Grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) (Al Rwahnih et al., 2013) is a member of the recently recognized genus Grablovirus in the family Geminiviridae (Varsani et al., 2017). GRBV is the causal agent of grapevine red blotch disease (Yepes et al., 2018) affecting viticulture in North America and some other regions around the world (reviewed in (Sudarshana, Perry and Fuchs, 2015)). In this study, we sampled grapevine plants displaying red blotch symptoms in the major wine producing region of Mexico: Ensenada, Baja California, in 2016 and 2017. A total of 46 samples from cultivars Vitis vinifera L. ‘Pinot Noir’ and ‘Merlot’ were tested in 2016 by end-point PCR using primers GRBV-V2F (5’-ATGGGTTAGGGGATGAGGCT-3’) and GRBV-V1R (5’-CGGCAATGACTCCTGCGGCT-3’). Results showed amplification of the expected 798 bp product from 31 samples. One of these amplicons was cloned, sequenced and compared to reported sequences through a BLASTn search. The fragment had high nucleotide sequence identity (98%) with GRBV isolate BCRB5 fr...

Immunotherapies based on antibody fragments have been developed and applied to human diseases, describing novel antibody formats. The vNAR domains have a potential therapeutic use related to their unique properties. This work used a non-immunized Heterodontus francisci shark library to obtain a vNAR with recognition of TGF-β isoforms. The isolated vNAR T1 selected by phage display demonstrated binding of the vNAR T1 to TGF-β isoforms (-β1, -β2, -β3) by direct ELISA assay. These results are supported by using for the first time the Single-Cycle kinetics (SCK) method for Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis for a vNAR. Also, the vNAR T1 shows an equilibrium dissociation constant (K_D) of 9.61 × 10^–8 M against rhTGF-β1. Furthermore, the molecular docking analysis revealed that the vNAR T1 interacts with amino acid residues of TGF-β1, which are essential for interaction with type I and II TGF-β receptors. The vNAR T1 is the first pan-specific shark domain reported against the three hTGF-β isoforms and a potential alternative to overcome the challenges related to the modulation of TGF-β levels implicated in several human diseases such as fibrosis, cancer, and COVID-19.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 is the causal pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The emergence of new variants with different mutational patterns has limited the therapeutic options available and complicated the development of effective neutralizing antibodies targeting the spike (S) protein. Variable New Antigen Receptors (VNARs) constitute a neutralizing antibody technology that has been introduced into the list of possible therapeutic options against SARS-CoV-2. The unique qualities of VNARs, such as high affinities for target molecules, capacity for paratope reformatting, and relatively high stability, make them attractive molecules to counteract the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this study, we characterized a VNAR antibody (SP240) that was isolated from a synthetic phage library of VNAR domains. In the phage display, a plasma with high antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 was used to selectively displace the VNAR antibodies bound to the antigen SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD). In silico data suggested that the SP240 binding epitopes are located within the ACE2 binding interface. The neutralizing ability of SP240 was tested against live Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants and was found to clear the infection of both variants in the lung cell line A549-ACE2-TMPRSS2. This study highlights the potential of VNARs to act as neutralizing antibodies against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Water column and sediment samples were collected in the southern Gulf of Mexico (GoMex) during 3 oceanographic cruises: XIXIMI-04 (September 2015), XIXIMI-05 (June 2016), and XIXIMI-06 (August 2017). DNA that was extracted from the samples was analyzed by qPCR to detect and quantify bacterial groups that have been reported to metabolize alkanes (Alcanivorax) and aromatic hydrocarbons (Cycloclasticus) and are involved in methane production (Methanomicrobiales). The results were then analyzed with regard to the water masses that are currently detected in the GoMex. Generally, we observed a decrease in the proportion of Alcanivorax and a rise in those of Cycloclasticus and Methanomicrobiales in samples from the surface to deep waters and in sediment samples. Scatterplots of the results showed that the relative abundance of the 3 groups was higher primarily from the surface to 1000 m, but the levels of Cycloclasticus and Methanomicrobiales were high in certain water samples below 1000 m and in sediments. In conclusion, oil-degrading bacteria are distributed widely from the surface to deep waters and sediments throughout the southern GoMex, representing a potential inoculum of bacteria for various hydrocarbon fractions that are ready for proliferation and degradation in the event of an oil spill from the seafloor or along the water column.

Hydrogels provide effective alternatives for drug delivery when therapeutics cannot be applied directly to a wound, or if adverse effects are associated with systemic administration. However, drug delivery vehicles need to be biocompatible and biodegradable and exhibit sufficient mechanical strength to withstand handling and different physiological conditions, such as those encountered during topical administration of a therapeutic. Wound healing can be divided into three phases stimulated by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and, subsequently, targeted therapeutics have been developed to inhibit this cytokine for the treatment of chronic wounds and to prevent scarring. In this study, the capacity of calcium alginate hydrogels plasticized with poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) to deliver anti-TGF-β antibodies (1D11.16.8) to a wound was investigated in situ. Three levels of antibodies, 10, 50, and 100 μg, were loaded into calcium-alginate-PEGMA hydrogels and evaluated in an excisional wound model in mice. Hydrogels containing 50 and 100 μg 1D11.16.8 produced less inflammation, accompanied by a marked reduction in collagen deposition and cell infiltration. These findings demonstrate the capacity of calcium-alginate-PEGMA hydrogels to deliver larger proteins, such as antibodies, to the site of a wound.