gulati Coronavirus - questions and answers about contracts and regulation By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-05-05 In connection with the spread of Covid-19, extensive crisis measures have been announced in the Czech Republic with a major impact on all business activities nationwide. Below we provide answers to frequently asked questions, especially in the area ... Full Article
gulati Coronavirus - Alert level 4 lockdown regulations South Africa By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-04-30 Under Gazette number 43258 of 29 April 2020, the Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has issued regulations (“Regulations”) that repeal Government Notice No. 318 of 18 March 2020, as amended by Government Notice... Full Article
gulati Coronavirus Changes in the customs regulation and the EAEU Russia By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-05-01 Due to COVID-19 pandemic, Russia and the EAEU1 have adopted a number of customs regulation measures aimed at stimulating the importation of necessary goods to Russia and the EAEU, mainly through tariff regulation measures as well as restricting the ... Full Article
gulati HR briefing 450 - new blacklisting regulations now in force By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2010-03-02 The Government has today implemented new regulations (The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010) to outlaw the compiling and use of trade union blacklists. The regulations also aim to stop trade union... Full Article
gulati SAHRC calls for release of petty Covid-19 regulations offenders By Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 08:26:00 GMT The SAHRC has urged government to ensure that all people who have been arrested for petty offences under the Covid-19 lockdown regulations be released and warned to appear in court on a future date. Full Article
gulati Conclusions on Joint Consultation on Listing Regulation By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2017-10-24 The Securities and Futures Commission (the “SFC”) and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Stock Exchange”) issued a joint consultation paper on proposed enhancements to the Stock Exchange’s decision-making and... Full Article
gulati Update on the New Prospectus Regulation By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2018-09-04 Background The new Prospectus Regulation came into force on 20 July 2017 and is similar to the current Prospectus Directive (2003/71/EC) but there are some relaxations to the regime which will be helpful to traded companies and whilst the majority o... Full Article
gulati HR e-briefing 446 - Agency Worker Regulations finalised By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2010-01-22 After what has already proved a busy week for employment law news, the Government has published its consultation response to the second round of consultation on Agency Worker Regulations, which closed in December last year. The... Full Article
gulati Amendments to food labelling regulations: More information requirements for labels and new methods of presentation By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2014-12-02 Starting 13 December 2014, businesses will be required to comply with the great majority of the rules set forth in the EU’s Food Information Regulation (1169/2011). The Regulation went into force on 12 December 2011 but provided for a long, 3-... Full Article
gulati Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Committee report Regulation of the water industry By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2018-10-10 The EFRA Select Committee’s report into regulation of the water sector was published on 9 October 2018. Its key conclusions & recommendations are outlined below. Water transfers Water transfers should play an important role in increasing s... Full Article
gulati Community Infrastructure Levy: Removal of Regulation 123 By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2019-08-28 The Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 are due to come into force on 1 September 2019. The 2019 Regulations were introduced by the Government earlier this year, alongside their response to the technical cons... Full Article
gulati Changes on the horizon in 2020: China and Hong Kongs proposed reforms to data protection, cyber security and Internet content regulation By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-01-24 2020 looks set to be a significant year for privacy, cyber security and Internet content reforms in China and Hong Kong. On 20 December 2019, the Cyberspace Administration of China released the “Regulation on Governance of Internet Information... Full Article
gulati Local Government Briefing Note 3 of 2013 - State Aid: Proposed Reform of the Enabling Regulation By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2013-01-15 The European Commission has announced proposals to amend the Enabling Regulation adopted in 1998. This forms part of the EC’s State Aid Modernisation Initiative. It will allow the EC to focus on larger more... Full Article
gulati Local Government Briefing Note 6 of 2013 - State Aid Modernisation: proposed amendments to the Enabling and the Procedural Regulations By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2013-01-23 The European Commission (the "EC") presented two proposals on 5 December 2012, as part of its State Aid Modernisation initiative. The proposals will include amendments to two key State aid instruments, the Enabling Regulation and... Full Article
gulati UK Public Sector Pensions Speedbrief: All a-Board! Final LGPS governance regulations issued By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2015-02-02 The Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment)(Governance) Regulations 2015 were laid before Parliament on 28 January 2015. Issued under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013, these... Full Article
gulati Timber Regulation: Recent updates and developments By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2017-02-14 Background Since coming into force in 2013, the EU Timber Regulation 995/2010 (“Timber Regulation”) has placed a due diligence obligation on businesses, requiring systems to be put in place to minimise the possibility that illegally harv... Full Article
gulati The Treasury report on crypto-assets: the first step towards crypto regulation? By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2018-09-19 The UK's Treasury Select Committee released a report into crypto-assets on 19 September. The Committee’s key conclusion is that regulation of crypto-assets is necessary. Striking a negative tone, it identifies the problems of volatile pr... Full Article
gulati Rail regulation: ORR concludes its initial consultation on the 2018 Periodic Review of Network Rail By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2016-12-01 Background - The 2018 Periodic Review The Office of Rail and Road (“ORR”) has recently published its conclusions (the “Conclusions”) following its initial consultation in relation to the creation of the 2018 Periodic Review ... Full Article
gulati UK: Regulation of Network Rail: An update on ORRs PR18 framework consultation, Overall framework for regulating Network Rail: A PR18 Consultation July 2017 By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2017-08-10 What is the purpose of the Consultation? The Office of Rail and Road (the “ORR”) is engaged in the 2018 regulatory review of Network Rail, known as the 2018 Periodic Review or “PR18”. PR18 will determine what Network Rail mus... Full Article
gulati Update: Draft EU Implementing Regulation on access to service facilities and use of rail-related services By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2017-11-28 Executive Summary The European Commission has consulted on an implementing regulation which will provide additional detail for procedures and criteria to be followed by service facility operators in order to satisfy their obligations under Directive... Full Article
gulati Regulation of Network Rail - ORR publishes its final determination for CP6 By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2018-11-14 Background The Office of Rail and Road (the “ORR”) has issued its final determination (“Final Determination”) on the regulatory review of Network Rail (“NR”), known as the 2018 Periodic Review (“PR18”)... Full Article
gulati Progress towards recast Regulations to strengthen rail passengers' rights By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-01-22 On 2 December 2019, the European Council agreed to update Regulation 1371/2007 (the “Regulation”) on rail passengers’ rights and obligations. The proposed amendments to the Regulation aim to strengthen the rights of passengers wher... Full Article
gulati Coronavirus Department of Transport Regulations South Africa By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-04-01 A notice was published in the government gazette on 30 March 2020, in terms of which the minister of transport (the “Minister”) has, in terms of section 18(7) of the National Road Traffic Act (No. 93 of 1996), extended the licensing and ... Full Article
gulati New regulations permit the Central Bank of Ireland to limit the rights of data subjects under the GDPR By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-01-15 Precis: In this briefing, we look at the new regulations permitting the Central Bank of Ireland to limit the rights of individuals under the GDPR. On 30 October 2019 the Data Protection Act 2018 (section 60(6)) (Central Bank of Ireland) Regulations ... Full Article
gulati EU Blocking Regulation where are we now? By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2019-10-08 One of the most pondered questions following the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”) has been - how will the EU Blocking Regulation fair in protecting the interests of EU businesses trading with ... Full Article
gulati The European Commissions public consultation on the reform of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Regulation By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-03-17 On 11 March 2020 the European Commission (Commission) launched a public consultation on possible reforms to the Generalised Scheme of Preference (GSP) Regulation (EU Regulation No. 978/2012 of 25 October 2012) (GSP Regulation). As the GSP Regu... Full Article
gulati Regulating firms culture - The increasing focus by financial regulators internationally on supervising firms culture By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2017-05-18 Introduction Financial services firms’ corporate governance and risk cultures is a ‘hot’ topic with financial regulators globally. Regulators have noted that serious corporate governance and conduct failings of financial services f... Full Article
gulati EU Securitisation Regulation Considerations for AIFMs, UCITS managers and institutional investors By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2018-09-25 Overview The Securitisation Regulation (Regulation) comes into force on 1 January 2019, establishes a general framework for securitisation and creates a specific framework for simple, transparent and standardised securitisation. The Regulation is a ... Full Article
gulati Tunisia amends the 2016 auto-consumption regime in a step towards market deregulation By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-03-03 The Tunisian Government makes a huge step towards the deregulation of the renewable power market by amending the 2016 auto-consumption regime. The Decree 2020-105 has amended the 2016 auto-consumption regime legal framework. The 2016 regulation requ... Full Article
gulati Considering the impact of the proposed Brexit deal on Chemicals Regulation at the House of Commons By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2018-12-12 On 4 December 2018, Eversheds Sutherland’s Elizabeth Shepherd was on a panel providing oral evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee at a one-off session to consider the impact of the proposed Brexit deal on Chemicals Reg... Full Article
gulati Chemical Regulation the Outlook for 2020 By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-01-21 The below summarises some of the key chemical’s regulation related changes expected in 2020 or which industry should be preparing for during 2020. SCIP Database ECHA is expected to launch a prototype version of the Substances of Concern In art... Full Article
gulati Coronavirus - New regulations on the use of unmanned aircrafts introduced by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority Italy By www.eversheds.com Published On :: 2020-04-17 Introduction In this briefing we look at the regulatory framework applicable to remotely piloted aircrafts in Italy, as recently updated by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority. In particular, this Authority, in line with the Government’s deci... Full Article
gulati Regulating Special Revelation By feeds.gty.org Published On :: Fri, 30 Aug 2019 00:00:00 PST In the lead-up to the Truth Matters conference in October, we will be focusing our attention on the sufficiency, authority, and clarity of Scripture. One of our previous blog series, Looking for Truth in All the Wrong Places, strongly emphasizes those doctrines. The following entry from that series originally appeared on June 21, 2017. -ed. If God is still speaking to His people today—particularly through mental impressions and premonitions—how can believers exercise discernment when it comes to interpreting and applying these divine messages? Put simply, how is following the private, subjective “leading” of the Lord any more reliable than gazing into a crystal ball? As we saw last time, biblical discernment runs contrary to the kind of subjective mysticism many promote in the church today. Without any objective criteria, there is no means for determining truth from error. Such blithe subjectivity leaves people at the mercy of whatever mystical “voice” they’re listening to. Upper Abdominal Distress It is therefore ironic that advocates of mysticism inevitably treat discernment itself as if it were some kind of subjective, mystical ability. One author speaks of discernment as “a spiritual function,” by which he evidently means that discernment does not involve the intellect. [1] William DeArteaga, Quenching the Spirit (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 1992), 55. For a further discussion of DeArteaga’s work, see chapter 6 of Reckless Faith. In one of my earlier books I quoted Bill Hamon, one of the leading proponents of modern revelatory prophecy. Hamon’s recipe for discernment is a classic case of mystical anti-intellectualism. He believes prophecies can be properly evaluated only by people willing to set reason and logic aside: I have sometimes heard people say, “I did not witness with that prophecy.” But after questioning them, I discovered that what they really meant was that the prophecy did not fit their theology, personal desires or goals, or their emotions reacted negatively to it. They failed to understand that we do not bear witness with the soul—the mind, emotions or will. Our reasoning is in the mind, not the spirit. So our traditions, beliefs and strong opinions are not true witnesses to prophetic truth. The spirit reaction originates deep within our being. Many Christians describe the physical location of its corresponding sensation as the upper abdominal area. A negative witness—with a message of “no,” “be careful” or “something’s not right”—usually manifests itself with a nervous, jumpy or uneasy feeling. There is a deep, almost unintelligible sensation that something is wrong. This sense can only be trusted when we are more in tune with our spirit than with our thoughts. If our thinking is causing these sensations, then it could be only a soulish reaction. On the other hand, when God’s Spirit is bearing witness with our spirit that a prophetic word is right, is of God and is according to His will and purpose, then our spirit reacts with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We have a deep, unexplainable peace and joy, a warm, loving feeling—or even a sense of our spirit jumping up and down with excitement. This sensation lets us know that the Holy Spirit is bearing witness with our spirit that everything is in order, even though we may not understand everything that is being said, or our soul may not be able to adjust immediately to all the thoughts being presented. [2] Bill Hamon, “How to Receive a Personal Prophecy,” Charisma (April 1991), 68 (emphasis added). Notice that Hamon’s emphasis is entirely on feeling, while he derides the intellect, theology, reason, understanding, and by implication, true biblical wisdom. A reaction in the upper abdominal region is supposed to be a more reliable gauge of truth than all those things. But that is superstition, not discernment. How your upper abdomen feels about a thing is certainly no measure of truth or falsehood. Neither is “a nervous, jumpy, or uneasy feeling” apart from any rational cause. “A deep, unexplainable peace and joy, a warm, loving feeling—or even a sense of [your] spirit jumping up and down with excitement” is no proof that a supposed prophecy is reliable. Those who practice this sort of “discernment” epitomize reckless faith. And those who seek truth by analyzing inner feelings are likely to wind up with nothing but confusion. Dueling Prophets My editor once attended a service at the Anaheim Vineyard where two “prophets” gave contradictory prophecies. It happened in a Sunday morning worship service. When the congregational singing was over, John Wimber stepped to the platform. Before he could say anything, a young man in the congregation stood and began loudly to prophesy judgment against the leaders of the church. “Jerusalem! Jerusalem!” he began, echoing Luke 13:34, “you persecute My prophets and stone My messengers. My displeasure burns hot toward the leadership of this church for the way you have scorned My prophets and ignored My prophecies. . . .” and so on. The man evidently was disgruntled at the treatment he had received at the hands of church leaders, and this “prophecy” seemed to be his way of striking back. He prophesied in that manner for five minutes or more, earnestly calling the elders of the church to repentance. His entire message was in first person as if from God. Immediately when he finished, before John Wimber could respond, another “prophet” from the other side of the congregation popped up and began to prophesy exactly the opposite message. This prophet began with a loose paraphrase of Jeremiah 29:11: “Oh, pastors and leaders of this church, I know My thoughts toward you—thoughts of mercy, and not of judgment. I have loved you with an everlasting love and have laid up for you a crown in heaven, My beloved. You have done according to all My good pleasure, and henceforth all men will rise up and call you blessed. . . .” etcetera, etcetera. When the second man finished, a woman stood and sang a song, another person spoke in tongues, and one or two others quoted Bible verses or shared something brief. Then the service continued with Wimber making announcements. No reference was made to the two contradictory prophecies. No attempt was made to explain the dilemma or interpret either prophecy. Members of the congregation were simply left to draw their own conclusions about which, if either, of the two prophecies was correct. That illustrates the impossible situation that arises when people are encouraged to voice their own subjective impressions as if they were divine prophecy. And it also reveals the predicament we are placed in if we must allow a sensation in our upper abdominal area to determine the truth or falsehood of a prophetic message. Notice that both prophets’ messages echoed biblical terminology. Both of them were delivered with great conviction. Both of them employed first-person pronouns, as if God Himself were doing the speaking. Yet they flatly contradicted each other. They might both be false prophecies, but there is no way they could both be true. How were the people in the congregation supposed to determine which, if either, was correct? If they followed the gut-feeling approach, all the disgruntled people in the church undoubtedly opted for the first prophecy, believing they now had a word from the Lord to confirm their displeasure with their leaders. The obvious fact is that once we stray into the realm of subjectivity, we have no way to determine what is really true. (Adapted from Reckless Faith.) Full Article
gulati Strategic Environmental Regulation and Inbound Foreign Direct Investment in the People’s Republic of China By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-08 00:00:00 Even though the central government issues strict regulation policies, it is the local governments’ discretion to adjust and enforce compliance. Full Article Publication
gulati Strategic Environmental Regulation and Inbound Foreign Direct Investment in the People’s Republic of China By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 2020-05-08 00:00:00 Even though the central government issues strict regulation policies, it is the local governments’ discretion to adjust and enforce compliance. Full Article
gulati Strategic Environmental Regulation and Inbound Foreign Direct Investment in the People’s Republic of China By www.adb.org Published On :: 2020-05-08 00:00:00 Even though the central government issues strict regulation policies, it is the local governments’ discretion to adjust and enforce compliance. Full Article
gulati Evidence Builds Linking Anticoagulation to COVID-19 Survival By www.webmd.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 13:13:56 EST Data from a large US cohort suggest systemic anticoagulation may confer a survival benefit in hospitalized patients without a spike in bleeding events. Full Article
gulati Vitamin E does not prevent Western diet-induced NASH progression and increases metabolic flux dysregulation in mice [Research Articles] By www.jlr.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T00:05:27-07:00 Fatty liver involves ectopic lipid accumulation and dysregulated hepatic oxidative metabolism, which can progress to a state of elevated inflammation and fibrosis referred to as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The factors that control progression from simple steatosis to NASH are not fully known. Here, we tested the hypothesis that dietary vitamin E (VitE) supplementation would prevent NASH progression and associated metabolic alterations induced by a Western diet (WD). Hyperphagic melanocortin-4 receptor-deficient (MC4R–/–) mice were fed chow, chow+VitE, WD, or WD+VitE starting at 8 or 20 weeks of age. All groups exhibited extensive hepatic steatosis by the end of the study (28 weeks of age). WD feeding exacerbated liver disease severity without inducing proportional changes in liver triglycerides. Eight weeks of WD accelerated liver pyruvate cycling, and 20 weeks of WD extensively upregulated liver glucose and oxidative metabolism assessed by 2H/13C flux analysis. VitE supplementation failed to reduce the histological features of NASH. Rather, WD+VitE increased the abundance and saturation of liver ceramides and accelerated metabolic flux dysregulation compared with 8 weeks of WD alone. In summary, VitE did not limit NASH pathogenesis in genetically obese mice, but instead increased some indicators of metabolic dysfunction. Full Article
gulati RNA Interference-Based Screen Reveals Concerted Functions of MEKK2 and CRCK3 in Plant Cell Death Regulation By www.plantphysiol.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T08:30:48-07:00 A wide variety of intrinsic and extrinsic cues lead to cell death with unclear mechanisms. The infertility of some death mutants often hurdles the classical suppressor screens for death regulators. We have developed a transient RNA interference (RNAi)-based screen using a virus-induced gene silencing approach to understand diverse cell death pathways in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). One death pathway is due to the depletion of a MAP kinase (MAPK) cascade, consisting of MAPK kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1), MKK1/2, and MPK4, which depends on a nucleotide-binding site Leu-rich repeat (NLR) protein SUMM2. Silencing of MEKK1 by virus-induced gene silencing resembles the mekk1 mutant with autoimmunity and defense activation. The RNAi-based screen toward Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion lines identified SUMM2, MEKK2, and Calmodulin-binding receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase 3 (CRCK3) to be vital regulators of RNAi MEKK1-induced cell death, consistent with the reports of their requirement in the mekk1-mkk1/2-mpk4 death pathway. Similar with MEKK2, overexpression of CRCK3 caused dosage- and SUMM2-dependent cell death, and the transcripts of CRCK3 were up-regulated in mekk1, mkk1/2, and mpk4. MEKK2-induced cell death depends on CRCK3. Interestingly, CRCK3-induced cell death also depends on MEKK2, consistent with the biochemical data that MEKK2 complexes with CRCK3. Furthermore, the kinase activity of CRCK3 is essential, whereas the kinase activity of MEKK2 is dispensable, for triggering cell death. Our studies suggest that MEKK2 and CRCK3 exert concerted functions in the control of NLR SUMM2 activation and MEKK2 may play a structural role, rather than function as a kinase, in regulating CRCK3 protein stability. Full Article
gulati CBL2-CIPK6-TST2-Mediated Regulation of Sugar Homeostasis By www.plantphysiol.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T08:30:48-07:00 Full Article
gulati Phosphoregulation within the Photorespiratory Cycle: Regulate Smarter, Adapt Better? By www.plantphysiol.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T08:30:48-07:00 Full Article
gulati IRAK-M Regulates Monocyte Trafficking to the Lungs in Response to Bleomycin Challenge [IMMUNE REGULATION] By www.jimmunol.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T13:00:27-07:00 Key Points TLR signaling pathway regulates expression of monocyte chemoattractant CCR2. IRAK-M is an important regulator of monocyte trafficking to the lung in fibrosis. Full Article
gulati The Transcriptional Cofactor VGLL1 Drives Transcription of Human Papillomavirus Early Genes via TEAD1 [Genome Replication and Regulation of Viral Gene Expression] By jvi.asm.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T08:00:47-07:00 The TEAD family of transcription factors requires associating cofactors to induce gene expression. TEAD1 is known to activate the early promoter of human papillomavirus (HPV), but the precise mechanisms of TEAD1-mediated transactivation of the HPV promoter, including its relevant cofactors, remain unexplored. Here, we reveal that VGLL1, a TEAD-interacting cofactor, contributes to HPV early gene expression. Knockdown of VGLL1 and/or TEAD1 led to a decrease in viral early gene expression in human cervical keratinocytes and cervical cancer cell lines. We identified 11 TEAD1 target sites in the HPV16 long control region (LCR) by in vitro DNA pulldown assays; 8 of these sites contributed to the transcriptional activation of the early promoter in luciferase reporter assays. VGLL1 bound to the HPV16 LCR via its interaction with TEAD1 both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, introducing HPV16 and HPV18 whole genomes into primary human keratinocytes led to increased levels of VGLL1, due in part to the upregulation of TEADs. These results suggest that multiple VGLL1/TEAD1 complexes are recruited to the LCR to support the efficient transcription of HPV early genes. IMPORTANCE Although a number of transcription factors have been reported to be involved in HPV gene expression, little is known about the cofactors that support HPV transcription. In this study, we demonstrate that the transcriptional cofactor VGLL1 plays a prominent role in HPV early gene expression, dependent on its association with the transcription factor TEAD1. Whereas TEAD1 is ubiquitously expressed in a variety of tissues, VGLL1 displays tissue-specific expression and is implicated in the development and differentiation of epithelial lineage tissues, where HPV gene expression occurs. Our results suggest that VGLL1 may contribute to the epithelial specificity of HPV gene expression, providing new insights into the mechanisms that regulate HPV infection. Further, VGLL1 is also critical for the growth of cervical cancer cells and may represent a novel therapeutic target for HPV-associated cancers. Full Article
gulati Identification and Cloning of a New Western Epstein-Barr Virus Strain That Efficiently Replicates in Primary B Cells [Genome Replication and Regulation of Viral Gene Expression] By jvi.asm.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T08:00:47-07:00 The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes human cancers, and epidemiological studies have shown that lytic replication is a risk factor for some of these tumors. This fits with the observation that EBV M81, which was isolated from a Chinese patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, induces potent virus production and increases the risk of genetic instability in infected B cells. To find out whether this property extends to viruses found in other parts of the world, we investigated 22 viruses isolated from Western patients. While one-third of the viruses hardly replicated, the remaining viruses showed variable levels of replication, with three isolates replicating at levels close to that of M81 in B cells. We cloned one strongly replicating virus into a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC); the resulting recombinant virus (MSHJ) retained the properties of its nonrecombinant counterpart and showed similarities to M81, undergoing lytic replication in vitro and in vivo after 3 weeks of latency. In contrast, B cells infected with the nonreplicating Western B95-8 virus showed early but abortive replication accompanied by cytoplasmic BZLF1 expression. Sequencing confirmed that rMSHJ is a Western virus, being genetically much closer to B95-8 than to M81. Spontaneous replication in rM81- and rMSHJ-infected B cells was dependent on phosphorylated Btk and was inhibited by exposure to ibrutinib, opening the way to clinical intervention in patients with abnormal EBV replication. As rMSHJ contains the complete EBV genome and induces lytic replication in infected B cells, it is ideal to perform genetic analyses of all viral functions in Western strains and their associated diseases. IMPORTANCE The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects the majority of the world population but causes different diseases in different countries. Evidence that lytic replication, the process that leads to new virus progeny, is linked to cancer development is accumulating. Indeed, viruses such as M81 that were isolated from Far Eastern nasopharyngeal carcinomas replicate strongly in B cells. We show here that some viruses isolated from Western patients, including the MSHJ strain, share this property. Moreover, replication of both M81 and of MSHJ was sensitive to ibrutinib, a commonly used drug, thereby opening an opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Sequencing of MSHJ showed that this virus is quite distant from M81 and is much closer to nonreplicating Western viruses. We conclude that Western EBV strains are heterogeneous, with some viruses being able to replicate more strongly and therefore being potentially more pathogenic than others, and that the virus sequence information alone cannot predict this property. Full Article
gulati Establishment of a Reverse Genetics System for Influenza D Virus [Genome Replication and Regulation of Viral Gene Expression] By jvi.asm.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T08:00:46-07:00 Influenza D virus (IDV) was initially isolated in the United States in 2011. IDV is distributed worldwide and is one of the causative agents of the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC), which causes high morbidity and mortality in feedlot cattle. The molecular mechanisms of IDV pathogenicity are still unknown. Reverse genetics systems are vital tools not only for studying the biology of viruses, but also for use in applications such as recombinant vaccine viruses. Here, we report the establishment of a plasmid-based reverse genetics system for IDV. We first verified that the 3'-terminal nucleotide of each 7-segmented genomic RNA contained uracil (U), contrary to previous reports, and we were then able to successfully generate recombinant IDV by cotransfecting 7 plasmids containing these genomic RNAs along with 4 plasmids expressing polymerase proteins and nucleoprotein into human rectal tumor 18G (HRT-18G) cells. The recombinant virus had a growth deficit compared to the wild-type virus, and we determined the reason for this growth difference by examining the genomic RNA content of the viral particles. We found that the recombinant virus incorporated an unbalanced ratio of viral RNA segments into particles compared to that of the wild-type virus, and thus we adjusted the amount of each plasmid used in transfection to obtain a recombinant virus with the same replicative capacity as the wild-type virus. Our work here in establishing a reverse genetics system for IDV will have a broad range of applications, including uses in studies focused on better understanding IDV replication and pathogenicity, as well as in those contributing to the development of BRDC countermeasures. IMPORTANCE The bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) causes high mortality and morbidity in cattle, causing economic losses worldwide. Influenza D virus (IDV) is considered to be a causative agent of the BRDC. Here, we developed a reverse genetics system that allows for the generation of IDV from cloned cDNAs and the introduction of mutations into the IDV genome. This reverse genetics system will become a powerful tool for use in studies related to understanding the molecular mechanisms of viral replication and pathogenicity and will also lead to the development of new countermeasures against the BRDC. Full Article
gulati E2F6-Mediated Downregulation of MIR22HG Facilitates the Progression of Laryngocarcinoma by Targeting the miR-5000-3p/FBXW7 Axis [Research Article] By mcb.asm.org Published On :: 2020-04-28T08:00:17-07:00 Recently, abundant evidence has clarified that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an oncogenic or anticancer role in the tumorigenesis and development of diverse human cancers. Described as a crucial regulator in some cancers, MIR22HG has not yet been studied in laryngocarcinoma and therefore the underlying regulatory role of MIR22HG in laryngocarcinoma is worth detecting. In this study, MIR22HG expression in laryngocarcinoma cells was confirmed to be downregulated, and upregulated MIR22HG expression led to suppressive effects on laryngocarcinoma cell proliferation and migration. Molecular mechanism assays revealed that MIR22HG sponges miR-5000-3p in laryngocarcinoma cells. Besides, decreased expression of miR-5000-3p suppressed laryngocarcinoma cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, the FBXW7 gene was reported to be a downstream target gene of miR-5000-3p in laryngocarcinoma cells. More importantly, rescue assays verified that FBXW7 depletion or miR-5000-3p upregulation countervailed the repressive effects of MIR22HG overexpression on laryngocarcinoma progression. In addition, E2F6 was proved to be capable of inhibiting MIR22HG transcription in laryngocarcinoma cells. To sum up, E2F6-induced downregulation of MIR22HG promotes laryngocarcinoma progression through the miR-5000-3p/FBXW7 axis. Full Article
gulati Fish embryo vulnerability to combined acidification and warming coincides with low capacity for homeostatic regulation [RESEARCH ARTICLE] By jeb.biologists.org Published On :: 2020-05-05T05:22:41-07:00 Flemming Dahlke, Magnus Lucassen, Ulf Bickmeyer, Sylke Wohlrab, Velmurugu Puvanendran, Atle Mortensen, Melissa Chierici, Hans-Otto Pörtner, and Daniela StorchThe vulnerability of fish embryos and larvae to environmental factors is often attributed to a lack of adult-like organ systems (gills) and thus insufficient homeostatic capacity. However, experimental data supporting this hypothesis are scarce. Here, by using Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) as a model, the relationship between embryo vulnerability (to projected ocean acidification and warming) and homeostatic capacity was explored through parallel analyses of stage-specific mortality and in vitro activity and expression of major ion pumps (ATP-Synthase, Na+/K+-ATPase, H+-ATPase) and co-transporters (NBC1, NKCC1). Immunolocalization of these transporters was used to study ionocyte morphology in newly-hatched larvae. Treatment-related embryo mortality until hatch (+20% due to acidification and warming) occurred primarily during an early period (gastrulation) characterized by extremely low ion transport capacities. Thereafter, embryo mortality decreased in parallel with an exponential increase in activity and expression of all investigated ion transporters. Significant changes in transporter activity and expression in response to acidification (+15% activity) and warming (-30% expression) indicate some potential for short-term acclimatization, although likely associated with energetic trade-offs. Interestingly, whole-larvae enzyme capacities (supported by abundant epidermal ionocytes) reached levels similar to those previously measured in gill tissue of adult cod, suggesting that early-life stages without functional gills are better equipped in terms of ion homeostasis than previously thought. This study implies that the gastrulation period represents a critical transition from inherited (maternal) defenses to active homeostatic regulation, which facilitates enhanced resilience of later stages to environmental factors. Full Article
gulati Correction to "Coordinated Regulation of UGT2B15 Expression by Long Noncoding RNA LINC00574 and hsa-miR-129-5p in HepaRG Cells" [Errata] By dmd.aspetjournals.org Published On :: 2020-04-09T08:02:00-07:00 Full Article
gulati Pro-515 of the dynamin-like GTPase MxB contributes to HIV-1 inhibition by regulating MxB oligomerization and binding to HIV-1 capsid [Microbiology] By www.jbc.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T03:41:14-07:00 Interferon-regulated myxovirus resistance protein B (MxB) is an interferon-induced GTPase belonging to the dynamin superfamily. It inhibits infection with a wide range of different viruses, including HIV-1, by impairing viral DNA entry into the nucleus. Unlike the related antiviral GTPase MxA, MxB possesses an N-terminal region that contains a nuclear localization signal and is crucial for inhibiting HIV-1. Because MxB previously has been shown to reside in both the nuclear envelope and the cytoplasm, here we used bioinformatics and biochemical approaches to identify a nuclear export signal (NES) responsible for MxB's cytoplasmic location. Using the online computational tool LocNES (Locating Nuclear Export Signals or NESs), we identified five putative NES candidates in MxB and investigated whether their deletion caused nuclear localization of MxB. Our results revealed that none of the five deletion variants relocates to the nucleus, suggesting that these five predicted NES sequences do not confer NES activity. Interestingly, deletion of one sequence, encompassing amino acids 505–527, abrogated the anti-HIV-1 activity of MxB. Further mutation experiments disclosed that amino acids 515–519, and Pro-515 in particular, regulate MxB oligomerization and its binding to HIV-1 capsid, thereby playing an important role in MxB-mediated restriction of HIV-1 infection. In summary, our results indicate that none of the five predicted NES sequences in MxB appears to be required for its nuclear export. Our findings also reveal several residues in MxB, including Pro-515, critical for its oligomerization and anti-HIV-1 function. Full Article
gulati RNA helicase-regulated processing of the Synechocystis rimO-crhR operon results in differential cistron expression and accumulation of two sRNAs [Gene Regulation] By www.jbc.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T03:41:14-07:00 The arrangement of functionally-related genes in operons is a fundamental element of how genetic information is organized in prokaryotes. This organization ensures coordinated gene expression by co-transcription. Often, however, alternative genetic responses to specific stress conditions demand the discoordination of operon expression. During cold temperature stress, accumulation of the gene encoding the sole Asp–Glu–Ala–Asp (DEAD)-box RNA helicase in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, crhR (slr0083), increases 15-fold. Here, we show that crhR is expressed from a dicistronic operon with the methylthiotransferase rimO/miaB (slr0082) gene, followed by rapid processing of the operon transcript into two monocistronic mRNAs. This cleavage event is required for and results in destabilization of the rimO transcript. Results from secondary structure modeling and analysis of RNase E cleavage of the rimO–crhR transcript in vitro suggested that CrhR plays a role in enhancing the rate of the processing in an auto-regulatory manner. Moreover, two putative small RNAs are generated from additional processing, degradation, or both of the rimO transcript. These results suggest a role for the bacterial RNA helicase CrhR in RNase E-dependent mRNA processing in Synechocystis and expand the known range of organisms possessing small RNAs derived from processing of mRNA transcripts. Full Article