Project description:Viruses transmitted by small mammals and arthropods serve as global threats to humans. Most emergent and re-emergent viral agents are transmitted by these groups; therefore, the development of high-throughput screening methods for the detection and surveillance of such viruses is of great interest. In this study, we describe a DNA microarray platform that can be used for screening all viruses transmitted by small mammals and arthropods (SMAvirusChip) with nucleotide sequences that have been deposited in the GenBank. SMAvirusChip was designed with more than 15,000 oligonucleotide probes (60-mers), including viral and control probes. Two SMAvirusChip versions were designed: SMAvirusChip v1 contains 4209 viral probes for the detection of 409 viruses, while SMAvirusChip v2 contains 4943 probes for the detection of 416 viruses. SMAvirusChip was evaluated with 20 laboratory reference-strain viruses. These viruses could be specifically detected when alone in a sample or when artificially mixed within a single sample. The sensitivity of SMAvirusChip was evaluated using 10-fold serial dilutions of dengue virus (DENV). The results showed a detection limit as low as 2.6E3 RNA copies/mL. Additionally, the sensitivity was one log10 lower (2.6E2 RNA copies/mL) than quantitative real-time RT-PCR and sufficient to detect viral genomes in clinical samples. The detection of DENV in serum samples of DENV-infected patients (n= 6) and in a whole blood sample spiked with DENV confirmed the applicability of SMAvirusChip for the detection of viruses in clinical samples. In addition, in a pool of mosquito samples spiked with DENV, the virus was also detectable. SMAvirusChip was able to specifically detect viruses in cell cultures, serum samples, total blood samples and a pool of mosquitoes, confirming that cellular RNA/DNA did not interfere with the assay. Therefore, SMAvirusChip may represent an innovative surveillance method for the rapid identification of viruses transmitted by small mammals and arthropods. The SMAvirusChip v1 microarray includes more than 15,000 oligonucleotide probes (60-mers long) for the detection of viruses transmitted by small mammals and arthropods. The sequences of 4209 viral probes for the detection of 409 viruses (109 viruses transmitted by small mammals and 300 arboviruses) were included in this platform. Positive and negative control oligonucleotide probes were also included in the design.

Project description:Viruses transmitted by small mammals and arthropods serve as global threats to humans. Most emergent and re-emergent viral agents are transmitted by these groups; therefore, the development of high-throughput screening methods for the detection and surveillance of such viruses is of great interest. In this study, we describe a DNA microarray platform that can be used for screening all viruses transmitted by small mammals and arthropods (SMAvirusChip) with nucleotide sequences that have been deposited in the GenBank. SMAvirusChip was designed with more than 15,000 oligonucleotide probes (60-mers), including viral and control probes. Two SMAvirusChip versions were designed: SMAvirusChip v1 contains 4209 viral probes for the detection of 409 viruses, while SMAvirusChip v2 contains 4943 probes for the detection of 416 viruses. SMAvirusChip was evaluated with 20 laboratory reference-strain viruses. These viruses could be specifically detected when alone in a sample or when artificially mixed within a single sample. The sensitivity of SMAvirusChip was evaluated using 10-fold serial dilutions of dengue virus (DENV). The results showed a detection limit as low as 2.6E3 RNA copies/mL. Additionally, the sensitivity was one log10 lower (2.6E2 RNA copies/mL) than quantitative real-time RT-PCR and sufficient to detect viral genomes in clinical samples. The detection of DENV in serum samples of DENV-infected patients (n= 6) and in a whole blood sample spiked with DENV confirmed the applicability of SMAvirusChip for the detection of viruses in clinical samples. In addition, in a pool of mosquito samples spiked with DENV, the virus was also detectable. SMAvirusChip was able to specifically detect viruses in cell cultures, serum samples, total blood samples and a pool of mosquitoes, confirming that cellular RNA/DNA did not interfere with the assay. Therefore, SMAvirusChip may represent an innovative surveillance method for the rapid identification of viruses transmitted by small mammals and arthropods. Refer to individual Series

Project description:Considerable interest and controversy has arisen over the potential effects of seismic surveys carried out during exploration for oil and gas deposits. Regarding fish, there is a concern that intense sound sources, such as seismic airguns, may injure their auditory system. In this study, salmonid cDNA microarrays, reciprocal suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA libraries and quantitative reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) were used to identify and study a responsive gene set in the inner ear of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) following seismic airgun exposure. Microarray analyses on pooled seismic exposed inner ear RNA versus pooled control inner ear RNA revealed 79 unique transcripts (passing background threshold) that were greater than 1.75-fold differentially-regulated by acoustic stress on at least 3 of the 4 slides in the study (including at least one dye-swap). QPCR analyses of 8 microarray-identified transcripts of interest revealed a significant up-regulation (P<0.05) of transcripts encoding nicotinamide riboside kinase 2 (1.89-fold) and hemoglobin subunit alpha-4 (3.78-fold), and a significant down-regulation (P<0.05) of a transcript encoding C14orf159 protein (1.35-fold). QPCR analyses also confirmed an overall up-regulation of transcripts encoding growth hormone I (7.78-fold), c-type lectin receptor A (2.20-fold) and retinol binding protein I (1.24-fold), however these differences were not considered to be statistically significant (P<0.05) due to the high biological variability in the seismic exposed group for these transcripts of interest. A total of 683 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) generated from SSH cDNA salmon ear libraries enriched for genes responsive to seismic airgun noise have been deposited in the GenBank dbEST. Targeted gene discovery in salmon ear allowed for the identification of novel transcripts, including some with sensory-relevant functional annotations, and represents a significant contribution to salmonid hearing research. Initial results demonstrate that genomics has the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the impact of seismic airguns on gene and molecular pathways involved in hearing, and provide valuable molecular biomarkers that can act as an early warning sensor to acoustic stress. Juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolt were obtained from North Water Products Ltd., Daniel’s Harbour, NL and held at ambient seawater temperature, in a flow-through system supplied with air at the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, St. John’s, NL. Two weeks prior to seismic airgun exposures, fish were divided into two 1m3 cages, one each for control (non-exposed) and exposed groups, in a 15,000L aquarium at ambient seawater temperature (0.2°C). Each cage was placed the same distance from the water intake and airstones were placed next to each cage. Fish were fasted for two days prior to exposure. Sixteen control (non-exposed) fish from one cage were sampled prior to seismic activity. Immediately following sampling of control fish, seventeen fish in the remaining cage were placed 2m from a 10in3 Texas Instruments airgun. Fish were subjected to 50 exposures, 1 exposure every 10 seconds, at an average sound pressure level of 204 dB peak-to-peak relative to 1µPa; considered to be a worse case scenario within a few hundred meters of a survey vessel. Seventeen seismic exposed fish were sampled 16 h following exposure. The only aquarium available that was suitable for seismic airgun exposures was not designed to have a regulated photoperiod. For this reason the fish were held under a constant daylight regime. Fish were collected by dip-net and euthanized by severing the spinal cord. The inner ears from each salmon were removed, placed immediately in RNase-free 2 ml tubes, and then flash frozen in liquid nitrogen. RNA isolated from the right inner ear of the 12 seismic exposed and 12 control individuals that gave the highest total RNA yields were used to generate 2 mRNA pools (a “seismic” pool and a “control” pool). Each sample contributed 4.0 µg column purified total RNA to each pool. Comparisons were made for the seismic exposed mRNA pool compared to the control (non-exposed) mRNA pool using the consortium for Genomic Research on All Salmonids Project (cGRASP) 16K (salmonid) cDNA array and the 3DNA Array 900 Detection Kit and instructions (Genisphere). Technical quadruplicate slides including 2 dye-swaps were run for the comparison. Slide GG003_011: Cy5-labeled control ear, Cy3-labeled seismic Slide GG003_012: Cy5-labeled control ear, Cy3-labeled seismic Slide GG003_013: Cy3-labeled control ear, Cy5-labeled seismic Slide GG003_014: Cy3-labeled control ear, Cy5-labeled seismic

Project description:Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) induce severe inflammation in poultry and men. There is still an ongoing threat that these viruses may acquire the capability to freely spread as novel pandemic virus strains that may cause major morbidity and mortality. One characteristic of HPAIV infections is the induction of a cytokine burst that strongly contributes to viral pathogenicity. It has been suggested, that this cytokine overexpression is an intrinsic feature of infected cells and involves hyperinduction of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK). Here we investigate the role of MAPK p38 signaling in the antiviral response against HPAIV in mice as well as in endothelial cells, the latter a primary source for cytokines during systemic infections. Global gene expression profiling of HPAIV infected endothelial cells in the presence of the MAP kinase p38-specific inhibitor SB202190 revealed, that inhibition of MAPK p38 leads to reduced expression of interferon (IFN) and other cytokines after A/Thailand/1(KAN-1)/2004 (H5N1) and A/FPV/Bratislava/79 (H7N7) infection. Furthermore, the expression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) after treatment with IFN or conditioned media from HPAIV infected cells was decreased when the target cells were preincubated with SB202190. Finally, promoter analysis confirmed a direct impact of p38 MAPK on the IFN-enhanceosome and ISG-promoter activity. In vivo inhibition of MAP kinase p38 greatly diminishes virus induced cytokine expression concomitant with reduced viral titers, thereby protecting mice from lethal infection. These observations show, that MAPK p38 acts on two levels of the antiviral IFN response: Initially the kinase regulates IFN induction and at a later stage MAPK p38 controls IFN signaling and thereby expression of IFN-stimulated genes. Thus, inhibition of MAP kinase p38 may be an antiviral strategy that significantly protects mice from lethal influenza via suppression of overshooting cytokine expression. HUVEC were infected with FPV in the presence or absence of a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor

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Herpes simplex host shutoff attenuates antiviral state

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Herpes simplex virus virion host shutoff attenuates establishment of the antiviral state.

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