Gun-Hee Lee

African swine fever virus (ASFV) research commonly relies on primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs), whose limited availability and variability hinder standardized virus isolation and propagation. This study aimed to establish a continuous cell line highly susceptible to genotype II ASFV and characterize phenotypic and genomic changes during serial passage. Thirty COS-1-derived clones were screened after infection with Korea/Pig/PAJU1/2019 using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence, and hemadsorption assays. Selected clones underwent serial passage, and viruses from passages 5 and 10 in the most susceptible clone were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing. K-C4 supported stable ASFV replication, with a mean viral genome level of 8.80 ± 0.55 log₁₀ copies/mL, compared with 7.38 ± 0.90 log₁₀ copies/mL in PAMs. Productive infection was confirmed by p72-specific immunofluorescence. The parental and passage 1 viruses retained hemadsorption, whereas the passage 5 virus lacked detectable hemadsorption despite continued replication, and hemadsorption reappeared by passage 10. Whole-genome analysis identified passage-associated deletions of differing extent within EP402R, encoding the hemadsorption-associated CD2-like viral protein (CD2v), which corresponded with the hemadsorption phenotype at each passage. These findings establish K-C4 as a highly permissive platform for genotype II ASFV propagation and characterization while emphasizing the need to monitor phenotypic and genomic stability during serial passage.

Background and Objectives: Persistent exposure to airborne fine dust (FD) particles contributing to air pollution has been linked to various human health issues, including respiratory inflammation, allergies, and skin diseases. We aimed to identify potential seaweed anti-inflammatory bioactive reagents and determine their effects on systemic inflammatory responses induced by FD particles. Materials and Methods: While exploring anti-inflammatory bioactive reagents, we purified compounds with potential anti-inflammatory effects from the seaweed extracts of Ecklonia cava, Ecklonia stolonifera, and Codium fragile. Structural analyses of the purified compounds siphonaxanthin (Sx), fucoxanthin (Fx), dieckol (Dk), and phlorofucofuroeckol-A (PFF-A) were performed using NMR and LC-MS/MS. Results: Notably, these compounds, especially PFF-A, showed significant protective effects against FD-induced inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 cells without cytotoxicity. Further investigation of inflammatory-associated signaling demonstrated that PFF-A inhibited IL-1β expression by modulating the NF-κB/MAPK signal pathway in FD-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, gene profiling revealed the early activation of various signature genes involved in the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines using gene profiling. Treatment with PFF-A markedly reduced the expression levels of pro-inflammatory and apoptosis-related genes and even elevated the Bmp gene families. Conclusions: These results suggested that PFF-A is a potential natural therapeutic candidate for managing FD-induced inflammatory response.

African swine fever (ASF) is a disease characterized by high mortality and severe hemorrhagic damage in swine breeds, leading to significant economic losses for domestic pig farm operations. Although the introduction route of ASF in South Korea remains unclear, the primary transmission is believed to be through contamination of environmental fomites by migrating ASF‐positive wild boar. Therefore, understanding the persistence of African swine fever virus (ASFV) under various environmental conditions in South Korea is crucial. In this study, we assessed the stability and infectivity of the ASFV/Yeoncheon/2019 isolate under different experimental conditions, including variations in temperature and environmental matrices. Our results indicate that most infectious samples, except for excretions, maintained ASFV infectivity for 36–48 weeks, particularly at low temperatures. In contrast, excretion samples, such as feces and urine rapidly inactivate ASFV infectivity within 15 days, even when stored at low temperatures. Environmental matrices spiked with infectious blood samples showed rapid decrease in hemadsorption (HAD) titers within 9–15 days. However, the ASFV infectivity remained in most samples, which were previously deemed HAD negative. These findings suggest the need for caution when assessing virus inactivation and provide insight into the environmental persistence of ASFV in various matrices.

This retrospective study reports the isolation and characterization of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from a household cat in South Korea. The cat, which was presented with respiratory symptoms, was identified during a retrospective analysis of samples collected between April 2021 and March 2022. Genomic sequencing revealed that the isolated virus belonged to the Omicron variant (BA.1), coinciding with its global emergence in early 2022. This case study provides evidence for the potential of direct human-to-cat transmission of the Omicron variant in South Korea during its period of widespread circulation. Our findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in both human and animal populations to track viral evolution and potential spillover events.

A highly contagious virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, caused the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants have been reported to circulate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 symptoms include respiratory symptoms, fever, muscle pain, and breathing difficulty. In addition, up to 30% of COVID-19 patients experience neurological complications such as headaches, nausea, stroke, and anosmia. However, the neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains largely unknown. This study investigated the neurotropic patterns between the B1.617.2 (Delta) and Hu-1 variants (Wuhan, early strain) in K18-hACE2 mice. Despite both the variants inducing similar pathogenic patterns in various organs, B1.617.2-infected K18-hACE2 mice demonstrated a higher range of disease phenotypes such as weight loss, lethality, and conjunctivitis when compared to those in Hu-1-infected mice. In addition, histopathological analysis revealed that B1.617.2 infects the brain of K18-hACE2 mice more rapidly and effectively than Hu-1. Finally, we discovered that, in B1.617.2-infected mice, the early activation of various signature genes involved innate cytokines and that the necrosis-related response was most pronounced than that in Hu-1-infected mice. The present findings indicate the neuroinvasive properties of SARS-CoV-2 variants in K18-hACE2 mice and link them to fatal neuro-dissemination during the disease onset.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a highly contagious virus, emerged and quickly spread globally, resulting in the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. Genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been reported to circulate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The major symptoms of COVID-19 are respiratory symptoms, fever, muscle pain, and breathing difficulty. In addition, up to 30% of patients with COVID-19 complain of neurological complications such as headache, nausea, stroke, and anosmia. However, the neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains largely unknown. This study investigated neurotropic patterns between the B1.617.2 (Delta) and Hu-1 variants (Wuhan, early strain) in K18-hACE2 mice. B1.617.2-infected K18-hACE2 mice displayed massive weight loss, greater lethality, and severe conjunctivitis compared to the findings Hu-1–infected mice despite their similar pathogenic patterns in various organs. Additionally, we demonstrated through histopathological analysis that B1.617.2 more readily infects the brain than the lungs and infects the brain earlier after inoculation. Finally, we found that the upregulation of various signature genes involved in type I interferon- and cytokine-mediated signaling was most pronounced after B1.617.2 infection, and a small population of cells exhibited necrosis-related responses. This study has provided helpful information for potential treatment strategies.

Crude polysaccharides, extracted from two seaweed species (Hizikia fusiforme and Sargassum horneri) and Haliotis discus hannai (abalone) viscera, were evaluated for their inhibitory effect against SARS-CoV-2 propagation. Plaque titration revealed that these crude polysaccharides efficiently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 propagation with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.35 to 4.37 μg/mL. The crude polysaccharide of H. fusiforme showed the strongest antiviral effect, with IC₅₀ of 0.35 μg/mL, followed by S. horneri and abalone viscera with IC₅₀ of 0.56 and 4.37 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, immunofluorescence assay, western blot, and quantitative RT-PCR analysis verified that these polysaccharides could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication. In Vero E6 cells, treatment with these crude polysaccharides before or after viral infection strongly inhibited the expression level of SARS-CoV-2 spikes, nucleocapsid proteins, and RNA copies of RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase and nucleocapsid. These results show that these crude marine polysaccharides effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 propagation by interference with viral entry.

Yun-Sook Lim, Lap P. Nguyen, Gun-Hee Lee, Sung-Geun Lee, Kwang-Soo Lyoo, Bumseok Kim, and Soon B. Hwang. Mol. Cells 2021;44:688-95. https://doi.org/10.14348/molcells.2021.0076

Yun-Sook Lim, Lap P. Nguyen, Gun-Hee Lee, Sung-Geun Lee, Kwang-Soo Lyoo, Bumseok Kim, and Soon B. Hwang. Mol. Cells -0001;0:. https://doi.org/10.14348/molcells.2021.076