The Experts below are selected from a list of 45 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Dolores Rodríguez - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Equine Torovirus (BEV) induces caspase-mediated apoptosis in infected cells.
    PLoS ONE, 2011
    Co-Authors: Ana M. Maestre, Ana Garzón, Dolores Rodríguez
    Abstract:

    Toroviruses are gastroenteritis causing agents that infect different animal species and humans. To date, very little is known about how Toroviruses cause disease. Here, we describe for the first time that the prototype member of this genus, the Equine Torovirus Berne virus (BEV), induces apoptosis in infected cells at late times postinfection. Observation of BEV infected cells by electron microscopy revealed that by 24 hours postinfection some cells exhibited morphological characteristics of apoptotic cells. Based on this finding, we analyzed several apoptotic markers, and observed protein synthesis inhibition, rRNA and DNA degradation, nuclear fragmentation, caspase-mediated cleavage of PARP and eIF4GI, and PKR and eIF2α phosphorylation, all these processes taking place after peak virus production. We also determined that both cell death receptor and mitochondrial pathways are involved in the apoptosis process induced by BEV. BEV-induced apoptosis at late times postinfection, once viral progeny are produced, could facilitate viral dissemination in vivo and contribute to viral pathogenesis.

Ana M. Maestre - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Equine Torovirus (BEV) induces caspase-mediated apoptosis in infected cells.
    PLoS ONE, 2011
    Co-Authors: Ana M. Maestre, Ana Garzón, Dolores Rodríguez
    Abstract:

    Toroviruses are gastroenteritis causing agents that infect different animal species and humans. To date, very little is known about how Toroviruses cause disease. Here, we describe for the first time that the prototype member of this genus, the Equine Torovirus Berne virus (BEV), induces apoptosis in infected cells at late times postinfection. Observation of BEV infected cells by electron microscopy revealed that by 24 hours postinfection some cells exhibited morphological characteristics of apoptotic cells. Based on this finding, we analyzed several apoptotic markers, and observed protein synthesis inhibition, rRNA and DNA degradation, nuclear fragmentation, caspase-mediated cleavage of PARP and eIF4GI, and PKR and eIF2α phosphorylation, all these processes taking place after peak virus production. We also determined that both cell death receptor and mitochondrial pathways are involved in the apoptosis process induced by BEV. BEV-induced apoptosis at late times postinfection, once viral progeny are produced, could facilitate viral dissemination in vivo and contribute to viral pathogenesis.

Ana Garzón - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Equine Torovirus (BEV) induces caspase-mediated apoptosis in infected cells.
    PLoS ONE, 2011
    Co-Authors: Ana M. Maestre, Ana Garzón, Dolores Rodríguez
    Abstract:

    Toroviruses are gastroenteritis causing agents that infect different animal species and humans. To date, very little is known about how Toroviruses cause disease. Here, we describe for the first time that the prototype member of this genus, the Equine Torovirus Berne virus (BEV), induces apoptosis in infected cells at late times postinfection. Observation of BEV infected cells by electron microscopy revealed that by 24 hours postinfection some cells exhibited morphological characteristics of apoptotic cells. Based on this finding, we analyzed several apoptotic markers, and observed protein synthesis inhibition, rRNA and DNA degradation, nuclear fragmentation, caspase-mediated cleavage of PARP and eIF4GI, and PKR and eIF2α phosphorylation, all these processes taking place after peak virus production. We also determined that both cell death receptor and mitochondrial pathways are involved in the apoptosis process induced by BEV. BEV-induced apoptosis at late times postinfection, once viral progeny are produced, could facilitate viral dissemination in vivo and contribute to viral pathogenesis.

Benjamin W. Neuman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • identification and characterization of a ribose 2 o methyltransferase encoded by the ronivirus branch of nidovirales
    Journal of Virology, 2016
    Co-Authors: Cong Zeng, Yi Wang, Yingke Tang, Xu Jin, Shilei Wang, Lei Qin, Ying Sun, Chengpeng Fan, Benjamin W. Neuman
    Abstract:

    UNLABELLED The order Nidovirales currently comprises four virus families: Arteriviridae, Coronaviridae (divided into the subfamilies Coronavirinae and Torovirinae), Roniviridae, and the recently recognized Mesoniviridae RNA cap formation and methylation have been best studied for coronaviruses, with emphasis on the identification and characterization of two virus-encoded methyltransferases (MTases) involved in RNA capping, a guanine-N7-MTase and a ribose-2'-O-MTase. Although bioinformatics analyses suggest that these MTases may also be encoded by other nidoviruses with large genomes, such as Toroviruses and roniviruses, no experimental evidence has been reported thus far. In this study, we show that a ronivirus, gill-associated virus (GAV), encodes the 2'-O-MTase activity, although we could not detect 2'-O-MTase activity for the homologous protein of a Torovirus, Equine Torovirus, which is more closely related to coronaviruses. Like the coronavirus 2'-O-MTase, the roniviral 2'-O-MTase harbors a catalytic K-D-K-E tetrad that is conserved among 2'-O-MTases and can target only the N7-methylated cap structure of adenylate-primed RNA substrates. However, in contrast with the coronavirus protein, roniviral 2'-O-MTase does not require a protein cofactor for stimulation of its activity and differs in its preference for several biochemical parameters, such as reaction temperature and pH. Furthermore, the ronivirus 2'-O-MTase can be targeted by MTase inhibitors. These results extend our current understanding of nidovirus RNA cap formation and methylation beyond the coronavirus family. IMPORTANCE Methylation of the 5'-cap structure of viral RNAs plays important roles in genome replication and evasion of innate recognition of viral RNAs by cellular sensors. It is known that coronavirus nsp14 acts as an N7-(guanine)-methyltransferase (MTase) and nsp16 as a 2'-O-MTase, which are involved in the modification of RNA cap structure. However, these enzymatic activities have not been shown for any other nidoviruses beyond coronaviruses in the order Nidovirales In this study, we identified a 2'-O-methyltransferase encoded by ronivirus that shows common and unique features in comparison with that of coronaviruses. Ronivirus 2'-O-MTase does not need a protein cofactor for MTase activity, whereas coronavirus nsp16 needs the stimulating factor nsp10 for its full activity. The conserved K-D-K-E catalytic tetrad is identified in ronivirus 2'-O-MTase. These results extend our understanding of nidovirus RNA capping and methylation beyond coronaviruses and also strengthen the evolutionary and functional links between roniviruses and coronaviruses.

Andrew E. Firth - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Transcriptional and Translational Landscape of Equine Torovirus.
    Journal of Virology, 2018
    Co-Authors: Hazel Stewart, Katherine A. Brown, Adam M. Dinan, Nerea Irigoyen, Andrew E. Firth
    Abstract:

    The genus Torovirus (subfamily Torovirinae, family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales) encompasses a range of species that infect domestic ungulates, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses, causing an acute self-limiting gastroenteritis. Using the prototype species Equine Torovirus (EToV), we performed parallel RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) to analyze the relative expression levels of the known Torovirus proteins and transcripts, chimeric sequences produced via discontinuous RNA synthesis (a characteristic of the nidovirus replication cycle), and changes in host transcription and translation as a result of EToV infection. RNA sequencing confirmed that EToV utilizes a unique combination of discontinuous and nondiscontinuous RNA synthesis to produce its subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs); indeed, we identified transcripts arising from both mechanisms that would result in sgRNAs encoding the nucleocapsid. Our ribosome profiling analysis revealed that ribosomes efficiently translate two novel CUG-initiated open reading frames (ORFs), located within the so-called 5′ untranslated region. We have termed the resulting proteins U1 and U2. Comparative genomic analysis confirmed that these ORFs are conserved across all available Torovirus sequences, and the inferred amino acid sequences are subject to purifying selection, indicating that U1 and U2 are functionally relevant. This study provides the first high-resolution analysis of transcription and translation in this neglected group of livestock pathogens. IMPORTANCE Toroviruses infect cattle, goats, pigs, and horses worldwide and can cause gastrointestinal disease. There is no treatment or vaccine, and their ability to spill over into humans has not been assessed. These viruses are related to important human pathogens, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, and they share some common features; however, the mechanism that they use to produce sgRNA molecules differs. Here, we performed deep sequencing to determine how Equine Torovirus produces sgRNAs. In doing so, we also identified two previously unknown open reading frames “hidden” within the genome. Together these results highlight the similarities and differences between this domestic animal virus and related pathogens of humans and livestock.

  • The transcriptional and translational landscape of Equine Torovirus
    2018
    Co-Authors: Hazel Stewart, Katherine A. Brown, Adam M. Dinan, Nerea Irigoyen, Andrew E. Firth
    Abstract:

    The genus Torovirus (subfamily Torovirinae, family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales) encompasses a range of species that infect domestic ungulates including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses, causing an acute self-limiting gastroenteritis. Using the prototype species Equine Torovirus (EToV) we performed parallel RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) to analyse the relative expression levels of the known Torovirus proteins and transcripts, chimaeric sequences produced via discontinuous RNA synthesis (a characteristic of the nidovirus replication cycle) and changes in host transcription and translation as a result of EToV infection. RNA sequencing confirmed that EToV utilises a unique combination of discontinuous and non-discontinuous RNA synthesis to produce its subgenomic RNAs; indeed, we identified transcripts arising from both mechanisms that would result in sgRNAs encoding the nucleocapsid. Our ribosome profiling analysis revealed that ribosomes efficiently translate two novel CUG-initiated ORFs, located within the so-called 5’ UTR. We have termed the resulting proteins U1 and U2. Comparative genomic analysis confirmed that these ORFs are conserved across all available Torovirus sequences and the inferred amino acid sequences are subject to purifying selection, indicating that U1 and U2 are functionally relevant. This study provides the first high-resolution analysis of transcription and translation in this neglected group of livestock pathogens.