Contributi scientifici in memoria di Antonio Fusco.

Come si leggerà nell'Introduzione della sezione propriamente scientifica del Volume, il presente testo nasce dalla volontà e, soprattutto, dall'esigenza culturale di omaggiare il fu Prof. Antonio Fusco. Un debito scientifico ed umano che trova il suo locus naturale in questa prima parte del testo stesso, cui farà poi seguito la parte propriamente scientifica. In siffatta parentesi dovuta per le ragioni appena menzionate, il lettore, l'amico o l'allievo dell'opera del Prof. Fusco potranno trovare un suo sintetico Curriculum Vitae, correlato da una specifica ed accurata prosa, svolta dal già Magnifico Rettore Carlo Cipolli; il quale, oltre che evidenziare, ricordando, i meriti del collega oramai scomparso, aggiunge alsuo scritto un elemento che sarebbe imprescindibile a non trasformare lo stesso in una mera sequenza di parole: l'amicizia e l'affetto per un amico che, oramai, non c'è più. A fine lettura, evidente risuonerà il fatto che la vita di ognuno, se mossa dalla passione per ciò per cui si è predisposti cognitivamente e psicologicamente, può essere ricca di riconoscimenti, riconoscenze e soddisfazioni che, lungi dal divenire un cuscino di allori su cui adagiarsi, per una mente creativa come quella del Prof. Fusco hanno funto solo da motivazioni ad agire instancabilmente guardando sempre al futuro. Il lavoro di una vita che, materialmente, è sancito da un supporto poco più di cm 25x15: una targa. Una materialità evidente che, con grande commozione e riconoscenza, è stata affissa il 25 ottobre 2019 sull'aula fronte l'Aula Magna del Campus "La Folcara", a testimonianza che quello spirito creativo in continua evoluzione non si ferma; non si arresta neppure con la fine biologica di chi lo ha "posseduto". Rimangono le opere ed il pensiero del Prof. Fusco e restano gli affetti. A tal proposito, il lettore troverà una breve e sentita sezione su Testimonianze; coloro i quali hanno avuto modo, nell'arco della vita accademica ed umana, personale, di Fusco di conoscerlo. Ecco, allora, che i ricordi saranno i veri protagonisti di questa parentesi. Dopo di ciò, prima dei contributi prettamente scientifici dei lavori, tenutisi in occasione del Convegno Internazionale Psicologia, Arte, Letteratura. Antiche e Nuove Tendenze, seguiranno i saluti delle autorità che in quei due giorni si sono succedute a rappresentare non solo l'istituzione affiliata, ma anche la relazione di stima e di affetto che le legava al compianto Professore. Si passerà, infine, al volume tradizionalmente inteso.

[Human bocavirus].

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly identified parvovirus associated with acute respiratory infections in young children in different parts of the world. It is not inconceivable that this virus is also capable of causing acute gastroenteritis and asymptomatically persisting in infected children. HBoV is the third widespread human respiratory virus after respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus. Polymerase chain reaction remains the most reliable of HBoV detection in clinical samples. Phylogenetic analysis shows the presence of at least 2 circulating variants (genotypes) of HBoV.

[Human metapneumovirus as a common cause of respiratory tract disease].

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), the newly identified paramyxovirus, causes respiratory infections in children, immunosuppressed patients, and the elderly in different countries of the world. The epidemiology and clinical manifestations of HMPV infection are similar to those in human respiratory syncytial virus infection. The diagnosis of HMPV infection is based on the polymerase chain reaction detection of viral RNA or the recording of rising serum antibody titers. There are at least two genotypes and several subtypes of HMPV in the human population. The use of cell cultures and laboratory animals have provided new evidence for the pathogenesis of HMPV infection, the specific features of antiviral immunity and enabled recombinant HMPV vaccine candidates to be designed.

[Genotype of hepatitis C virus in hemophiliacs]. / Genotipy virusa gepatita C u bol'nykh gemofiliei.

Testing of blood sera of 63 hemophiliacs revealed markers of hepatitides B and C in 97 and 98% cases, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in 31 (94%) out of 33 sera tested which contained antibodies to HCV. Gene typing of the isolated strains revealed the presence of three types of HCV: 1b (94%), 2a (3%), and 3a (3%). Similar distribution of HCV genotypes was revealed in the blood sera of 39 patients with chronic hepatitis C.

A model for the study of the mechanism of a low pH-induced interaction of the virus fusion proteins and cell membranes.

A model is proposed for the study of molecular mechanisms of a low pH-induced interaction of fusion proteins of enveloped viruses and cell membranes. The model consists of large monolamellar liposomes containing ionophore nigericin in their membranes and ectodomains of fusion protein in their inner space. The process of interaction of the protein with the lipid bilayer is triggered by acidification of the liposomal constituents to the pH of fusion with the help of nigericin by adding citric acid to the outer medium. To visualize the protein structural reorganization, the tritium planigraphy was used. Comparison of the values of specific labelling of the proteins and distribution of radioactivity in individual amino acids in control (at neutral pH) and experimental liposome samples (at the pH of fusion) permits to realise the character of protein-membrane interaction. We have obtained the first results in the study of interaction of the bromelain-released soluble ectodomain of the HAXX molecule (BHA)--with the lipid membrane. The observed increase in the protein specific activity and selective increase in the specific activity of hydrophobic amino acids Ile, Phe and Tyr in experimental liposome samples as compared with the controls did not contradict to the conventional concept, that a hydrophobic N-terminus of HA2 subunit of hemagglutinin is responsible for its interaction with lipid membranes.

[The immunomodulating action of the surface antigens of the influenza A virus in experimental staphylococcal infection]. / Immunomoduliruiushchee deistvie poverkhnostnykh antigenov virusa grippa A pri éksperimental'noi stafilokokkovoi infektsii.

The results of the study of influenza A virus surface antigens, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, in the induction of nonspecific immunomodulation and protection from acute pulmonary staphylococcal infection have been studied. Protective effect, the cell composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid depend on the serological subtypes of surface antigens used for intranasal immunization and the infective dose of staphylococci.

[Immunosuppression induced by respiratory viruses (influenza virus, adenovirus) in mice]. / Ugnetenie respiratornymi virusami (gripp, adenovirus) immunogo otveta u myshei.

The influence of respiratory viruses (adenovirus, influenza virus) on humoral immune response to heterologous T-dependent and T-independent antigens was studied. It was shown that inoculation of mice by the influenza virus (A/PR8/34-A/PR/8) 3 days before sheep red blood cells administration led to the inhibition of antibody forming cell (AFC) and immunoglobulin, forming cell (IFC) increase on 69% and 59% respectively. Adenovirus type 6 induced the similar suppression of AFC and IFC formation. Thus, viruses induced immuno-suppression, which was polyclonal. It was also shown that virus of one strain (type) could inhibit immune response to another strain (type) of virus. The immune response to T-independent antigen was not suppressed. The virus-induced immunosuppression was dependent on: 1) the infectivity of respiratory viruses, 2) the route of virus and heterologous antigen injection, and 3) the interval between the viruses and antigen inoculation.

[Use of the zwitterion detergent Sulfobetain-12 for preparation of virosomes and investigation of their immunogenic and protective properties]. / Ispol'zovanie tsvitterionnogo detergenta sul'fobetaina-12 dlia polucheniia virosom i izuchenie ikh immunogennykh i protektivnykh svoistv.

Virosomes were prepared by using the zwitterion detergent sulfobetaine-12. The virosomes included the surface antigens and virus-specific lipids of influenza virus, strain A/PR/8/34. Immunogenic and protective properties of the surface antigens in the micellar form and as a complex with the virosomes were studied. The surface antigens of this complex, like the intact virus, were found to possess the high immunogenic and protective activity in relation to the following infection with the homologous pathogenic virus.

[Protective action of liposome-incorporated surface antigens of the influenza virus by different methods of immunization]. / Protektivnoe deistvie vkliuchennykh v liposomy poverkhnostnykh antigenov virusa grippa pri razlichnykh sposobakh immunizatsii.

The influence of different routes of immunization on the protective effect of liposome-incorporated influenza A/PR/8/34 virus surface antigens was studied. Influenza virus surface antigens, neuraminidase and hemagglutinin, incorporated into liposomes, were shown to have a significant protective effect upon intraperitoneal and intranasal administration against a lethal dose of influenza virus as compared with immunization using a free antigen solution against the same infection. The protective effect is poor in intravenous immunization with influenza virus antigen-containing liposomes. It is concluded that combining of influenza virus antigens with liposomes may be used for preparation of new influenza vaccines.

[Comparative study of the biological properties of influenza virus preparations purified by centrifugation and chromatography]. / Sravnitel'noe izuchenie biologicheskikh svoistv preparatov virusa grippa, ochishchennykh metodami tsentrifugirovaniia i khromatografii.

A comparative study of chromatography and centrifugation as applied to purification of 2 influenza virus strains with different antigenic structure (H0N1 and H2N2) and of some biological properties of the resulting preparations was carried out. Certain strain-specific differences manifested in their chromatographic behaviour and in the degree of purification of virions from the allantoic fluid proteins were found. Some quantitative differences observed in the capacity of the resulting virus preparations to infect chick embryos and primary and continuous cells are insignificant and cannot be used for judgement of advantages of one or the other of the methods used for influenza virus purification.

[Enzyme activity of the neuraminidase from various strains of the influenza A virus]. / Izuchenie fermentativnoi aktivnosti neiraminidazy razlichnykh shtammov virusa grippa A.

Some chemical properties of neuraminidase of the mouse-pathogenic strain A/PR/8/34 (H0N1) and the mouse-apathogenic strain A/Krasnodar/101/59 (H2N2) were studied. Neuraminidase of the pathogenic strain was shown to have a lower specific activity, lower resistance and lower sensitivity to the inhibiting effect of CI ions than neuraminidase of the nonpathogenic strain.

[Formaldehyde-induced tight binding of protein to RNA in particles of rod-like virus]. / Prochnoe sviazyvanie RNK s belkom v chastitsakh palochkovidnogo virusa pod deistviem formal'degida.

The formaldehyde-induced formation of tightly bound RNA-protein complexes of rod-like plant viruses was studied. The preparations of tobacco mosaic virus and closely related cucumber virus 4 were incubated with 1.5% formaldehyde for 20-50 hrs at 50 degrees C. Then the viral particles were disrupted, free protein was removed and viral RNA was centrifuged in the linear gradient of Cs2SO4. The RNAs from the formaldehyde-untreated viruses and RNA from the formaldehyde-treated tobacco masaic virus had the density of 1.65-1.66 g/cm3, while RNA from the formaldehyde-treated cucumber virus had the density of 1.57-1.42 g/cm3, depending on the incubation time. This is indicative of the protein binding to RNA. Treatment of the cucumber virus complex with pronase resulted in a liberation of free RNA with the density of 1.66 g/cm3; incubation for 2 min at 100 degrees C in a dissociating mixture (2% sodium dodecyl sulfate + 0.2% mercaptoethanol) did not cause the dissociation of the complex. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the most part of the protein molecules are bound within the complex not by covalent protein-protein cross-links.