microbes and infection corrected proof

Original article

The envelope glycoprotein domain III of dengue virus serotypes 1 and 2 inhibit virus entry

J.F.L. Chin^a, J.J.H. Chu^a and M.L. Ng<sup>, a,

a</sup>Flavivirology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, 5 Science Drive 2, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore

Received 28 July 2006; accepted 30 September 2006. Available online 6 December 2006.

Abstract

Dengue virus (DV) is a flavivirus and its urban transmission is maintained largely by its mosquito vectors and vertebrate host, often human. In this study, investigation was carried out on the involvement of domain III of the envelope (E) glycosylated protein of dengue virus serotypes 1 and 2 (DV-1 and DV-2 DIII) in binding to host cell surfaces, thus mediating virus entry. Domain III protein of flavivirus can also serve as an attractive target in inhibiting virus entry. The respective DV DIII proteins were expressed as soluble recombinant fusion proteins before purification through enzymatic cleavage and affinity purification. The purified recombinant DV-1 and DV-2 DIII proteins both demonstrated the ability to inhibit the entry of DV-1 and DV-2 into HepG2 cells and C6/36 mosquito cells. As such, the DV DIII protein is indeed important for the interaction with cellular receptors in both human and mosquito cells. In addition, this protein induced antibodies that completely neutralized homologous dengue serotypes although not with the same efficiency among the heterologous serotypes. This observation may be of importance when formulating a generic vaccine that is effective against all dengue virus serotypes.

Keywords: Flavivirus; Virus entry; Vaccine; Neutralizing antibodies

Thai junk food

Ed's 'friend' went to Thailand and got back this for the lab. The banana chips still my fav.

indian junk food

Bhu came back this week and brought back junk food for us all!

nepal II

Some other interesting pictures on the trail. Here's a woman processing millet.


One of the teahouses we stopped for lunch.


After lunch they just lie around enjoying the sun


The hills and mountains are all terraced up and grown with all kinds of stuff, veggies, wheat, barley, millet, mustard, etc.


Chicken wiht this weird tuft under its eyes.


kerosene heater under the table for nights when it gets really cold.


All the different agents that patronise theis outlet


Chainis?


Another kind of heater. made of mud, you burn wood in it and the heat is felt in the whole room.


Drying millet


Cleaning a chicken for dinner.


All the teahouses have similar looking menus with exactly similar things inside. Only diff is the price. It goes up as you gain altitude.


Whats in the menu you ask?


drying corn for flour in winter and seed in spring.



Buying oranges. Earlier on it was 2 rupees for one orange, then it became 5 rupees for 2 oranges. In Kathmandu, it was 10 rupees for one orange. Businessmen...

Nepal food

Lets start on the Nepal leg of my trip, and there's no better way than to start with FOOD, the 4 letter F word! Food on the trail was pretty decent, especially after you see what the kitchen looks like. They can make speghetti and pizza on a firewood stove.


Tibeten bread and omelette


'Momo' aka dumplings. This one is veg. Didnt taste taht good. Yup candle light dinner. No electricity at that place.


That puff thingy is called a spring roll to my surprise. Next to it is very starchy veg soup. Most of the meals on the trip was vegetarian. Meat is scarce on the not so tourist-y route. At the main tourist circle, you can find chicken meat.


So little filling in the spring roll!


Lousy mushroom soup and fried noodles.


Good veg soup and fried chicken. Pretty tough meat. I guess they slaughtered the oldest one around.


What I half heartedly ate at 4130m above sea level. A bowl of veg soup and some potato thingy they call 'rossi'. Its fried mashed potato mixed with some vegetables.


Macaroni with cheese that got too cold and tomato soup. Didnt enjoy this one.


Mushroom soup with wild mushrooms! and good noodles. This one was lovely. Good food and warm sun.


What the locals always eat. They call it Dal Baht, i.e. rice with a type of bean called dal made into a soup. Normally the colour of the dal soup is green but some have the yellow version. They have lots of rice and some sour weirdish tasting radish pickles. There will be one or two side dishes. The one above shows some mix veg dish and at the background is fried dried buffalo meat.


Another dal baht version. They have fried veggies with potato and curry buffalo.


Chicken soup and speghetti. So-so tasting.


Blackout when it was dinner time hence the candles. Veg soup, dal baht with western salad, dal soup, fried veg, and curry chicken that was full of tomato and not a hint of chilli.



Dal Baht with curry chicken, veg and potato, and of course the dal soup with a papad.

End of Year Parties

The Japanese tradition of the End of Year Party (忘年会) is held throughout December. My lab's one was a couple of days ago, and I forgot to bring my camera - so just a couple of not-very-good shots from my phone camera.

Some old student or something, he was more than a little drunk, and was playing a recorder. I dont know why he had one.

LOTS of food. :D :D :D

interesting india pics 2

Indians, kings of overloading.


Highly INflamable?


Shoes anyone?


Trinklets anyone?


Authentic Rajahstani food


Breakfast of this flour dough coated in syrup. Super addictive.


Move overloading.


Camels walking on the 'highway'


At the Taj again


at some fort, intricately carved stone from sandstone.

India 1

Shan't bore you all with the conference details...hehe... go stright to the sightseeing!
The pictures are in no order. Dont know how this server upload them so messy. After the conference was over, I went to all these places with a few friends from KL who were at the same conference. Hired a van to bring us to the different places.


Agra fort


Hawa Mahal "Wind Palace". For 'atas' women to look down at the bazaar below.


Fatehpuri Sikri in Agra. There is a mosque inside, a palace for the queen and some meeting halls. Oh, also got a tomb but I dont remember who.


Red Fort New Delhi. Administrative center of the Mughals.


Some tomb at the Lodi Gardens.


Taj Mahal in Agra. Tomb of Shah Jahan's wife. He's the 5th ruler.


Srikanda in Agra, also a tomb; of Akbar the 3rd Mughal ruler. Built by his son the 4th ruler.


Delhi Gate. To remember those who died for India's independence