Genomic Sequencing and Molecular Characteristics of A Very Virulent Strain of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Isolated in China

[Objective] The paper was to determine the genomic sequence of a very virulent strain of infectious bursal disease virus（IBDV）,and study its molecular characteristics.[Method] A very virulent strain（vvIBDV）（HLJ-0504） of infectious bursal disease virus（IBDV） with special characters was isolated in China and its genome was sequenced.[Result] Sequence analysis showed that segment A of HLJ-0504 was derived from vvIBDV,while segment B was from a distinct ancestor.The morbidity and mortality of HLJ-0504 was 100% and 86.7%to SPF chickens,respectively.[Conclusion] vvIBDV with distinct segment B were still circulating and the evolution of IBDV was diversified in China.Besides,it is hard to imagine that the virulence of IBDV is determined solely by segment A or B.

Pathogenic Antigenic and Molecular Characterization of the Very Virulent Strain(Gx) of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Isolated in China

The very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV) strain Gx was isolated from a poutl-try farm in Guangxi Province, China, during 1996. The mortality in the infected flock was 80% and occurred 5 days after immunization with serotype I IBD vaccine. The results of antigen-capture ELISA (AC-ELISA), pathogenicity testing, cloning and sequence analysis of the VP2 gene showed that the deduced amino acid sequence of strain Gx VP2 was the same as vvIBDV UK661, which is considered as a reference strain for European vvIBDVs. The antigenicity of the Gx strain was the same as an European vvIBDV strain 849. The EID50 of Gx virus was 10-8.25/0. 2 ml, and the mortality was 64% when 4 week-old SPF chickens were challenged at dosage of 2×10~3EID50. We have demonstrated that the IBDV strain Gx isolated in China is vvIBDV according to European standards.

Identification and Characterization of Putative Virulent Genes in Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus

Suppression subtractive hybridization （SSH） was performed with virulent strain ATCC35246 and avirulent strain ST171 to identify novel genes associated with virulence in Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus （SEZ）. There were fourteen genomic regions that only presented in virulent strain ATCC35246. These regions encoded 14 proteins, some of them were homologous to proteins associated with cellular surface structure, molecular synthesis, energy metabolism, regulation, transport systems, and other unknown functions. Primers for 6 particular regions were designed from the already published SEZ sequence. Then, we used PCR to evaluate the distribution and conservation of these 6 DNA fragments in various SEZ strains collected from different sources, regions, groups, and times. The results showed that these 6 DNA fragments were widely distributed in SEZ strains, yet they were not existence in the avirulent strain ST171. Moreover, these fragments could not be detected in other Streptococcus groups.

Immunological Changes of Chicks Immunized with March＇s Disease Vaccines and Challenged with Virulent MD Virus

The experiment was conducted to inoculate one-day old chicks with March's disease (MD) trivalent and herpesvirus of turkey (HVT) vaccines separately, and then to challenge them with virulent MD virus (vMDV) at the age of 15 days. and 5, 25, 45 and 75 days after the challenge with vMDV, comparing with the control-challenged chicks without immunization, to detect the immunoprotetive efficacy and dynamic changes of the inductive activity of interleukin-2(IL-2), expression of IL-2 receptor and proliferative function of T cells in thymus and spleen; the number of ANAE+T, AP+T cells and IgG, IgM, IgA antibody-producing cells in Bursa Fabricius, spleen,thymus, cecal tonsil and Harder gland; as the amount of T cells and IgG, IgM, IgA in peripheral blood as well as the content of IgG, IgM and IgA in the tear, trachea washings, bile and intestinal fluids of the experimental chicks. The experimental results firstly demonstrate that the immunorcgulation of IL-2, and IL-2 receptor, the cellualr and humoral immune responses were significantly enhanced in the central and peripheral immune organs; the local mucosal immune function were markedly amplified in the respiratory and digestive tracts of the immunized-challenged,chicks, which were closely correlated with the immunoprotection against MD; the immune response and immunoprotective effect of the trivalent vaccine-immunized chicks were much better than those of HVT vaccine-immunized chicks:

The prevalence of virulent clonal strains of mutans streptococci in vivo and co-culture succession of the strains in vitro—Virulence potential of mutans streptococci

Purpose:To examine selected putative virulent prop-erties of mutans streptococci in two groups with dif-ferent caries activity and to examine co-culture hy-bridization of the strains in vitro. Methods: A set of strains from caries-free subjects (115) and another set from caries-active subjects (165) were isolated. Each strain was characterized for three virulence determi-nants. The clinical bacteria were then cocultured by three strains exhibiting the highest levels of virulence. Isolate colonies of last filial generation bacteria were enrichment-incubated and estimated for virulence again. RAPD-PCR and MLEE analyses were processed for parental bacteria and last filial genera-tion one. Results: No difference associated with caries activity of the subjects from whom the isolates origi-nated. Virulent properties of a filial generation strains was not different in the same generation, but was very different from their parent strains. Conclu-sion: The coexist properties of virulent polyclonal strain of MS may hold in a very general conditional sense in a dental plaque ecosystem in vivo, however, one of the co-culture strains may became dominant and displa- ced the others as the result of continuous ecological succession in vitro.

Genotypic Resistance of F_1 Cotton Hybrids by Inoculation with Different Virulent Isolates of the Fungus Verticillium Dahliae Klebahn

The plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae causes severe cotton losses in Uzbekistan. To create cotton varieties that are resistant to the more virulent races of V.dahliae we wanted to determine

Conidia of one Fusarium solani isolate from a soybean-production field enable to be virulent to soybean and make soybean seedlings wilted

Fusarium is usually thought to cause soybean root rot, which results in a large quantity of annual yield loss in soybean production, by its secretions including Fusarium toxins and cell wall degrading enzymes, but not by the conidia themselves that do not underlie any virulence so far. Here we report that the conidia of one Fusarium solani isolate are able to be virulent to soybean and make soybean seedlings wilted alone. We isolated them from the wilted plants in a soybean-production field and molecularly identified 17 Fusarium isolates through phylogenetic analysis. Of them, except for one isolate that showed diversity of virulence to different soybeans （virulent to one soybean whereas avirulent to another soybean）, the others were all virulent to the two tested soybeans： both conidia cultures and secretions could make soybean seedlings wilted at 5 days post infection, and their virulence had dosage effects that only conidia cultures of at least 5×10^6 conidia mL-1 could show virulence to soybean; however, the sole conidia of the F. solani isolate #4 also exhibited virulence to soybean and could make soybean seedlings wilted. Finally, we developed the specific cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences （CAPS） markers to easily differentiate Fusarium isolates. The isolate #4 in this work will likely be used to investigate the new mechanism of virulence of Fusarium to soybean.

Screening of High Virulent Isolate of Beauveria spp. against Helicoverpa assulta and Changes in Protective Enzymes Activities of Infected Larvae

Eleven isolates of Beauveria spp., including B. bassiana(Bb062) newly isolated from Helicoverpa assulta, and other seven B. bassiana isolates and three B. brongniartii isolates that were originally isolated from different geographic origins and various hosts, were tested against the 3^(rd) instar larvae of H. assulta. The protective enzyme activity in the 3^(rd) larvae of H. assulta infected by highly virulent isolate was also assayed. The results showed that the isolate Bb062 had the highest virulence to the 3^(rd) instar larvae among eleven isolates of Beauveria spp., with a corrected mortality reaching 91.07% within 10 d post treatment, and the LT_(50) was 4.67 d. After inoculated with three concentrations(1.0 ×10~6, 1.0 ×10~7 and 1.0×10~8 conidia/mL) of Bb062 conidial suspension, the accumulative mortality of H. assulta larvae increased with the increase of concentration and observation time, and the LC_(50) was 1.82×10~7 conidia/mL. Activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD), peroxidase(POD) and catalase(CAT) in H. assulta larvae first increased rapidly then dropped sharply within 72 h. Bb062 showed high virulence to H. assulta and could inhibit activities of protective enzymes. Therefore, it will be a promising biocontrol agent against H. assulta.

Acquisition of a novel conjugative multidrug-resistant hypervirulent plasmid leads to hypervirulence in clinical carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains

The co-occurrence of plasmid-mediated multidrug resistance and hypervirulence in epidemic carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae has emerged as a global public health issue.In this study,an ST23 carbapenem-resistant hyper-virulent K.pneumoniae(CR-HvKP)strain VH1-2 was identified from cucumber in China and harbored a novel hybrid plasmid pVH1-2-VIR.The plasmid pVH1-2-VIR carrying both virulence and multidrug-resistance(MDR)genes was likely generated through the recombination of a virulence plasmid and an IncFIIK conjugative MDR plasmid in clinical ST2318622 isolated from a sputum sample.The plasmid pVH1-2-VIR exhibited the capacity for transfer to the clinical ST11 carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae(CRKP)strain via conjugation assay.Acquisition of pVH1-2-VIR plasmid directly converted a CRKP into CR-HvKP strain characterized by hypermucoviscosity,heightened virulence for Galleria mellonella larvae,and increased colonization ability in the mouse intestine.The emergence of such a hybrid plasmid may expedite the spread of CR-HvKP strains,posing a significant risk to human health.

Emergence and prevalence of naturally occurring lower virulent African swine fever viruses in domestic pigs in China in 2020

African swine fever virus(ASFV)has been circulating in China for more than two years,and it is not clear whether the biological properties of the virus have changed.Here,we report on our surveillance of ASFVs in seven provinces of China,from June to December,2020.A total of 22 viruses were isolated and characterized as genotype II ASFVs,with mutations,deletions,insertions,or short-fragment replacement occurring in all isolates compared with Pig/HLJ/2018(HLJ/18),the earliest isolate in China.Eleven isolates had four different types of natural mutations or deletion in the EP402R gene and displayed a nonhemadsorbing(non-HAD)phenotype.Four isolates were tested for virulence in pigs;two were found to be as highly lethal as HLJ/18.However,two non-HAD isolates showed lower virulence but were highly transmissible;infection with 106 TCID50 dose was partially lethal and caused acute or sub-acute disease,whereas 103 TCID50 dose caused non-lethal,sub-acute or chronic disease,and persistent infection.The emergence of lower virulent natural mutants brings greater difficulty to the early diagnosis of ASF and creates new challenges for ASFV control.

Identification and virulence test of a new pathogen that causes verticillium striping on rapeseed in northwestern China

Five stems of rapeseed with abundant black microsclerotia were collected from Huangyuan County of Qinghai Province,China,and fungal isolates were obtained from the stems.They were identified based on morphology,molecular features and specific PCR detection.The results showed that the 10 fungal isolates belonged to Verticillium longisporum lineage A1/D3.One of the 10 isolates(HW7-1)was tested for virulence on three species of rapeseed,including B.napus Zhongshuang 9,B.rapa Qingyou 9 and B.juncea Tayou 2 by conidia inoculation of HW7-1 on roots of young seedlings.Control seedlings were inoculated with V.dahliae conidia or water alone.The seedlings of these treatments were transplanted in culture mix and incubated in a growth chamber(20℃).Results suggested that the control seedlings of three cultivars appeared quite healthy,while the seedlings inoculated with HW7-1 turned yellowing leaves,seedling stunting or even death after 22 days post-inoculation.V.longisporum was re-isolated from he yellow leaves,thus fulfilling Koch's postulates.Moreover,compared to the control treatments,inoculation with HW7-1 caused flowering delay and seed yield reduction on Tayou 2 with production of microsclerotia on the stems.To our knowledge,this is the first report of V.longisporum lineage A1/D3 on rapeseed in northwestern China.

Molecular characteristics and evolutionary analysis of a very virulent infectious bursal disease virus

Infectious bursal disease virus （IBDV） poses a significant threat to the poultry industry. Viral protein 2 （VP2）, the major struc- tural protein of IBDV, has been subjected to frequent mutations that have imparted tremendous genetic diversity to the virus. To determine how amino acid mutations may affect the virulence of IBDV, we built a structural model of VP2 of a very virulent strain of IBDV identified in China, vvIBDV Gx, and performed a molecular dynamics simulation of the interaction between virulence sites. The study showed that the amino acid substitutions that distinguish vvlBDV from attenuated IBDV （H253Q and T284A） favor a hydrophobic and flexible conformation of β-barrel loops in VP2, which could promote interac- tions between the virus and potential IBDV-specific receptors. Population sequence analysis revealed that the IBDV strains prevalent in East Asia show a significant signal of positive selection at virulence sites 253 and 284. In addition, a signal of co-evolution between sites 253 and 284 was identified. These results suggest that changes in the virulence of IBDV may result from both the interaction and the co-evolution of multiple amino acid substitutions at virulence sites.

N-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase of very virulent infectious bursal disease virus contributes to viral replication and virulence

Dear Editor,Infectious bursal disease virus （IBDV） causes an economically significant disease of chickens worldwide （Berg,2000）. The molecular basis for the virulence of very virulent IBDV （vvIBDV） is not fully understood. Previous studies have shown that genome segment A, especically VP2 protein, plays the most important role in the tropism and pathogenicity of serotype 1 IBDV （Brandt et al., 2001）. VP2 is,however, unlikely to be the only factor for the virulence of vvIBDV （Boot et al., 2000）.

光响应基因BcCfaS通过脂质代谢调控灰葡萄孢菌的光形态建成及致病力

Light is a fundamental environmental factor for living organisms on earth—not only as a primary energy source but also as an informational signal.In fungi,light can be used as an indicator for both time and space to control important physiological and morphological responses.Botrytis cinerea(B.cinerea)is a devastating phytopathogenic fungus that exploits light cues to optimize virulence and the balance between conidiation and sclerotia development,thereby improving its dispersal and survival in ecosystems.However,the components and mechanisms underlying these processes remain obscure.Here,we identify a novel light-signaling component in B.cinerea,BcCfaS,which encodes a putative cyclopropane fatty-acyl-phospholipid synthase.BcCfaS is strongly induced by light at the transcriptional level and plays a crucial role in regulating photomorphogenesis.Deletion of BcCfaS results in reduced vegetative growth,altered colony morphology,impaired sclerotial development,and enhanced conidiation in a lightdependent manner.Moreover,the mutant exhibits serious defects in stress response and virulence on the host.Based on a lipidomics analysis,a number of previously unknown fungal lipids and many BcCfaS-regulated lipids are identified in B.cinerea,including several novel phospholipids and fatty acids.Importantly,we find that BcCfaS controls conidiation and sclerotial development by positively regulating methyl jasmonate(MeJA)synthesis to activate the transcription of light-signaling components,revealing for the first time the metabolic base of photomorphogenesis in fungi.Thus,we propose that BcCfaS serves as an integration node for light and lipid metabolism,thereby providing a regulatory mechanism by which fungi adapt their development to a changing light environment.These new findings provide an important target for antifungal design to prevent and control fungal disease.

Isolation,identification,and virulence gene analysis of pathogenic Aeromonas dhakensis in Macrobrachium rosenbergii and histopathological observation

To identify the cause of mass mortality of adult Macrobrachium rosenbergii in a farm in Gaoyou City,Jiangsu Province,China,a dominant strain named DKQ-1 was isolated from the hepatopancreas of dying M.rosenbergii and identified as Aeromonas dhakensis by purification culture,biochemical characterization,and 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequence analysis.The results of the challenge test revealed that the strain was highly pathogenic and the 50%lethal dose(LD_(50))in 72 h to M.rosenbergii was 1.54×10^(5)CFU/mL.The amplification results of virulence genes show that strain DKQ-1 carried 9 virulence genes,including ascV,aexT,aer,act,lip,ompAI,gcaT,acg,and exu,supporting the strong virulence of strain DKQ-1 to M.rosenbergii.Histopathological observation of the hepatopancreas,gills,and intestines indicated that DKQ-1 injection into M.rosenbergii could cause serious tissue damage,which further supported the strong virulence of this strain.In addition,a drug susceptibility test revealed that strain DKQ-1 was sensitive to 16 kinds of antibiotics,resistant to 9 kinds of antibiotics,and had intermediate resistance to spectinomycin and kanamycin.This study is the first report of A.dhakensis isolated from M.rosenbergii and provided a reference for the pathogen identification of bacterial diseases in M.rosenbergii,and for the prevention and treatment caused by A.dhakensis.

Development of a stable attenuated double-mutant of tobacco mosaic virus for cross-protection

Tobacco(Nicotiana tabacum)and tomato(Solanum lycopersicum)are two major economic crops in China.Tobacco mosaic virus(TMV;genus Tobamovirus)is the most prevalent virus infecting both crops.Currently,some widely cultivated tobacco and tomato cultivars are susceptible to TMV and there is no effective strategy to control this virus.Cross-protection can be a safe and environmentally friendly strategy to prevent viral diseases.However,stable attenuated TMV mutants are scarce.In this study,we found that the substitutions in the replicase p126,arginine at position 196(R^(196))with aspartic acid(D),glutamic acid at position 614(E^(614))with glycine(G),serine at position 643(S^(643))with phenylalanine(F),or D at position 730(D^(730))with S,significantly reduced the virulence and replication of TMV.However,only the mutation of S^(643) to F reduced the RNA silencing suppression activity of TMV p126.A double-mutant TMV-E614G-S643F induced no visible symptom and was genetically stable through six successive passages in tobacco plants.Furthermore,our results showed that TMV-E614G-S643F double-mutant could provide effective protection against the wild-type TMV infection in tobacco and tomato plants.This study reports a promising mild mutant for cross-protection to control TMV in tobacco and tomato plants.

Carbon Catabolite Repressor UvCreA is Required for Development and Pathogenicity in Ustilaginoidea virens

The rice false smut disease, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, has emerged as a significantglobal threat to rice production. The mechanism of carbon catabolite repression plays a crucial role in theefficient utilization of carbon nutrients and enzyme regulation in the presence of complex nutritionalconditions. Although significant progress has been made in understanding carbon catabolite repression infungi such as Aspergillus nidulans and Magnaporthe oryzae, its role in U. virens remains unclear. Toaddress this knowledge gap, we identified UvCreA, a pivotal component of carbon catabolite repression,in U. virens. Our investigation revealed that UvCreA localized to the nucleus. Deletion of UvCreA resultedin decreased growth and pathogenicity in U. virens. Through RNA-seq analysis, it was found that theknockout of UvCreA led to the up-regulation of 514 genes and down-regulation of 640 genes. Moreover,UvCreA was found to be involved in the transcriptional regulation of pathogenic genes and genesassociated with carbon metabolism in U. virens. In summary, our findings indicated that UvCreA isimportant in fungal development, virulence, and the utilization of carbon sources through transcriptionalregulation, thus making it a critical element of carbon catabolite repression.

Mechanistic research:Selenium regulates virulence factors,reducing adhesion ability and inflammatory damage of Helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND The pathogenicity of Helicobacter pylori is dependent on factors including the environment and the host.Although selenium is closely related to pathogenicity as an environmental factor,the specific correlation between them remains unclear.AIM To investigate how selenium acts on virulence factors and reduces their toxicity.METHODS H.pylori strains were induced by sodium selenite.The expression of cytotoxin-associated protein A(CagA)and vacuolating cytotoxin gene A(VacA)was determined by quantitative PCR and Western blotting.Transcriptomics was used to analyze CagA,CagM,CagE,Cag1,Cag3,and CagT.C57BL/6A mice were infected with the attenuated strains subjected to sodium selenite induction,and H.pylori colonization,inflammatory reactions,and the cell adhesion ability of H.pylori were assessed.RESULTS CagA and VacA expression was upregulated at first and then downregulated in the H.pylori strains after sodium selenite treatment.Their expression was significantly and steadily downregulated after the 5th cycle(10 d).Transcriptome analysis revealed that sodium selenite altered the levels affect H.pylori virulence factors such as CagA,CagM,CagE,Cag1,Cag3,and CagT.Of these factors,CagM and CagE expression was continuously downregulated and further downregulated after 2 h of induction with sodium selenite.Moreover,CagT expression was upregulated before the 3rd cycle(6 d)and significantly downregulated after the 5th cycle.Cag1 and Cag3 expression was upregulated and downregulated,respectively,but no significant change was observed by the 5th cycle.C57BL/6A mice were infected with the attenuated strains subjected to sodium selenite induction.The extent of H.pylori colonization in the stomach increased;however,sodium selenite also induced a mild inflammatory reaction in the gastric mucosa of H.pylori-infected mice,and the cell adhesion ability of H.pylori was significantly weakened.CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that H.pylori displayed virulence attenuation after the 10th d of sodium selenite treatment.Sodium selenite is a low toxicity compound with strong stability that can reduce the cell adhesion ability of H.pylori,thus mitigating the inflammatory damage to the gastric mucosa.

Molecular investigation of exoU and exoY virulence genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa collected from hospitalized patients in North of Iran:A descriptive-analytical study

Objective:To investigate the frequency of exoU and exoY genes in patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.Methods:In this study,100 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were collected from patients hospitalized in educational-therapeutic hospitals and were identified using standard microbiological tests.Then,the antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates was determined by the disk agar diffusion method.The bacterial DNAs were extracted by the alkaline lysis method.Finally,the presence of exoU and exoY genes was evaluated by the PCR test.Results:In this study,47%,72%,29%,39%,40%,and 44%of the isolates were non-susceptible to piperacillin,aztreonam,ceftazidime,imipenem,tobramycin,and ciprofloxacin,respectively.In addition,95%and 93%of the clinical isolates carried the exoU and exoY genes.Blood and fecal isolates had both virulence genes,while only one wound isolate had neither genes.Meanwhile,all urinary isolates contained the exoY gene and only one isolate lacked the exoU gene.Also,88 isolates simultaneously had both exoU and exoY genes.Conclusions:High prevalence of exoU and exoY genes in this region indicates a significant role of typeⅢsecretion system in pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.The typeⅢsecretion system may be a suitable target to reduce the pathogenicity of this bacterium.

Molecular Detection of Resistance and Virulence Genes in Coagulase Negative Staphylococci Isolated from Blood Cultures at the University Teaching Hospital of Bouake

Introduction: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are currently recognized as genuine pathogens. However, little is known about the resistance and virulence genes that explain their pathogenicity in hospitals in Cte d'Ivoire. The aim of this study was to contribute to the genotypic identification of resistance and virulence genes in CoNS isolated from blood cultures at the University Teaching Hospital (CHU) of Bouak, in order to improve patient management. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted from September to December 2023. The CoNS isolates studied came from the collection of strains isolated from blood cultures of febrile patients hospitalized or attending consultations at the CHU of Bouak. The strains were analyzed using conventional simplex PCR. Results: Of the 45 isolates analyzed, 46.7% carried both the aacA-aphD and tetK genes and 40% carried the mecA gene. With regard to virulence genes, only the LukS-PV gene was observed in S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus isolates. Conclusion: The high prevalence of CoNS isolates carrying the mecA gene and the presence of virulence genes observed in this study give cause for concern in hospitals. It is important to develop comprehensive surveillance strategies against nosocomial and multi-resistant infections at the CHU of Bouak.