Medical Immunology Commons^™

A Monovalent Mt10-Cvb3 Vaccine Prevents Cvb4-Accelerated Type 1 Diabetes In Nod Mice, Mahima T. Rasquinha, Ninaad Lasrado, Meghna Sur, Kiruthiga Mone, Haowen Qiu, Jean-Jack Riethoven, Raymond A. Sobel, Jay Reddy

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Enteroviruses, which include Coxsackieviruses, are a common cause of virus infections in humans, and multiple serotypes of the group B Coxsackievirus (CVB) can induce similar diseases. No vaccines are currently available to prevent CVB infections because developing serotype-specific vaccines is not practical. Thus, developing a vaccine that induces protective immune responses for multiple serotypes is desired. In that direction, we created a live-attenuated CVB3 vaccine virus, designated mutant (Mt)10, that offers protection against myocarditis and pancreatitis induced by CVB3 and CVB4 in disease-susceptible A/J mice. Here, we report that the Mt10 vaccine protected against CVB4-triggered type 1 diabetes (T1D) in …

Surveillance Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Veterinary Medicine In The United States: Current E, Juliana M. Ruzante, Beth Harris, Paul Plummer, Raissa R. Raineri, John Dustin Loy, Megan Jacob, Orhan Sahin, Amanda J. Kreuder

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem facing human, animal, plant, and environmental health by threatening our ability to effectively treat bacterial infections with antimicrobials. In the United States, robust surveillance efforts exist to collect, analyze, and disseminate AMR data in human health care settings. These tools enable the development of effective infection control methods, the detection of trends, and provide the evidence needed to guide stewardship efforts to reduce the potential for emergence and further spread of AMR. However, in veterinary medicine, there are currently no known equivalent tools. This paper reviews efforts to reduce the potential for emergence …

Genotype Classification Of Moraxella Bovis Using Maldi-Tof Ms Profiles, Hannah G. Olson, John Dustin Loy, Michael L. Clawson, Emily L. Wynn, Matthew M. Hille

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Moraxella bovis (M. bovis) is regarded as a causative agent of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), the most common ocular disease of cattle. Recently, whole genome sequencing identified the presence of two distinct genotypes within M. bovis that differ in chromosome content, potential virulence factors, as well as prophage and plasmid profiles. It is unclear if the genotypes equally associate with IBK or if one is more likely to be isolated from IBK lesions. We utilized 39 strains of M. bovis that had previously undergone whole genome sequencing and genotype classification to determine the utility of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization …

Isolation And Characterization Of Chi-Like Salmonella Bacteriophages Infecting Two Salmonella Enterica Serovars, Typhimurium And Enteritidis, Addisu D. Teklemariam, Mona G. Alharbi, Rashad R. Al-Hindi, Ibrahim Alotibi, Abdullah A. Aljaddawi, Sheren A. Azhari, Ahmed Esmael

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium and Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis are well-known pathogens that cause foodborne diseases in humans. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella serovars has caused serious public health problems worldwide. In this study, two lysogenic phages, STP11 and SEP13, were isolated from a wastewater treatment plant in Jeddah, KSA. Transmission electron microscopic images revealed that both phages are new members of the genus “Chivirus” within the family Siphoviridae. Both STP11 and SEP13 had a lysis time of 90 min with burst sizes of 176 and 170 PFU/cell, respectively. The two phages were thermostable (0 ^◦C …

A Common Mechanism Links Epstein‐Barr Virus Infections And Autoimmune Diseases, Luwen Zhang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with a variety of the autoimmune diseases. There is apparently no unified model for the role of EBV in autoimmune diseases. In this article, the development of autoimmune diseases is proposed as a simple two‐step process: specific autoimmune initiators may cause irreversible changes to genetic materials that increase autoimmune risks, and autoimmune promoters promote autoimmune disease formation once cells are susceptible to autoimmunity. EBV has several types of latencies including type III latency with higher proliferation potential. EBV could serve as autoimmune initiators for some autoimmune diseases. At the same time, EBV may play …

Il-33 Promotes Increased Replication Of Theiler’S Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus In Raw264.7 Macrophage Cells With An Irf3-Dependent Response, Ahmed Esmael, Thomas M. Petro

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Interleukin-33 (IL-33), which promotes M2 macrophage development, may influence the control of viruses, such as Theiler’s Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus (TMEV) that infect macrophages. Because Interferon Regulatory Factor-3 (IRF3) is also critical to control of TMEV infection in macrophages, information on the relationship between IL-33 and IRF3 is important. Thus, RAW264.7 Lucia murine macrophage lineage cells with an endogenous IRF3-ISRE promoter driving secreted luciferase and IRF3KO RAW Lucia, a subline deficient in IRF3, were challenged with TMEV. After the challenge, considerable TMEV RNA detected at 18 and 24 h in RAW cells was significantly elevated in IRF3KO RAW cells. TMEV induction …

A Single Amino Acid Substitution In Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Glycoprotein 2 Significantly Impairs Its Infectivity In Macrophages, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Raquel Arruda Leme, Kassandra Durazo-Martinez, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, Aspen M. Workman, Hiep Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has a restricted tropism for macrophages and CD163 is a key receptor for infection. In this study, the PRRSV strain NCV1 was passaged on MARC-145 cells for 95 passages, and two plaque-clones (C1 and C2) were randomly selected for further analysis. The C1 virus nearly lost the ability to infect porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), as well as porcine kidney cells expressing porcine CD163 (PK15-pCD163), while the C2 virus replicates well in these two cell types. Pretreatment of MARC-145 cells with an anti-CD163 antibody nearly blocked C1 virus infection, indicating that the virus still …

Il-33 Promotes Increased Replication Of Theiler’S Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus In Raw264.7 Macrophage Cells With An Irf3-Dependent Response, Ahmed Esmael, Thomas M. Petro

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Interleukin-33 (IL-33), which promotes M2 macrophage development, may influence the control of viruses, such as Theiler’s Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus (TMEV) that infect macrophages. Because Interferon Regulatory Factor-3 (IRF3) is also critical to control of TMEV infection in macrophages, information on the relationship between IL-33 and IRF3 is important. Thus, RAW264.7 Lucia murine macrophage lineage cells with an endogenous IRF3-ISRE promoter driving secreted luciferase and IRF3KO RAW Lucia, a subline deficient in IRF3, were challenged with TMEV. After the challenge, considerable TMEV RNA detected at 18 and 24 h in RAW cells was significantly elevated in IRF3KO RAW cells. TMEV induction …

Polyphenolics, Glucosinolates And Isothiocyanates Profiling Of Aerial Parts Of Nasturtium Officinale (Watercress), Sotiris Kyriakou, Kyriaki Michailidou, Tom Amery, Kyle Stewart, Paul G. Winyard, Dimitrios T. Trafalis, Rodrigo Franco, Aglaia Pappa, Mihalis I. Panayiotidis

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a rich source of secondary metabolites with disease-preventing and/or health-promoting properties. Herein, we have utilized extraction procedures to isolate fractions of polyphenols, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates to determine their identification, and quantification. In doing so, we have utilized reproducible analytical methodologies based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry by either positive or negative ion mode. Due to the instability and volatility of isothiocyanates, we followed an ammonia derivatization protocol which converts them into respective ionizable thiourea derivatives. The analytes’ content distribution map was created on watercress flowers, leaves and stems. We have demonstrated that …

The “Big Six”: Hidden Emerging Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens, Mona G. Alharbi, Rashad R. Al-Hindi, Ahmed Esmael, Ibrahim A. Alotibi, Sheren A. Azhari, Mazen S. Alseghayer, Addisu D. Teklemariam

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are emerging serogroups that often result in diseases ranging from diarrhea to severe hemorrhagic colitis in humans. The most common non-O157 STEC are O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. These serogroups are known by the name “big six” because they cause severe illness and death in humans and the United States Department of Agriculture declared these serogroups as food contaminants. The lack of fast and efficient diagnostic methods exacerbates the public impact of the disease caused by these serogroups. Numerous outbreaks have been reported globally and most of these outbreaks were caused by …

Proteômica Plasmática Quantitativa De Pacientes Sobreviventes E Não Sobreviventes De Covid-19 Internados No Hospital Revela Potenciais Biomarcadores Prognósticos E Alvos Terapêuticos, D C. Flora, A D. Valle, H Abs Pereira, T F. Garbieri, L. T. Grizzo, T J. Dionisio, A L. Leite, D Mc Rosa, C F. Santos, M Ar Buzalaf

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

O desenvolvimento de novas abordagens que permitam a avaliação precoce de quais casos de COVID-19 provavelmente se tornarão críticos e a descoberta de novos alvos terapêuticos são importantes. Neste estudo de coorte, foi avaliado o perfil proteômico e laboratorial do plasma de 163 pacientes internados no Hospital Estadual de Bauru (Bauru, SP, Brasil) entre 4 de maio e 4 de julho de 2020, que foram diagnosticados com COVID-19 por RT-PCR a partir de amostras de swab nasofaríngeo amostras. Amostras de plasma foram coletadas na admissão para análises laboratoriais de rotina e análise proteôomica quantitativa shotgun livre de marcadores. De acordo …

Decoding The Pitx2-Controlled Genetic Network In Atrial Fibrillation, Jeffrey D Steimle, Francisco J Grisanti Canozo, Minjun Park, Zachary A Kadow, Md Abul Hassan Samee, James F Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and a major risk factor for stroke, often arises through ectopic electrical impulses derived from the pulmonary veins (PVs). Sequence variants in enhancers controlling expression of the transcription factor PITX2, which is expressed in the cardiomyocytes (CMs) of the PV and left atrium (LA), have been implicated in AF predisposition. Single nuclei multiomic profiling of RNA and analysis of chromatin accessibility combined with spectral clustering uncovered distinct PV- and LA-enriched CM cell states. Pitx2-mutant PV and LA CMs exhibited gene expression changes consistent with cardiac dysfunction through cell type-distinct, PITX2-directed, cis-regulatory …

Extracellular Vesicles Released After Cranial Radiation: An Insight Into An Early Mechanism Of Brain Injury., Suriyan Sukati, Jenni Ho, Luksana Chaiswing, Pradoldej Sompol, Harshul Pandit, Wendy Wei, Tadahide Izumi, Quan Chen, Heidi Weiss, Teresa Noel, Subbarao Bondada, D Allan Butterfield, Daret K St Clair

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Cranial radiation is important for treating both primary brain tumors and brain metastases. A potential delayed side effect of cranial radiation is neurocognitive function decline. Early detection of CNS injury might prevent further neuronal damage. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a potential diagnostic tool because of their unique membranous characteristics and cargos. We investigated whether EVs can be an early indicator of CNS injury by giving C57BJ/6 mice 10 Gy cranial IR. EVs were isolated from sera to quantify: 1) number of EVs using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA); 2) Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an astrocyte marker; and 3) …

Adenoviral-Vectored Centralized Consensus Hemagglutinin Vaccine Provides Broad Protection Against H2 Influenza A Virus, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Brianna L. Bullard, Matthew J. Pekarek, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Several influenza pandemics have occurred in the past century, one of which emerged in 1957 from a zoonotic transmission of H2N2 from an avian reservoir into humans. This pandemic caused 2–4 million deaths and circulated until 1968. Since the disappearance of H2N2 from human populations, there has been waning immunity against H2, and this subtype is not currently incorporated into seasonal vaccines. However, H2 influenza remains a pandemic threat due to consistent circulation in avian reservoirs. Here, we describe a method of pandemic preparedness by creating an adenoviral-vectored centralized consensus vaccine design against human H2 influenza. We also assessed the …

The Application Of The Skin Virome For Human Identification, Ema H. Graham, Jennifer Clarke, Samodha Fernando, Joshua Herr, Michael Adamowicz

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The use of skin virome offers a unique approach for human identification purposes in instances where a viable and statistically relevant human DNA profile is unavailable. The skin virome may act as an alternative DNA profile and/or an additional form of probative genetic material. To date, no study has attempted to investigate the human virome over a time series across various physical locations of the body to identify its diagnostic potential as a tool for human identification. For this study, we set out to evaluate the stability, diversity, and individualization of the human skin virome. An additional goal was to …

Expanding Mouse-Adapted Yamagata-Like Influenza B Viruses In Eggs Enhances In Vivo Lethality In Balb/C Mice, Matthew J. Pekarek, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Adam Rubrum, Richard J. Webby, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Despite the yearly global impact of influenza B viruses (IBVs), limited host range has been a hurdle to developing a readily accessible small animal disease model for vaccine studies. Mouseadapting IBV can produce highly pathogenic viruses through serial lung passaging in mice. Previous studies have highlighted amino acid changes throughout the viral genome correlating with increased pathogenicity, but no consensus mutations have been determined. We aimed to show that growth system can play a role in mouse-adapted IBV lethality. Two Yamagata-lineage IBVs were serially passaged 10 times in mouse lungs before expansion in embryonated eggs or Madin–Darby canine kidney cells …

Determinants Of Virus Variation, Evolution, And Host Adaptation, Katherine Latourrette, Hernan Garcia-Ruiz

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Virus evolution is the change in the genetic structure of a viral population over time and results in the emergence of new viral variants, strains, and species with novel biological properties, including adaptation to new hosts. There are host, vector, environmental, and viral factors that contribute to virus evolution. To achieve or fine tune compatibility and successfully establish infection, viruses adapt to a particular host species or to a group of species. However, some viruses are better able to adapt to diverse hosts, vectors, and environments. Viruses generate genetic diversity through mutation, reassortment, and recombination. Plant viruses are exposed to …

Immunogenicity And Protective Efficacy Of A Recombinant Pichinde Viral-Vectored Vaccine Expressing Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Antigen In Pigs, Sushmita Kumari, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Qinfeng Huang, Phillip Gauger, Marcelo Nunes De Almeida, Yuying Liang, Hinh Ly, Hiep Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Influenza A virus of swine (IAV-S) is an economically important swine pathogen. The IAV-S hemagglutinin (HA) surface protein is the main target for vaccine development. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using the recombinant tri-segmented Pichinde virus (rPICV) as a viral vector to deliver HA antigen to protect pigs against IAV-S challenge. Four groups of weaned pigs (T01–T04) were included in the study. T01 was injected with PBS to serve as a non-vaccinated control. T02 was inoculated with rPICV expressing green fluorescence protein (rPICV-GFP). T03 was vaccinated with rPICV expressing the HA antigen of the IAV-S H3N2 strain …

Interleukin-10 Suppression Enhances T-Cell Antitumor Immunity And Responses To Checkpoint Blockade In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia., J R Rivas, Y Liu, S S Alhakeem, J M Eckenrode, F Marti, J P Collard, Y Zhang, K A Shaaban, N Muthusamy, G C Hildebrandt, L Chen, J S Thorson, M Leggas, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

T-cell dysfunction is a hallmark of B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), where CLL cells downregulate T-cell responses through regulatory molecules including programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10). Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) aims to restore T-cell function by preventing the ligation of inhibitory receptors like PD-1. However, most CLL patients do not respond well to this therapy. Thus, we investigated whether IL-10 suppression could enhance antitumor T-cell activity and responses to ICB. Since CLL IL-10 expression depends on Sp1, we utilized a novel, better tolerated analogue of the Sp1 inhibitor mithramycin (MTM

Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment: Focus On The Intersection Of Oxidative Stress And Tnfα., Nicole G Rummel, Luksana Chaiswing, Subbarao Bondada, Daret K St Clair, D Allan Butterfield

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) has been observed in a large fraction of cancer survivors. Although many of the chemotherapeutic drugs do not cross the blood-brain barrier, following treatment, the structure and function of the brain are altered and cognitive dysfunction occurs in a significant number of cancer survivors. The means by which CICI occurs is becoming better understood, but there still remain unsolved questions of the mechanisms involved. The hypotheses to explain CICI are numerous. More than 50% of FDA-approved cancer chemotherapy agents are associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) that lead to oxidative stress and activate a myriad of …

Novel Scalable And Simplified System To Generate Microglia-Containing Cerebral Organoids From Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Brittany Bodnar, Yongang Zhang, Jinbiao Liu, Yuan Lin, Peng Wang, Zhengyu Wei, Sami Saribas, Yuanjun Zhu, Fang Li, Xu Wang, Wenli Yang, Qingsheng Li, Wen-Zhe Ho, Wenhui Hu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human cerebral organoid (CO) is a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system that recapitulates the developing human brain. While CO has proved an invaluable tool for studying neurological disorders in a more clinically relevant matter, there have still been several shortcomings including CO variability and reproducibility as well as lack of or underrepresentation of certain cell types typically found in the brain. As the technology to generate COs has continued to improve, more efficient and streamlined protocols have addressed some of these issues. Here we present a novel scalable and simplified system to generate microglia-containing CO (MCO). We characterize the cell …

Genome Sequence Of A Virulent African Swine Fever Virus Isolated In 2020 From A Domestic Pig In Northern Vietnam, Quang Lam Truong, Thi Lan Nguyen, Thi Hoa Nguyen, Jishu Shi, Hiep Lai Xuan Vu, Thi Lan Huong Lai, Van Giap Nguyen

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

This study reports the genome sequence of an isolated African swine fever (ASF) virus (VNUA-ASFV-05L1/HaNam) obtained at the fourth passage on pulmonary alveolar macrophages. The virus was isolated during a typical acute ASF outbreak in pigs in a northern province of Vietnam in 2020.

Codon Bias Can Determine Sorting Of A Potassium Channel Protein, Anja J. Engel, Marina Kithil, Markus Langhans, Oliver Rauh, Matea Cartolano, James L. Van Etten, Anna Moroni, Gerhard Thiel

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Due to the redundancy of the genetic code most amino acids are encoded by multiple synonymous codons. It has been proposed that a biased frequency of synonymous codons can affect the function of proteins by modulating distinct steps in transcription, translation and folding. Here, we use two similar prototype K⁺ channels as model systems to examine whether codon choice has an impact on protein sorting. By monitoring transient expression of GFP-tagged channels in mammalian cells, we find that one of the two channels is sorted in a codon and cell cycle-dependent manner either to mitochondria or the secretory pathway. …

Identification Of A Chlorovirus Pbcv-1 Protein Involved In Degrading The Host Cell Wall During Virus Infection, Irina V. Agarkova, Leslie C. Lane, David D. Dunigan, Cristian F. Quispe, Garry A. Duncan, Elad Milrot, Abraham Minsky, Ahmed Esmael, Jayadri S. Ghosh, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Chloroviruses are unusual among viruses infecting eukaryotic organisms in that they must, like bacteriophages, penetrate a rigid cell wall to initiate infection. Chlorovirus PBCV-1 infects its host, Chlorella variabilis NC64A by specifically binding to and degrading the cell wall of the host at the point of contact by a virus-packaged enzyme(s). However, PBCV-1 does not use any of the five previously characterized virus-encoded polysaccharide degrading enzymes to digest the Chlorella host cell wall during virus entry because none of the enzymes are packaged in the virion. A search for another PBCV-1-encoded and virion-associated protein identified protein A561L. The fourth domain …

A High-Throughput Approach To Characterizing Arv1 On The Regulation Of Lipid Homeostasis Uncovers A Novel Interaction With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, Nicholas Anthony Wachowski

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Acyl-CoA cholesterol acyl transferase related enzyme-2 required for viability 1 (ARV1) was first recognized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a study done in 2000 by Tinkelenberg et al. In yeast, the deletion of ARV1 results in numerous defects including abnormal sterol trafficking [1], the reduction of sphingolipid metabolism [2], synthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor [3], ER stress [4], and hypersensitivity of fatty acids leading to lipoapoptosis [5]. Arv1 germline deletion in mice displayed a lean phenotype with increased energy [6]. In humans, ARV1 mutations lead to epileptic encephalopathy [7].

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) consists of simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis …

Presence Of Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity (Adcc) Against Sars-Cov-2 In Covid-19 Plasma, For Yue Tso, Salum J. Lidenge, Lisa K. Poppe, Phoebe B. Pena, Sara R. Privatt, Sydney J. Bennett, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Michael Belshan, Jacob A. Siedlik, Morgan A. Raine, Juan B. Ochoa, Julia Garcia-Diaz, Bobby Nossaman, Lyndsey Buckner, W Mark Roberts, Matthew J. Dean, Augusto C. Ochoa, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background Neutralizing-antibody (nAb) is the major focus of most ongoing COVID-19 vaccine trials. However, nAb response against SARS-CoV-2, when present, decays rapidly. Given the myriad roles of antibodies in immune responses, it is possible that antibodies could also mediate protection against SARS-CoV-2 via effector mechanisms such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), which we sought to explore here. Methods Plasma of 3 uninfected controls and 20 subjects exposed to, or recovering from, SARS CoV-2 infection were collected from U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa. Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies in the plasma samples. SARS-CoV-2 specific …

Inhibition Of Zika Virus Replication By G-Quadruplex-Binding Ligands, Indian Institute Of Technology Indore, Aryamav Pattnaik, Bikash R. Sahoo, Uma Shankar, Asit K. Pattnaik, Amit Kumar, Debasis Nayak

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-transmitted Flavivirus, emerged in the last decade causing serious diseases and affecting human health globally. Currently, no licensed vaccines or antivirals are available to combat ZIKV, although several vaccine candidates are in the pipeline. In recent years, the presence of non-canonical G-quadruplex (GQ) secondary structures in viral genomes has ignited significant attention as potential targets for antiviral strategy. In this study, we identified several novel conserved potential GQ structures by analyzing published ZIKV genome sequences using an in-house algorithm. Biophysical and biochemical analysis of the RNA sequences containing these potential GQ sequences suggested the existence of …

High Prevalence Of Pre-Existing Serological Cross-Reactivity Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (Sars-Cov-2) In Sub-Saharan Africa, For Yue Tso, Salum J. Lidenge, Phoebe B. Peña, Ashley A. Clegg, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Owen Ngalamika, Peter Julius, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Significant morbidity and mortality have occurred in the USA, Europe, and Asia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), whereas the numbers of infections and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have remained comparatively low. It has been hypothesized that exposure of the population in SSA to other coronaviruses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some degree of cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive antibodies in pre-pandemic plasma samples collected from SSA and the USA.

Method: Pre-COVID-19 pandemic plasma samples from SSA and the USA were collected and tested by …

High Prevalence Of Pre-Existing Serological Cross-Reactivity Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (Sars- Cov-2) In Sub-Saharan Africa, For Yue Tso, Salum Lidenge, Phoebe B. Peña, Ashley A. Clegg, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Owen Ngalamika, Peter Julius, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Significant morbidity and mortality have occurred in the USA, Europe, and Asia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), whereas the numbers of infections and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have remained comparatively low. It has been hypothesized that exposure of the population in SSA to other coronaviruses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some degree of cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive antibodies in pre-pandemic plasma samples collected from SSA and the USA.

Method: Pre-COVID-19 pandemic plasma samples from SSA and the USA were collected and tested by …

Strategies Targeting Hemagglutinin As A Universal Influenza Vaccine, Brianna L. Bullard, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Influenza virus has significant viral diversity, both through antigenic drift and shift, which makes development of a vaccine challenging. Current influenza vaccines are updated yearly to in- clude strains predicted to circulate in the upcoming influenza season, however this can lead to a mismatch which reduces vaccine efficacy. Several strategies targeting the most abundant and im- munogenic surface protein of influenza, the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, have been explored. These strategies include stalk-directed, consensus-based, and computationally derived HA immunogens. In this review, we explore vaccine strategies which utilize novel antigen design of the HA protein to improve cross-reactive immunity for development …