A novel fusion gene, TRIMS-Cyclophilin A in the pig-tailed macaque determines its susceptibility to HIV-1 infection

Objective: In Old World monkeys, the tripartite motif Sec (TRIM5 alpha) protein confers resistance to HIV-1 infection following virus entry into host cells. However, the pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina) is an exception and is susceptible to HIV-1 in

Adaptive evolution of primate TRIM5 alpha, a gene restricting HIV-1 infection

Recent studies showed that nonhuman primate TRIM5 alpha can efficiently block HIV-1 infection in human cell lines. It can also restrict other retroviruses, therefore, suggested as a general defender against retrovirus infection. Here, we present an evolutionary analysis of TRIM5 alpha in primates. Our results demonstrated that TRIM5a has been evolving rapidly in primates, which is likely caused by Darwinian positive selection. The SPRY domain of TRM5 alpha, which may be responsible for recognition of incoming viral capsids showed higher nonsynonymous/synonymous substitution ratios than the non-SPRY domain, indicating that the adaptive evolution of TRIM5a ill primates might be an innate strategy developed in defending retrovirus infection during primate evolution. In addition, the comparative protein sequence analysis suggested that the amino acid substitution pattern at a single site (344R/Q/P) located in the SPRY domain may explain the differences in Susceptibilities of HIV-1 infection in diverse primate species. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anti-infection peptidomics of amphibian skin

Peptidomics and genomics analyses were used to study an anti-infection array of peptides of amphibian skin. 372 cDNA sequences of antimicrobial peptides were characterized from a single individual skin of the frog Odorrana grahami that encode 107 novel an

Enriched environment treatment counteracts enhanced addictive and depressive-like behavior induced by prenatal chronic stress

Prenatal stress can cause many long-term behavior changes in offspring, but whether prenatal stress can alter addictive behavior in offspring and postnatal enriched environment treatment (EE) can restore these changes are unknown. We reported here that pr

Polymorphisms in the C-type lectin genes cluster in chromosome 19 and predisposition to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection

Background: Polymorphisms of CLEC4M have been associated with predisposition for infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). DC-SIGNR, a C-type lectin encoded by CLEC4M, is a receptor for the virus. A variable number tandem

Genotyping of TRIM5 locus in northern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca leonina), a primate species susceptible to Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 infection

Background: The pig-tailed macaques are the only Old World monkeys known to be susceptible to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. We have previously reported that the TRIM5-Cyclophilin A (TRIMCyp) fusion in pig-tailed macaques (Macaca n

Trichosanthin suppresses the elevation of p38 MAPK, and Bcl-2 induced by HSV-1 infection in Vero cells

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a type I ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) effective against HIV-1 and HSV-1 replication. The mechanism of its antiviral activity is not clear. Many believe that it is related to ribosome inactivation. Some RIPs and viral infectio

Differently lasting effects of prenatal and postnatal chronic clozapine/haloperidol on activity and memory in mouse offspring

We evaluated the behavioral effects of chronic haloperidol (HAL) and clozapine (CLO) during gestation and CNS development, compared with transient treatments that stopped 1-3 weeks before the test. Results: 1) Chronic HAL (6 mg/l in drinking water) but no

Detour behavior changes associated with prenatal morphine exposure in 11-day-old chicks

The central nervous system exhibits remarkable plasticity in early life. Prenatal morphine exposure may induce adverse behavioral effects on the neonate and the developing offspring. In the present study, we investigated the effect of prenatal morphine exposure (daily from embryonic days 12-16, 20 mg/kg) on 11-day-old chicks using two forms of spatial paradigms: one trial detour behavior task in which animals must bypass an obstacle to reach the desired goal without any training and detour learning task which required several trials of training to reach the detour criterion. The results showed that, on the condition that chicks could successfully detour in the first trial, morphine exposed chicks exhibited longer detour latency to finish the task, coupled by a preference for turning right versus turning left. In contrast, no significant difference in learning and memory was found in detour learning task between morphine exposed chicks and saline chicks. These findings suggest specific behavioral changes associated with prenatal exposure to opioids during mid to late gestation, also raise attention to the possible health hazard from pregnancy drug use in everyday life. (C) 2010 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Prenatal Exposure to a 50-Hz Magnetic Field on One-Trial Passive Avoidance Learning in 1-Day-Old Chicks

We investigated memory impairment in newly hatched chicks following in ovo exposure to a 50-Hz magnetic field (MF) of 2 mT (60 min/day) on embryonic days 12-18. Isolated and paired chicks were used to test the effect of stress during training, and memory retention was tested at 10, 30, and 120 min, following exposure to a bitter-tasting bead (100% methylanthranilate). Results showed that memory was intact at 10 min in both isolated and paired chicks with or without MF exposure. However, while isolated chicks had good memory retention levels at 30 and 120 min, those exposed to MF did not. The results suggest a potential disruption of memory formation following in ovo exposure to MF, with this effect only evident in the more stressed, isolated chicks. Bioelectromagnetics 31:150-155, 2010. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss. Inc.

Complete genomic sequences for hepatitis C virus subtypes 6e and 6g isolated from Chinese patients with injection drug use and HIV-1 co-infection

In one of our recent studies, two HCV genotype 6 variants were identified in patients from Hong Kong and Guangxi in southern China, with injection drug use and HIV-1 co-infection. We report the complete genomic sequences for these two variants: GX004 and

Prenatal stress modifies hippocampal synaptic plasticity and spatial learning in young rat offspring

Clinical studies demonstrate that prenatal stress causes cognitive deficits and increases vulnerability to affective disorders in children and adolescents. The underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Here, we reported that prenatal stress (10

Enriched environment treatment restores impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive deficits induced by prenatal chronic stress

Prenatal stress can cause long-term effects on cognitive functions in offspring. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity, believed to be the mechanism underlying certain types of learning and memory, and known to be sensitive to behavioral stress, can be changed

Distinct neurobehavioral consequences of prenatal exposure to sulpiride (SUL) and risperidone (RIS) in rats

Antipsychotic treatment during pregnancy is indicated when risk of drug exposure to the fetus is outweighed by the untreated psychosis in the mother. Although increased risk of congenital malformation has not been associated with most available antipsycho

Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway can be triggered by grass carp reovirus and Aeromonas hydrophila infection in rare minnow Gobiocypris rarus

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is critical for LPS recognition and cellular responses. It also recognizes some viral envelope proteins. Detection mostly results in the inflammation rather than specific antiviral responses. However, it's unclear in fish. In this report, a TLR4 gene (named as GrTLR4b) was cloned and characterized from rare minnow Gobiocypris rarus. The full length of GrTLR4b cDNA consists of 2766 nucleotides and encodes a polypeptide of 818 amino acids with an estimated molecular mass of 94,518 Da and a predicted isoelectric point of 8.41. The predicted amino acid sequence comprises a signal peptide, six leucine-rich repeat (LRR) motifs, one leucine-rich repeat C-terminal (LRRCT) motif, followed by a transmembrane segment of 23 amino acids, and a cytoplasmic region of 167 amino acids containing one Toll - interleukin 1 - receptor (TIR) motif. It's closely similar to the zebrafish (Danio rerio) TLR4b amino acid sequence with an identity of 77%. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed GrTLR4b mRNA was constitutive expression in gill, heart, intestine, kidney, liver, muscle and spleen tissues in healthy animals and up-regulated by viruses and bacteria. After being infected by grass carp reovirus or Aeromonas hydrophila, GrTLR4b expressions were up-regulated from 24 h post-injection and lasted until the fish became moribund (P < 0.05). These data implied that TLR4 signaling pathway could be activated by both viral and bacterial infection in rare minnow. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.