TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you're given a paragraph from the research paper and your task is to generate a suitable title for the research paper based on the given paper. Under 100 words is a good title length.
PROBLEM: Coxsackieviruses are enteric viruses that frequently infect humans. To examine coxsackievirus pathogenesis, we orally inoculated mice with the coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) Nancy strain. Using HeLa cell plaque assays with agar overlays, we noticed that some fecal viruses generated plaques >100 times as large as inoculum viruses. These large-plaque variants emerged following viral replication in several different tissues. We identified a single amino acid change, N63Y, in the VP3 capsid protein that was sufficient to confer the large-plaque phenotype. Wild-type CVB3 and N63Y mutant CVB3 had similar plaque sizes when agarose was used in the overlay instead of agar. We determined that sulfated glycans in agar inhibited plaque formation by wildtype CVB3 but not by N63Y mutant CVB3. Furthermore, N63Y mutant CVB3 bound heparin, a sulfated glycan, less efficiently than wild-type CVB3 did. While N63Y mutant CVB3 had a growth defect in cultured cells and reduced attachment, it had enhanced replication and pathogenesis in mice. Infection with N63Y mutant CVB3 induced more severe hepatic damage than infection with wild-type CVB3, likely because N63Y mutant CVB3 disseminates more efficiently to the liver. Our data reinforce the idea that culture-adapted laboratory virus strains can have reduced fitness in vivo. N63Y mutant CVB3 may be useful as a platform to understand viral adaptation and pathogenesis in animal studies. IMPORTANCE Coxsackieviruses frequently infect humans, and although many infections are mild or asymptomatic, there can be severe outcomes, including heart inflammation. Most studies with coxsackieviruses and other viruses use laboratory-adapted viral strains because of their efficient replication in cell culture. We used a cell culture-adapted strain of CVB3, Nancy, to examine viral replication and pathogenesis in orally inoculated mice. We found that mice shed viruses distinct from input viruses because they formed extremely large plaques in cell culture. We identified a single mutation, VP3 N63Y, that was sufficient for large-plaque formation. N63Y mutant viruses have reduced glycan binding and replication in cell culture; however, they have enhanced replication and virulence in mice. We are now using N63Y mutant CVB3 as an improved system for viral pathogenesis studies. Citation Wang Y, Pfeiffer JK. 2016. Emergence of a large-plaque variant in mice infected with coxsackievirus B3. mBio 7(2):e00119-16.

SOLUTION: Emergence of a Large-Plaque Variant in Mice Infected with Coxsackievirus B3

PROBLEM: Background: Standardized Korean red ginseng extract has become the best-selling influenza-like illness (ILI) remedy in Korea, yet much controversy regarding the efficacy of the Korean red ginseng (KRG) in reducing ILI incidence remains. The aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of the KRG extract on the ILI incidence in healthy adults. Methods/Design: We will conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study at the onset of the influenza seasons. A total of 100 subjects 30-70 years of age will be recruited from the general populations. The subjects will be instructed to take 9 capsules per day of either the KRG extract or a placebo for a period of 3 months. The primary outcome measure is to assess the frequency of ILI onset in participated subjects. Secondary variable measures will be included severity and duration of ILI symptoms. The ILI symptoms will be scored by subjects using a 4-point scale. Discussion: This study is a randomized placebo controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the KRG extract compared to placebo and will be provided valuable new information about the clinical and physiological effects of the KRG extract on reduction of ILI incidence including flu and upper respiratory tract infections. The study has been pragmatically designed to ensure that the study findings can be implemented into clinical practice if KRG extract can be shown to be an effective reduction strategy in ILI incidence. Trial Registration: NCT01478009.

SOLUTION: A placebo-controlled trial of Korean red ginseng extract for preventing Influenza-like illness in healthy adults

PROBLEM: Background: RNA interference (RNAi) is a valuable tool in the investigation of gene function. The purpose of this study was to examine the availability, target cell types and efficiency of RNAi in the mouse seminiferous epithelium. The experimental model was based on transgenic mice expressing EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein). RNAi was induced by in vivo transfection of plasmid vectors encoding for short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting EGFP. shRNAs were transfected in vivo by microinjection into the seminiferous tubules via the rete testis followed by square wave electroporation. As a transfection reporter, expression of red fluorescent protein (HcRed 1) was used. Cell types, the efficiency of both transfections and RNAi were all evaluated. A reduction of about 40% in the level of EGFP protein was detected in cells successfully transfected both in vivo and in vitro. However, the efficiency of in vivo transfection was low. In adult seminiferous epithelial cells, in vivo post-transcriptional gene silencing mediated by RNAi via shRNA is efficient in Sertoli cells. Similar levels of RNAi were detected both in vivo and in vitro. This also indicates that Sertoli cells have the necessary silencing machinery to repress the expression of endogenous genes via RNAi.

SOLUTION:
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology Gene silencing by RNAi in mouse Sertoli cells