Cover photograph: Proposed model: Mutations in N-glycosylation sites at N331 and N343 residues of RBD 705 protein inhibit S-ACE2 binding, IL-6 expression and cytotoxicity. Microbiol Immunol: 68:165-178. Article link here ..read more

Abstract Colonization resistance, conferred by the host's microbiota through both direct and indirect protective actions, serves to protect the host from enteric infections. Here, we identified the specific members of the gut microbiota that impact gastrointestinal colonization by Citrobacter rodentium, a murine pathogen causing colonic crypt hyperplasia. The gut colonization levels of C. rodentium in C57BL/6 mice varied among breeding facilities, probably due to differences in microbiota composition. A comprehensive analysis of the microbiota revealed that specific members of the microbiota m ..read more

Abstract We have previously isolated a gram-negative microaerophilic strain, PAGU2000T from a patient presenting with a fever in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The present study aimed to comprehensively analyze the taxonomy of the isolated strain using a polyphasic approach. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strain was a member of enterohepatic Helicobacter. The strain PAGU2000T shared a 97.5% 16S rRNA gene nucleotide identity with Helicobacter valdiviensis, and this taxonomic position was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis of the GyrA amino acid sequences. The proposed strai ..read more

Cover photograph: Streptococcus pneumoniae ΔlspA strain induces less SEAP production in THP-1-Blue cells. Microbiol Immunol: 68:155-159. Article link here ..read more

Cover photograph: The modulatory function of circ_0008410 was examined in RASFs. The amplification of divergent primers and 518 convergent primer in cDNA and gDNA of RASFs. Microbiol Immunol: 68:100-110. Article link here ..read more

Abstract Guanylate-binding proteins (GBPs) are a family of interferon (IFN)-inducible GTPases and play a pivotal role in the host immune response to microbial infections. These are upregulated in immune cells after recognizing the lipopolysaccharides (LPS), the major membrane component of Gram-negative bacteria. In the present study, the expression pattern of GBP1–7 was initially mapped in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-differentiated human monocytes THP-1 and mouse macrophages RAW 264.7 cell lines stimulated with LPS. A time-dependent significant expression of GBP1–7 was observed in these ce ..read more

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an ongoing global public health crisis. The causative agent, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, enters host cells via molecular interactions between the viral spike protein and the host cell ACE2 surface protein. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is extensively decorated with up to 66 N-linked glycans. Glycosylation of viral proteins is known to function in immune evasion strategies but may also function in the molecular events of viral entry into host cells. Here, we show that N-glycosylation at Asn331 and Asn343 of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is requir ..read more

Abstract BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) was the first human polyomavirus to be isolated from an immunosuppressed kidney transplant recipient in 1971. BKPyV reactivation causes BKPyV-associated nephropathy and hemorrhagic cystitis. However, the mechanisms underlying BKPyV replication remain unclear. In the present study, we performed the long-term cultivation of COS-7 cells transfected with archetype KOM-5 DNA, which were designated as COS-BK cells. BKPyV derived from COS-BK cells was characterized by analyzing the amount of the virus based on hemagglutination, viral replication, and the production of ..read more

Abstract Immunological testing to detect neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) is important in measles (MV) infection control. Currently, the plaque reduction neutralization test is the only credible method for measuring actual virus NAbs; however, its feasibility is hampered by drawbacks, such as long turnaround times, low throughput, and the need for laboratory biosafety equipment. To solve these problems, we developed a simple and rapid MV-NAb detection system using lentivirus-based virus-like particles incorporated with the NanoLuc fragment peptide HiBiT comprising the MV fusion protein ..read more

Abstract More than 100 different herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) genes belong to three major classes, and their expression is coordinately regulated and sequentially ordered in a cascade. This complex HSV-1 gene expression is thought to be regulated by various viral and host cellular proteins. A host cellular protein, Myb-binding protein 1A (MYBBP1A), has been reported to be associated with HSV-1 viral genomes in conjunction with viral and cellular proteins critical for DNA replication, repair, and transcription within infected cells. However, the role(s) of MYBBP1A in HSV-1 infections remains ..read more