A5050585157- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Malaria Research and Control
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Nitrogen and Sulfur Effects on Brassica
- Extracellular vesicles in disease
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Transgenic Plants and Applications
- Plant Genetic and Mutation Studies
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Digestive system and related health
- Virus-based gene therapy research
- Global Maternal and Child Health
- Hepatitis B Virus Studies
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Biopolymer Synthesis and Applications
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2011-2020
University of California, Davis
2010-2019
University of Hawaii System
2017
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
2015
Vector (United States)
2014
Touro University California
2014
Moscow University Touro
2014
Institut Pasteur de Dakar
2011
United States Department of Health and Human Services
2011
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-borne alphavirus, has traditionally circulated in Africa and Asia, causing human febrile illness accompanied by severe, chronic joint pain. In Africa, epidemic emergence of CHIKV involves the transition from an enzootic, sylvatic cycle involving arboreal mosquito vectors nonhuman primates, into urban where peridomestic mosquitoes transmit among humans. however, appears to circulate only endemic, cycle. Recently, emerged Indian Ocean subcontinent cause...
Mosquito borne pathogens are transmitted to humans via saliva during blood feeding. is a complex concoction of many secretory factors that modulate the feeding foci enhance pathogen infection and establishment. Multiple salivary proteins/factors have been identified/characterized infection. Here, we describe, for first time, identification exogenous microRNAs from mosquito saliva. MicroRNAs short, 18–24 nucleotide, non-coding RNAs regulate gene expression, generally intracellular. However,...
A single helicase amino acid substitution, NS3-T249P, has been shown to increase viremia magnitude/mortality in American crows (AMCRs) following West Nile virus (WNV) infection. Lineage/intra-lineage geographic variants exhibit consistent polymorphisms at this locus; however, the majority of WNV isolates associated with recent outbreaks reported worldwide have a proline NS3-249 residue. In order evaluate impact on avian and mammalian virulence, multiple substitutions were engineered into...
The presence of West Nile virus (WNV) was first documented in California, USA, during the summer 2003, and subsequently has become endemic throughout state. Sequence analysis demonstrated that circulating strains are representative North American (WN02) genotype displaced East Coast (NY99). A recent study indicated enhanced vector competence at elevated temperatures may have played a role displacement by WN02. In current study, four WN02 from including an initial 2003 isolate (COAV997), were...
Machupo virus (MACV) is the causative agent of Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. Our previous study demonstrated that a MACV strain with single amino acid substitution (F438I) in transmembrane domain glycoprotein attenuated but genetically unstable mice. closely related to Junin (JUNV), Argentine Others and our group have identified be major viral factor determining JUNV attenuation. In this study, we tested compatibility Candid#1 live-attenuated vaccine replication its ability attenuate vivo....
Tobacco Mosaic virus (TMV) coat protein is well known for its ability to self-assemble into supramolecular nanoparticles, either as discs or rods originating from the ~300 bp genomic RNA origin-of-assembly (OA). We have utilized TMV self-assembly characteristics create a novel Flock House (FHV) nanoparticle. FHV encodes viral polymerase supporting autonomous replication of genome, which makes it an attractive candidate transgene expression studies and targeted delivery host cells. However,...
St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a flavivirus that circulates in an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes can also infect humans to cause febrile disease sometimes encephalitis. Although SLEV endemic the United States, no activity was detected California during years 2004 through 2014, despite continuous surveillance sentinel chickens. In 2015, SLEV-positive mosquito pools were Maricopa County, Arizona, concurrent with outbreak of human disease. southeastern Nevada summer 2015....
The hallmark attribute of North American West Nile virus (WNV) strains has been high pathogenicity in certain bird species. Surprisingly, this avian virulent WNV phenotype not observed during its geographical expansion into the Caribbean, Central America and South America. One variant (TM171-03-pp1) isolated Mexico demonstrated an attenuated two widely distributed species, crows (AMCRs) house sparrows (HOSPs). In order to identify genetic determinants associated with replication TM171-03-pp1...
West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis (SLEV) are enzootically maintained in North America cycles involving the same mosquito vectors similar avian hosts. However, these viruses exhibit dissimilar viremia virulence phenotypes birds: WNV is associated with high magnitude viremias that can result mortality certain species such as American crows (AMCRs, Corvus brachyrhynchos) whereas SLEV infection yields lower have not been mortality. Cross-neutralization of sera has proposed to...
Previous studies have demonstrated reduced replication of the cell culture-adapted Dengue-2 virus (DENV-2) vaccine candidate, primary dog kidney (PDK)-53, compared with parental DENV-2 strain, 16681, in C6/36 cells. Various mutants incorporating PDK-53 substitutions singly and combination into 16681 genetic backbone were used to identify basis for impaired candidate vitro Aedes aegypti culture (Aag2 cells) as well vivo infectivity transmissibility within Ae. infected by intrathoracic...
West Nile virus (WNV) replicates in a wide variety of avian species, which serve as reservoir and amplification hosts. WNV strains isolated North America, such the prototype strain NY99, elicit highly pathogenic response certain notably American crows (AMCRs; Corvus brachyrhynchos). In contrast, closely related strain, KN3829, Kenya, exhibits low viremic with limited mortality AMCRs. Previous work has associated difference pathogenicity primarily single amino acid mutation at position 249...
The N-linked glycosylation motif at amino acid position 154–156 of the envelope (E) protein West Nile virus (WNV) is linked to enhanced murine neuroinvasiveness, avian pathogenicity and vector competence. Naturally occurring isolates with altered E patterns have been observed in WNV isolates; however, specific effects these polymorphisms on host pathogenesis competence not investigated before. In present study, polymorphisms, NYT, NYP, NYF, SYP, SYS, KYS deletion (A'DEL), were reverse...
Despite utilizing the same avian hosts and mosquito vectors, St Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) West Nile (WNV) display dissimilar vector-infectivity vertebrate-pathogenic phenotypes. SLEV exhibits a low oral infection threshold for Culex vectors is avirulent in hosts, producing low-magnitude viraemias. In contrast, WNV less orally infective to mosquitoes elicits high-magnitude viraemias wide range of species. order identify genetic determinants these different phenotypes assess utility...
St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) has shown greater susceptibility to oral infectivity than West Nile (WNV) in Culex mosquitoes. To identify the viral genetic elements that modulate these disparate phenotypes, structural chimeras (WNV-pre-membrane [prM] and envelope [E] proteins [prME]/SLEV.IC (infectious clone) SLEV-prME/WNV.IC) were constructed which two of proteins, prM E, interchanged between viruses. Oral dose-response assessment with chimeric/parental WNV SLEV was performed...
Flock House virus (FHV) encodes a viral polymerase supporting autonomous replication of the FHV genome which makes it an attractive candidate for transgene expression studies and targeted RNA delivery into host cells. As size is strictly limited by native capsid, goal this study was to determine if restriction could be eliminated inserting non-native packaging signal from Tobacco Mosaic (TMV) allow trans-encapsidation TMV coat. adapted express enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) several...
Abstract The 2015–2016 epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) has identified sexual transmission as a new route disease spread. Presence ZIKV in the semen when viremia is undetectable humans suggests ability to establish infection testes. Lack specific therapeutic drugs clear testicular warrants understanding associated mechanisms. Seminiferous tubules, site spermatogenesis, an immune privileged with effective blood-testes barrier (BTB) constituted exclusively by specialized tight junctions proteins...