We identified unusual rotavirus strains in fecal specimens from sheltered dogs in Hungary by viral metagenomics. The novel rotavirus species displayed limited genome sequence homology to representatives of the 8 rotavirus species, A–H, and qualifies as a candidate new rotavirus species that we tentatively named Rotavirus I.

Two populations of single chromosome recombinant lines were used to map genes controlling flowering time on chromosome 5B of wheat, and one of the populations was also used to map a new frost resistance gene. Genetic maps were developed, mainly using microsatellite markers, and QTL analysis was applied to phenotypic data on the performance of each population collected from growth-room tests of flowering time and frost tolerance. Using a recombinant substitution-line mapping population derived from a cross between the substitution-line 'Chinese Spring' ('Cheyenne' 5B) and 'Chinese Spring' (CS), the gene Vrn-B1, affecting vernalization response, an earliness per se locus, Eps-5BL1, and a gene, Fr-B1, affecting frost resistance, were mapped. Using a 'Hobbit Sib' ('Chinese Spring' 5BL) x 'Hobbit Sib' recombinant substitution line mapping population, an earliness per se locus, Eps-5BL2 was mapped. The Vrn-B1 locus was mapped on the distal portion of the long arm of chromosome 5B, to a region syntenous with the segments of chromosomes 5A and 5D containing Vrn-A1 and Vrn-D1 loci, respectively. The two Eps-5BL loci were mapped close to the centromere with a 16-cM distance from each other, one in agreement with the position of a homoeologous locus previously mapped on chromosome 5H of barley, and suggested by the response of 'Chinese Spring' deletion lines. The Fr-B1 gene was mapped on the long arm of chromosome 5B, 40 cM from the centromeric marker. Previous comparative mapping data with rice chromosome 9 would suggest that this gene could be orthologous to the other Fr genes mapped previously by us on chromosomes 5A or 5D of wheat, although in a more proximal position. This study completes the mapping of these homoeoallelic series of vernalization requirement genes and frost resistance genes on the chromosomes of the homoeologous group 5 in wheat.

HPVs may be involved in the development or progression of not only OSCC but also of potentially malignant oral lesions.

A neurological disease of young Pekin ducks characterized by ataxia, lameness, and paralysis was observed at several duck farms in Malaysia in 2012. Gross pathological lesions were absent or inconsistent in most of the cases, but severe and consistent microscopic lesions were found in the brain and spinal cord, characterized by non-purulent panencephalomyelitis. Several virus isolates were obtained in embryonated duck eggs and in cell cultures (Vero and DF-1) inoculated with the brain homogenates of affected ducks. After exclusion of other viruses, the isolates were identified as a flavivirus by flavivirus-specific reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. Inoculation of 2-week-old Pekin ducks with a flavivirus isolate by the subcutaneous or intramuscular route resulted in typical clinical signs and histological lesions in the brain and spinal cord. The inoculated virus was detected by RT-PCR from organ samples of ducks with clinical signs and histological lesions. With a few days delay, the disease was also observed among co-mingled contact control birds. Phylogenetic analysis of NS5 and E gene sequences proved that the isolates were representatives of a novel phylogenetic group within clade XI (Ntaya virus group) of the Flavivirus genus. This Malaysian Duck Tembusu Virus (DTMUV), named Perak virus, has moderate genomic RNA sequence similarity to a related DTMUV identified in China. In our experiment the Malaysian strain of DTMUV could be transmitted in the absence of mosquito vectors. These findings may have implications for the control and prevention of this emerging group of flaviviruses.

We tested 65, 44, and 116 patients with oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC), oral leukoplakia (OL), and oral lichen planus (OLP) against 68 age‐matched controls for the presence of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Apparently healthy mucosa was simultaneously sampled and examined in all patients. Paraffin‐embedded tissue sections of all EBV‐positive patients with OSCC were examined for latent membrane protein‐1 (LMP‐1) expression (demonstrable in most EBV‐associated malignancies) using immunohistochemistry. The prevalence of EBV in the controls and in OSCC, OL, and OLP lesions was 19.1%, 73.8%, 29.5%, and 46.6%, respectively, and 66.2%, 22.7%, and 31.9% in the healthy mucosa of patients, respectively. The prevalence of EBV in OSCC patients was significantly higher than in controls or in respective samples of the other two patient groups both in the lesion and in the healthy mucosa. Comparisons including only patients with EBV‐negative lesions yielded similar results. Lesions of patients with OLP, but not of patients with OL, differed significantly from controls in EBV prevalence. In OSCC, LMP‐1 expression was not detected, and EBV carriage was not significantly associated with any risk factors and did not influence the outcome. Although a high prevalence of EBV was found in OSCC, comparable carriage rates on healthy mucosa of patients indicated that an aetiological role of EBV is unlikely.

The recently described novel gyroviruses may infect chickens and/or humans, however, their pathogenic potential is unknown. In our metagenomic investigation we detected many of the novel gyroviruses in the fecal viromes of ferrets with lymph node and organ enlargement. The whole genomic sequences of selected gyrovirus strains showed 90.7-99.4% similarity with homologous reference gyrovirus strains. This study does not elucidate an association between gyrovirus shedding of ferrets and the observed background disease; however, it provides evidence for genetic diversity within gyroviruses and raises the possibility that pet ferrets may transmit gyroviruses to heterologous hosts, e.g. humans.Manuscript Click here to download Manuscript: 20140623_MS_Feher.doc Click here to view linked References 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 2 Several new members of the genus Gyrovirus (family Circoviridae) have been described during the past three years. Chicken anaemia virus (CAV) causes anaemia, bone marrow atrophy and severe immunosuppression in poultry, and represents the prototype species within the genus. Newly described members include human gyrovirus (HGyV), avian gyrovirus 2 (AGV2), GyV3, GyV4,. Of interest, some of these new gyrovirus types have been identified in human skin (HGyV), blood (HGyV) and stool (all gyroviruses) specimens, although the etiologic role of these viruses in a human disease has not been revealed [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Furthermore, in addition to CAV, AGV2, HGyV and GyV4 have been also detected in chicken serum, meat and skin [1][2][3].In this study, 23 diarrheic stool specimens were collected from 20 pet ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) housed in a shelter. The animals had a background disease characterized by lymph node and spleen enlargement.The majority of samples (21 samples of 18 ferrets) were subjected to viral metagenomics. In brief, the genomic RNA was extracted using the Viral RNA Mini kit (QIAGEN) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The RNA sample was denatured at 97°C for 5 min in the presence of 10 µM random hexamer tailed by a common PCR primer sequence [8]. Reverse transcription reaction mixture containing 400 µM dNTPs, 1X AMV RT buffer and 1 U AMV reverse transcriptase (Promega) was added and then incubated at 42°C for 45 min. 5 µl cDNA was amplified in a final reaction volume of 50 µl including 500 µM PCR primers, 200 µM dNTP mixture, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 1X Taq DNA polymerase buffer and 0.5 U Taq DNA polymerase (Thermo Scientific).The reaction conditions consisted of a denaturation step at 95°C for 3 min, 40 cycles of amplification (95°C for 30 sec, 48°C for 30 sec, 72°C for 2 min) and a final extension step at 72°C for 8 min.Enzymatic fragmentation was carried out from 100 ng of the amplified cDNA using the reagents of the surprising in the fecal specime...

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In this study molecular markers linked to the Rysto gene, which originates from the wild potato species Solanum stoloniferum and confers extreme resistance against PVY, were identified and the applicability of recently published Rysto, markers was analyzed. Three RAPD markers covering a total distance of 8.60 cM were detected in this experiment. The closest of these markers was located 0.53 cM from the gene. From among the published markers only one had diagnostic value in the experimental plant material, and mapped 2.95 cM from the gene, on the side opposite the RAPD markers developed in the present study. All the markers analyzed were present in Solanum stoloniferum accessions, irrespective of their resistance, indicating that these sequences are linked to the locus and not exclusively to the dominant allele of the Rysto gene in the wild species. The inapplicability of several published markers indicates that the genetic background is decisive in this tetraploid and highly heterozygous species. This means that it may be necessary to develop markers from the breeding material itself, until the resistance gene is not cloned and cannot be used as a selection marker in marker-assisted selection.