Crisis in South Korean cricket farms: Occurrence of <i>Gryllus bimaculatus</i> densovirus and its spread

The emergence and spread of densovirus infections pose significant challenges to the cricket industries in South Korea, where two-spotted crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) serve as crucial feed for fish and reptiles. Diseased two-spotted crickets were collected from the reported farms and examined to identify pathogens. Through metatranscriptome analysis and virome sequencing, we elucidated the complete genome sequence of Gryllus bimaculatus densovirus (GbDV) and characterized its structural and nonstructural protein coding regions, including inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) and conserved motifs; as of yet, there is no reported densovirus infection in G. bimaculatus. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of densovirus particles in infected crickets. Viral load assays were conducted in a timely and regional manner across 20 cricket farms to monitor the spread of the virus and its adverse impact on cricket availability in the market throughout South Korea. The rapid decline in the number of cricket farms highlights the urgent need for proactive disease surveillance and control methods to mitigate the economic and ecological consequences of densovirus infections.</p

The genetics of blood pressure regulation and its target organs from association studies in 342,415 individuals.

To dissect the genetic architecture of blood pressure and assess effects on target organ damage, we analyzed 128,272 SNPs from targeted and genome-wide arrays in 201,529 individuals of European ancestry, and genotypes from an additional 140,886 individuals were used for validation. We identified 66 blood pressure-associated loci, of which 17 were new; 15 harbored multiple distinct association signals. The 66 index SNPs were enriched for cis-regulatory elements, particularly in vascular endothelial cells, consistent with a primary role in blood pressure control through modulation of vascular tone across multiple tissues. The 66 index SNPs combined in a risk score showed comparable effects in 64,421 individuals of non-European descent. The 66-SNP blood pressure risk score was significantly associated with target organ damage in multiple tissues but with minor effects in the kidney. Our findings expand current knowledge of blood pressure-related pathways and highlight tissues beyond the classical renal system in blood pressure regulation