Life Sciences Commons^™

Construction And Mutagenesis Of Ssv1 Mutants In Extreme Viruses, Lou Ann F. O'Connor, Jono Abshier, Kenneth M. Stedman

Student Research Symposium

Archaeal viruses with unique structures such as spindle-shaped virions are found abundantly in extreme environments like geothermal hot springs around the world. Among all spindle-shaped viruses, the model Sulfolobus Spindle-shaped Virus 1 (SSV1) is best studied. Creating the lemon-shaped or spindle-shaped virion structure are two proteins, VP1 as the major capsid protein, and VP3 as the minor capsid protein. The primary structure of VP1 consists of a proteolytic cleavage site at position 66 that is believed to be necessary for virus evolution. Recent studies showed that genetic mutation of the amino acid, glutamate (E) at position 66 in VP1 which …

Investigating And Modeling The Rate Of Syncytia Formation In Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Rsv), Emily Hope Landwehr

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that infects humans and causes a range of symptoms similar to a common cold. Severe cases result in pneumonia and hospitalization. A critical mechanism for RSV spread is lateral cell-cell transmission that can result in the formation of multinucleated syncytia, a single cell containing multiple nuclei. Syncytia formation is known to influence RSV transmission in vitro. Previous studies have contributed to the development of a current viral kinetic model that shows a representation for the progression of viral infections. A limitation to this model is that it does not account for syncytia …

Characterization Of The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Rsv) Attachment Protein Mucin Domains, Molly Kathleen Roe

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is currently a leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI). Despite contributing to a significant mortality rate in young children and immunocompromised populations, it still lacks a vaccine. Live-attenuated vaccines are the preferred vaccination model for RSV, but achieving attenuation, immunogenicity, and stability can be difficult. Previous studies have indicated that deletion of the RSV G protein attenuates viral replication, but the role of the protein’s mucin domains has not been fully explored. We generate two new RSV strains here with varying G protein deletions: A2-line19F-G155 with deletion of the G-protein mucin domains, and A2- …

Functional Characterization Of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus Matrix Protein In Host Cellular Responses, Jeffery Ringiesn

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a deadly fish pathogen that poses a global threat to aquatic ecosystems and the aquaculture industry. For decades, research has focused on developing vaccine therapeutics utilizing a variety of techniques and strategies. While these studies have met with some success in identifying potential vaccine targets that provided protective immunity, a commercially viable IHNV vaccine is currently unavailable. Here we explore the relationship between the structure and function of the IHNV matrix (M) protein through the introduction of mutations that reduce anti-host effects, with the goal of developing a novel recombinant IHNV with reduced pathogenicity …

Covid-19: In The Absence Of Vaccination – ‘Mask-The-Nation’, Roy D. Sleator, Steven Darby, Alan Giltinan, Niall Smith

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

“In the absence of a vaccine, or effective antiviral, one of our only remaining strategies for controlling COVID-19 is to physically block the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the community”

Investigating The Interactions Between Individual Calmodulin And Hiv-1 Protein Domains, Riley K. Kendall, Jerry Larue

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The World Health Organization found that 37.9 million people were living with HIV by the end of 2018. HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system through viral replication and the destruction of CD4⁺ T-cells, which are white blood cells that detect infection and make antibodies. A cure for HIV has not yet been discovered. HIV-1 contains a Gag polyprotein which regulates the stages of viral replication. Previous studies suggest that the myristoyl group of a matrix protein peptide found on the Gag polyprotein, MA, forms a complex with a calcium-binding, multifunctional regulatory protein called Calmodulin (CaM). CaM …

Exploring The Functionality And Role Of The Interdomain Loop (Idl) Of Mouse Hepatitis Virus (Mhv) Protease Nsp5, Benjamin Nick

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Human coronaviruses are responsible for a number of physiological ailments and include illnesses such as the common cold, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), pneumonia, and COVID-19. While vaccines exist for a multitude of pathogenic viruses that exists today, human coronaviruses are not among those that possess a stable and efficacious vaccine available on the market. Attempts to make an inhibitor against coronaviruses have targeted the active site and substrate binding sites of a protease known as non-structural protein 5 (Nsp5), however these attempts have failed to date. Models of the structure of MHV Nsp5 show …

Characterization Of Ph-Based Inactivation Of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Rsv), Jenna Nosek

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a negative-sense, single-strand RNA virus that affects the upper and lower respiratory system in humans. Currently, RSV is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide, while also infecting target populations of the elderly and immunocompromised. Significant efforts towards vaccine development have been made due to limited therapeutic options, however, physical instabilities of RSV may hinder movement in vaccine development. We hypothesize that strain-specific differences in stability likely attribute to differences in RSV F protein, as proposed by previous studies about the intrinsically instability of RSV. A panel of recombinant RSV viruses were analyzed for strain-specific …

Analysis Of The Thermal Stability Of A Diverse Panel Of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Rsv) Strains, Darby Deford

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major respiratory pathogen of young infants and the elderly and is associated with upper and lower respiratory disease. Vaccine development for RSV has been hindered by poor immunogenicity in target populations, genetic and physical instabilities, and a legacy of vaccine-enhanced disease. The fusion and attachment proteins of RSV, F and G, have been seen to be responsible for inducing the majority of neutralizing antibodies. However, little remains known about how differences in RSV F and G affect virus replication and stability. In this thesis, we proposed to examine the replication and thermal stability of …

Investigating The Antiviral Effects Of Vig-3 From Rainbow Trout, Shanee Herrington-Krause

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rainbow trout is the most farmed fish in Ontario, and thus is economically important to the province. Despite this, there is a lack of understanding regarding fish innate immunity, specifically with regards to interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and their antiviral effector functions. ISGs are the workhorses of the innate antiviral response, operating together to limit each step of virus replication. The Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) induced gene (Vig)-3 is a newly identified ISG within many fish species and is homologous to ISG-15 in mammals. It is a small ubiquitin-like protein inducible by type I interferon (IFN-I), and is suggested to …

Minimum Information About An Uncultivated Virus Genome (Miuvig), Simon Roux, Evelien M. Adriaenssens, Bas E. Dutilh, Eugene V. Koonin, Andrew M. Kropinski, Mart Krupovic, Jens H. Kuhn, Rob Lavigne, J Rodney Brister, Arvind Varsani, Clara Amid, Ramy K. Aziz, Seth R. Bordenstein, Peer Bork, Mya Breitbart, Guy R. Cochrane, Rebecca A. Daly, Christelle Desnues, Melissa B. Duhaime, Joanne B. Emerson, François Enault, Jed A. Fuhrman, Pascal Hingamp, Philip Hugenholtz, Bonnie L. Hurwitz, Natalie N. Ivanova, Jessica M. Labonté, Kyung-Bum Lee, Rex R. Malmstrom, Manuel Martinez-Garcia, Ilene Karsch Mizrachi, Hiroyuki Ogata, David Páez-Espino, Marie-Agnès Petit, Catherine Putonti, Thomas Rattei, Alejandro Reyes, Francisco Rodriguez-Valera, Karyna Rosario, Lynn Schriml, Frederik Schulz, Grieg F. Steward, Matthew B. Sullivan, Shinichi Sunagawa, Curtis A. Suttle, Ben Temperton, Susannah G. Tringe, Rebecca Vega Thurber, Nicole S. Webster, Katrine L. Whiteson, Steven W. Whilhelm, K Eric Wommack, Tanja Woyke, Kelly C. Wrighton, Pelin Yilmaz, Takashi Yoshida, Mark J. Young, Natalya Yutin, Lisa Zeigler Allen, Nikos C. Kyrpides, Emiley A. Eloe-Fadrosh

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

We present an extension of the Minimum Information about any (x) Sequence (MIxS) standard for reporting sequences of uncultivated virus genomes. Minimum Information about an Uncultivated Virus Genome (MIUViG) standards were developed within the Genomic Standards Consortium framework and include virus origin, genome quality, genome annotation, taxonomic classification, biogeographic distribution and in silico host prediction. Community-wide adoption of MIUViG standards, which complement the Minimum Information about a Single Amplified Genome (MISAG) and Metagenome-Assembled Genome (MIMAG) standards for uncultivated bacteria and archaea, will improve the reporting of uncultivated virus genomes in public databases. In turn, this should enable more robust comparative …

Characterizing The Role Of The Cellular Protein Schlafen 11 In Flavivirus Replication, Federico Valdez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Schlafen 11 (Slfn11) is a ubiquitously expressed interferon stimulating gene (ISG) that controls synThesis of proteins by regulating tRNA abundance. Through this mechanism Slfn11 has previously been shown to impair human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection and the expression of codon-biased open reading frames. Because replication of positive-sense single- stranded RNA [(+)ssRNA viruses] requires the immediate translation of the incoming viral genome whereas negative sense, single stranded [(-)ssRNA] viruses carry at infection an RNA replicase that makes multiple translation competent copies of the incoming viral genome, we reasoned that (+)ssRNA viruses will be more sensitive to the effect of Slfn11 …

Phylogenetic Distribution Of An Endogenous Strain Of Dahlia Mosaic Virus In Members Of Asteraceae, Keri L. Caudle

Master's Theses

A newly discovered strain of Dahlia mosaic virus (DMV) called DMV-D10 was first observed in Dahlia variabilis in 2008. DMV-D10 does not induce visible symptoms of infection in the host plant, and is classified as an endogenous virus. Endogenous viruses like DMV-D10 have the ability to integrate their viral sequences into the host plant genome, which can be transmitted to offspring. No studies have examined the host range of DMV-D10 outside of the Dahlia genus. Because DMV-D10 has only been observed in Dahlia, the objective for this study was to determine if presence of DMVD10 follows an evolutionary relationship among …

Determination Of The Binding Site Of Adenovirus E4 11k On The Cellular Protein Ddx6, Clint E. Edmunds, Courtney F. Moon

Georgia College Student Research Events

Adenovirus is a double-stranded DNA virus that is responsible for localized infections, such as upper respiratory tract infections. The virus takes over the target cell through many mechanisms, in particular taking control of host cell gene expression mechanisms as well as controlling host cell protein synthesis machinery. One of the functions of the adenovirus E4 11k protein is in turning off host cell protein synthesis and regulating late viral gene expression. E4 11k from all adenovirus subclasses has been shown to disrupt cellular RNA processing bodies (P-bodies), and adenovirus serotype 5 has a direct interaction with a P-body protein, Ddx6. …

Suppression Of Pulmonary Innate Immunity By Pneumoviruses, Jayeeta Dhar

ETD Archive

Pneumonia Virus of Mice (PVM) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are negative sense, single-stranded, enveloped RNA viruses from Pneumovirus genus, Paramyxoviridae family. RSV is the leading cause of respiratory diseases in infants. PVM causes similar respiratory illness in mice. PVM is used as an animal model to study RSV pathogenesis because of its similarity with RSV infection. Viral infection induces type I interferon (IFN) response as an antiviral strategy. PVM and RSV both have two non-structural (NS) proteins that are known to be IFN antagonists. While RSV can target different signaling components of IFN pathway, the mechanism of IFN suppression …

A Tail Of Two Phages: Genomic And Functional Analysis Of Listeria Monocytogenes Phages Vb_Lmos_188 And Vb_Lmos_293 Reveal The Receptor-Binding Proteins Involved In Host Specificity, Aidan Casey, Kieran Jordan, Horst Neve, Aidan Coffey, Olivia Mcauliffe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The physical characteristics of bacteriophages establish them as viable candidates for downstream development of pathogen detection assays and biocontrol measures. To utilize phages for such purposes, a detailed knowledge of their host interaction mechanisms is a prerequisite. There is currently a wealth of knowledge available concerning Gram-negative phage-host interaction, but little by comparison for Gram-positive phages and Listeria phages in particular. In this research, the lytic spectrum of two recently isolated Listeria monocytogenes phages (vB_LmoS_188 and vB_LmoS_293) was determined, and the genomic basis for their observed serotype 4b/4e host-specificity was investigated using comparative genomics. The late tail genes of these …

Examining Phage Infection Utilizing Mycobacterium Smegmatis, Tanya L. Riddick

Undergraduate Research

Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are viruses that are ubiquitous and survive and replicate within the host of the bacterial cell, Mycobacterium smegmatis. They are considered one of the most abundant organisms on earth (10³¹). Structurally, they are 100-200nm in size and consist of a protein encapsulated head that contains DNA or RNA, a tail sheath and tail fibers. This research consisted of examining phage infection, by re-isolating a novel phage, Tango. Tango was originally isolated genetically in 2013 by a previous ISBT student, Anna Maccarrone. The phage was sent to genetic sequencing but two phages were discovered, …

Bacteriophage Host-Range Expansion To Include Two Strains Of Clostridium Sporogenes, Kevin Crown

Biology ETDs

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria, which have been used to treat bacterial infections in people for decades. They are also now being used as FDA approved preservatives as a means to prevent the growth of spoiling bacteria in many ready-to-eat foods. Bacteriophages tend to infect a very narrow range of bacterial hosts, some only a single sub-strain. When used for therapeutics or food treatment however, it is desirable to use phages that are promiscuous in their host range. This has led to attempts to broaden the host range of the most useful phages. By passaging phages in co-cultures of …

Enhanced Expression Of Codon Optimized Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis Antigens In Lactobacillus Salivarius, Christopher D. Johnston, John P. Bannatine, Rodney Govender, Lorraine Endersen, Daniel Pletzer, Helge Weingart, Aidan Coffey, Jim O'Mahony, Roy D. Sleator

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

It is well documented that open reading frames containing high GC content show poor expression in A+T rich hosts. Specifically, G+C-rich codon usage is a limiting factor in heterologous expression of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) proteins using Lactobacillus salivarius. However, re-engineering opening reading frames through synonymous substitutions can offset codon bias and greatly enhance MAP protein production in this host. In this report, we demonstrate that codon-usage manipulation of MAP2121c can enhance the heterologous expression of the major membrane protein (MMP), analogous to the form in which it is produced natively by MAP bacilli. When heterologously over-expressed, antigenic determinants …

Vaccinia Virus Flll Mediated Expedition Of Tanapoxvirus Replication In Cell Culture, Yih Wen Goh

Masters Theses

Tanapoxvirus (TPV) produces large but slow-forming plaques as opposed to vaccinia virus (VACV) that forms similar large plaques but more rapidly. A number of genes were identified in VACV, inclucding FllL, A33R, A34R and A36R that contribute to the regulation of virus release and dissemination, and are particularly responsible for the induction of actin tails. Among them, TPV lacks homologs of the FllL and A36R genes. F11Lmediated inhibition of RhoA-mDia signaling was shown to enhance the microtubules dynamics and modulates the cortical actin that assisted in the release of progeny virus from infected cells. To understand the possible effects of …

Characterizing Dsrna Production In Virus-Infected Fish Cells, Amal Brek Aloufi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Viral dsRNA is produced by almost all viruses sometime during their replicative cycle. These viral nucleic acids are potent inducers of both innate and adaptive immune responses, and are therefore considered important immuno-modulators. Previous studies have shown that viruses produce dsRNA when replicating in mammalian cells; however, to date no one has demonstrated viral dsRNA production in virus infected fish cells. Therefore, the goal of this study is to investigate dsRNA production by fish viruses in fish cells, verifying production and performing initial characterization of the dsRNA molecules being produced. Three different rainbow trout cell lines were used in this …

Piscine Myocarditis Virus (Pmcv) In Wild Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease of sea-farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., but CMS-like lesions have also been found in wild Atlantic salmon. In 2010 a double-stranded RNA virus of the Totiviridae family, provisionally named piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), was described as the causative agent of CMS. In the present paper we report the first detection of PMCV in wild Atlantic salmon. The study is based on screening of 797 wild Atlantic salmon by real-time RT-PCR. The samples were collected from 35 different rivers along the coast of Norway, and all individuals included in the study were …

A Strain Of Piscine Myocarditis Virus (Pmcv) Infecting Argentina Silus (Ascanius), Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

No abstract.

Quantification Of Piscine Reovirus (Prv) At Different Stages Of Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar Production, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

The newly described piscine reovirus (PRV) appears to be associated with the development of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. PRV seems to be ubiquitous among fish in Norwegian salmon farms, but high viral loads and tissue distribution support a causal relationship between virus and disease. In order to improve understanding of the distribution of PRV in the salmon production line, we quantified PRV by using real-time PCR on heart samples collected at different points in the life cycle from pre-smolts to fish ready for slaughter. PRV positive pre-smolts were found in about …

Intra And Interhost Dynamics Shaping Arbovirus Adaptation And Evolution, Alexander T. Ciota

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), which are predominately mosquito-borne and almost exclusively RNA viruses, are maintained in nature in complex transmission cycles involving blood sucking invertebrates and vertebrate hosts. Although over 120 arboviruses are human pathogens responsible for causing a significant and expanding global health burden, a detailed understanding of the complex interactions between these pathogens and their hosts, particularly invertebrate hosts, is lacking. Defining these interactions is necessary if we are to understand the selective pressures and, therefore, evolutionary, adaptive, and epidemiological potential of arboviruses. This requires experimental infection and evolution studies, particularly in vivo, with natural hosts. The results presented …

Prevalence Of Piscine Myocarditis Virus (Pmcv) In Marine Fish Species, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

No abstract.

A Novel Totivirus And Piscine Reovirus (Prv) In Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) With Cardiomyopathy Syndrome (Cms), Torstein Tengs

Dr. Torstein Tengs

BACKGROUNDCardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe disease affecting large farmed Atlantic salmon. Mortality often appears without prior clinical signs, typically shortly prior to slaughter. We recently reported the finding and the complete genomic sequence of a novel piscine reovirus (PRV), which is associated with another cardiac disease in Atlantic salmon; heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI). In the present work we have studied whether PRV or other infectious agents may be involved in the etiology of CMS.RESULTSUsing high throughput sequencing on heart samples from natural outbreaks of CMS and from fish experimentally challenged with material from fish diagnosed with CMS …

Heart And Skeletal Muscle Inflammation Of Farmed Salmon Is Associated With Infection With A Novel Reovirus, Torstein Tengs

Dr. Torstein Tengs

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) mariculture has been associated with epidemics of infectious diseases that threaten not only local production, but also wild fish coming into close proximity to marine pens and fish escaping from them. Heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) is a frequently fatal disease of farmed Atlantic salmon. First recognized in one farm in Norway in 1999, HSMI was subsequently implicated in outbreaks in other farms in Norway and the United Kingdom. Although pathology and disease transmission studies indicated an infectious basis, efforts to identify an agent were unsuccessful. Here we provide evidence that HSMI is associated …

Molecular Characterisation Of A Bovine-Like Rotavirus Detected From A Giraffe, Emily Mulherin, Jill Bryan, Marijke Beltman, Luke O'Grady, Eugene Pidgeon, Lucie Garon, Andrew Lloyd, John Bainbridge, Helen O'Shea, Paul Whyte, Séamus Fanning

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Background

Rotavirus (RV), is a member of the Reoviridae family and an important etiological agent of acute viral gastroenteritis in the young. Rotaviruses have a wide host range infecting a broad range of animal species, however little is known about rotavirus infection in exotic animals. In this paper we report the first characterisation of a RV strain from a giraffe calf.

Results

This report describes the identification and detailed molecular characterisation of a rotavirus strain detected from a 14-day-old Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), presenting with acute diarrhea. The RV strain detected from the giraffe was characterized molecularly as G10P[11]. …