[Circulation of bovine herpesvirus (Herpesviridae: Varicellovirus) and bovine viral diarrhea virus (Flaviviridae: Pestivirus) among wild artiodactyls of the Moscow region].

INTRODUCTION: Pestiviruses and viruses of the Herpesviridae family are widely distributed among different species of ungulates, but the main information about these pathogens is related to their effect on farm animals. Data on detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and bovine herpes virus (BoHV) in wild ungulates reported from different countries in recent years raises the question of the role of wild animals in the epidemiology of cattle diseases. AIM OF WORK: To study the prevalence of herpesviruses and pestiviruses in the population of wild artiodactyls of the Moscow region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples of parenchymal organs and mucosal swabs from 124 wild deer (moose and roe deer) shot during hunting seasons 20192022 in Moscow Region were examined by PCR, virological and serological methods for the presence of genetic material and antibodies to bovine infectious rhinotracheitis and viral diarrhea. RESULTS: BVDV RNA was found in a sample from one moose, BoHV DNA was detected in samples from three roe deer and two moose shot in the Moscow region. Seropositive animals were of different sex and age, the total BoHVs and BVDV seroprevalence rates in wild artiodactyls were 46 and 29%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Wild ruminant artiodactyls of the Moscow Region can be a natural reservoir of BoHV-1, and this must be taken into account when planning and organizing measures to control the infectious bovine rhinotracheitis. Cases of BVDV infection in wild artiodactyls are less common, so more research is needed to definitively establish their role in the epidemiology of this disease in cattle.

The Effect of Disinfectants on the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detection in Swabs from Various Surfaces.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly around the world; some countries have introduced controls on imported products, including testing for viral nucleic acids. In this work, the influence of disinfectants for treating various SARS-CoV-2-contaminated surfaces on the detection of viral RNA fragments in swabs from these surfaces was analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR. Quaternary ammonium salt, hydrogen peroxide, 1-propanol, and sodium salt of dichloroisocyanuric acid, as well as ultraviolet irradiation, were tested as such disinfecting agents. Our results show that without exposure to disinfectants, viral RNA can be detected on the surface of all examined materials for at least 3 days. UV irradiation or irrigation with a disinfectant containing 0.2% active chlorine had the greatest effect on the decontamination of nonporous surfaces as measured by RT-PCR of swabs from these surfaces. Irrigation with disinfectants of porous surfaces (cardboard) had practically no effect on the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR.

TAS3 Genes for small ta-siARF RNAs in plants belonging to subtribe Senecioninae: occurrence of prematurely terminated RNA precursors.

The various classes of plant 21 - to 24-nt siRNAs derive from long dsRNA precursors that are processed by the ribonuclease Dicer-like (DCL). The species of ta-siRNA were originally discovered in Arabidopsis thaliana. Four gene families have been identified in Arabidopsis that each produces a number of ta-siRNAs: TAS1, TAS2, TAS3 and TAS4. The TAS3 genes encode tasiR-ARF species which target the mRNA of three Auxin Response Factor (ARF) genes (ARF2, ARF3/ETT and ARF4) for subsequent degradation. The function of TAS3 precursor RNA is controlled by two miR390 target sites flanking tandem of ta-siARF sequences. In this paper, we have studied the presence ofta-siARF RNA genes in the representatives of subtribe Senecioninae. Senecioneae is the largest tribe of Asteraceae, comprised of ca. 150 genera and 3,000 species which include many common succulents of greenhouses. Approximately one-third of species are placed in genus Senecio, making it one of the largest genera of flowering plants. However, there was no information on the structure of TAS genes in these plants. We revealed that the TAS3 species (TAS3-Sen1) in Senecio representatives was actively transcribed, and its homologues are distributed among many Asteracea plants and found to be similar to Arabidopsis AtTAS3a gene. We revealed several prematurely terminated transcripts of TAS3-Sen1. Finding the alternative shortened transcripts of TAS3-Sen1 lacking the 3'-terminal site cleaved by miR390 and retaining the 5'-terminal miR390 non-cleaved site suggested their using as decoys for the modulation of miR390 activity to regulate synthesis of ta-siARF RNAs in different Senecioninae species.

Novel miR390-dependent transacting siRNA precursors in plants revealed by a PCR-based experimental approach and database analysis.

TAS loci in plant genomes encode transacting small interfering RNAs (ta-siRNAs) that regulate expression of a number of genes. The function of TAS3 precursor in Arabidopsis thaliana is controlled by two miR390 target sites flanking two ta-siARF sequences targeting mRNAs of ARF transcription factors. Cleavage of the 3'-miR390-site initiates ta-siRNAs biogenesis. Here we describe the new method for identification of plant ta-siRNA precursors based on PCR with oligodeoxyribonucleotide primers mimicking miR390. The method was found to be efficient for dicotiledonous plants, cycads, and mosses. Based on sequences of amplified loci and a database analysis, a novel type of miR390-dependent TAS sequences was identified in dicots. These TAS loci are characterized by a smaller distance between miR390 sites compared to TAS3, a single copy of ta-siARF, and a sequence conservation pattern pointing to the possibility that processing of novel TAS-like locus is initiated by cleavage of the 5'-terminal miR390 target site.