The Role of the Deubiquitylase MYSM1 During Alphavirus Infection Amer Nubgan The members of the genus Alphavirus are positive-sense RNA viruses and it is one of two within the family Togaviridae. Most alphaviruses are predominantly transmitted to susceptible vertebrates by a mosquito vector. Alphavirus disease in humans can be severely debilitating, and depending on the particular viral species, infection may result in encephalitis and possibly life threatening symptoms. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is the aetiological agent represents a substantial health burden to affected populations, with clinical symptoms that include severe joint and muscle pain, rashes, and fever, as well as prolonged periods of disability in some patients. In recent years, CHIKV has received significant attention from public health authorities as a consequence of the dramatic emergence infections in the Indian Ocean islands and the Caribbean as well as the recent emergence of CHIKV in the Americas. Infections have also been reported around Europe such as in Italy, France and Greece. Currently, no safe, approved or effective vaccine or treatment exists for CHIKV infection. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), the major intracellular proteolytic pathway, mediates different kinds of cellular processes, which may be targeted by viruses to aid their replication within cells. In recent years it has been well established that both the forward reaction of ubiquitination, and the reverse reaction of deubiquitination are targeted during virus infection to enhance their replication, either by targeting of cellular proteins or encoding viral homologues of key pathway proteins. The reverse reaction is undertaken by a large family of enzymes termed deubiquitylases or DUBs, and many of these have been shown to play a crucial role, not only in virus replication but also in the regulation of the immune system and vesicle trafficking. The DUBs are attractive drug targets and have increasingly been implicated in cellular processes germane to malignancy which makes the continued characterisation of the role of DUBs during virus infection a worthwhile objective. In on-going experiments in the research group a DUB siRNA pools library screen identified 12 DUBs (USP1, USP4, USP5, USP34, USP45, USP46, OTUD6A, UCHL1, JOSD2, BRCC3 and MYSM1). Depletion of these hits in HeLa cells lead to an increase in cell viability following Semiliki Forest Virus (SFV) infection (and predicted to be pro-viral) and thus could potential be candidate antiviral targets. Inroads into understanding the role of the DUB hits during the alphavirus infection, focusing initial on the BSL2 model virus SFV, and extending this to CHIKV (at BSL3). In the present study, further screening focused on the deconvolution siRNA pools for the DUB hits. Investigation of the subsequent follow up experiments with one strong candidate DUB from this list, MYSM1. Two different approaches were taken. Firstly, the effect of depletion of MYSM1 by siRNA treatment was further investigated in HeLa cells. Secondly, the analysis was extended to investigate the role of MYSM1 in fibroblasts utilising MYSM1 genetic knockout murine embryo fibroblasts. Results from this study indicate that depletion of MYSM1 in HeLa cells by siRNAs resulted in a reduction in both SFV and CHIKV replication, as assayed by measuring RNA levels and plaque formation. It was also found that MYSM1 genetic knockout in MEF cells lead to increase in both SFV and CHIKV replication. In addition, depletion of MYSM1 by siRNAs in MRC-5 cells lead to increase in SFV replication. In conclusion, MYSM1 generated interesting data, implying a role during virus infection that appeared to depend on the cell type being infected. Up to now it is unclear what the effector mechanisms are that contribute to these observations, subject to further mechanistic and functional studies, may increase the options available for targeting this vital DUB during Alphavirus infections.
Au nanoparticle-functionalized (TiO2)1−x(ZnO:MgO)x nanocomposite thin films (0≤x≤0.3) were effectively produced by chemical spray pyrolysis and annealed at 600 °C. The effects of ZnO incorporation and Au nanoparticle modification on the films' structural, optical, and antibacterial properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). XRD analysis confirms the formation of polycrystalline anatase TiO2 and shows a composition-dependent structural develop- ment with increasing ZnO concentration. The optical experiments revealed increased transmittance and a progressive wid- ening of the optical band gap f
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to screen the phytochemicals found in Populus euphratica leaves since this type of trees are used traditionally by many villagers as treatment for eczema and other skin disease and also this plant is poorly investigated for their phytochemicals especially in Iraq. Phytochemical screening of the extracts obtained from the n-hexane and chloroform fraction of leaves of Populus euphratica was done by Thin-layer chromatography and various spraying reagents to test if alkaloids, sterols and other compounds are present. UPLC-electrospray ionization –tandem mass spectroscopy along with GC-MS and HPTLC are used to identify the phytochemicals present in the plant leaves.UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method 20 compound
... Show MoreThe study involved the synthesis of new complexes with tetradentate ligand (LH). The general formula of complexes was [M(LH)(H2O)2] with M of Ni2+, Co2+, Cu2+, and Zn+. The ligand was synthesized by treating the 2-hydroxybenzohydrazide with salicylaldehyde. The structural characteristics of ligands and complexes were analyzed using various techniques, including elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility, molar conductivity, infrared, ultraviolet absorption, mass, and NMR spectroscopy studies. The physical measurements indicated that the prepared complexes are non-electrolyte and showed that the ligand is tetradentate when coordinated with metal ions through the nitrogen of azomethine (–C=N–), two oxygen atoms of O–H phenolic,
... Show MoreEndothelin-I (ET-I) is one of the potent vasoconstrictors secreted from endothelial cells when needed. Many studies revealed the elevation of serum ET-I with human diabetes and microangiopathies. Since insulin resistance is a case of mixed diabetic and pre-diabetic cases, many risk factors beyond obesity and inflammation are proposed. The current study aims to demonstrate the association between serum ET-I and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sera of 73 subjects were enrolled currently (control= 35 subjects, and 38 with T2DM for more than 7 years), aged (40-60) years old, with distinct body mass index (BMI) ≤ 25 for control volunteers and (BMI) ≥ 25 for obesity and diabetes
... Show MoreThis paper presents a point multiplication processor over the binary field GF (2233) with internal registers integrated within the point-addition architecture to enhance the Performance Index (PI) of scalar multiplication. The proposed design uses one of two types of finite field multipliers, either the Montgomery multiplier or the interleaved multiplier supported by the additional layer of internal registers. Lopez Dahab coordinates are used for the computation of point multiplication on Koblitz Curve (K-233bit). In contrast, the metric used for comparison of the implementations of the design on different types of FPGA platforms is the Performance Index.
The first approach attains a performance index
... Show MoreIn this study, thin flms containing titanium dioxide (TiO₂), iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) and cerium oxide (CeO2), with varying Fe2O3:CeO2 concentrations ranging from 0 to 30 wt% and 10 wt% gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), were prepared on glass using chemical spray pyrolysis. The structural, morphological, and sensing properties of the prepared thin flms were examined. XRD analysis revealed that a phase transformation occurred based on the dopant concentration: flms with x = 0 or 0.1 formed a polycrystalline anatase structure, whereas those with intermediate concentrations (x = 0.15 or 0.20) were amorphous. At higher doping concentrations (x = 0.25, 0.30), the structure developed a hematite Fe2O3, CeO2 and Au phase. Morphologicall
... Show Moreوفقأ للدراسات السابقة تم تحضير ليكاند آزو جديد (ن-(3-اسيتايل-2-هيدروكسي-5-مثيل-فنيل)ن-(4-كاربوكسي-سايكلوهكسيل مثيل)-ملح الدايازونيوم) وبعد التحقق من الصيغة المقترحة وفق نتائج التحاليل وبعد استخدام الليكاند لتحضير سلسلة ن المعقدات باستخدام نسب مولية متساوية (1:1) من الليكاند وتفاعلها مع كل من املاح المنغنيز والكوبلت والنيكل والنحاس والخارصين وبعد التحقق وفق تقنيات التحاليل الطيفية والتشخيصية(الاشعة فوق البنف
... Show MoreNew nitrone and selenonitrone compounds were synthesized. The condensation method between N-(2-hydroxyethyl) hydroxylamine and substituted carbonyl compounds such as [benzil, 4, 4́-dichlorobenzil and 2,2́ -dinitrobenzil] afforded a variety of new nitrone compounds while the condensation between N-benzylhydroxylamine and substituted selenocarbonyl compounds such as [di(4-fluorobenzoyl) diselenide and (4-chlorobenzoyl selenonitrile] obtained selenonitrone compounds. The condensation of N-4-chlorophenylhydroxylamine with dibenzoyl diselenide obtained another type of selenonitrone compounds. The structures of the synthesized compounds were assigned based on spectroscopic data (FT-IR,
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