Stefan Rothenburg

Our New paper in Nucleic Acids Research, in collaboration with @saramaciasrna.bdky.social!
A new link between TEs, RNA regulation, innate immunity and 22qDS.
Congrats to the authors,specially @anagazquezg.bsky.social

academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Transmission of MPXV from fire-footed rope squirrels to sooty mangabeys Nature - An outbreak of MPXV in sooty mangabeys in Côte d’Ivoire was linked to MPXV-infected fire-footed rope squirrels, providing direct evidence of interspecies transmission and...

rdcu.be/e3IC6

BILLY BRAGG - CITY OF HEROES YouTube video by Billy Bragg

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKOW...

I just leaned that my former postdoc mentor, Fred Heffron, passed away last week. I have fond memories from my time in Portland. Fred was smart, funny, and gave us the freedom to develop our own ideas. I am indebted to him for getting my academic career started in the US. Thank you and R.I.P.

Poxvirus dsDNA genomes differentially activate AIM2 or NLRP3 inflammasomes in human primary cells - The EMBO Journal The innate immune system is known for its ability to recognize cytosolic DNA as evidence of infection, but detailed studies of this process have been mostly limited to mice and cell lines. To investig...

Ever wondered how you can specifically inhibit #AIM2 #inflammasomes? @y-m-tesfamariam.bsky.social generated inhibitory AIM2 #nanobodies to ‬dissect inflammasome responses to #poxvirus infections in human #PrimaryCells
@unibonn.bsky.social @immunosens.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Hi Bluesky! I’m a molecular virologist studying how innate immune defences restrict cross-species transmission and shape disease severity.

I just joined, so reposts appreciated to help me reconnect with virology, immunology, and host–pathogen interaction folks.

(whiteboard art from Zhuonan Li)

Cryo-EM structure of the vaccinia virus entry fusion complex reveals a multicomponent fusion machinery Structure of vaccinia entry fusion complex reveals a unique multiprotein architecture for poxvirus entry.

Great structure of a poxvirus entry fusion complex!
Cryo-EM structure of the vaccinia virus entry fusion complex reveals a multicomponent fusion machinery | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Transcriptome mining reveals diversity and evolution of circulating and endogenous amphibian retroviruses - Retrovirology Background The evolutionary history of retroviruses and their impact on vertebrate evolution remains poorly understood, particularly in non-mammalian hosts. In this study, we explore retroviruses asso...

Happy to share our new paper on retroviruses in amphibians - a labour of love for our team @unswbabs.bsky.social with Prof. Peter White.

We explore 102 amphibian species to understand what type of retroviruses infect them and their evolution, highlights below 🧵

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

1/4 A previously identified mutation in VACV K3L that allowed better replication in sheep cells, better inhibited sheep PKR, but not human PKR, and led to decreased inhibition of mouse PKR, showing that a single mutation in a viral protein can result in distinct species-dependent inhibition changes

1/3 Site-directed mutagenesis and domain swap experiment with cow and sheep PKR showed that the sensitivity to K3L and 011 was partially determined by different residues and regions in PKR.

1/2 We first compared the sensitivity of PKR from 20 mammals to K3L inhibition. Some PKRs were inhibited by only one K3 ortholog, whereas other PKRs were either resistant or sensitive to both inhibitors.

1/1 New publication from my lab further elucidated the molecular basis for the host and virus-specific inhibition of PKR. My previous graduate student, Chorong Park, and other lab members compared orthologous PKR inhibitors from vaccinia virus (K3L) and capripoxviruses (011). www.mdpi.com/3608128

A novel antiviral role of ankyrin repeat and LEM domain-containing 2 (ANKLE2) in restricting vaccinia virus through barrier to autointegration factor (BAF) | Journal of Virology Vaccinia virus relies on disabling host defenses to replicate efficiently, with the host DNA-binding protein BAF representing a key target for viral kinases. Here, we uncover ANKLE2 as a critical host...

A novel antiviral role of ankyrin repeat and LEM domain-containing 2 (ANKLE2) in restricting vaccinia virus through barrier to autointegration factor (BAF) | Journal of Virology journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Now with the correct link:
We reviewed the "Molecular Mechanisms of Poxvirus Evolution"
We show that poxviruses have highly adaptable genomes, and are not sluggishly evolving, as often described.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Molecular Mechanisms of Poxvirus Evolution | mBio Poxviruses are often thought to evolve relatively slowly because they are double-stranded DNA pathogens with proofreading polymerases. However, poxviruses have highly adaptable genomes and can undergo relatively rapid genotypic and phenotypic change, as ...

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

We reviewed the "Molecular Mechanisms of Poxvirus Evolution" | mBio journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
We show that poxviruses have highly adaptable genomes, and are not sluggishly evolving, as often described.

More severe strain of mpox reported in Long Beach — the 7th ever case in the U.S. It's the first U.S. case reported in someone without recent international travel, health officials said.

Locally acquired Mpox case from infection of the more virulent monkeypox virus clade I in California. No need to panic, but it's important to stay vigilant. We need a functional CDC.
lbpost.com/news/health/...

Congratulations @ucdavisvetmed.bsky.social and @ucdavishealth.bsky.social 🎉

Happy Weekend

The NIH ordered me to stop my ‘dangerous’ gain-of-function research. It isn’t dangerous at all Safe gain-of-function research is necessary to identify new treatments for diseases like for tuberculosis — but the NIH has imposed unfounded stops.

In a new opinion piece in @statnews.com ASM member Sarah Stanley, Ph.D., emphasizes that safe gain-of-function research is essential to identifying new treatments for diseases like tuberculosis—yet the NIH has imposed unfounded stops: www.statnews.com/2025/10/06/g...

Host cell state: an overlooked factor impacting the production of influenza A deletion-containing viral genomes and non-infectious particles | mBio Within the infected host, influenza A virus has a bipartite existence as intracellular viral genomic segments undergoing replication and assembly into progeny particles and extracellular progeny parti...

New out in #mBio from our lab! Dr. Ile Agu reviewed developments on *host* influences on influenza deletion containing viral genomes (DelVGs, fka defective viral genomes).

Hoping for more research in this area. So much promising basic and applied science!
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org

Hello Virologists, do you have an exciting virus (or microbes) topic in an emerging area or clinically important basic science virology finding that you want to write about? mBio offers two formats - minireviews (6000 words) or mGems (1500 words). If interested, please contact me or @YountLabOSU.

Antibody cross-reactivity among alphaviruses clinical practice Alphaviruses are mosquito-borne pathogens causing rheumatological disease and encephalomyelitis. Their spread, enhanced by climate change, presents a growing global health threat. To date, no specific treatments and, except for chikungunya virus, no preventive vaccines exist. Alphavirus infection induces cross-reactive antibodies targeting conserved epitopes in glycoprotein E1 and E2. While cross-reactivity can facilitate the development of broad-spectrum vaccines, it complicates serological diagnosis in regions with multiple co-circulating alphaviruses. This review examines how antibody cross-reactivity can foster development of cross-protective vaccines and therapeutics but also how it may present challenges such as antibody-dependent enhancement of disease and diagnostic misinterpretation. Understanding the conservation of epitopes is crucial for designing effective therapies, vaccines, and precise diagnostics to mitigate the alphavirus disease burden globally.

Antibody cross-reactivity among alphaviruses clinical practice

Defying the laws of physics.

Yes and yes and yes

Shocking!

Senate spending panel would rescue NSF and NASA science funding Its support for a flat budget is a sign of congressional resistance to drastic cuts Trump has proposed

The Senate appropriations committee has voiced its intent to ignore the request by President Donald Trump to slash the budgets of the National Science Foundation and NASA science programs. scim.ag/4nW7XWi

Today, we startet our first #nanobody discovery campaign by immunizing two of our alpacas, one by s.c. protein injection and one by gene gun. Crossing our fingers for a good HcAb response 🤞🏻💪🏻

Am I reading this completely wrong or is NIH budget (and other science agencies) essentially unchanged for FY25-26?

The Past Is A Garden I Never Fed, by The Reds, Pinks & Purples 14 track album

Today I am much more excited about the new Reds, Pinks & Purples than the red, white & blue. @glenndonaldson.bsky.social