Jelena Ruščić

Stem pitting and seedling yellows symptoms of Citrus tristeza virus infection may be determined by minor sequence variants

The isolates of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV), the most destructive viral pathogen of citrus, display a high level of variability. As a result of genetic bottleneck induced by the bud-inoculation of CTV-infected material, inoculated seedlings of Citrus wilsonii Tanaka displayed different symptoms. All successfully grafted plants showed severe symptoms of stem pitting and seedling yellows, while plants in which inoculated buds died displayed mild symptoms. Since complex CTV population structure was detected in the parental host, the aim of this work was to investigate how it changed after the virus transmission, and to correlate it with observed symptoms. The coat protein gene sequence of the predominant genotype was identical in parental and grafted plants and clustered to the phylogenetic group 5 encompassing severe reference isolates. In seedlings displaying severe symptoms, the low-frequency variants clustering to other phylogenetic groups were detected, as well. Indicator plants were inoculated with buds taken from unsuccessfully grafted C. wilsonii seedlings. Surprisingly, they displayed no severe symptoms despite the presence of phylogenetic group 5 genomic variants. The results suggest that the appearance of severe symptoms in this case is probably induced by a complex CTV population structure found in seedlings displaying severe symptoms, and not directly by the predominant genomic variant.

East Adriatic—a reservoir region of severe Citrus tristeza virus strains

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) represents one of the major threats to citrus production worldwide. In the East Adriatic region, CTV symptoms are mostly absent due to traditional citrus grafting on trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata), a CTV-tolerant rootstock. Therefore, the virus has been continuously spreading by the propagation of infected material. The genetic variability of CTV was studied on nineteen citrus samples, collected from orchards in the coastal region of Croatia, Montenegro and Albania, that previously tested positive by ELISA and immunocapture RT-PCR. Single-strand conformation polymorphism of the amplified coat protein gene demonstrated the presence of different CTV variants in each amplicon, while sequence analysis of cloned CP gene variants confirmed their clustering into six out of the seven phylogenetic groups so far delineated. Four of these groups include sequences of severe quick decline, seedling yellows and stem-pitting (SP) isolates, thought to be found only rarely in the Mediterranean region. Regardless of the lack of symptoms in the field, CTV isolates from the East Adriatic displayed high genetic variability and pathogenic potential, additionally confirmed by biological characterisation. The high percentage of mixed infections suggest the potential for further diversification and a greater risk of severe variants spreading into new areas.

Manipulating adenoviral vector ion-exchange chromatography: Hexon versus fiber

The serotype specificity of adenovirus ion-exchange chromatography has previously been studied using standard particle-based columns, and the hexon protein has been reported to determine retention time. In this study, we have submitted Adenovirus type 5 recombinants to anion-exchange chromatography using methacrylate monolithic supports. Our experiments with hexon-modified adenoviral vectors show more precisely that the retention time is affected by the substitution of amino acids in hypervariable region 5, which lies within the hexon DE1 loop. By exploring the recombinants modified in the fiber protein, we have proven the previously predicted chromatographic potential of this surface constituent. Modifications that preserve the net charge of the hexon protein, or those that cause only a small charge difference in the fiber protein, in addition to shortening the fiber shaft, did not change the chromatographic behavior of the adenovirus particles. However, modifications that include the deletion of just two negatively charged amino acids in the hexon protein, or the introduction of a heterologous fiber protein, derived from another serotype, revealed recognizable changes in anion-exchange chromatography. This could be useful in facilitating chromatography-approach purification by creating targeted capsid modifications, thereby shifting adenovirus particles away from particular interfering substances present in the crude lysate.

Differential Effects of Integrin αv Knockdown and Cilengitide on Sensitization of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Melanoma Cells to Microtubule Poisons

Low survival rates of patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and melanoma, in which current therapies are ineffective, emphasize the need for new therapeutic approaches. Integrin β1 appears to be a promising target when combined with chemotherapy, but recent data have shown that its inactivation increases metastatic potential owing to the compensatory upregulation of other integrin subunits. Consequently, we analyzed the potential of integrin subunits αv, α3, or α4 as targets for improved therapy in seven TNBC and melanoma cell lines. Experiments performed in an integrin αvβ1-negative melanoma cell line, MDA-MB-435S, showed that knockdown of integrin subunit αv increased sensitivity to microtubule poisons vincristine or paclitaxel and decreased migration and invasion. In the MDA-MB-435S cell line, we also identified a phenomenon in which change in the expression of one integrin subunit changes the expression of other integrins, leading to an unpredictable influence on sensitivity to anticancer drugs and cell migration, referred to as the integrin switching effect. In a panel of six TNBCs and melanoma cell lines, the contribution of integrins αv versus integrins αvβ3/β5 was assessed by the combined action of αv-specific small interfering RNA or αvβ3/β5 inhibitor cilengitide with paclitaxel. Our results suggest that, for TNBC, knockdown of integrin αv in combination with paclitaxel presents a better therapeutic option than a combination of cilengitide with paclitaxel; however, in melanoma, neither of these combinations is advisable because a decreased sensitivity to paclitaxel was observed.