Biology subjects

Reitz, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Reitz, T..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Pan-neutralization of parainfluenza viruses by a hemagglutinin-neuraminidase antibody

Human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) can cause severe respiratory illnesses, such as croup, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia, particularly in children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. No vaccines or specific therapeutics are available for use in humans. Here, we report the discovery of a human monoclonal antibody designated PVA269 that broadly and potently neutralizes all four HPIV subtypes, PIV5, and Sendai virus by targeting the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoprotein. We show that PVA269 inhibits neuraminidase activity and hemagglutination of erythrocytes through insertion of a long heavy chain complementary-determining region 3 in the enzyme active site. We reveal that the antibody markedly remodels its interactions to accommodate distinct viral features across HPIV subtypes, such as HPIV2 N-linked glycans. These results define the molecular basis for the unique PVA269 pan-neutralizing activity of human and animal viruses spanning two genera. PVA269 provides potent prophylactic activity against HPIV3 replication in the upper and lower airways of the clinically predictive cotton rat model, thus supporting translation of its protective efficacy to humans. These data establish PVA269 as a best-in-class monoclonal antibody and a promising clinical candidate to prevent HPIV infection, transmission, and disease in vulnerable populations.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2026

The induction of systemic resistance to barley powdery mildew by rhizosphere bacterial communities does not disrupt the structure or function of native microbial communities

1.Synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) could help plants withstand biotic stress and reduce the need for pesticides. With this in mind, we created two SynComs, comprising bacterial strains isolated from the rhizospheres of barley and wheat. We then studied their potential to trigger induced systemic resistance against the barley pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh). To investigate the plant-microbial interactions from the perspective of both plants and microbes, we performed DAF staining to quantify Bgh propagation in plant leaves, analysed leaf transcriptomes and conducted rhizosp here 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding and rhizosphere metatranscriptome analysis. Our results demonstrate that the SynComs elicit defence responses in barley against Bgh in a manner similar to that of the positive control strain Pseudomonas simiae WCS417r. The SynComs act without triggering a strong gene response prior to inoculation with the plant pathogen or affecting plant-associated prokaryote communities; they only mildly influence bacterial gene expression in the rhizosphere. Instead, they act as priming agents, preparing the plant for further pathogen attack. These findings suggest that protective SynComs can be applied in the field without causing signficant disruption to native microbial communities.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Sustainable land management enhances ecological and economic multifunctionality under ambient and future climate

1.Anthropogenic activity is threatening ecosystem multifunctionality, i.e. the ability of ecosystems to provide multiple functions and services which are vital for human well-being. Here we assess how multifunctionality of agroecosystems in Central Germany depends on land-use type and climate change. Our analysis included 13 ecosystem functions in a large-scale field experiment with five different land-use types (three grassland and two farmland types either sustainably or intensively managed) under two different climate scenarios (ambient and future climate). We consider ecological measures of multifunctionality using averaging approaches with different weights, i.a. reflecting preferences of farmers and environmentalists, and assess an economic multifunctionality measure based on the total value of ecosystem services. Results show that intensive management and future climate decrease ecological multifunctionality for multiple weighting scenarios in both grassland and farmland. Only under a weighting according to farmers preferences, intensively-managed grassland shows higher multifunctionality as compared to sustainably-managed grassland. The economic multifunctionality measure, which includes economic benefits for society at large, reveals a multifunctionality about [~]1.7 times higher for sustainable compared to intensive management for both grassland and farmland. Above-belowground biodiversity correlates positively with ecosystem multifunctionality and is expected to be one of its main drivers. Based on these findings, we suggest to promote and economically incentivise sustainable land management that enhances both ecological and economic multifunctionality, also under future climatic conditions.

ecology↗