Biochemical and biophysical research communications
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · Jan 2021
ReviewT cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 following natural infection and vaccination.
SARS-CoV-2 first emerged in the human population in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, and in a matter of months, spread across the globe resulting in the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic and substantial economic fallout. SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted between humans via respiratory particles, with infection presenting a spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to respiratory failure with multiorgan dysfunction and death in severe cases. Prior experiences with human pathogenic coronaviruses and respiratory virus diseases in general have revealed an important role for cellular immunity in limiting disease severity. Here, we review some of the key mechanisms underlying cell-mediated immunity to respiratory viruses and summarize our current understanding of the functional capacity and role of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells following natural infection and vaccination.
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Optogenetics is a biological technique that combines the advantageous spatial-temporal resolution of optics and genetic cell targeting to control cellular activity with unprecedented precision. It has found vast applications both in neurosciences and therapy, particularly in view of its application to restore vision in blind patients. Optogenetics requires the ectopic expression of a so-called opsin to render neurons sensitive to light. ⋯ The former category has been extensively employed for vision restoration in the past decade with two ongoing clinical trials employing microbial opsins to restore light sensation in retinitis pigmentosa patients. The latter subtype of animal opsins is emerging more recently as strong candidates to restore vision with the promise of greater light sensitivity and tolerability. In this review we will discuss each approach in view of its utility for vision restoration in retinal blindness.
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · Jan 2021
ReviewThe D614G mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein: Implications for viral infectivity, disease severity and vaccine design.
The development of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has prompted an extensive worldwide sequencing effort to characterise the geographical spread and molecular evolution of the virus. A point mutation in the spike protein, D614G, emerged as the virus spread from Asia into Europe and the USA, and has rapidly become the dominant form worldwide. Here we review how the D614G variant was identified and discuss recent evidence about the effect of the mutation on the characteristics of the virus, clinical outcome of infection and host immune response.
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · Jun 2020
Interaction of the spike protein RBD from SARS-CoV-2 with ACE2: Similarity with SARS-CoV, hot-spot analysis and effect of the receptor polymorphism.
The spread of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has been growing since its first identification in December 2019. The publishing of the first SARS-CoV-2 genome made a valuable source of data to study the details about its phylogeny, evolution, and interaction with the host. Protein-protein binding assays have confirmed that Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is more likely to be the cell receptor through which the virus invades the host cell. ⋯ Moreover, we show from the structural analysis that it is unlikely for the interface residues to be the result of genetic engineering. Finally, we studied the impact of eight different variants located at the interaction surface of ACE2, on the complex formation with SARS-CoV-2 RBD. We found that none of them is likely to disrupt the interaction with the viral RBD of SARS-CoV-2.
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · Jun 2020
The potential role of tRNAs and small RNAs derived from tRNAs in the occurrence and development of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Emerging evidence has shown the involvement of dysregulated transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and small RNAs derived from transfer RNAs (tsRNAs) in the pathophysiology of human diseases. The role of tRNAs and tsRNAs in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the possible regulatory roles of tRNAs and tsRNAs in the pathological mechanism of SLE. ⋯ Our results provide a novel perspective for studying the tRNA-related and tsRNA-related pathogenesis of SLE.