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The Evolution, Genetics and Pathogenesis of Viruses

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2025 | Viewed by 4092

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Guest Editor
Instytut Chemii Bioorganicznej Polskiej Akademii Nauk, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
Interests: RNA/DNA structure; G-quadruplex; influenza virus; structural biology; RNA/DNA thermodynamic
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Viruses are an important research subject around the world because of their serious threat to humanity. The current COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented with regard to the rate of spread and mortality rate. Moreover, a lack of knowledge of the mode of transmission and spread of the virus makes it difficult to fight the infection. Overall, the pandemic potential of viruses is a result of the high variability of their genome and is correlated with their pathogenicity, replication, and growth kinetics. It is known that the nature of the viral genome (RNA or DNA) plays an important role in its genetics. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the viral genetic material, including its structure, function–structure relationships, and virus–host interactions allow us to provide new insights into viral infections. In the future, it also might be useful for the determination of potential antiviral targets within viral genomes, as well as for designing and developing new therapeutics.

Dr. Marta Szabat
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • viruses
  • genome structure
  • viral RNA/DNA
  • replication viral cycle
  • recombination
  • viral infection
  • antiviral agents

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 44296 KiB  
Article
Phylogenetic Analysis of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) during 2020–2022 and Isolation of a Variant Recombinant PEDV Strain
by Qianling Peng, Ping Fu, Yutong Zhou, Yifei Lang, Shan Zhao, Yiping Wen, Yiping Wang, Rui Wu, Qin Zhao, Senyan Du, Sanjie Cao, Xiaobo Huang and Qigui Yan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(20), 10878; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252010878 - 10 Oct 2024
Viewed by 740
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is an acute, highly contagious, and infectious disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). PEDV can affect pigs of all ages, with 50~100% mortality in neonatal piglets and substantial economic losses in the swine industry. In the present [...] Read more.
Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is an acute, highly contagious, and infectious disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). PEDV can affect pigs of all ages, with 50~100% mortality in neonatal piglets and substantial economic losses in the swine industry. In the present study, 347 fecal and intestinal samples were collected from seven regions in China during 2020–2022. A comprehensive molecular investigation of the spike (S) gene of PEDV strains was carried out, which included phylogenetic analysis of the obtained PEDV sequences. Epidemiological surveillance data indicate that the GIIc subgroup strains are widely distributed among pigs. A PEDV strain was successfully isolated from positive small intestine samples and identified through RT-PCR detection using specific N gene primers of PEDV, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), TEM analysis, genome sequencing, and full-length S gene analysis, named PEDV/SC/2022. RDP and SimPlot analysis showed that the isolate originated from the recombination of PEDV/AH2012 and PEDV/AJ1102. In conclusion, our findings contribute to the current understanding of PEDV epidemiology and provide valuable information for the control of PED outbreaks in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Evolution, Genetics and Pathogenesis of Viruses)
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13 pages, 73363 KiB  
Article
Phylogenetic Analysis and Serological Investigation of Porcine Circovirus Indicates Frequent Infection with Various Subtypes
by Qianling Peng, Jiqiang Shi, Yifei Lang, Yulan Zhu, Xiaobo Huang, Sanjie Cao, Qigui Yan and Shan Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(21), 15850; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115850 - 1 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1693
Abstract
Porcine circoviruses (PCVs) are notorious for triggering severe diseases in pigs and causing serious economic losses to the swine industry. In the present study, we undertook a comprehensive approach for the investigation of PCV prevalence, including the phylogenetic analysis of obtained PCV sequences, [...] Read more.
Porcine circoviruses (PCVs) are notorious for triggering severe diseases in pigs and causing serious economic losses to the swine industry. In the present study, we undertook a comprehensive approach for the investigation of PCV prevalence, including the phylogenetic analysis of obtained PCV sequences, the determination of major circulating genotypes and serological screening based on different recombinant Cap proteins with specific immunoreactivity. Epidemiological surveillance data indicate that PCV2d and PCV3a are widely distributed in Southwest China, while PCV4 has only sporadic circulation. Meanwhile, serological investigations showed high PCV2 antibody positivity in collected serum samples (>50%), followed by PCV4 (nearly 50%) and PCV3 (30–35%). The analysis supports different circulation patterns of PCV2, PCV3 and PCV4 and illustrates the PCV2/PCV3 genetic evolution characteristics on a nationwide basis. Taken together, our findings add up to the current understanding of PCV epidemiology and provide new tools and insight for PCV antiviral intervention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Evolution, Genetics and Pathogenesis of Viruses)
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Review

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17 pages, 1421 KiB  
Review
Comparative Review of the Conserved UL24 Protein Family in Herpesviruses
by Odelia Orbaum-Harel and Ronit Sarid
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(20), 11268; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252011268 - 19 Oct 2024
Viewed by 703
Abstract
The UL24 protein family, conserved across all subfamilies of Orthoherpesviridae, plays diverse and significant roles in viral replication, host–virus interactions and pathogenesis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms and interactions of UL24 proteins is key to unraveling the complex interplay between herpesviruses and their hosts. [...] Read more.
The UL24 protein family, conserved across all subfamilies of Orthoherpesviridae, plays diverse and significant roles in viral replication, host–virus interactions and pathogenesis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms and interactions of UL24 proteins is key to unraveling the complex interplay between herpesviruses and their hosts. This review provides a comparative and comprehensive overview of current knowledge on UL24 family members, including their conservation, expression patterns, cellular localization, and functional roles upon their expression and during viral infection, highlighting their significance in herpesvirus biology and their potential functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Evolution, Genetics and Pathogenesis of Viruses)
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