From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2010-01-03 06:14:21 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] abstracts
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
> J Virol. 2009 Dec 30. [Epub ahead of print]
> Canine Distemper Viruses Expressing a Hemagglutinin without N-
> Glycans Lose Virulence but Retain Immunosuppression.
> Sawatsky B, von Messling V.
> INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, University of Quebec, Laval, Quebec,=20
> Canada.
> Paramyxovirus glycoproteins are post-translationally modified by the=20
> addition of N-linked glycans, which are often necessary for correct=20
> folding, processing, and cell surface expression. To establish the=20
> contribution of N-glycosylation to morbillivirus attachment (H)=20
> protein function and overall virulence, we first determined the use=20
> of the potential N-glycosylation sites in the canine distemper virus=20
> (CDV) H proteins. Biochemical characterization revealed that the=20
> three sites conserved in all strains were N-glycosylated, whereas=20
> only two of the up to five additional sites present in wild type=20
> strains are used. A wild type virus with an H protein reproducing=20
> the vaccine strain N-glycosylation pattern remained lethal in=20
> ferrets but with a prolonged course of disease. In contrast,=20
> introduction of the vaccine H protein in the wild type context=20
> resulted in complete attenuation. To further characterize the role=20
> of N-glycosylation in CDV pathogenesis, the N-glycosylation sites of=20
> wild type H proteins were successively deleted, including a non-
> standard site, to ultimately generate a non-glycosylated H protein.=20
> Despite reduced expression levels, this protein remained fully=20
> functional. Recombinant viruses expressing N-glycan-deficient H=20
> proteins no longer caused disease even though their=20
> immunosuppressive capacity was retained, indicating that reduced N-
> glycosylation contributes to attenuation without affecting=20
> immunosuppression.
> PMID: 20042514
---
> PLoS One. 2009 Dec 23;4(12):e8431.
> Evaluation of the efficacy and cross-protectivity of recent human=20
> and swine vaccines against the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection.
> Pascua PN, Song MS, Lee JH, Park KJ, Kwon HI, Baek YH, Hong SP, Rho=20
> JB, Kim CJ, Poo H,Ryoo TS, Sung MH, Choi YK.
> College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Chungbuk=20
> National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
> The current pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus remains transmissible among=20
> humans worldwide with cases of reverse zoonosis, providing=20
> opportunities to produce more pathogenic variants which could pose=20
> greater human health concerns. To investigate whether recent=20
> seasonal human or swine H1N1 vaccines could induce cross-reactive=20
> immune responses against infection with the pandemic (H1N1) 2009=20
> virus, mice, ferrets or mini-pigs were administered with various=20
> regimens (once or twice) and antigen content (1.77, 3.5 or 7.5=20
> microg HA) of a-Brsibane/59/07, a-CAN01/04 or RgCA/04/09xPR8=20
> vaccine. Receipt of a-CAN01/04 (2-doses) but not a-Brisbane/59/07=20
> induced detectable but modest (20-40 units) cross-reactive serum=20
> antibody against CA/04/09 by hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) assays in=20
> mice. Only double administration (7.5 microg HA) of both vaccine in=20
> ferrets could elicit cross-reactivity (30-60 HI titers). Similar=20
> antigen content of a-CAN01/04 in mini-pigs also caused a modest=20
> approximately 30 HI titers (twice vaccinated). However, vaccine-
> induced antibody titers could not suppress active virus replication=20
> in the lungs (mice) or virus shedding (ferrets and pigs) of=20
> immunized hosts intranasally challenged with CA/04/09. Furthermore,=20
> neither ferrets nor swine could abrogate aerosol transmission of the=20
> virus into na=EFve contact animals. Altogether, these results suggest =
> that neither recent human nor animal H1N1 vaccine could provide=20
> complete protectivity in all animal models. Thus, this study=20
> warrants the need for strain-specific vaccines that could yield the=20
> optimal protection desired for humans and/or animals.
> PMID: 20037716
----
> Nat Neurosci. 2009 Dec 27. [Epub ahead of print]
> The descending corticocollicular pathway mediates learning-induced=20
> auditory plasticity.
> Bajo VM, Nodal FR, Moore DR, King AJ.
> Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of=20
> Oxford, Oxford, UK.
> Descending projections from sensory areas of the cerebral cortex are=20
> among the largest pathways in the brain, suggesting that they are=20
> important for subcortical processing. Although corticofugal inputs=20
> have been shown to modulate neuronal responses in the thalamus and=20
> midbrain, the behavioral importance of these changes remains=20
> unknown. In the auditory system, one of the major descending=20
> pathways is from cortical layer V pyramidal cells to the inferior=20
> colliculus in the midbrain. We examined the role of these neurons in=20
> experience-dependent recalibration of sound localization in adult=20
> ferrets by selectively killing the neurons using chromophore-
> targeted laser photolysis. When provided with appropriate training,=20
> animals normally relearn to localize sound accurately after altering=20
> the spatial cues available by reversibly occluding one ear. However,=20
> this ability was lost after eliminating corticocollicular neurons,=20
> whereas normal sound-localization accuracy was unaffected. The=20
> integrity of this descending pathway is therefore critical for=20
> learning-induced localization plasticity.
> PMID: 20037578
----
> Virology. 2009 Dec 22. [Epub ahead of print]
> Safety, immunogencity, and efficacy of a cold-adapted A/Ann Arbor/
> 6/60 (H2N2) vaccine in mice and ferrets.
> Chen GL, Lamirande EW, Jin H, Kemble G, Subbarao K.
> Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892,=20
> USA.
> We studied the attenuation, immunogenicity and efficacy of the cold-
> adapted A/Ann Arbor/6/60 (AA ca) (H2N2) virus in mice and ferrets to=20
> evaluate its use in the event of an H2 influenza pandemic. The AA ca=20
> virus was restricted in replication in the respiratory tract of mice=20
> and ferrets. In mice, 2 doses of vaccine elicited a >4-fold rise in=20
> hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) titer and resulted in complete=20
> inhibition of viral replication following lethal homologous wild-
> type virus challenge. In ferrets, a single dose of the vaccine=20
> elicited a >4-fold rise in HAI titer and conferred complete=20
> protection against homologous wild-type virus challenge in the upper=20
> respiratory tract. In both mice and ferrets, the AA ca virus=20
> provided significant protection from challenge with heterologous H2=20
> virus challenge in the respiratory tract. The AA ca vaccine is safe,=20
> immunogenic, and efficacious against homologous and heterologous=20
> challenge in mice and ferrets, supporting the evaluation of this=20
> vaccine in clinical trials. Copyright =A9 2009. Published by Elsevier =
> Inc.
> PMID: 20034647
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
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