We report the recovery of a 7068-nt viral sequence from the "viral fossils" embedded in the genome of Alhagi sparsifolia, a typical desert plant. Although the full viral genome remains to be completed, the putative genome structure, the deduced amino acids and phylogenetic analysis unambiguously demonstrate that this viral sequence represents a novel species of the genus Badnavirus. The putative virus is tentatively termed Alhagi bacilliform virus (ABV). Southern blotting and inverse polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data indicate that the ABV-related sequence is integrated into the A. sparsifolia genome, and probably does not give rise to functional episomal virus. Molecular evidence that the ABV sequence exists widely in A. sparsifolia is also presented. To our knowledge, this is the first endogenous badnavirus identified from plants in the Gobi desert, and may provide new clues on the evolution, geographical distribution as well as the host range of the badnaviruses.
Badnavirus/genetics* ; Biological Evolution ; Desert Climate ; Fabaceae/virology* ; Genes, Plant ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Viral ; Geography ; Open Reading Frames ; Phylogeny ; Plant Diseases/virology* ; Plasmids ; Sequence Analysis, RNA

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antiviral effects of the aqueous extract of Spatholobus suberectus Dunn. (A.E.), a Chinese medicinal herb, against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3).

METHODSThe antiviral effects of A.E. against CVB3 in vitro (primarily cultured myocardial cells) and in vivo (BALB/c mice) were determined. Serum pharmacological method was also adopted by in vitro experiments. The effects of A.E. inhibiting the CVB3 mRNA expression were compared by RT-PCR in mice in vivo.

RESULTSA.E. exhibited obvious antiviral: effects in vivo, and serum samples obtained from the rats with oral administration of A.E. (10 μg/mL, 5 μg/mL), reduced the virus titers in the infected myocardial cells (3.00±0.70, 3.55±0.52, P<0.01). Meanwhile, the viral myocarditis induced by CVB3 was inhibited significantly by A.E., and the 15-day mortality was reduced to 40% and 45% (P<0.01) in mice treated with A.E. at doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, respectively, while the 30-day mortality was decreased to 45% and 50%, respectively (P<0.01). Moreover, the mRNA expression of Coxsackie virus B3 was significantly inhibited by A.E.

CONCLUSIONAqueous extract of Spatholobus suberectus Dunn. (A.E.) has inhibitory effect on CVB3 both in vitro and in vivo.

Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Coxsackievirus Infections ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; virology ; Enterovirus ; drug effects ; Fabaceae ; chemistry ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Survival Analysis ; Vero Cells ; Viral Load