Disease relevance of Smallpox

• In cell culture, cidofovir has demonstrated activity against variola virus, the etiological agent of smallpox, and in patients it has shown marked efficacy against molluscum contagiosum and orf, two poxvirus infections [1].
• A chemokine-binding domain in the tumor necrosis factor receptor from variola (smallpox) virus [2].
• Here, we demonstrate that the p28 proteins encoded by the ectromelia virus and the variola virus possess E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in biochemical assays as well as in cultured mammalian cells [3].
• The localization and orientation of the myxoma I1L and SFV M1L open reading frames within the well conserved central core of the viral genomes closely mirror that of the Orthopoxviruses vaccinia virus and variola virus [4].
• Nucleotide sequence of the thymidine kinase gene region of monkeypox and variola viruses [5].

High impact information on Smallpox

• Infection of monkey kidney BSC-40 and VERO-E6 cells in vitro by variola strain Solaimen is blocked by CI-1033, primarily at the level of secondary viral spreading [6].
• This finding may allow the design of a class of antiviral agents, including agents against variola (smallpox), which has an almost identical E3L [7].
• Treatment of variola major with cytosine arabinoside [8].
• Treatment of variola major with adenine arabinoside [9].
• Because p13 can bind both human and murine IL-18, and because it is highly homologous to the variola virus IL-18BP, we set out to identify residues that may be involved in species specificity [10].

Chemical compound and disease context of Smallpox

• Variola minor in Bragança Paulista county, 1956. Attack rates in various population units of the two schools including most students with the disease [11].
• Among the orthopoxviruses variola virus induces in cells a characteristic thymidine kinase (TK) activity that can be feedback inhibited in reactions with thymidine triphosphate [5].
• Methisazone is an effective compound against variola and vaccinia viruses [12].

Gene context of Smallpox

• The aim of this study was to demonstrate IL-18 binding activity of the Variola virus protein D7L [13].
• The second variola protein is the variola virus high-affinity secreted chemokine-binding protein type II (CKBP-II, CBP-II, vCCI), which binds CC-chemokine receptors [14].
• Comparison of the variola virus (VAR) and vaccinia virus strain Copenhagen (COP) sequences show that the main differences are between proteins L1R and I5R [15].
• Possibly variola virus has discriminated the Delta 32 carriers in Europe since the eighth century AD, explaining the high frequency of the Delta 32 allele in Europe today [16].
• Two major differences in the amino acid composition of the variola virus TK were identified that might play a role in alteration of its kinetic properties [5].

References