Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) application melted barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) spherical nanoparticle capsids. Synergistic therapeutic effects for plant virus resistance were induced by interaction with binding units of prepared AuNPs in a water solution which was characterized and evaluated by zeta sizer, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The yield of purified nanoparticles of BYDV-PAV was obtained from Hordeum vulgare (Barley) cultivars, local and Giza 121/Justo. It was 0.62 mg/ml from 27.30 g of infected leaves at an A260/A280 ratio. Virus nanoparticle has a spherical shape 30 nm in size by TEM. BYDV-PAV combined with AuNPs to challenge virus function in vivo and in vitro. Dual AuNPs existence in vivo and in vitro affected compacted configuration of viral capsid protein in the interior surface of capsomers, the outer surface, or between the interface of coat protein subunits for 24 and 48 h incubation period in vitro at room temperature. The sizes of AuNPs that had a potentially dramatic deteriorated effect are 3.151 and 31.67 nm with a different intensity of 75.3% for the former and 24.7% for the latter, which enhances optical sensing applications to eliminate virus infectivity. Damages of capsid protein due to AuNPs on the surface of virus subunits caused variable performance in four different types of TEM named puffed, deteriorated and decorated, ruined and vanished. Viral yield showed remarkably high-intensity degree of particle symmetry and uniformity in the local cultivar greater than in Giza 121/Justo cultivar. A high yield of ruined VLPs in the local cultivar than Justo cultivar was noticed. AuNPs indicated complete lysed VLPs and some deteriorated VLPs at 48 h.

Background/Aim: To assess the correlation between serum HBsAg titers and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels in patients with hepatitis B envelop antigen-negative (HBeAg −ve) HBV genotype-D (HBV/D) infection. Patients and Methods: A total of 106 treatment- naïve, HBeAg −ve HBV/D patients were included; 78 in the inactive carrier (IC) state and 28 in the active hepatitis (AH) stage. HBV DNA load and HBsAg titers were tested using TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and automated chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, respectively. Results: The median (range) log10 HBsAg titer was significantly lower in the IC group compared with AH group, 3.09 (−1 to -4.4) versus 3.68 (−0.77 to 5.09) IU/mL, respectively; P < 0.001. The suggested cutoff value of HBsAg titer to differentiate between the two groups was 3.79 log10 IU/mL. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between HBsAg and HBV DNA levels in the whole cohort, AH, and IC groups (r = 0.6, P < 0.0001; r = 0.591, P = 0.001; and r = 0.243, P = 0.032, respectively). Conclusion: Serum HBsAg titers may correlate with HBV DNA in treatment-naïve HBeAg -ve HBV/D patients, and supports the use of HBsAg levels in clinical practice as a predictor of serum HBV DNA levels.

This study aimed to assess radioprotective efficacy of zinc oxide nanoparticles (nano-ZnO) against γ-radiation induced DNA lesions in Vicia faba employing flow cytometry (FCM), comet assay, and RAPD-PCR bioassays. Each dose of γ-irradiated seeds was post-treated with three nano-ZnO concentrations. Exposure time pre- and post-ZnO treatments were 24 h. Dose-dependent nano-ZnO and γ-ray treatments showed specific interference with DNA. Three bioassays could successfully detect positive action of two nano-ZnO concentrations (500 and 2000 mg L^-1) on DNA compared to control while high concentration nano-ZnO showed a negative interference with DNA. On the contrary, three doses of γ-ray induced major lesions in V. faba DNA. Data obtained illustrated that combination of 2000 mgL^-1 nano-ZnO concentration with each γ-ray dose had a good ability to protect DNA against their damaging when compared to the equivalent γ-ray doses prior nano-ZnO treatment. This was evident through the significant amelioration of DNA parameters which manifested in increasing nuclear DNA content and genome size, reduction the DNA damage (tail length, Tailed DNA% and tail moment), and scoring new amplified DNA bands and increasing their number. This study concluded that nano-ZnO can be used as potent mutant and an efficient nano-radioprotector for the protection of crop plants DNA.

Programed cell death resembles a real nature active defense in Datura metel against TMV after three days of virus infection. This adaptive plant immune response was quantitatively assessed against Tomato Mosaic Virus infection by the following physiological markers; Chlorophyll-a (mg/g), Chlorophyll-b (mg/g), total protein (mg/g), hydrogen peroxide H2O2 (mu mol/100 mg), DNA (mu g/ 100 mg), RNA (mu g/ 100 mg), Salicylic acid (mu g/g), and Comet Assays. Parameters were assessed for asymptomatic healthy and symptomatic infected detached leaves. The results indicated H2O2 and Chlorophyll-a as the most potential parameters. Chlorophyll-a was considered the only significant predictor variant for the H2O2 dependent variant with a P value of 0.001 and R-square of 0.900. The plant immune response was measured within three days of virus infection using the cutoff value of H2O2 (<= 1.095 mu mol/ 100 mg) and (<= 3.201 units) for the tail moment in the Comet Assay. Their percentage changes were 255.12% and 522.40% respectively which reflects the stress of virus infection in the plant. Moreover, H2O2 showed 100% specificity and sensitivity in the symptomatic infected group using the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC). All tested parameters in the symptomatic infected group had significant correlations with twenty-five positive and thirty-one negative correlations where the P value was <0.05 and 0.01. Chlorophyll-a parameter had a crucial role of highly significant correlation between total protein and salicylic acid. Contrarily, this correlation with tail moment unit was (r = -0.930, P < 0.01) where the P value was < 0.01. The strongest significant negative correlation was between Chlorophyll-a and H2O2 at P < 0.01, while moderate negative significant correlation was seen for Chlorophyll-b where the P value < 0.05. The present study discloses the secret of the three days of rapid transient production of activated oxygen species (AOS) that was enough for having potential quantitative physiological parameters for defensive plant response toward the virus. (C) 2016 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.