of Kv2.1, which can assemble with the regulatory KvS subunits and scaffold ER–plasma membrane contacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zero-dimensional halide perovskite, including the molecular state of the halide perovskite represented by A4BX6, has received much attention for their optoelectronic applications. In this manuscript, we employ first-principles calculations to systematically investigate the aggregation of the molecular Cs4PbBr6 halide perovskite. The monomeric, dimeric, trimeric, tetrameric and pentameric forms of Cs4PbBr6 are constructed. The structures of the aggregates are stabilized via the halogen bonds and the sharing of the A-site cations, and the charge transfer features from the halogen to the cesium species are observed upon the light excitation. Monotonic electronic band gap reductions and systematic red-shifts in the UVâ€"vis absorption spectra are observed as the aggregation shifts to the higher degree. The detailed structural and electronic properties of the aggregates are further examined via the calculation of the Fukui function, electrostatic potential and frontier orbital energy levels. The present study facilitates the fundamental understanding of the higher-degree aggregates of the molecular halide perovskites and their structure-properties relationships for the optoelectronic applications such as the solar cells and photodetectors where the band gaps and the light-absorbing properties are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequenced-defined oligomer has been emerged as one of the hot topics in polymer chemistry due to its capability of precisely controlling both chain length and monomer sequence. Recent efforts have focused on development of synthetic methodologies using state-of-the-art chemistry tools. However, investigating the impact of minor changes in monomer sequence on physical properties of these materials is still underdeveloped. Herein, four sequenced pentamers are synthesized by a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) single unit monomer insertion technique, in which a base pentamer possesses a relatively rigid backbone comprising of five cyclic monomer units. One of the cyclic units in this base pentamer is replaced by an acyclic monomer at different locations (the 1st, 3rd and 5th unit) to produce three modified pentamers, which leads to a significant decrease of glass transition temperature (Tg) compared to the base pentamer. Meanwhile, the modified pentamers with identical primary structures but distinct monomer sequences also present different Tg values depending on the position of the acyclic monomer unit. The middle (3rd) position of the acyclic unit causes profound decrease of Tg due to its increased molecular flexibility. These synthetic pentamers have been demonstrated to be excellent oligomeric plasticizers to modulate thermal transitions of bulk polymer materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sequential sera from pregnant women with HCMV primary infection (PI), the serum neutralizing activity is higher against virions produced in epithelial and endothelial cells than in fibroblasts. Immunoblotting shows that the pentamer complex/trimer complex (PC/TC) ratio varies according to the producer cell culture type used for the virus preparation to be employed in the neutralizing antibody (NAb) assay, and is lower in fibroblasts and higher in epithelial, and especially endothelial cells. The blocking activity of TC- and PC-specific inhibitors varies according to the PC/TC ratio of virus preparations. The rapid reversion of the virus phenotype following its back passage to the original cell culture (fibroblasts) potentially argues in favor of a producer cell effect on virus phenotype. However, the role of genetic factors cannot be overlooked. In addition to the producer cell type, the PC/TC ratio may differ in single HCMV strains. In conclusion, the NAb activity not only varies with different HCMV strains, but is a dynamic parameter changing according to virus strain, type of target and producer cells, and number of cell culture passages. These findings may have some important implications for the development of both therapeutic antibodies and subunit vaccines.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a plasma protein that is evolutionarily conserved, found in both vertebrates and many invertebrates. It is a member of the pentraxin superfamily, characterized by its pentameric structure and calcium-dependent binding to ligands like phosphocholine (PC). In humans and various other species, the plasma concentration of this protein is markedly elevated during inflammatory conditions, establishing it as a prototypical acute phase protein that plays a role in innate immune responses. This feature can also be used clinically to evaluate the severity of inflammation in the organism. Human CRP (huCRP) can exhibit contrasting biological functions due to conformational transitions, while CRP in various species retains conserved protective functions in vivo . The focus of this review will be on the structural traits of CRP, the regulation of its expression, activate complement, and its function in related diseases in vivo ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhou, Tang, Xu and Cheng.)

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) relies in large part upon the viral membrane fusion glycoprotein B and two alternative gH/gL complexes, gH/gL/gO (Trimer) and gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131A (Pentamer) to enter into cells. The relative amounts of Trimer and Pentamer vary among HCMV strains and contribute to differences in cell tropism. Although the viral ER resident protein UL148 has been shown to interact with gH to facilitate gO incorporation, the mechanisms that favor the assembly and maturation of one complex over another remain poorly understood. HCMV virions also contain an alternative non-disulfide bound heterodimer comprised of gH and UL116 whose function remains unknown. Here, we show that disruption of HCMV gene UL116 causes infectivity defects of ∼10-fold relative to wild-type virus and leads to reduced expression of both gH/gL complexes in virions. Furthermore, gH that is not covalently bound to other viral glycoproteins, which are readily detected in wild-type HCMV virions, become undetectable in the absence of UL116 suggesting that the gH/UL116 complex is abundant in virions. We find evidence that UL116 and UL148 interact during infection indicating that the two proteins might cooperate to regulate the abundance of HCMV gH complexes. Altogether, these results are consistent with a role of UL116 as a chaperone for gH during the assembly and maturation of gH complexes in infected cells.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) relies in large part upon the viral membrane fusion glycoprotein B and two alternative gH/gL complexes, gH/gL/gO (Trimer) and gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131A (Pentamer) to enter into cells. The relative amounts of Trimer and Pentamer vary among HCMV strains and contribute to differences in cell tropism. Although the viral ER resident protein UL148 has been shown to interact with gH to facilitate gO incorporation, the mechanisms that favor the assembly and maturation of one complex over another remain poorly understood. HCMV virions also contain an alternative non-disulfide bound heterodimer comprised of gH and UL116 whose function remains unknown. Here, we show that disruption of HCMV gene UL116 causes infectivity defects of ∼10-fold relative to wild-type virus and leads to reduced expression of both gH/gL complexes in virions. Furthermore, gH that is not covalently bound to other viral glycoproteins, which are readily detected in wild-type HCMV virions, become undetectable in the absence of UL116 suggesting that the gH/UL116 complex is abundant in virions. We find evidence that UL116 and UL148 interact during infection indicating that the two proteins might cooperate to regulate the abundance of HCMV gH complexes. Altogether, these results are consistent with a role of UL116 as a chaperone for gH during the assembly and maturation of gH complexes in infected cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many viral capsids follow an icosahedral fullerene-like structure, creating a caged polyhedral arrangement built entirely from hexagons and pentagons. Viral capsids consist of capsid proteins,which group into clusters of six (hexamers) or five (pentamers). Although the number of hexamers per capsid varies depending on the capsid size, Caspar-Klug Theory dictates there are exactly twelve pentamers needed to form a closed capsid.However, for a significant number of viruses, including viruses of the Papovaviridae family, the theory doesn’t apply. The anomaly of the Caspar-Klug Theory has raised a new question:“For which Caspar and Klug models can each hexamer be replaced with a pentamer while still following icosahedral symmetry?” This paper proposes an answer to this question by examining icosahedral viral capsid-like structures composed only of pentamers, called pentagonal polyhedra. The analysis shows that pentagonal polyhedra fall in a subclass of T, defined by P ≥ 7 and T = 1( mod 3).

Abstract Background Clonorchis sinensis, the causative agent of clonorchiasis, is classified as one of the most neglected tropical diseases and affects more than 15 million people globally. This hepatobiliary disease is highly associated with cholangiocarcinoma. As key molecules in the infectivity and subsistence of trematodes, glycolytic enzymes have been targets for drug and vaccine development. Clonorchis sinensis pyruvate kinase (CsPK), a crucial glycolytic enzyme, was characterized in this research. Results Differences were observed in the sequences and spatial structures of CsPK and PKs from humans, rats, mice and rabbits. CsPK possessed a characteristic active site signature (IKLIAKIENHEGV) and some unique sites but lacked the N-terminal domain. The predicted subunit molecular mass (Mr) of CsPK was 53.1 kDa. Recombinant CsPK (rCsPK) was a homopentamer with a Mr. of approximately 290 kDa by both native PAGE and gel filtration chromatography. Significant differences in the protein and mRNA levels of CsPK were observed among four life stages of C. sinensis (egg, adult worm, excysted metacercaria and metacercaria), suggesting that these developmental stages may be associated with diverse energy demands. CsPK was widely distributed in adult worms. Moreover, an intense Th1-biased immune response was persistently elicited in rats immunized with rCsPK. Also, rat anti-rCsPK sera suppressed C. sinensis adult subsistence both in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions The sequences and spatial structures, molecular mass, and expression profile of CsPK have been characterized. rCsPK was indicated to be a homopentamer. Rat anti-rCsPK sera suppressed C. sinensis adult subsistence both in vivo and in vitro. CsPK is worthy of further study as a promising target for drug and vaccine development.

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most important infectious cause of congenital abnormalities and also of infectious complications of transplantation. The biology of the infection is complex and acquired immunity does not always prevent reinfection. Nevertheless, vaccine development is far advanced, with numerous candidate vaccines being tested, both live and inactivated. This article summarizes the status of the candidate vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vaccine against congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is a high priority. The guinea pig is a small-animal model for cCMV. A disabled infectious single-cycle (DISC) viral vaccine strain based on a guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV) capsid mutant was evaluated. A previous version of this vaccine did not express the gH/gLbased pentamer complex (PC) and failed to fully protect against cCMV. The PC is necessary for GPCMV epithelial cell/trophoblast tropism and congenital infection and is a potentially important neutralizing antigen. Here, we show that a second-generation PC-positive (PC+) DISC (DISCII) vaccine induces neutralizing antibodies to the PC and other glycoproteins and a cell-mediated response to pp65 (GP83). Additionally, a CRISPR/Cas9 strategy identified guinea pig platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) to be the receptor for PC-independent infection of fibroblast cells. Importantly, PDGFRA was absent in epithelial and trophoblast cells, which were dependent upon the viral PC for infection. Virus neutralization by DISCII antibodies on epithelial and trophoblast cells was similar to that in sera from wild-type virusinfected animals and dependent in part on PC-specific antibodies. In contrast, sera from PC-negative virus-infected animals poorly neutralized virus on non-fibroblast cells. DISCII-vaccinated animals were protected against congenital infection, in contrast to a nonvaccinated group. The target organs of pups in the vaccine group were negative for wild-type virus, unlike those of pups in the control group, with GPCMV transmission being approximately 80%. Overall, the DISCII vaccine had 97% efficacy against cCMV. The complete protection provided by this PC+ DISC vaccine makes the possibility of the use of this approach against human cCMV attractive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can cause severe diseases in fetuses, newborns, and immunocompromised individuals. Currently, no vaccines are approved, and treatment options are limited. Here, we analyzed the human B cell response of four HCMV top neutralizers from a cohort of 9,000 individuals. By single-cell analyses of memory B cells targeting the pentameric and trimeric HCMV surface complexes, we identified vulnerable sites on the shared gH/gL subunits as well as complex-specific subunits UL 128/130/131A and gO. Using high-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy, we revealed the structural basis of the neutralization mechanisms of antibodies targeting various binding sites. Moreover, we identified highly potent antibodies that neutralized a broad spectrum of HCMV strains, including primary clinical isolates, that outperform known antibodies used in clinical trials. Our study provides a deep understanding of the mechanisms of HCMV neutralization and identifies promising antibody candidates to prevent and treat HCMV infection. [Display omitted] • Analysis of HCMV-reactive memory B cells in top neutralizers identifies potent nAbs • Epitope mapping uncovers vulnerable sites on the HCMV Trimer and Pentamer • A gO-targeting nAb prevents infection of fibroblasts, epithelial, and endothelial cells • Cryo-EM structures provide functional understanding of antibody neutralization Vaccines against HCMV are not available, and treatment options are limited. By dissecting the B cell response of HCMV top neutralizers, Zehner et al. reveal key epitopes for the neutralization of HCMV. Structural analyses elucidate HCMV neutralization mechanisms, and highly potent and cross-neutralizing antibodies were identified. These data provide a basis for developing antibody-mediated approaches to effectively prevent and treat HCMV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of viral envelope glycoproteins, particularly the accessory proteins of trimeric and pentameric gH/gL-complexes, in cell-associated spread of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is unclear. We aimed to investigate their contribution in the context of HCMV variants that grow in a strictly cell-associated manner. In the genome of Merlin pAL1502, the glycoproteins gB, gH, gL, gM, and gN were deleted by introducing stop codons, and the mutants were analyzed for viral growth. Merlin and recent HCMV isolates were compared by quantitative immunoblotting for expression of accessory proteins of the trimeric and pentameric gH/gL-complexes, gO and pUL128. Isolates were treated with siRNAs against gO and pUL128 and analyzed regarding focal growth and release of infectious virus. All five tested glycoproteins were essential for growth of Merlin pAL1502. Compared with this model virus, higher gO levels were measured in recent isolates of HCMV, and its knockdown decreased viral growth. Knockdown of pUL128 abrogated the strict cell-association and led to release of infectivity, which allowed cell-free transfer to epithelial cells where the virus grew again strictly cell-associated. We conclude that both trimer and pentamer contribute to cell-associated spread of recent clinical HCMV isolates and downregulation of pentamer can release infectious virus into the supernatant.

Abstract Background Gene expression is regulated by transcription factors binding to specific target DNA sites. Understanding how and where transcription factors bind at genome scale represents an essential step toward our understanding of gene regulation networks. Previously we developed a structure-based method for prediction of transcription factor binding sites using an integrative energy function that combines a knowledge-based multibody potential and two atomic energy terms. While the method performs well, it is not computationally efficient due to the exponential increase in the number of binding sequences to be evaluated for longer binding sites. In this paper, we present an efficient pentamer algorithm by splitting DNA binding sequences into overlapping fragments along with a simplified integrative energy function for transcription factor binding site prediction. Results A DNA binding sequence is split into overlapping pentamers (5 base pairs) for calculating transcription factor-pentamer interaction energy. To combine the results from overlapping pentamer scores, we developed two methods, Kmer-Sum and PWM (Position Weight Matrix) stacking, for full-length binding motif prediction. Our results show that both Kmer-Sum and PWM stacking in the new pentamer approach along with a simplified integrative energy function improved transcription factor binding site prediction accuracy and dramatically reduced computation time, especially for longer binding sites. Conclusion Our new fragment-based pentamer algorithm and simplified energy function improve both efficiency and accuracy. To our knowledge, this is the first fragment-based method for structure-based transcription factor binding sites prediction.

Norovirus (NoV) causes a substantial global burden of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups and the development of NoV vaccine is a high priority. There are still gaps in understanding of protective NoV-specific immunity. Antibody mediated immune responses have been widely studied, but in contrast, the research on NoV-specific human T cell-mediated immunity is very limited. We have recently reported NoV capsid VP1-specific 18-mer peptide (134SPSQVTMFPHIIVDVRQL151) to induce strong CD8+ T cell immune responses in healthy adult donors. This work extends to identify the precise NoV T cell epitope and the restricting human leucocyte antigen (HLA). Pentamer technology was used to detect HLA-A*0201-restricted T cell-mediated responses to 10-mer peptide 139TMFPHIIVDV148 of four healthy adult blood donors. Immunogenicity of the 10-mer epitope was confirmed by ELISPOT IFN-γ and intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) on flow cytometry. A population of CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes binding to HLA-A*0201/TMFPHIIVDV pentamers was identified in two HLA-A*0201-positive donors. Recognition of the 10-mer epitope by T cells resulted in a strong IFN-γ secretion as shown by ELISPOT assay. In addition, ICS confirmed that high proportion (31 and 59%) of the TMFPHIIVDV epitope-responsive CD3+CD8+ T cells in the two donors had multifunctional phenotype, simultaneously producing IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF-α cytokines. In the present study novel human NoV HLA-A*0201-restricted minimal 10-mer epitope 139TMFPHIIVDV148 in the capsid VP1 was identified. The HLA-peptide pentamer staining of T cells from healthy donor PBMCs and cytokine responses in ex-vivo ELISPOT and ICS assays suggest that this epitope is recognized during NoV infection and activates memory phenotype of the epitope-specific multifunctional CD8+ T cells. The importance of this epitope in protection from NoV infection remains to be determined.

Norovirus (NoV) causes a substantial global burden of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups and the development of NoV vaccine is a high priority. There are still gaps in understanding of protective NoV-specific immunity. Antibody mediated immune responses have been widely studied, but in contrast, the research on NoV-specific human T cell-mediated immunity is very limited. We have recently reported NoV capsid VP1-specific 18-mer peptide (134SPSQVTMFPHIIVDVRQL151) to induce strong CD8+ T cell immune responses in healthy adult donors. This work extends to identify the precise NoV T cell epitope and the restricting human leucocyte antigen (HLA). Pentamer technology was used to detect HLA-A*0201-restricted T cell-mediated responses to 10-mer peptide 139TMFPHIIVDV148 of four healthy adult blood donors. Immunogenicity of the 10-mer epitope was confirmed by ELISPOT IFN-γ and intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) on flow cytometry. A population of CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes binding to HLA-A*0201/TMFPHIIVDV pentamers was identified in two HLA-A*0201-positive donors. Recognition of the 10-mer epitope by T cells resulted in a strong IFN-γ secretion as shown by ELISPOT assay. In addition, ICS confirmed that high proportion (31 and 59%) of the TMFPHIIVDV epitope-responsive CD3+CD8+ T cells in the two donors had multifunctional phenotype, simultaneously producing IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF-α cytokines. In the present study novel human NoV HLA-A*0201-restricted minimal 10-mer epitope 139TMFPHIIVDV148 in the capsid VP1 was identified. The HLA-peptide pentamer staining of T cells from healthy donor PBMCs and cytokine responses in ex-vivo ELISPOT and ICS assays suggest that this epitope is recognized during NoV infection and activates memory phenotype of the epitope-specific multifunctional CD8+ T cells. The importance of this epitope in protection from NoV infection remains to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects a wide variety of human cell types by different entry pathways that involve distinct envelope glycoprotein complexes that include gH/gL, a trimer complex consisting of gHgL/gO, and a pentamer complex consisting of gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131. We characterized the effects of soluble forms of these proteins on HCMV entry. Soluble trimer and pentamer blocked entry of HCMV into epithelial and endothelial cells, whereas soluble gH/gL did not. Trimer inhibited HCMV entry into fibroblast cells, but pentamer and gH/gL did not. Both trimer and pentamer bound to the surfaces of fibroblasts and epithelial cells, whereas gH/gL did not bind to either cell type. Cell surface binding of trimer and pentamer did not involve heparin sulfate moieties. The ability of soluble trimer to block entry of HCMV into epithelial cells did not involve platelet-derived growth factor PDGFRα, which has been reported as a trimer receptor for fibroblasts. Soluble trimer reduced the amount of virus particles that could be adsorbed onto the surface of epithelial cells, whereas soluble pentamer had no effect on virus adsorption. However, soluble pentamer reduced the ability of virus particles to exit from early endosomes into the cytoplasm and then travel to the nucleus. These studies support a model in which both the trimer and pentamer are required for HCMV entry into epithelial and endothelial cells, with trimer interacting with cell surface receptors other than PDGFR and pentamer acting later in the entry pathway to promote egress from endosomes. IMPORTANCE HCMV infects nearly 80% of the world's population and causes significant morbidity and mortality. The current antiviral agents used to treat HCMV infections are prone to resistance and can be toxic to patients, and there is no current vaccine against HCMV available. The data in this report will lead to a better understanding of how essential HCMV envelope glycoproteins function during infection of biologically important cell types and will have significant implications for understanding HCMV pathogenesis for developing new therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common cause of disease in newborns and transplant recipients, developing an HCMV vaccine is considered a major public health priority. Yet an HCMV vaccine candidate remains elusive. Although the precise HCMV immune correlates of protection are unclear, both humoral and cellular immune responses have been implicated in protection against HCMV infection and disease. Here we describe a vaccine approach based on the well-characterized modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vector to stimulate robust HCMV humoral and cellular immune responses by an antigen combination composed of the envelope pentamer complex (PC), glycoprotein B (gB), and phosphoprotein 65 (pp65). We show that in mice, multiantigenic MVA vaccine vectors simultaneously expressing all five PC subunits, gB, and pp65 elicit potent complement-independent and complement-dependent HCMV neutralizing antibodies as well as mouse and human MHC-restricted, polyfunctional T cell responses by the individual antigens. In addition, we demonstrate that the PC/gB antigen combination of these multiantigenic MVA vectors can enhance the stimulation of humoral immune responses that mediate in vitro neutralization of different HCMV strains and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. These results support the use of MVA to develop a multiantigenic vaccine candidate for controlling HCMV infection and disease in different target populations, such as pregnant women and transplant recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assembly of picornavirus capsids proceeds through the stepwise oligomerization of capsid protein subunits and depends on interactions between critical residues known as hotspots. Few studies have described the identification of hotspot residues at the protein subunit interfaces of the picornavirus capsid, some of which could represent novel drug targets. Using a combination of accessible web servers for hotspot prediction, we performed a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the hotspot residues at the intraprotomer, interprotomer and interpentamer interfaces of the Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) capsid. Significantly, many of the predicted hotspot residues were found to be conserved in representative viruses from different genera, suggesting that the molecular determinants of capsid assembly are conserved across the family. The analysis presented here can be applied to any icosahedral structure and provides a platform for in vitro mutagenesis studies to further investigate the significance of these hotspots in critical stages of the virus life cycle with a view to identify potential targets for antiviral drug design.

Highlights • We aimed to clarify the factors that may affect neutralization of CMV infection. • An epithelial cell-based CMV reporter cell line was useful for neutralization assay. • Anti-Pentamer sera can strongly neutralize clinical CMV isolates at similar levels. • Polymorphic alterations in Pentamer are located outside the neutralization epitopes. • Our findings support the notion of Pentamer as a promising vaccine antigen. Abstract Introduction As congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the major causes of birth defects and developmental abnormalities, it is essential to develop vaccines and therapeutic antibodies against CMV. Clinical trials demonstrated that the subunit vaccine based on glycoprotein B, which had been believed to be the major target for neutralization, did not induce sufficient protective immunity. On the other hand, it has been reported that the immunization of animals with the Pentamer, the pentameric complex of gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131A, induced strong neutralizing antibodies. Here, we sought to clarify whether any polymorphic alterations present in the Pentamer of clinical isolates affect neutralization by anti-Pentamer antibodies. Methods Sequences of the genes encoding the Pentamer components of 25 Japanese clinical isolates were determined. Neutralization of infection by two seropositive sera and by anti-Pentamer serum was measured using a CMV reporter cell line based on ARPE-19. Results Polymorphisms of the amino acid sequence of UL128, UL130, and UL131A ORFs were limited and clustered into two major groups. The identified alterations, except UL128 I140T, were mapped outside of the reported regions recognized by neutralizing antibodies. Anti-Pentamer serum neutralized infection with all isolates to a similar degree and had no correlation with the polymorphic groups. Conclusions Our findings indicate that Pentamer antigens prepared from Merlin Fix strain induce antibodies that neutralize infection with all isolates to a similar level and that anti-Pentamer antibodies neutralize CMV infection better than do human sera, suggesting that vaccines and therapeutic antibodies based on Pentamer as an antigen have some promise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) productive replication in vitro is most often studied in fibroblasts. In vivo, fibroblasts amplify viral titers, but transmission and pathogenesis require the infection of other cell types, most notably epithelial cells. In vitro, the study of HCMV infection of epithelial cells has been almost exclusively restricted to ocular epithelial cells. Here we present oral epithelial cells with relevance for viral interhost transmission as an in vitro model system to study HCMV infection. We discovered that HCMV productively replicates in normal oral keratinocytes (NOKs) and telomerase-immortalized gingival cells (hGETs). Our work introduces oral epithelial cells for the study of HCMV productive infection, drug screening, and vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expression of the intracellular form amastigote specific genes in the Leishmania donovani parasite plays a major role in parasite replication in the macrophage. In the current work, we have characterized a novel hypothetical gene, Ld30b that is specifically transcribed in the intracellular stage of the parasite. The recombinant Ld30b protein exists as a pentamer in solution as identified by native-PAGE and size exclusion gel chromatography. Structural analysis using circular dichroism and molecular modeling indicate that Ld30b belongs to family of cAMP-dependent protein kinase type I-alpha regulatory subunit. Co-localization immunofluorescence microscopy and western blot analyses (using anti-Ld30b antibody and anti-hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase, a glycosome marker) on the isolated parasite glycosome organelle fractions show that Ld30b is localized in glycosome, though lacked a glycosome targeting PTS1/2 signal in the protein sequence. Episomal expression of Ld30b in the parasite caused the arrest of promastigotes and amastigotes growth in vitro . Cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry indicates that these parasites are arrested in ‘sub G0/G1’ phase of the cell cycle. Single allele knockout of Ld30b in the parasite similarly attenuated its growth by accumulation of cells in the S phase of cell cycle, thus confirming the probable importance of appropriate level of protein in the cells. Studying such intracellular stage expressing genes might unravel novel regulatory pathways for the development of drugs or vaccine candidates against leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a leading cause of permanent birth defects, highlighting the need to develop an HCMV vaccine candidate. However, HCMV vaccine development is complicated by the varying capacity of neutralizing antibodies (NAb) to interfere in vitro with the HCMV entry routes mediating infection of fibroblast (FB) and epithelial cells (EC). While HCMV infection of FB and EC requires glycoprotein complexes composed of gB and gH/gL/gO, EC infection depends additionally on the envelope pentamer complex (PC) composed of gH, gL, UL128, UL130 and UL131A. Unlike NAb to gB or gH epitopes that can interfere with both FB and EC infection, NAb targeting predominantly conformational epitopes of the UL128/130/131A subunits are unable to prevent FB entry, though they are highly potent in blocking EC infection. Despite the selective requirement of the PC for EC entry, the PC is exceptionally immunogenic as vaccine antigen to stimulate both EC- and FB-specific NAb responses due to its capacity to elicit NAb that target epitopes of the UL128/130/131A subunits and gH. These findings suggest that the PC could be sufficient in a subunit vaccine formulation to induce robust FB- and EC-specific NAb responses. In this short review, we discuss NAb responses induced through natural infection and vaccination that interfere in vitro with HCMV infection of FB and EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the major viral cause of congenital infection and birth defects. Primary maternal infection often results in virus transmission, and symptomatic babies can have permanent neurological deficiencies and deafness. Congenital infection can also lead to intrauterine growth restriction, a defect in placental transport. HCMV replicates in primary cytotrophoblasts (CTBs), the specialized cells of the placenta, and inhibits differentiation/invasion. Human trophoblast progenitor cells (TBPCs) give rise to the mature cell types of the chorionic villi, CTBs and multi-nucleated syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs). Here we report that TBPCs are fully permissive for pathogenic and attenuated HCMV strains. Studies with a mutant virus lacking a functional pentamer complex (gH/gL/pUL128-131A) showed that virion entry into TBPCs is independent of the pentamer. In addition, infection is blocked by a potent human neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb), TRL345, reactive with glycoprotein B (gB), but not mAbs to the pentamer proteins pUL130/pUL131A. Functional studies revealed that neutralization of infection preserved the capacity of TBPCs to differentiate and assemble into trophospheres composed of CTBs and STBs in vitro. Our results indicate that mAbs to gB protect trophoblast progenitors of the placenta and could be included in antibody treatments developed to suppress congenital infection and prevent disease.

Retrovirus capsid is a fullerene-like lattice consisting of capsid protein hexamers and pentamers. Mathematical models for the lattice structure help understand the underlying biological mechanisms in the formation of viral capsids. It is known that viral capsids could be categorized into three major types: icosahedron, tube, and cone. While the model for icosahedral capsids is established and well-received, models for tubular and conical capsids need further investigation. This paper proposes new models for the tubular and conical capsids based on an extension of the Capser-Klug quasi-equivalence theory. In particular, two and three generating vectors are used to characterize respectively the lattice structures of tubular and conical capsids. Comparison with published HIV-1 data demonstrates a good agreement of our modeling results with experimental data.