• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.230-238
• /
• 2013

Objectives: For our survey of the incidence of influenza viruses among respiratory viral infections in Seoul, we evaluated their prevalence among infectious acute respiratory viral patients in Seoul from 2010 to 2012 through regular surveillance. Methods: For influenza virus detection, we conducted real-time PCR analyses on 2,544 throat specimens collected from patients with respiratory viral infections in Seoul between 2010 and 2012. They were collected and then tested for the presence of influenza viruses through reverse transcription (RT) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: 19.1% (486/2,544) of the throat specimens were determined to be positive for influenza viruses. The incidences of influenza viral infection in the case of respiratory viral infections through regular surveillance in Seoul were 23.0% (212/923) in 2010, 6.4% (47/738) in 2011, and 25.7% (227/883) in 2012, and 10.8% (275/2,544) of type A, and 8.3% (211/2,544) type B influenza viruses. In addition, the greatest prevalence was in the 20-49 age group (51.6% ), which shows that influenza viruses constituted a major causative agent of acute respiratory viral infections. Conclusions: The distributions of influenza viruses and the epidemiologic patterns of the viral pathogen in acute respiratory viral infectious patients may provide potentially effective data for epidemiological studies in Seoul, Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.213-222
• /
• 1992

We investigated effects of several chemical carcinogens, i.e., $benzo({\alpha})pyrene$ (BP),7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), nitrosomethyl urea (NMU), and nicotine on the replication, cytolyticity, DNA synthesis, and protein synthesis of type 1 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) in viral infected Vero cell monolayers. We observed that the BP and DMBA did not show such activity. All chemical carcinogens did not inhibit the synthesis of viral DNA, but the expression of gamma viral proteins that are expressed from the newly synthesized progeny viral DNA was somewhat notably inhibited by BP and DMBA. However, the synthesis of alpha and beta viral proteins was not altered by the chemical carcinogens. These data indicate that the gamma viral proteins expressed from the newly synthesized DNA in the presence of chemical carcinogens in the culture medium may be defective. This is further supported by the fact that the virus fail to replicate in the presence of these chemical carcinogens, in spite of viral DNA and proteins are somewhat normally synthesized.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.73-80
• /
• 2004

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites which cause infection by invading and replicating within cells. The immune system has mechanisms which can attack the virus in extracellular and intracellular phase of life cycle, and which involve both non-specific and specific effectors. The survival of viruses depends on the survival of their hosts, and therefore the immune system and viruses have evolved together. Immune responses to viral infection may be variable depending on the site of infection, the mechanism of cell-to-cell spread of virus, physiology of the host, host genetic variation, and environmental condition. Viral infection of cells directly stimulates the production of interferons and they induce antiviral state in the surrounding cells. Complement system is also involved in the elimination of viruses and establishes the first line of defence with other non-specific immunity. During the course of viral infection, antibody is most effective at an early stage, especially before the virus enters its target cells. The virus- specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes are the principal effector cells in clearing established viral infections. But many viruses have resistant mechanism to host immune responses in every step of viral infection to cells. Some viruses have immune evasion mechanism and establish latency or persistency indefinitely. Furthermore antibodies to some viruses can enhance the disease by the second infection. Immune responses to viral infection are very different from those to bacterial infection.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.257-265
• /
• 1996

Simple stain and electron microscopic in situ hybridization is studied and applied for the identification of rabbit haemorrhagic disease viral RNA in a unicrylated preparation of the liver after innoculation of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus. Hybridization for detection of viral RNA in unicryl embedded tissues using complementary 84 bases oligonucleotide probe labelled by biotin CE-phosphoramidite compared with 4717∼4800 sequences of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, modified hybridization protocol and antibiotin antibody-l0nm gold as signal marker. The best results were obtained in 0.02% glutaraldehyde, Unicryl resin cell block, biotinylated oligonucleotide probes, antibiotin-l0nm gold. In this report, RHD viral RNA was distributed widely within the mitochondria and nucleus of liver cell by electron microscopic in situ hybridization. In situ hybridization has become a standard method for localizing DNA or RNA sequences in tissue or celt preparation. In situ hybridization is detected the virus genome in the cells and tissue as specifically compared with others nucleic acid hybridization method.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.140-148
• /
• 2014

We identified four basic amino acid residues as nuclear localization signals (NLS) in the C-terminal domain of the prototype foamy viral (PFV) integrase (IN) protein that were essential for viral replication. We constructed seven point mutants in the C-terminal domain by changing the lysine and arginine at residues 305, 308, 313, 315, 318, 324, and 329 to threonine or proline, respectively, to identify residues conferring NLS activity. Our results showed that mutation of these residues had no effect on expression assembly, release of viral particles, or in vitro recombinant IN enzymatic activity. However, mutations at residues 305 (R ${\rightarrow}$ T), 313(R ${\rightarrow}$ T), 315(R ${\rightarrow}$ P), and 329(R ${\rightarrow}$ T) lead to the production of defective viral particles with loss of infectivity, whereas non-defective mutations at residues 308(R ${\rightarrow}$ T), 318(K ${\rightarrow}$ T), and 324(K ${\rightarrow}$ T) did not show any adverse effects on subsequent production or release of viral particles. Sub-cellular fractionation and immunostaining for viral protein PFV-IN and PFV-Gag localization revealed predominant cytoplasmic localization of PFV-IN in defective mutants, whereas cytoplasmic and nuclear localization of PFV-IN was observed in wild type and non-defective mutants. However sub-cellular localization of PFV-Gag resulted in predominant nuclear localization and less presence in the cytoplasm of the wild type and non-defective mutants. But defective mutants showed only nuclear localization of Gag. Therefore, we postulate that four basic arginine residues at 305, 313, 315 and 329 confer the karyoplilic properties of PFV-IN and are essential for successful viral integration and replication.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.19-28
• /
• 2000

Two distinct hantaviruses have been isolated from Apodemus agrarius in 1976 and Rattus norvegicus in 1980 in Korea. Since our serosurveys conducted in 1994, a genetically distinct hantavirus from Apodemus peninsulae has been investigated. To isolate hantavirus from Apen insulae captured in Korea, the lung homogenate of seropositive Apeninsulae inoculated Vero E6 cells. Viral antigen was detected in a progressively higher percentage of cells with subsequent passage after 80 days postinoculation. The new isolate from seropositive Apodemus peninsulae was designated Suchong virus after Suchong valley located in northeastern region of South Korea. Comparing with hantaan virus 76-118 strain, Suchong virus-1, 2, 3 and 4 showed the similarity of $71.0{\sim}91.8%$ at nucleotide and $90.9{\sim}94.8%$ at amino acid sequences in 231 nucleotides region of M segment, and the similarity of $75.1{\sim}81.0%$ at nucleotide and $97.5{\sim}100%$ at amino acid sequences in 237 nucleotides of S segment.

• Journal of Information Management
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.151-168
• /
• 2012

A viral marketing has been an effective marketing tool in various fields. In this study, we applied a viral marketing strategy for managing the Internet community website of scientists and engineers, KOSEN(www.kosen21.org). We developed a function that enables members to send promotional e-mails to their acquaintances, and we also designed a reward system for the members who participated in KOSEN viral marketing. With these strategies, KOSEN members reacted positively on the rewards (i.e., mileage points, gift card) and also the loyalty members took part in the viral marketing program more actively than other members. Furthermore, an attractive event was very effective for the prompt reaction of the viral marketing. Managing loyalty members is necessary for the continuous effects. The viral marketing strategies and analysis results of this research could be used for the management of an Internet service.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.249-262
• /
• 2021

The most effective way to control newly emerging infectious disease, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, is to strengthen preventative or therapeutic public health strategies before the infection spreads worldwide. However, global health systems remain at the early stages in anticipating effective therapeutics or vaccines to combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. While maintaining social distance is the most crucial metric to avoid spreading the virus, symptomatic therapy given to patients on the clinical manifestations helps save lives. The molecular properties of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been quickly elucidated, paving the way to therapeutics, vaccine development, and other medical interventions. Despite this progress, the detailed biomolecular mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains elusive. Given virus invasion of cells is a determining factor for virulence, understanding the viral entry process can be a mainstay in controlling newly emerged viruses. Since viral entry is mediated by selective cellular proteases or proteins associated with receptors, identification and functional analysis of these proteins could provide a way to disrupt virus propagation. This review comprehensively discusses cellular machinery necessary for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Understanding multifactorial traits of the virus entry will provide a substantial guide to facilitate antiviral drug development.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.61 no.2
• /
• pp.13.1-13.8
• /
• 2021

Mammalian reovirus (MRV) causes respiratory and intestinal disease in mammals. Although MRV isolates have been reported to circulate in several animals, there are no reports on Korean MRV isolates from wildlife. We investigated the biological and molecular characteristics of Korean MRV isolates based on the nucleotide sequence of the segment 1 gene. In total, 144 swabs from wild animals were prepared for virus isolation. Based on virus isolation with specific cytopathic effects, indirect fluorescence assays, electron microscopy, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, only one isolate was confirmed to be MRV from a Korean roe deer (Capreolus pygargus). The isolate exhibited a hemagglutination activity level of 16 units with pig erythrocytes and had a maximum viral titer of 10^5.7 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID₅₀)/mL in Vero cells at 5 days after inoculation. The nucleotide and amino-acid sequences of the partial segment S1 of the MReo2045 isolate were determined and compared with those of other MRV strains. The MReo2045 isolate had nucleotide sequences similar to MRV-3 and was most similar (96.1%) to the T3/Bat/Germany/342/08 strain, which was isolated in Germany in 2008. The MReo2045 isolate will be useful as an antigen for sero-epidemiological studies and developing diagnostic tools.

• Journal of fish pathology
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2021

Red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV), belonging to the genus Megalocytivirus, is the predominant cause of mortality in marine fishes in Korea, including rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus). Rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) are the host fish for RSIV, exhibiting no clinical signs or mortality. Cohabitation challenges, which mimicked natural transmission conditions, were performed to evaluate viral transmission between rock bream and rockfish, and to determine the pathogenicity and viral loads. In cohabitation challenge, artificially RSIV-infected rock bream were the viral donor, and healthy rockfish were the recipient. The results showed that although the donor rock bream had 95-100 % cumulative mortality (>10⁸ viral genome copies/mg of spleen 7-14 days after viral infection), the recipient rockfish did not die, even when the viral genome copies in the spleen were >10⁵ copies/mg. These results indicated asymptomatic infections. Notably, in a reverse-cohabitation challenge (artificially RSIV-infected rockfish as the viral donor and healthy rock bream as the recipient), RSIV horizontally infected from subclinical rockfish to rock bream (10⁷ viral genome copies/mg of spleen 21 days after cohabitation) with 10-20% cumulative mortality. These results suggest that an asymptomatic, infected rockfish can naturally transmit the RSIV without being sacrificed.