Material basis and pharmacodynamic mechanism of YangshenDingzhi granules in the intervention of viral pneumonia:Based on serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology

Background:YangshenDingzhi granules(YSDZ)are clinically effective in preventing and treating COVID-19.The present study elucidates the underlying mechanism of YSDZ intervention in viral pneumonia by employing serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology.Methods:The chemical constituents of YSDZ in the blood were examined using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS).Potential protein targets were obtained from the SwissTargetPrediction database,and the target genes associated with viral pneumonia were identified using GeneCards,DisGeNET,and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM)databases.The intersection of blood component-related targets and disease-related targets was determined using Venny 2.1.Protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using the STRING database.The Metascape database was employed to perform enrichment analyses of Gene Ontology(GO)functions and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signaling pathways for the targets,while the Cytoscape 3.9.1 software was utilized to construct drug-component-disease-target-pathway networks.Further,in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to establish the therapeutic effectiveness of YSDZ against viral pneumonia.Results:Fifteen compounds and 124 targets linked to viral pneumonia were detected in serum.Among these,MAPK1,MAPK3,AKT1,EGFR,and TNF play significant roles.In vitro tests revealed that the medicated serum suppressed the replication of H1N1,RSV,and SARS-CoV-2 replicon.Further,in vivo testing analysis shows that YSDZ decreases the viral load in the lungs of mice infected with RSV and H1N1.Conclusion:The chemical constituents of YSDZ in the blood may elicit therapeutic effects against viral pneumonia by targeting multiple proteins and pathways.

SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and targeted antiviral development

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)is the causative agent of the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),which threatens human health and public safety.In the urgent campaign to develop anti-S ARS-CoV-2 therapies,the initial entry step is one of the most appealing targets.In this review,we summarize the current understanding of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry,and the development of targeted antiviral strategies.Moreover,we speculate upon future directions toward nextgeneration of SARS-CoV-2 entry inhibitors during the upcoming post-pandemic era.

Revisiting influenza A virus life cycle from a perspective of genome balance

Influenza A virus(IAV)genome comprises eight negative-sense RNA segments,of which the replication is well orchestrated and the delicate balance of multiple segments are dynamically regulated throughout IAV life cycle.However,previous studies seldom discuss these balances except for functional hemagglutinin-neuraminidase balance that is pivotal for both virus entry and release.Therefore,we attempt to revisit IAV life cycle by highlighting the critical role of“genome balance”.Moreover,we raise a“balance regression”model of IAV evolution that the virus evolves to rebalance its genome after reassortment or interspecies transmission,and direct a“balance compensation”strategy to rectify the“genome imbalance”as a result of artificial modifications during creation of recombinant IAVs.This review not only improves our understanding of IAV life cycle,but also facilitates both basic and applied research of IAV in future.

Flu Universal Vaccines: New Tricks on an Old Virus

Conventional influenza vaccines are based on predicting the circulating viruses year by year,conferring limited effectiveness since the antigenicity of vaccine strains does not always match the circulating viruses.This necessitates development of universal influenza vaccines that provide broader and lasting protection against pan-influenza viruses.The discovery of the highly conserved immunogens(epitopes)of influenza viruses provides attractive targets for universal vaccine design.Here we review the current understanding with broadly protective immunogens(epitopes)and discuss several important considerations to achieve the goal of universal influenza vaccines.

Optimization and applications of an in vivo bioluminescence imaging model of influenza A virus infections

Dear Editor,In vivo bioluminescence imaging(BLI)models of virus infection possess unique advantages over conventional assays.For instance,the BLI model enables rapid and real-time detection of viral load and dissemination in the same animal over time(Mehle,2015;Wen et al.,2022).

An in vitro recombination-based reverse genetic system for rapid mutagenesis of structural genes of the Japanese encephalitis virus

Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV) is one of the most common pathogens of severe viral encephalitis, which is a severe threat to human health. Despite instability of the JEV genome in bacteria, many strategies have been developed to establish molecular clone systems of JEV, providing convenient tools for studying the virus life cycle and virus–host interactions. In this study, we adapted an In-Fusion enzyme-based in vitro recombination method to construct a reverse genetic system of JEV, thereby providing a rapid approach to introduce mutations into the structural genes. A truncated genome without the structural genes was constructed as the backbone, and the complementary segment containing the structural genes was recombined in vitro, which was then transfected directly into virus-permissive cells. The progeny of the infectious virus was successfully detected in the supernatant of the transfected cells, and showed an identical phenotype to its parental virus. To provide a proof-of-principle, the 12 conserved cysteine residues in the envelope(E) protein of JEV were respectively mutated using this approach, and all mutations resulted in a complete failure to generate infectious virus. However, a leucine-tophenylanine mutation at amino acid 107 of the E protein did not interfere with the production of the infectious virus. These results suggested that all 12 cysteines in the E protein are essential for the JEV life cycle. In summary, a novel reverse genetic system of JEV was established for rapidly introducing mutations into structural genes, which will serve as a useful tool for functional studies.

Allopregnanolone targets nucleoprotein as a novel influenza virus inhibitor

Influenza A virus(IAV)poses a global public health concern and remains an imminent threat to human health.Emerging antiviral resistance to the currently approved influenza drugs emphasizes the urgent need for new therapeutic entities against IAV.Allopregnanolone(ALLO)is a natural product that has been approved as an antidepressant drug.In the present study,we repurposed ALLO as a novel inhibitor against IAVs.Mechanistic studies demonstrated that ALLO inhibited virus replication by interfering with the nucleus translocation of viral nucleoprotein(NP).In addition,ALLO showed significant synergistic activity with compound 16,a hemagglutinin inhibitor of IAVs.In summary,we have identified ALLO as a novel influenza virus inhibitor targeting NP,providing a promising candidate that deserves further investigation as a useful anti-influenza strategy in the future.

Characterization of the viral fibroblast growth factor homolog of Helicoverpa armigera single nucleopolyhedrovirus

Fibroblast growth factor(FGF) is found throughout multicellular organisms; however, fgf homologs(vfgf) have only been identified among viruses in lepidopteran baculoviruses. The function of v FGFs from Group I alphabaculoviruses, including Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus(Ac MNPV) and Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus(Bm NPV), involves accelerated killing of infected larvae by both viruses. The v FGF of Group II alphabaculovirus is structurally different from that of Group I alphabaculovirus, with a larger C-terminal region and additional N-linked glycosylation sites. In this study, we characterized the Group II alphabaculovirus v FGF of Helicoverpa armigera single nucleopolyhedrovirus(Hear NPV). The transcription and expression of vfgf was detected at 3 h and 16 h post-infection in Hear NPV-infected cells. To further study v FGF function, we constructed vfgf-knockout and-repaired Hear NPV bacmids and investigated their affect in both cultured cells and insects. Deletion of vfgf had no effect on budded-virus production or viral DNA replication in cultured Hz AM1 cells. However, bioassays showed that Hear NPV vfgf deletion significantly increased the median lethal dose and delayed the median lethal time by ~12 h in the host insect when the virus was delivered orally. These results suggested that v FGF is an important virulent factor for HearN PV infection and propagation in vivo.