Monkeypox is a zoonosis caused by monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxviruses genus in the Poxviridae family, which is regarded as the most important Orthopoxvirus infection in human beings after the extinction of smallpox. Since the first human monkeypox case was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970, monkeypox has become endemic in Central and West African. From May 6 to July 15, 2022, monkeypox has broken out in many countries. Monkeypox cases have been detected in 62 countries and regions. Moreover, human to human transmission has occurred and attracted high global attention. Monkeypox virus has been discovered for more than 60 years, but the understanding and research of its natural host, epidemiological characteristics and treatment are still relatively limited. Therefore, this study analyzes the epidemic situation, the possible causes of the outbreak and the future key research directions, and puts forward countermeasures to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of monkeypox.
Animals ; Humans ; Monkeypox virus ; Monkeypox/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Poxviridae Infections/epidemiology* ; Zoonoses

Apoptosis is a host defense mechanism that the cell uses to limit production of infectious virus. Although many viruses can induce apoptosis in infected cells, large DNA viruses, such as poxviruses, herpesviruses and adenoviruses, usually exhibit the ability to suppress the induction of apoptosis in the infected cells. Several publications have attested to the ability of herpesviruses to protect cells against apoptosis. We investigated the ability of the virus to protect cells in continuous cultivation from apoptosis induced by the virus itself. The gamma herpesvirus alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) has been shown to harbor genes with antiapoptotic potentialities. However, here we have demonstrated that productive infection of adherent, permissive cell lines by AlHV-1 resulted in a cytopathic effect characterized by induction of apoptosis. This phenomenon was confirmed using different techniques to detect apoptosis and using different virus strains and cell lines. Therefore, despite the presence of antiapoptotic genes in its genome, AlHV-1 could complete its cycle of productive infection while inducing apoptosis of infected cells. This finding might have implications for the pathobiology of AlHV-1 and other gamma herpesviruses in vivo.
Adenoviridae ; Apoptosis ; Cell Line* ; DNA Viruses ; Genome ; Herpesviridae ; Poxviridae

Poxvirus is one of the most serious zoonosis pathogens, which has largest genome and broadest host spectrum. With the development of molecular biology, functional genomics, and immunology-related technology, the interactions between pathogen and the host, particularly a large array of host range factors and their functions have been increasingly discovered. These findings provide references for the molecular basis of poxvirus tissue tropism and host specificity. This review focus on the introduction of host range factors in major members of Chordopoxvirinae to highlight the understanding of the mechanisms of molecular genetic evolution, the host tropism, and cross-species infection of poxviruses.
Animals ; Host Specificity ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Poxviridae ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; physiology ; Poxviridae Infections ; veterinary ; virology ; Viral Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Traditional approach of inactivated or live-attenuated vaccine immunization has resulted in impressive success in the reduction and control of infectious disease outbreaks. However, many pathogens remain less amenable to deal with the traditional vaccine strategies, and more appropriate vaccine strategy is in need. Recent discoveries that led to increased understanding of viral molecular biology and genetics has rendered the used of viruses as vaccine platforms and as potential anti-cancer agents. Due to their ability to effectively induce both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, viral vectors are deemed as an attractive alternative to the traditional platforms to deliver vaccine antigens as well as to specifically target and kill tumor cells. With potential targets ranging from cancers to a vast number of infectious diseases, the benefits resulting from successful application of viral vectors to prevent and treat human diseases can be immense.
Adenoviridae ; Alphavirus ; Communicable Diseases ; Disease Outbreaks ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Immunization ; Molecular Biology ; Poxviridae ; Vaccines

Poxviruses, a type of ds-DNA viruses which mainly target at the epithelial cell, are the pathogens of human and animals. During the revolution of poxviruses, the viruses encode multiple proteins that regulate the immune system to monitor the viral reproductive cycle in host cells. The nuclear kappa B (NF-kappaB) pathway is essential to signal transcription in the innate immune system. Therefore, poxviruses have adopted different strategies to elude immune detection and destruction regulated by NF-kappaB. Further research in this field would help us develop preventive and therapeutic preparation for pox. Given the renewed interest in poxvirus, we review the current understanding of how the various classes of poxviralimmunomodulatory proteins target and manipulate the NF-kappaB pathway.
Animals ; Host Specificity ; Humans ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Poxviridae ; physiology ; Signal Transduction

The aim of this study was to refold the OvisAries leukocyte antigen (OLA) class Ⅰ protein with peptides derived from sheeppox virus (SPPV) to identify SPPV T cell epitopes. Two pairs of primers were designed based on the published sequence of a sheep major histocompatibility complex Ⅰ to amplify the heavy chain gene of OLA Ⅰ α-BSP and the light chain gene of OLA Ⅰ-β₂m. Both genes were cloned into a pET-28a(+) expression vector, respectively, and induced with ITPG for protein expression. After purification, the heavy chain and light chain proteins as well as peptides derived from SPPV were refolded at a ratio of 1:1:1 using a gradual dilution method. Molecular exclusion chromatography was used to test whether these peptides bind to the OLA Ⅰ complex. T-cell responses were assessed using freshly isolated PBMCs from immunized sheep through IFN-γ ELISPOT with peptides derived from SPPV protein. The results showed that the cloned heavy chain and light chain expressed sufficiently, with a molecular weight of 36.3 kDa and 16.7 kDa, respectively. The protein separated via a Superdex^TM 200 increase 10/300 GL column was collected and verified by SDS-PAGE after refolding. One SPPV CTL epitope was identified after combined refolding and functional studies based on T-cell epitopes derived from SPPV. An OLA Ⅰ/peptide complex was refolded correctly, which is necessary for the structural characterization. This study may contribute to the development of sheep vaccine based on peptides.
Animals ; Capripoxvirus ; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/genetics* ; Peptides/genetics* ; Poxviridae Infections ; Sheep ; Sheep Diseases

No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst ; Molluscum Contagiosum ; Molluscum contagiosum virus

BACKGROUND: Molluscum contagiosum is a common viral infect oudisease of the skin and mucous membrane that is caused by a molluscum contagiosum virus(MCV; which belongs to the poxviridae family. One of the characteristic histopathologic findings is an epidermal hyperplasia Porter and Archard reported that this phenomenon might be explained by a virus induced epidermal growth factor (EGF) like polypeptide. There was a report that epidermal prolifeation in viral infection might be modulated by other factors than the virus itself such as local immune response. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the expression pattern of epidermal growth factor receptor and other immunocompetent cells by immunohistochemical stainings. METHOD : We performed iinmunoperoxidase staining on the 11 slaecmens of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded molluscum lesions and 15 specimens of snap frozen mollucum lesions with nine primary antibodies(EGFR, factor XIIIa, CDla, S-100 protein, MAC 387, HLA-IR, CD4, CDS, L26) RESULTS: EGF receptors were strongly expressed in lesional MCV ifect,ed keratinocytes. The number of CDla and factor XIIIa positive dermal dendritic cells were sigtly increased. In inflamed lesions, CD4 and HLA-DR expressions were increased in the dermis and per lesional epidermis. CONCLUSION: This study shows that 1) increased EGFR expression is of MCV infected keratinocytes may be related to the pathogenesis of epidermal hyperplasia. 2) helper T lyrnphocytes may operate in inflamed molluscum lesions.
Dermis ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Epidermis ; Factor XIIIa ; HLA-DR Antigens ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Keratinocytes ; Langerhans Cells ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Mucous Membrane ; Poxviridae ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; S100 Proteins ; Skin

The complete gene sequences of eight capripoxvirus strains in GenBank were aligned and analyzed with DNAStar software. We selected a size of 64 bp gene fragment that was located in gp064 region of goat pox virus (GPV) genome, and designed a pair of primers and a TaqMan-MGB probe against the gene fragment with Primer Express 2.0 software. Then, the fluorescence quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR) assay was developed and the standard curve of different dilution series was described. We extracted the DNA samples from clinical skin pox, scab and GPV infected materials of artificial challenge animals. The FQ-PCR assay has been performed for all kinds of DNA samples. The results showed that the FQ-PCR assay was sensitive, specific, stable and could be used for clinical diagnosis. This method provided an important tool for rapid diagnosis of goat pox clinically, and for study GPV pathogenesis in the course of disease occurrence, development and convalescence.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Capripoxvirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Goats ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Poxviridae Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Orthopoxvirus vector has a broad prospect in recombinant vaccine research, but the rarely severe side-effect impedes its development. Vaccinia virus and Cowpox virus of Orthopoxvirus have broad host range, and they have typical host range genes as K1L, CP77 and C7L. These three genes affect host range of Vaccinia virus, disturb the cell signaling pathways, suppress immune response and are related to virulence.
Cell Line ; Cowpox virus ; genetics ; immunology ; pathogenicity ; physiology ; Genetic Vectors ; Host Specificity ; genetics ; Orthopoxvirus ; genetics ; immunology ; pathogenicity ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; Vaccines, Synthetic ; immunology ; Vaccinia virus ; genetics ; immunology ; pathogenicity ; physiology ; Viral Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology ; Virulence