Oxidation of a Tetrameric Nonphenolic Lignin Model Compound by Lignin Peroxidase

The present study maps the active site of lignin peroxidase in respect to substrate size using either fungal or recombinant wild type, as well as mutated, recombinant lignin peroxidases. A nonphenolic tetrameric lignin model was synthesized that contains beta-O-4 linkages. The fungal and recombinant wild type lignin peroxidase both oxidized the tetrameric model forming four products. The four products were identified by mass spectral analyses and compared with synthetic standards. They were identified as tetrameric, trimeric, dimeric, and monomeric carbonyl compounds. All four of these products were also formed from single turnover experiments. This indicates that lignin peroxidase is able to attack any of the C(alpha)-C(beta) linkages in the tetrameric compound and that the substrate-binding site is well exposed. Mutation of the recombinant lignin peroxidase (isozyme H8) in the heme access channel, which is relatively restricted and was previously proposed to be the veratryl alcohol-binding site (E146S), had little effect on the oxidation of the tetramer. In contrast, mutation of a Trp residue (W171S) in the alternate proposed substrate-binding site completely inhibited the oxidation of the tetrameric model. These results are consistent with lignin peroxidase having an exposed active site capable of directly interacting with the lignin polymer without the advent of low molecular weight mediators

Acute diarrhea in adults consulting a general practitioner in France during winter: incidence, clinical characteristics, management and risk factors

International audienceBackgroundData describing the epidemiology and management of viral acute diarrhea (AD) in adults are scant. The objective of this study was to identify the incidence, clinical characteristics, management and risk factors of winter viral AD in adults.MethodsThe incidence of AD in adults during two consecutive winters (from December 2010 to April 2011 and from December 2011 to April 2012) was estimated from the French Sentinelles network. During these two winters, a subset of Sentinelles general practitioners (GPs) identified and included adult patients who presented with AD and who filled out a questionnaire and returned a stool specimen for virological examination. All stool specimens were tested for astrovirus, group A rotavirus, human enteric adenovirus, and norovirus of genogroup I and genogroup II. Age- and sex-matched controls were included to permit a case¿control analysis with the aim of identifying risk factors for viral AD.ResultsDuring the studied winters, the average incidence of AD in adults was estimated to be 3,158 per 100,000 French adults (95% CI [2,321 ¿ 3,997]). The most reported clinical signs were abdominal pain (91.1%), watery diarrhea (88.5%), and nausea (83.3%). GPs prescribed a treatment in 95% of the patients with AD, and 80% of the working patients with AD could not go to work. Stool examinations were positive for at least one enteric virus in 65% (95% CI [57 ¿ 73]) of patients with AD with a predominance of noroviruses (49%). Having been in contact with a person who has suffered from AD in the last 7 days, whether within or outside the household, and having a job (or being a student) were risk factors significantly associated with acquiring viral AD.ConclusionsDuring the winter, AD of viral origin is a frequent disease in adults, and noroviruses are most often the cause. No preventable risk factor was identified other than contact with a person with AD. Thus, at the present time, reinforcement of education related to hand hygiene remains the only way to reduce the burden of disease

Increased circulation of GII.17 noroviruses, six European countries and the United States, 2023 to 2024

We report an increase in GII.17 norovirus outbreaks and sporadic infections of acute gastroenteritis in Austria, Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, England and the United States during the 2023/24 season. A decrease in GII.4 coincided with GII.17 prevalence increasing to between 17% and 64% of all GII detections. Overall, 84% of the GII.17 strains clustered closely with strains first reported in Romania in 2021 and two new sub-lineages were identified. Norovirus surveillance and molecular characterisation should be prioritised this winter.</p

Molecular surveillance of norovirus, 2005-16: an epidemiological analysis of data collected from the NoroNet network.

BACKGROUND: The development of a vaccine for norovirus requires a detailed understanding of global genetic diversity of noroviruses. We analysed their epidemiology and diversity using surveillance data from the NoroNet network. METHODS: We included genetic sequences of norovirus specimens obtained from outbreak investigations and sporadic gastroenteritis cases between 2005 and 2016 in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. We genotyped norovirus sequences and analysed sequences that overlapped at open reading frame (ORF) 1 and ORF2. Additionally, we assessed the sampling date and country of origin of the first reported sequence to assess when and where novel drift variants originated. FINDINGS: We analysed 16 635 norovirus sequences submitted between Jan 1, 2005, to Nov 17, 2016, of which 1372 (8·2%) sequences belonged to genotype GI, 15 256 (91·7%) to GII, and seven (<0·1%) to GIV.1. During this period, 26 different norovirus capsid genotypes circulated and 22 different recombinant genomes were found. GII.4 drift variants emerged with 2-3-year periodicity up to 2012, but not afterwards. Instead, the GII.4 Sydney capsid seems to persist through recombination, with a novel recombinant of GII.P16-GII.4 Sydney 2012 variant detected in 2014 in Germany (n=1) and the Netherlands (n=1), and again in 2016 in Japan (n=2), China (n=8), and the Netherlands (n=3). The novel GII.P17-GII.17, first reported in Asia in 2014, has circulated widely in Europe in 2015-16 (GII.P17 made up a highly variable proportion of all sequences in each country [median 11·3%, range 4·2-53·9], as did GII.17 [median 6·3%, range 0-44·5]). GII.4 viruses were more common in outbreaks in health-care settings (2239 [37·2%] of 6022 entries) compared with other genotypes (101 [12·5%] of 809 entries for GI and 263 [13·5%] of 1941 entries for GII non-GII.Pe-GII.4 or GII.P4-GII.4). INTERPRETATION: Continuous changes in the global norovirus genetic diversity highlight the need for sustained global norovirus surveillance, including assessment of possible immune escape and evolution by recombination, to provide a full overview of norovirus epidemiology for future vaccine policy decisions. FUNDING: European Union's Horizon 2020 grant COMPARE, ZonMw TOP grant, the Virgo Consortium funded by the Dutch Government, and the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund

[Norovirus infections: an overview]

National audienceNoroviruses belong to the Caliciviridae family. They are a major cause of sporadic cases and outbreaks of gastroenteritis in all age groups, and are responsible for a considerable disease burden in industrialized countries. Noroviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses, and show great genetic diversity making their detection difficult. Noroviruses can be divided into 5 genogroups, which themselves are subdivided into genotypes. Besides chance mutations that occur during viral replication, the great heterogeneity observed among noroviruses is also due to intra and inter-genotypic recombination events between strains. Some of these new variants or new recombinants are frequently associated with new epidemic waves of gastroenteritis. Finally, it is worth pointing out that the discovery of mechanisms involved in NoV infections through blood antigen-related receptors and cultivation of the first norovirus, a murine norovirus, are milestones in research on this virus. These advances open new promising avenues of research that will help to the understanding of the -pathogenicity of this important pathogen

Actualités sur les norovirus

Les norovirus appartiennent au genre Norovirus de la famille des Caliciviridae. Ils sont l’un des principaux agents des gastroentérites aiguës sporadiques et épidémiques quelles que soient les tranches d’âge. Ces virus à ARN simple brin présentent une grande diversité, on distingue 5 génogroupes eux-mêmes classifiés en génotypes. À cette diversité s’ajoutent des souches recombinantes et des variants par mutation expliquant la très grande évolutivité génétique de ces virus. Ainsi, ces nouvelles souches seraient responsables des vagues épidémiques régulièrement constatées. La biologie de ces virus connaît actuellement d’importants développements avec d’une part la description de leurs récepteurs glycanes liés aux antigènes des groupes sanguins tissulaires et d’autre part, la découverte d’un norovirus murin cultivable et pouvant servir de modèle

Emergence of new recombinant noroviruses GII.p16-GII.4 and GII.p16-GII.2, France, winter 2016 to 2017

International audienceAn early increase in outbreaks of norovirus gastroenteritis characterised at the French National Reference Centre occurred this winter season. They were concurrent with an unusual pattern of circulating strains, with three predominant genotypes: the re-emergent variant GII.P4 2009-GII.4 2012 found in 28% of norovirus outbreaks and two new emergent recombinant strains GII.P16-GII.4 2012 and GII.P16-GII.2 never before observed in France, found in 24% and 14% of norovirus outbreaks, respectively

Seroprevalence distribution of Aichi virus among a French population in 2006-2007.

International audienceLittle is known about the epidemiology of Aichi virus, which is a new member of the family Picornaviridae, in the genus Kobuvirus. We report here on seroprevalence in France. Sera were screened using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for immunoglobulin G. Of 972 sera tested, seroprevalence ranged from 25% for the 7-month-to-9-year-old age group to about 85% for the 30-to-39-year-old age group and older age groups. Our ELISA correlated well with the microneutralization technique. This study shows that Aichi virus is quite frequent in France and that seroconversion occurs before the age of 40