Announcements

The updated citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), published by Clarivate. The recent release of the JCR includes seventy-one MDPI titles. Out of these, 18 titles are newcomers, receiving a first Journal Impact Factor which is based on citation activity in 2019: Actuators, Agriculture, Biology, Biomedicines, Biosensors, Chemosensors, Children, Healthcare, Journal of Fungi, Journal of Personalized Medicine (JPM), Land, Life, Magnetochemistry, Membranes, Pharmaceuticals, Photonics, Separations and Toxics.

• Out of the previously listed journals, a total of 72 percent boast an increased Impact Factor.
• 25 journals are ranked among the top 25% of journals in at least one of the categories they are ranked for.
• Articles published in 2019 in MDPI journals account for approximately 17 percent of of articles published in gold Open Access journals covered in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI).
  
  

First Impact Factors

Updated Impact Factors

The editorial team of Toxins would like to congratulate the winner of the Best Poster Award, Daniel Henkel, at the 5th German Pharm-Tox Summit.

Here are the title and abstract of his work:

Evaluation of Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan-4 and Frizzled-1,2,7 for Cytopathic and Cytotoxic Effects of TcdB from Historic and Hypervirulent Clostridioides difficile Strains

Daniel Henkel ¹, Helma Tatge ¹, Dennis Schoettelndreier ¹, Liang Tao ^2,3, Min Dong ² and
Ralf Gerhard ¹

¹   Institute of Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
²   Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
³   Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China；

Clostridioides difficile is a gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium that is the main cause of nosocomial, antibiotic-induced diarrhea. The clinical symptoms are caused by two exotoxins that are released by C. difficile (TcdA and TcdB). Both toxins are 300 kDa sized glucosyltransferases that inactivate small intracellular Rho-GTPases by mono-glucosylation. This leads to the destruction of the organisation of the actin cytoskeleton and to the rounding of the cells. This drastic morphological change is a valid and safe method to detect the activity of the toxins.

In order to enter the cells, the toxins first bind to their receptors on the cell surfaces, whereupon they are taken up into the cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. So far, three receptors have been identified for the main virulence factor TcdB: chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-4 (CSPG4/NG2), poliovirus receptor like 3 (PVRL3/nectin-3) and the Wnt receptor proteins Frizzled1,2,7 (FZD1,2,7). While the binding regions for CSPG4 and FZD1,2,7 have been identified, the functional binding to PVRL3 and a resulting toxin uptake has not yet been validated. Our investigations, however, show that the contribution of PVRL3 to toxin uptake is negligible.

The CSPG4 and FZD receptor binding domains of TcdB have only been investigated independently from each other, although they are located in close spatial proximity. In our work we have therefore investigated a possible dependence of both receptor binding domains and determined the respective proportion of the receptors on the effect of TcdB. For this purpose, we prepared recombinant TcdB from both the historical strain VPI10463 of Clade I (TcdB_VPI) and the hypervirulent strain R20291 of Clade II (TcdB_R20). In addition, we have used variants that can no longer bind either to CSPG4 (TcdBΔCROPs), or to FZD1,2,7 (TcdB_VPIF1597S) or to either of the two receptors (TcdB_VPIΔCROPs F1597S). In addition, we have used HeLa wild-type and HeLa CSPG4^-/- cells complementarily in cell rounding assays and cytotoxicity tests. We could show that CSPG4 is the major receptor for both TcdB_VPI and TcdB_VPI in terms of cytopathic activity, accounting for estimated 70 % and 90 % effect, respectively. Furthermore, CSPG4 mediates almost exclusively the cytotoxic effect in HeLa cells.

In the historical TcdB_VPI a phenylalanine (F1597) is essential for binding to FZD1,2,7, which is replaced by a serine in TcdB_R20. Consequently, TcdB from the hypervirulent strain does not bind to FZD1,2,7. Against this background, we have prepared the mutant TcdB_VPIF1597S, which showed a reduced cytopathic potency identical to that of TcdB_R20.

By using toxins that specifically address one of two receptors, and by using HeLa cells, which lack CSPG4 as a receptor, in a complementary approach we evaluated additive function of CSPG4 and FZD1,2,7 for historical TcdB_VPI. Both receptor binding sites can independently mediate toxin uptake. Thus, in case of TcdB the two-receptor model means an extension of the target cell spectrum – rather than increased cell specificity. The increased cell specificity is only achieved by the loss of functional FZD binding, as is the case with TcdB_R20 from the hypervirulent strain. Our results now allow to attribute the stronger inflammatory effect of the hypervirulent C. difficile strains to the focused effect of TcdB_R20 on CSPG4-positive cells, such as immune cells or cells of the enteric nervous system.

Since 1996, MDPI has been committed to supporting the research community by providing the latest research freely available and making relevant and useful research available as quickly as possible. The world is current experiencing a pandemic of COVID-19, and researchers are working extremely hard to understand it and find a cure.

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2019 Toxins Young Investigator Award

It was a difficult decision given the number of high-quality applications for the award, and we would like to thank all the applicants from various fields of study for their participation, and all the Award Committee members for their efforts in evaluating the many applications. We congratulate the winner, Prof. Nicholas R Casewell, on his accomplishments. We wish him further success in his career.

We are pleased to announce the winner of the 2020 Travel Award sponsored by MDPI and Toxins. The award was granted to an outstanding young researcher:

2020 Toxins Travel Award

This has certainly been a difficult decision, given the volume of high-quality applications for the awards. We would like to thank all of the applicants for submitting what was collectively such a range of diverse and fascinating research topics and congratulate the winner on his accomplishments.

For more information about Toxins awards, please check: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins/awards

We are pleased to announce the winner of the 2019 Outstanding Reviewer Award sponsored by MDPI and Toxins. This award was granted to two outstanding reviewers for the quality, timeliness, and volume of their reviews.

Dr. Matthias Koch holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry and is Head of the BAM division that focuses on the trace analysis of organic pollutants in food and environmental matrices. His work over the last 20 years has aimed at developing and improving analytical procedures, standardization of methods, and developing reference materials. One of his main research areas in recent years has been the simulation and identification of transformation products, especially for food-related mycotoxins. He authored or co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed papers.

2019 Toxins Outstanding Reviewer Award

Dr. Sumit Ghosh was awarded his Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from North Dakota State University in the summer of 2012. He then continued his postdoctoral work in the field of Immunology at North Dakota State University, where he investigated the role of B lymphocytes and extracellular matrix components (ECM) components in allergic fungal asthma. He is a Registered Biosafety Professional, Certified Safety Professional l and currently serves on the Publication and Distance Learning Committee of American Biological Safety Association International (ABSA). Additionally, he serves on the editorial board of numerous national and international journals. He is an Environmental Health and Safety Leader with extensive research experience in Biological Safety, OSHA, EPA, DOT regulations, and in-depth knowledge of high-containment labs. He is currently Associate Director of Research Safety/Research Biosafety Officer at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

We would like to congratulate the winners and thank them for their dedication and efforts in providing critical feedback to authors and contributing to upholding the standard and integrity of peer review.

For more information about Toxins awards, please check: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins/awards

As a leading Open Access publisher, MDPI is committed to fostering open scientific exchange in all forms across all disciplines. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, many researchers have to stay at home and many academic conferences have been cancelled or postponed. In light of these changes, MDPI has adopted numerous initiatives that may help accelerate scientific exchange and provide support to the academics during this period.

Scholarly Community—Encyclopedia

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Organize and Participate in Conferences Online—Sciforum

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Post Early Versions of Research Outputs—Preprints

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MDPI remains committed to open science and open data and has signed a statement, along with more than thirty scholarly publishers, showing our intention to facilitate sharing of new research findings as early on as possible. The initiative sees publishers collectively removing barriers to new research, in the face of a global healthcare crisis.

The editorial team of Toxins would like to congratulate the winner of the Toxins Travel Student Award, Roberto Ponce Lopez, at Venom Week VII.

Here are the title and abstract of his work:

Sphingomylinase D-Crotamine Recombinant Fusion Protein as Immunogen for the Production of Antibodies Against Crotamine

Ponce-López, R.^1,*, Olvera-Rodríguez, A.¹, Borja-Jiménez, M.², Neri-Castro, E.¹, Olvera-Rodríguez, L.¹, Alagón, A.¹

¹   Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México; rockbert@ibt.unam.mx (P.-L.R.)

²   Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio, Durango, México

Background: Crotoxin (molecular weight (MW): ~24 kDa) and crotamine (MW: ~5 kDa) are two of the most studied neurotoxic components found in several rattlesnake venoms (Crotalus spp.). The former compound is well neutralized by antivenoms, whereas the latter is well known for its spastic paralysis symptom provoked in mice with no evidence of neutralization. Recently, it was reported that crotamine is the major toxin found in some neonate and juvenile Mexican rattlesnake venoms such as Crotalus molossus nigrescens (~50%). Currently, the available Mexican pit viper antivenoms neither recognize nor neutralize crotamine from C. m. nigrescens, possibly explained by its low immunogenicity due to its low molecular weight. Sphingomyelinase D (SMD) is a highly immunogenic enzyme (MW: ~30 kDa) found in Loxosceles spp. spider venom. To increase immunogenicity of a low molecular weight toxin, we hypothesized that our novel recombinant fusion protein, composed of crotamine from C. m. nigrescens and sphingomyelinase D from L. reclusa used as carrier, will contribute significantly to the generation of neutralizing antibodies against crotamine, preventing its spastic paralysis and lethality.

Methods: Crotamine cDNA was synthetized from the venom gland mRNA of a C. m. nigrescens individual from Mexico, and one plasmid containing L. reclusa SMD was available in the laboratory. By standard genetic engineering procedures, we cloned in tandem sphingomyelinase D and one crotamine isoform into the expression vector pQE30. This fusion protein was expressed in Origami Escherichia coli. Using the recombinant protein, we performed immunization protocols in rabbits and, during the scheme, we measured ELISA antibody titers to purified crotamine from C. m. nigrescens venom. 

Results: The fusion protein was obtained at 3 mg/L of bacterial culture with the expected 37.5 kDa molecular mass as analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. The fusion protein was lethal in mice (LD₅₀ = 2.8 μg/g weight of mice) showing no effects of spastic paralysis. Based on ELISA and Western blot, serum samples of immunized rabbits reacted to crotamine.

Discussion/Conclusion: The SMD–crotamine fusion protein used as immunogen generates antibodies that recognize crotamine. We are using pre-incubation experiments to analyze the neutralization ability of antibodies to prevent spastic paralysis and lethality from crotamine in mice.

Keywords: crotamine; sphingomyelinase-d; molecular-carrier; recombinant-protein

Acknowledgment: Fordecyt 303045.

The world is currently suffering from a global pandemic of the corona virus COVID-19. MDPI expresses its sympathies for all of those affected by the virus and stands in solidarity with medical staff and researchers treating patients and searching for scientific solutions.

MDPI has previously published papers covering corona viruses in addition to new papers on the current outbreak, see all papers here. In particular, Viruses has published a number of Special Issues and papers on the topic (see here, here, and here) as well as a forthcoming Special Issue.

Alongside journal articles, MDPI has been a strong supporter of preprints, which are increasingly being used to rapidly disseminate the latest research, and we run the preprint server Preprints.org. Our database of research articles, Scilit, is free to use and covers all publishers including preprint servers. New papers are often in search results within hours of publication and users can set up alerts for new papers.

Our main priority during this period has been the health and safety of staff, and we continue to allow staff to work at home and closely monitor the situation in all locations in which we work. Despite the restrictions, we continue to provide a full publication service and, by close collaboration with our editorial boards and making use our in-house teams, ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in publishing vital research. Fast and open publication has always been at the core of MDPI values and is now more important than ever.

We hope that a solution to the current situation will emerge soon. In the meantime, we will do our best to continue communicating vital research in all fields.

The advantages of the open access model of scientific publishing are being increasingly recognized in the scientific community. It allows new scientific evidence to be accessed from the moment of publication for free by anyone around the globe, boosting the impact of new research. In response, many funders, libraries and universities have been adopting new principles to accelerate the transition to open access.

Recently, “transformative agreements” have been negotiated between traditional publishers and various institutions. While increasing the number of open access papers, these agreements lack binding commitments to a full transition to open access, their conditions vary across different regions, and access is still limited for many users.

MDPI is a co-signatory of the recent position statement raising concerns about potential downsides of transformative agreements and how they may delay a full transition to open access. The statement highlights that these models “risk perpetuating current limitations on access, transparency and market competitiveness, while simultaneously facilitating excessive charges on the public purse”.

As a pioneering open access journal publisher, MDPI is the first to promote the importance of science being made available to everyone. Our peer-reviewed journals, covering diverse academic disciplines, are fully accessible to the public free of charge under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). This is why, along with other open access publishers, MDPI is a proud signatory of the position paper and is committed to contributing to the replacement of weak transitional agreements with “agreements with publishers that are already fully committed to open science and who offer full, immediate and transparent Open Access”.

Read the position paper here