BACKGROUND Influenza virus infection is a major threat to human health. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of viral infections. In this study, we constructed a series of DNA vector-based short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) that target various genes of the influenza A virus using the polymerase III U6-RNA promoter to prevent influenza virus infection i...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to assess the technical aspects related to polar body (PB) biopsy, which might have an influence on the results of the microarray comparative genomic hybridization analysis. Furthermore, a comparison was made between two biopsy methods (mechanical and laser). METHODS Biopsy of the first and second PB (PB1 and PB2) was performed by mechanical- or laser-...

Because the influenza A virus has an RNA genome, its RNAdependent RNA polymerase, comprising the PA, PB1, and PB2 subunits, is essential for viral transcription and replication. The binding of RNAprimers/promoters to the polymerases is an initiation step in viral transcription. In our current study, we reveal the 2.7 Å tertiary structure of the C-terminal RNA-binding domain of PB2 by x-ray crys...

BACKGROUND The usage of polynuclear metal clusters as secondary building units (SBU's) in designing of metal organic frameworks (MOF's) is a field of current interest. These metal clusters have attracted a great deal of attention not only due to their interesting structural topologies but also due to promising physical and chemical properties. In this regard various d,f block (transition and la...

Heavy metal ions, lead, cadmium and nickel, are well known carcinogens with natural different origins and their direct mode of action is still not fully understood. A dsDNA-electrochemical biosensor, employing differential pulse voltammetry, was used for the in situ evaluation of Pb2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+ interaction with dsDNA. The results confirm that Pb2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+ bind to dsDNA, and that thi...

The goal of this investigation was to isolate competent polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons degraders that can utilize polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons of former industrial sites at McDoel Switchyard in Bloomington, Indiana. Using conventional enrichment method based on soil slurry, we isolated, screened and purified two bacterial species strains PB1 and PB2. Applying the ribotyping technique us...

UNLABELLED Influenza pandemics occur when influenza A viruses (IAV) adapted to other host species enter humans and spread through the population. Pandemics are relatively rare due to host restriction of IAV: strains adapted to nonhuman species do not readily infect, replicate in, or transmit among humans. IAV can overcome host restriction through reassortment or adaptive evolution, and these ar...

the disposed wastes of zinc industries contain large amounts of heavy metals such as pb2+ and cd2+. these elements are considered as hazardous elements to human beings and other organisms. this study aims at introducing the fungal isolates that evolved to be compatible with waste deposits during the time and can absorb pb2+ and cd2+ions. during the spring and autumn in 2011, eight samples of se...

In order to determine how efficiently the polymerase proteins derived from human and avian influenza A viruses can interact with each other in the context of a mammalian cell, a genetic system that allows the in vivo reconstitution of active ribonucleoproteins was used. The ability to achieve replication of a viral-like reporter RNA in COS-1 cells was examined with heterospecific mixtures of th...

Influenza viruses that express reporter proteins are useful tools, but are often attenuated. Recently, we found that an influenza virus encoding the Venus fluorescent protein acquired two mutations in its PB2 and HA proteins upon mouse adaptation. Here, we demonstrate that the enhanced viral replication and virulence in mice of this Venus-expressing influenza virus are primarily conferred by th...