Giuseppe MichieliJul 31, 2024

#Monitoring of #Astroviruses, #Brno - #Hantaviruses, #Coronaviruses, #Influenza Viruses, #Bornaviruses, #Morbilliviruses, #Lyssaviruses and #Pestiviruses in Austrian #Bats https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/8/1232

Using RT-qPCR, 36 samples revealed + or susp. results for astroviruses, Brno-hantaviruses, & CoVs in 9 bat species. Sequencing revealed correspondent sequences in 5 samples. In contrast, none of tested samples was positive for flu A/C/D, bornaviruses, morbilliviruses, lyssaviruses, or pestiviruses.

Monitoring of Astroviruses, Brno-Hantaviruses, Coronaviruses, Influenza Viruses, Bornaviruses, Morbilliviruses, Lyssaviruses and Pestiviruses in Austrian Bats

Here, we report the results of a monitoring study of bat viruses in Austria to strengthen the knowledge of circulating viruses in Austrian bat populations. In this study, we analyzed 618 oropharyngeal and rectal swab samples from 309 bats and 155 pooled tissue samples from dead bats. Samples were collected from 18 different bat species from multiple locations in Austria, from November 2015 to April 2018, and examined for astroviruses, bornaviruses, coronaviruses, hantaviruses, morbilliviruses, orthomyxoviruses (influenza A/C/D viruses), pestiviruses and rhabdoviruses (lyssaviruses) using molecular techniques and sequencing. Using RT-qPCR, 36 samples revealed positive or suspicious results for astroviruses, Brno-hantaviruses, and coronaviruses in nine different bat species. Further sequencing revealed correspondent sequences in five samples. In contrast, none of the tested samples was positive for influenza viruses A/C/D, bornaviruses, morbilliviruses, lyssaviruses, or pestiviruses.

MDPI
PLOS BiologyJul 12, 2023
#AlphaFold structure prediction shows that the hepaci-, pegi- and #pestiviruses likely share a novel molecular mechanism for #VirusEntry by membrane fusion, with implications for structure-guided #vaccine design @GroveLab @KamillaToon &co #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/3JTzK77
Structures of the Hepaci-, Pegi-, and Pestiviruses envelope proteins suggest a novel membrane fusion mechanism

The entry mechanisms of many viruses remain unknown. In this article, Oliver and Toon et al. use next-gen protein structure prediction to demonstrate that the hepaci-, pegi- and pestiviruses likely share a novel molecular mechanism for virus entry by membrane fusion. This work informs on the evolution and origins of these viruses and may contribute to structure-guided vaccine design for important human and animal pathogens.