J. Mercer

Alternative cell entry mechanisms for SARS-CoV-2 and multiple animal viruses

This study identifies alternative cell entry mechanisms for SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses, showing some rely on dynamin while others use actin-dependent pathways.

56Fe ion exposure increases the incidence of lung and brain tumors at a similar rate in male and female mice

This study shows that 56Fe ion exposure increases lung and brain tumor incidence similarly in male and female mice, with 56Fe ions causing faster tumor development than X-rays.

The Vaccinia virus chondroitin sulfate binding protein drives host membrane curvature to facilitate fusion

This study shows that the vaccinia virus D8 protein drives host membrane curvature to facilitate fusion by guiding virion binding orientation and promoting membrane invagination.

Vaccinia Virus Arrests and Shifts the Cell Cycle

This study investigates how vaccinia virus affects host cell cycle progression and proliferation, identifying viral effectors responsible for cell cycle inhibition and shift.

Vaccinia virus subverts xenophagy through phosphorylation and nuclear targeting of p62

This study shows vaccinia virus evades xenophagy by phosphorylating and nuclear-targeting p62, preventing its role in pathogen degradation.

Poxviruses package viral redox proteins in lateral bodies and modulate the host oxidative response

This study identifies the proteome of poxvirus lateral bodies and shows they contain redox proteins that modulate host oxidative stress responses.

Modulation of early host innate immune response by a Fowlpox virus (FWPV) lateral body protein

This study identifies FPV184 as a Fowlpox virus protein that suppresses host IFN responses by inhibiting promoter activation and localizing to viral lateral bodies.

Acrylamide Inhibits Vaccinia Virus Through Vimentin-independent Anti-Viral Granule Formation

This study shows acrylamide inhibits vaccinia virus by inducing anti-viral granules, independent of its effect on vimentin filaments, which are not required for viral replication.

Vaccinia virus hijacks ESCRT-mediated multivesicular body formation for virus egress

This study identifies ESCRT-III and VPS4 as essential for vaccinia virus packaging into multivesicular bodies, revealing an alternative pathway for virus egress.

In vivo control of Toxoplasma gondii by zebrafish macrophages

This study uses a zebrafish model to show that macrophages control Toxoplasma gondii infection in vivo, with type II and III strains having higher infectious burdens than type I.

Fix your membrane receptor imaging: Actin cytoskeleton and CD4 membrane organization disruption by chemical fixation

The paper shows that fixation methods affecting the actin cytoskeleton alter CD4 membrane organization in super-resolution microscopy.

An Artificial Intelligence Workflow for Defining Host-Pathogen Interactions

HRMAn is an open-source image analysis platform using machine learning to quantify host-pathogen interactions, demonstrating its ability to recognize and classify pathogen responses in Toxoplasma gondii and Salmonella typhimurium.

Nanoscale Polarization of the Vaccinia Virus Entry Fusion Complex Drives Efficient Fusion

This study uses super-resolution microscopy to show that vaccinia virus fusion proteins are polarized at virion tips, and disrupting this polarization reduces fusion efficiency.

NanoJ-SQUIRREL: quantitative mapping and minimisation of super-resolution optical imaging artefacts

NanoJ-SQUIRREL quantitatively maps and minimizes super-resolution imaging artefacts by comparing diffraction-limited and super-resolution images across various techniques.

Proteotype profiling unmasks a viral signaling network essential for poxvirus assembly and transcriptional competence

The paper identifies a viral signaling network regulated by F10 kinase and H1 phosphatase through phosphoproteomic analysis, revealing their roles in poxvirus assembly and transcriptional competence.