We compared a previously characterized herpes simplex type 1 alpha 0 deletion mutant, dlx3.1, which produced no functional ICP0, with its wild-type parental strain, KOS, during acute ocular infection of different host animals. Acute pathogenicity of the viral strains in NZ rabbits, Balb/c and A/J mice was evaluated by keratitis scores, ocular and trigeminal ganglionic viral titers, and host sur...

The adaptability of pathogenic bacteria to hosts is influenced by the genomic plasticity of the bacteria, which can be increased by such mechanisms as horizontal gene transfer. Pathogenicity islands play a major role in this type of gene transfer because they are large, horizontally acquired regions that harbor clusters of virulence genes that mediate the adhesion, colonization, invasion, immun...

Virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria (adhesins, toxins, invasins, protein secretion systems, iron uptake systems, and others) may be encoded by particular regions of the prokaryotic genome termed pathogenicity islands. Pathogenicity islands were first described in human pathogens of the species Escherichia coli, but have recently been found in the genomes of various pathogens of humans, ani...

Mitochondria contain their own DNA (mtDNA), which codes for 13 proteins (all subunits of the respiratory chain complexes), 22 tRNAs and 2 rRNAs. Several mtDNA point mutations as well as deletions have been shown to be causative in well-defined mitochondrial disorders. A mixture of mutated and wild type mtDNA (heteroplasmy) is found in most of these disorders. Inheritance of mtDNA is maternal, a...

Abstract Transcription factors (TFs) play critical roles in the control of development and pathogenicity phytopathogens by directly or indirectly regulating expression downstream genes. Here, we identified characterized a zinc finger TF UvMsn2 Ustilaginoidea virens , homolog MoMsn2 from rice blast fungus. Heterogenous complementation assay revealed that fully restored defects ?Momsn2 mutant veg...

Pathogenicity islands are sets of successive genes in a genome that determine the virulence of a bacterium. In a growing number of studies, bacterial virulence appears to be determined by multiple islands scattered along the genome. This is the case in a family of seven plant pathogens and a human pathogen that, under KdgR regulation, massively secrete enzymes such as pectinases that degrade pl...

cytospora dieback and canker disease is one of prevalent disease of walnut trees in iran caused by several species of cytospora genus. the aim of this study was to determination of virulence degree in 58 isolates of dominant species, cytospora chrysosperma. isolates from 12 provinces of iran; hamedan, kurdistan, kermanshah, ilam, west azarbaijan, zanjan, markazi, lorestan, chaharmahal va bakhti...

A pathogen is a microorganism that is able to cause disease in a plant, animal or insect. Pathogenicity is the ability to produce disease in a host organism. Microbes express their pathogenicity by means of their virulence, a term which refers to the degree of pathogenicity of the microbe. Hence the determinants of virulence of a pathogen are any of its genetic or biochemical or structural feat...

Pemphigus is a life-threatening autoimmune disease in which antibodies specific for desmogleins (Dsgs) cause loss of keratinocyte cell adhesion and blisters. In order to understand how antibodies cause pathogenicity and whether there are commonalities among antibodies in different patients that could ultimately be used to target specific therapy against these antibodies, we characterized Dsg-sp...