Stuff & Stuff Sci-Tech News & Olds, Evens, & Begins ( December 2012 )

Danger !

Stupid Zone !

Stop !

... too late ...

Chlorovirus ACTV-1 -- The " Stupid Virus "

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/virus-that-makes-humans-more-stupid-discovered-9849920.html

Virus that 'makes humans more stupid' discovered

A virus that infects human brains and makes us more stupid has been discovered, according to scientists in the US.

The algae virus, never before observed in healthy people, was found to affect cognitive functions including visual processing and spatial awareness.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medical School and the University of Nebraska stumbled upon the discovery when they were undertaking an unrelated study into throat microbes.

Surprisingly, the researchers found DNA in the throats of healthy individuals that matched the DNA of a virus known to infect green algae.

Dr Robert Yolken, a virologist who led the original study, said: “This is a striking example showing that the ‘innocuous’ microorganisms we carry can affect behaviour and cognition.

“Many physiological differences between person A and person B are encoded in the set of genes each inherits from parents, yet some of these differences are fuelled by the various microorganisms we harbour and the way they interact with our genes.”

Of the 90 participants in the study, 40 tested positive for the algae virus. Those who tested positive performed worse on tests designed to measure the speed and accuracy of visual processing. They also achieved lower scores in tasks designed to measure attention.

Humans’ bodies contain trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Most are harmless, but the findings of this research show that there some microbes can have a detrimental impact on cognitive functions, while leaving individuals healthy.

The study’s findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

http://www.pnas.org/content/111/45/16106.abstract

Chlorovirus ATCV-1 is part of the human oropharyngeal virome and is associated with changes in cognitive functions in humans and mice

Robert H. Yolken, et al.

Human mucosal surfaces contain a wide range of microorganisms. The biological effects of these organisms are largely unknown. Large-scale metagenomic sequencing is emerging as a method to identify novel microbes. Unexpectedly, we identified DNA sequences homologous to virus ATCV-1, an algal virus not previously known to infect humans, in oropharyngeal samples obtained from healthy adults. The presence of ATCV-1 was associated with a modest but measurable decrease in cognitive functioning. A relationship between ATCV-1 and cognitive functioning was confirmed in a mouse model, which also indicated that exposure to ATCV-1 resulted in changes in gene expression within the brain. Our study indicates that viruses in the environment not thought to infect humans can have biological effects.
Abstract

Chloroviruses (family Phycodnaviridae) are large DNA viruses known to infect certain eukaryotic green algae and have not been previously shown to infect humans or to be part of the human virome. We unexpectedly found sequences homologous to the chlorovirus Acanthocystis turfacea chlorella virus 1 (ATCV-1) in a metagenomic analysis of DNA extracted from human oropharyngeal samples. These samples were obtained by throat swabs of adults without a psychiatric disorder or serious physical illness who were participating in a study that included measures of cognitive functioning. The presence of ATCV-1 DNA was confirmed by quantitative PCR with ATCV-1 DNA being documented in oropharyngeal samples obtained from 40 (43.5%) of 92 individuals. The presence of ATCV-1 DNA was not associated with demographic variables but was associated with a modest but statistically significant decrease in the performance on cognitive assessments of visual processing and visual motor speed. We further explored the effects of ATCV-1 in a mouse model. The inoculation of ATCV-1 into the intestinal tract of 9–11-wk-old mice resulted in a subsequent decrease in performance in several cognitive domains, including ones involving recognition memory and sensory-motor gating. ATCV-1 exposure in mice also resulted in the altered expression of genes within the hippocampus. These genes comprised pathways related to synaptic plasticity, learning, memory formation, and the immune response to viral exposure.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2827518/Found-viral-infection-makes-nearly-HALF-stupid-lasts-YEARS.html

Found: The viral infection that makes nearly HALF of us more stupid (and it lasts for YEARS)

by

Ben Spencer

Science Reporter for the Daily Mail

    The virus - called chlorovirus ATCV-1 - was only known to appear in algae
    Researchers in U.S. have not established how it comes to infect humans
    It hasn't infected just swimmers, which rules out direct link to algae itself
    Instead humans could've been carrying virus but was not known to doctors
    Research suggests it alters genes in brain including memory and emotion
    Scientists found 44 per cent of patients tested had virus in their throats

Nearly half of us could be infected with a virus which makes us more stupid, scientists have found.

The startling discovery suggests that millions may be carrying a long-lasting infection which dulls the brain.

Scientists found the virus living in the throats of 44 per cent of patients tested in a small US study.

A viral infection that could make more than half of us stupid has been discovered by scientists in America

Those who were carrying the infection performed worse in intelligence tests, even when education and age were taken into account.

The virus - called chlorovirus ATCV-1 - was previously only known to appear in green algae in freshwater lakes.

The researchers, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and the University of Nebraska, have not established how the virus comes to infect humans.

It does not seem to have infected just swimmers or watersports fans, probably ruling out a link to algae itself.

Instead it could be that humans have long carried the virus, but it had not previously been looked for by doctors.

Study author Professor Robert Yolken, of Johns Hopkins medical school, said the millions of viruses living in the human body are being investigated by experts for the first time.

‘We’re really just starting to find out what some of these agents that we’re carrying around might actually do,’ he told the Healthline website.

‘It’s the beginning, I think, of another way of looking at infectious agents — not agents that come in and do a lot of damage and then leave, like Ebola virus or influenza virus.

‘This is kind of the other end of the spectrum. These are agents that we carry around for a long time and that may have subtle effects on our cognition and behaviour.’

The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that the ATCV-1 virus alters the genes in the brain.

The team found the virus in throat swabs from 40 out of 92 volunteers, and discovered those with the virus performed measurably worse in cognitive testing.

They then confirmed their findings in tests on mice. Giving the virus to mice resulted in a decrease in recognition memory and other brain functions, they found.

Tests showed the virus had broken through the barrier between blood and tissue, altering the activity of genes in the brains of the mice.

The genes affected including those producing dopamine - a vital hormone which influences memory, spatial awareness, emotion and pleasure.

Professor James Van Etten, a biologist from the University of Nebraska who first identified the virus in algae 30 years ago, said: ‘There’s more and more studies showing that microorganisms in your body have a bigger influence than anything anyone would have predicted, and this could be something along those lines.’

Professor Yolken added: ‘The thing that’s different about what we found is that chlorovirus ATCV-1 is something that we wouldn’t have suspected would actually have any effect on humans or animals.

‘It points us in a direction of looking to see if we can improve people’s cognition, their behaviour, by changing the composition of their microbiome [the balance of bacteria and viruses in the body].

http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/november2014/11102014virus.htm

An alga species infected with a chlorovirus (red) similar to the one the researchers identified in the throat cavity of humans. Credit: Kit Lee and Angie Fox, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Algal Virus Infects, Affects Humans

While studying cognitive function in healthy adults, researchers discovered DNA from an algal virus in throat samples.
The virus was associated with reduced cognitive functioning, highlighting how previously overlooked viruses may affect human health and cognition.

The human body is host to trillions of microbes. These microbes significantly outnumber the body’s cells. Although most are beneficial to human health, some of these microbes can cause problems. Research in both humans and animal models has shown that microbial communities can affect many biological functions, including cognitive performance.

An alga species infected with a chlorovirus (red) similar to the one the researchers identified in the throat cavity of humans. Credit: Kit Lee and Angie Fox, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Most studies of microbial communities and their genes, collectively known as the microbiome, have focused on bacterial and fungal communities. DNA is extracted from samples, and then specific regions that are universal to bacteria or fungi are analyzed to distinguish the microbes. The viral components of the microbiome (the virome) have received less attention, largely because viruses are so diverse that there are no universal viral target regions. Recent advances, however, have made whole-genome sequencing faster and less expensive. Thus scientists can now sequence entire viral genomes.

A group led by Dr. Robert Yolken at Johns Hopkins University has been studying the links between viral infections and brain development. They were analyzing viruses taken from the throats of 33 healthy adults who were participating in a study that involved the assessment of cognitive functioning. Unexpectedly, the researchers discovered genetic sequences from Acanthocystis turfacea chlorella virus 1 (ATCV-1). ATCV-1 is a type of Chlorovirus, which infects green algae. These viruses are common in fresh water, such as lakes and ponds, but weren’t thought to infect humans or animals.

To further investigate, the group teamed with Dr. James Van Etten, an expert on algal viruses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Their work was supported in part by NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). Results appeared online on October 27, 2014, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A sequence-specific assay detected ATCV-1 in throat samples from 40 of 92 (44%) people in the study. The team next examined the link between ATCV-1 and performance on a battery of cognitive tests. ATCV-1 was associated with decreases on tests of visual processing. There was no difference on tests of general knowledge.

Studies in people can involve many complex factors, so the scientists infected a group of mice with ATCV-1. The exposed mice performed worse than control mice in several cognitive tests, such as navigating mazes. The researchers next studied gene expression in the hippocampus, a brain region essential for learning, memory, and behavior. Exposure to ATCV-1 was associated with significant changes in the regulation of over 1,000 genes.

“People have conducted studies looking for more conventional viruses and bacteria in throat swabs, but the way those studies were done meant that they could have easily missed the ones that we work with,” Van Etten says.

More study will be needed to learn how ATCV-1 may alter cognitive functioning. If confirmed, these findings hint that other yet-unknown viruses may have subtle effects on human health and behavior.

—by Harrison Wein, Ph.D.

Reference:

Chlorovirus ATCV-1 is part of the human oropharyngeal virome and is associated with changes in cognitive functions in humans and mice.
Yolken RH, Jones-Brando L, Dunigan DD, Kannan G, Dickerson F, Severance E, Sabunciyan S, Talbot CC Jr, Prandovszky E, Gurnon JR, Agarkova IV, Leister F, Gressitt KL, Chen O, Deuber B, Ma F, Pletnikov MV, Van Etten JL.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Oct 27.
pii: 201418895. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 25349393.

Funding: NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Center for Research Resources (NCRR); National Science Foundation; and Stanley Medical Research Institute.

Related R&D :

Chlorovirus Patents

JP2006020586
METHOD FOR SPLITTING POLYSACCHARIDE CONTAINING GLUCRONIC ACID RESIDUE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for efficiently splitting uronic acid-containing polysaccharides. ;SOLUTION: The method for splitting the polysaccharides containing in the molecule two or more consecutive glucronic acid residues involves using a polysaccharide-splitting lyase obtained from Chlorovirus CVK2 and having the activity of splitting the [beta]-1,4 or [alpha]-1,4 linkage between glucronic acid residues.

JP2004283144
METHOD FOR PRODUCING GLUCOSAMINE AND N-ACETYLGLUCOSAMINE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine utilizable for a food or beverage by a fermenting method by using an inexpensive raw material such as glucose, etc. ;SOLUTION: This method for producing glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine is provided by culturing chlorella cells infected with chlorovirus and recovering glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine from the obtained cultured material, or recovering glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine from the cultured material obtained by culturing recombinant E. coli obtained by incorporating glutamine fructose-6-phosphate transaminase gene originated from the chlorovirus. As the chlorovirus, it is preferable to use chlorovirus CVK2.

JP2004283096
METHOD FOR SEPARATING/PURIFYING HYALURONIC ACID AND/OR CHITIN

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for easily and effectively separating/purifying hyaluronic acid and/or chitin produced on a chlorella cell. ;SOLUTION: The method for separating/purifying the hyaluronic acid and/or the chitin produced on the chlorella cell by infecting the chlorella cell of a host with a chlorovirus comprises separating hyaluronic acid fibers and/or chitin fibers from the cells by adding mechanical vibration to the chlorella cells on the surface of which the hyaluronic acid fibers and/or the chitin fibers are accumulated, and collecting the separated fibers. ;

JP2004283095
METHOD FOR PRODUCING HYALURONIC ACID AND CHITIN BY CHLORELLA CULTURE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for efficiently and inexpensively producing both polysaccharides of hyaluronic acid and chitin simultaneously by chlorella culture. ;SOLUTION: The chlorovirus allows a chlorella cell of a host to produce both the polysaccharides of the hyaluronic acid and the chitin. The method for producing the hyaluronic acid and the chitin involves infecting the chlorella cell of the host with the chlorovirus. By the method, high-purity hyaluronic acid fibers and chitin fibers are produced in a vary short time (2-4 hr). Each of the lengths of the obtained hyaluronic acid fiber and chitin fiber reaches 0.5-1.0 [mu]m by measurement by an electron microscope, and the polymerization degrees thereof are very high.

http://paperity.org/p/34815954/characterization-of-immediate-early-genes-expressed-in-chlorovirus-infection
Nucleic Acids Symposium Series, Oct 2000

Characterization of immediate early genes expressed in chlorovirus infection

Takeru Kawasaki, Kensho Nishida, Makoto Fujie, Shoji Usami, Takashi Yamada

By Southern blot analysis of restriction fragments of a chlorovirus CVK2 genomic contig with probes of RNA expressed immediate early in infection, sixteen genes were specifically found to be expressed in the host cells. These genes include those for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, nucleolin, ribosomal protein S5, hyaluronan synthase, TFIID etc. All of these transcripts were polyadenylated and most likely expressed in the host nucleus.The structural characteristics of these genes are discussed in connection with their expression mechanism. The biological importance of the gene products in viral infection are also considered.

http://paperity.org/p/34653270/regulatory-mechanism-of-the-gene-expression-during-chlorovirus-infection-cycle
Nucleic Acids Symposium Series, Nov 2001

Regulatory mechanism of the gene expression during chlorovirus infection cycle

Takeru Kawasaki, Masahiro Tanaka, Kensho Nishida, Takashi Yamada

In chlorovirus infection, immediate-early gene expression occurs within 5–20 min post infection (p.i.). We identified 16 major immediate-early transcripts. On Northern blot analysis, these transcripts showed unusual behaviors: (I) after 40 min p.i., their sizes reduced by approximately 100 nt, most likely caused by loss of a poly(A) tail and (II) after 40 min p.i., often appeared a few larger additional transcripts that may be formed by read-through from an upstream gene or into a downstream gene. These results indicate that the transcription of the viral genes changes drastically between before and after 40 min p.i.

http://www.researchgate.net/publication/247819137_Digestion_of_Chlorella_Cells_by_Chlorovirus-encoded_Polysaccharide_Degrading_Enzymes
Microbes and Environments (Impact Factor: 2.44). 01/2001; 16(4):206-212. DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.2001.206

Digestion of Chlorella Cells by Chlorovirus-encoded Polysaccharide Degrading Enzymes
Niti Chuchird, Takashi Yamada, et al.

http://www.naturalblaze.com/2014/11/3-things-you-should-know-about-stupid.html
November 12, 2014

3 Things You Should Know About the ''Stupid Virus''

by

Heather Callaghan

Recently, disease researchers yet again have discovered an emerging virus.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medical School and the University of Nebraska stumbled on to chlorovirus ATCV-1, a DNA virus which comes from algae, while doing an unrelated test on throat microbes. Forty-three percent of patients tested had it in their throats. Among other things it is found to lead to cognitive problems. You can read some mainstream articles here, here, here and here.

I think the headlines should have read a lot differently. This discovery could have big implications for people for a few reasons. Yet, where is the media panic now? No...now it's been made cute and funny by dubbing it the "stupid virus."

Before we get carried away with giddy headlines pointing out how so many people must have "caught stupid" - let's get a couple of things straight.

1. This is not a "stupid virus," per se - The "stupid virus" title is meant to be a humorous, eye catching marketing hook for bored journalists. It's actually an unwittingly cruel joke. In the original study, the researchers refer to cognitive decline and memory problems due to the virus. The researchers who had swabbed healthy people wrote that they found a "modest but statistically significant decrease in the performance on cognitive assessments of visual processing and visual motor speed." As well as changes of gene expression in the hippocampus, memory formation and immune response. They also said it affects behavior.

However, do you know how many things lead to cognitive issues? Do we call Alzheimer's "Stupid Dementia"? Do we say an epileptic is acting "dumb again" when they go into seizures, thought to stem from the hippocampus? No. But if cognitive decline equates stupidity then I vote to call BPA a "stupidity chemical"; fluoridated water is "stupid juice"; heavy metal toxicity in food, air and water are "stupidizers"; pesticides could be "smartcides." Because all of those things directly affect the brain. But cognitive problems are not indicative of stupidity, so it's a cruel misnomer to detract and minimize them by calling a damaging virus a stupid maker.

2. It could have been called the ADHD virus. If this virus can mimic symptoms that are often left to the mental health field then shouldn't people with Alzheimer's and ADHD be properly tested to make sure a virus isn't actually causing their symptoms? Or even epilepsy, schizophrenia and PTSD. The fact that it affects the hippocampus is a concern. Forget stupid, do you want to have early onset Alzheimer's and not be able to create new memories? And it would be cruel to call someone with that serious brain issue "stupid."

The more I read up on this, the more it sounds like the exact picture of the group of symptoms commonly called ADHD.

From the Daily Mail:

Tests showed the virus had broken through the barrier between blood and tissue, altering the activity of genes in the brains of the mice.

The genes affected including those producing dopamine - a vital hormone which influences memory, spatial awareness, emotion and pleasure. (emphasis added)

ADHD with a forecast of Alzheimer's.

3. Another more accurate headline would actually be freaking out about yet another kingdom-jumping disease. This time involving plants-to-humans. That really isn't normal. The people who tell me this are parroting the articles that are sensitizing people to get used to it. Historically speaking, I don't see the rampant cases of kingdom or even species jumps that have exploded in the last 50-100 years. Let's be clear: this virus comes from algae and hadn't been observed in healthy humans before. When it was, they didn't think it was harmful. But they conclude: "Our study indicates that viruses in the environment not thought to infect humans can have biological effects."

It seems like I read about these "isolated incidents" once a week now. Furthermore, researchers say they don't KNOW how the jump happens - or if it's contagious or if we make good hosts. That's a problem and deserves more than a stupid, passing headline.

The human body houses many viruses, no less, DNA viruses. I just wanted to point that out to alleviate potential panic. This isn't necessarily "bad" it just is what it is for now, although I would love to see how people could live if they did not have the bulk of them. Most people have had Chicken Pox (varicella zoster) and it stays latent. Later, one could have Shingles (herpes zoster) during a time of immune suppression or stress. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (cold sores of the mouth) are present in 80-90% of people and appear during times of stress. The above also happen to be DNA viruses. This list goes on and on...

But how many of these latent and emerging viruses can one person handle? Especially those that affect the brain? And what happens when the immune system is compromised and the viruses come roaring out like a sleeping dragon? That creates a mega load on the body and constant stress of the immune system.

Can I recommend one source for helping the body slough off some of those problems and prevent more? It's Herbal Antivirals:Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections by Stephen Buhner. He says, when it comes to emerging disease, that garlic and colloidal silver from the healthfood store just aren't going to cut it. Not when it comes to mystery illnesses or mutated disease. He himself reversed chronic Lyme (bacteria) and helps others do the same. If he could overcome a questionable animal-to-human disease that only emerged in the late 1970s, I would act on his herbal sensibilities to help the immune system fight off more.

Miscellaneous Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HhXOz0EsP0

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