The capacity of respiratory viruses to undergo evolution within the respiratory tract raises the possibility of evolution under the selective pressure of the host environment or drug treatment. Long-term infections in immunocompromised hosts are potential drivers of viral evolution and development of infectious variants. We show that intra-host evolution in chronic human parainfluenza virus 3 (HPIV3) infection in immunocompromised individuals elicited mutations that favor viral entry and persistence, suggesting that similar processes may operate across enveloped respiratory viruses. We profiled longitudinal HPIV3 infections from two immunocompromised individuals that persisted for 278 and 98 days. Mutations accrued in the HPIV3 attachment protein hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN), including the first in vivo mutation in HN’s receptor binding site responsible for activating the viral fusion process. Fixation of this mutation was associated with exposure to a drug that cleaves host cell sialic acid moieties. Longitudinal adaptation of HN was associated with features that promote viral entry and persistence in cells, including greater avidity for sialic acid and more active fusion activity in vitro, but not with antibody escape. Long term infection thus led to mutations promoting viral persistence, suggesting that host-directed therapeutics may support the evolution of viruses that alter their biophysical characteristics to persist in the face of these agents in vivo.
Alexander L. Greninger, Ksenia Rybkina, Michelle J. Lin, Jennifer Drew-Bear, Tara C. Marcink, Ryan C. Shean, Negar Makhsous, Michael Boeckh, Olivia Harder, Francesca Bovier, Shana R. Burstein, Stefan Niewiesk, Bert K. Rima, Matteo Porotto, Anne Moscona
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is caused by Leishmania donovani in Sri Lanka. Pentavalent antimonials (e.g. sodium stibogluconate; SSG) remain first line drugs for CL with no new effective treatments emerging. We studied whole blood and lesion transcriptomes from Sri Lankan CL patients at presentation and during SSG treatment. From lesions but not whole blood, we identified differential expression of immune-related genes, including immune checkpoint molecules, after onset of treatment. Using spatial profiling and RNA-FISH, we confirmed reduced expression of PD-L1 and IDO1 proteins on treatment in lesions of a second validation cohort and further demonstrated significantly higher expression of these checkpoint molecules on parasite-infected compared to non-infected lesional CD68+ monocytes / macrophages. Crucially, early reduction in PD-L1 but not IDO1 expression was predictive of rate of clinical cure (HR = 4.88) and occurred in parallel with reduction in parasite load. Our data support a model whereby the initial anti-leishmanial activity of antimonial drugs alleviates checkpoint inhibition on T cells, facilitating immune-drug synergism and clinical cure. Our findings demonstrate that PD-L1 expression can be used as predictor of rapidity of clinical response to SSG treatment in Sri Lanka and support further evaluation of PD-L1 as a host directed therapy target in leishmaniasis.
Nidhi S. Dey, Sujai Senaratne, Vijani Somaratne, Nayani P. Madarasinghe, Bimalka Seneviratne, Sarah Forrester, Marcela Montes de Oca, Luiza Campos Reis, Srija Moulik, Pegine B. Walrad, Mitali Chatterjee, Hiro Goto, Renu Wickremasinghe, Dimitris Lagos, Paul M. Kaye, Shalindra Ranasinghe
Air pollution is a well-known contributor to asthma. Air toxics are hazardous air pollutants that cause or may cause serious health effects. While individual air toxics have been associated with asthma, only a limited number of studies have specifically examined combinations of air toxics associated with the disease. We geocoded air toxic levels from the US National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) to residential locations for participants of our AiRway in Asthma (ARIA) study. We then applied Data-driven ExposurE Profile extraction (DEEP), a novel machine learning-based method, to discover combinations of early-life air toxics associated with current use of daily asthma controller medication, lifetime emergency department visit for asthma, and lifetime overnight hospitalization for asthma. We discovered 20 multi-air toxic combinations and 18 single air toxics associated with at least one outcome. The multi-air toxic combinations included those containing acrylic acid, ethylidene dichloride, and hydroquinone, and they were significantly associated with asthma outcomes with odds ratios of 1.60 to 3.19. Several air toxic members of the combinations would not have been identified by single air toxic analyses, supporting the use of machine learning-based methods designed to detect combinatorial effects. Our findings provide knowledge about air toxic combinations associated with childhood asthma.
Yan-Chak Li, Hsiao-Hsien Leon Hsu, Yoojin Chun, Po-Hsiang Chiu, Zoe Arditi, Luz Claudio, Gaurav Pandey, Supinda Bunyavanich
BACKGROUND. There is considerable variability in COVID-19 outcomes amongst younger adults—and some of this variation may be due to genetic predisposition. METHODS. We combined individual level data from 13,888 COVID-19 patients (N=7,185 hospitalized) from 17 cohorts in nine countries to assess the association of the major common COVID-19 genetic risk factor (chromosome 3 locus tagged by rs10490770) with mortality, COVID-19-related complications and laboratory values. We next performed meta-analyses using FinnGen and the Columbia University COVID-19 Biobank. RESULTS. We found that rs10490770 risk allele carriers experienced an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.4, 95%CI 1.2–1.7). Risk allele carriers had increased odds of several COVID-19 complications: severe respiratory failure (OR 2.1, 95%CI 1.6-2.6), venous thromboembolism (OR 1.7, 95%CI 1.2-2.4), and hepatic injury (OR 1.5, 95%CI 1.2-2.0). Risk allele carriers ≤60 years had higher odds of death or severe respiratory failure (OR 2.7, 95%CI 1.8-3.9) compared to those >60 years (OR 1.5, 95%CI 1.2-1.8, interaction-p=0.038). Amongst individuals ≤60 years who died or experienced severe respiratory failure, 32.3% were risk variant carriers, compared to 13.9% of those not experiencing these outcomes. The genetic risk improved the prediction of death or severe respiratory failure similarly to, or better than, most established clinical risk factors. CONCLUSIONS. The major common COVID-19 genetic risk factor is associated with increased risks of morbidity and mortality, which are more pronounced amongst individuals ≤60 years. The effect was similar in magnitude and more common than most established clinical risk factors, suggesting potential implications for future clinical risk management.
Tomoko Nakanishi, Sara Pigazzini, Frauke Degenhardt, Mattia Cordioli, Guillaume Butler-Laporte, Douglas Maya-Miles, Luis Bujanda, Youssef Bouysran, Mari E.K. Niemi, Adriana Palom, David Ellinghaus, Atlas Khan, Manuel Martínez-Bueno, Selina Rolker, Sara Amitrano, Luisa Roade Tato, Francesca Fava, Christoph D. Spinner, Daniele Prati, David Bernardo, Federico Garcia, Gilles Darcis, Israel Fernandez-Cadenas, Jan Cato Holter, Jesus M. Banales, Robert Frithiof, Krzysztof Kiryluk, Stefano Duga, Rosanna Asselta, Alexandre C. Pereira, Manuel Romero-Gómez, Beatriz Nafría-Jiménez, Johannes R. Hov, Isabelle Migeotte, Alessandra Renieri, Anna M. Planas, Kerstin U. Ludwig, Maria Buti, Souad Rahmouni, Marta E. Alarcón-Riquelme, Eva C. Schulte, Andre Franke, Tom H. Karlsen, Luca Valenti, Hugo Zeberg, J. Brent Richards, Andrea Ganna
Emerging evidence has shown that open reading frames inside lncRNA could encode micropeptides. However, their roles in cellular energy metabolism and tumor progression remain largely unknown. Here, we identified a 94-amino acid-length micropeptide encoded by lncRNA LINC00467 in colorectal cancer. We also characterized its conservation across higher mammals, localization to mitochondria, and the concerted local functions. This peptide enhanced the ATP synthase construction by interacting with the subunit α and γ (ATP5A and ATP5C), increased ATP synthase activity and mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate, and thereby promoted colorectal cancer cell proliferation. Hence, this micropeptide was termed as “ATP synthase associated peptide” (ASAP). Furthermore, loss of ASAP suppressed patient-derived xenograft growth with attenuated ATP synthase activity and mitochondrial ATP production. Clinically, high expression of ASAP and LINC00467 predicted poor prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. Taken together, our findings revealed a colorectal cancer-associated micropeptide as a vital player in mitochondrial metabolism and provided a therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.
Qiwei Ge, Dingjiacheng Jia, Dong Cen, Yadong Qi, Chengyu Shi, Junhong Li, Lingjie Sang, Luo-jia Yang, Jiamin He, Aifu Lin, Shujie Chen, Liangjing Wang
Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) have potent anti-inflammatory properties. Hydrolysis of EETs by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH/EPHX2) to less active diols attenuates their anti-inflammatory effects. Macrophage activation is critical to many inflammatory responses; however, the role of EETs and sEH in regulating macrophage function remains unknown. Lung bacterial clearance of S. pneumoniae was impaired in Ephx2-deficient (Ephx2-/-) mice and in mice treated with an sEH inhibitor. The EET receptor antagonist, EEZE, restored lung clearance of S. pneumoniae in Ephx2-/- mice. Ephx2-/- mice had normal lung Il-1β, Il-6 and Tnfα expression and macrophage recruitment to lungs during S. pneumoniae infection; however, Ephx2 disruption attenuated proinflammatory cytokine induction, Tlr2 and Pgylrp1 receptor upregulation and Rac1/2 and Cdc42 activation in PGN-stimulated macrophages. Consistent with these observations, Ephx2-/-macrophages displayed reduced phagocytosis of S. pneumoniae in vivo and in vitro. Heterologous overexpression of TLR2 and PGLYRP1 in Ephx2-/- macrophages restored macrophage activation and phagocytosis. Human macrophage function was similarly regulated by EETs. Together, these results demonstrate that EETs reduce macrophage activation and phagocytosis of S. pneumoniae through down-regulation of TLR2 and PGLYRP1 expression. Defining the role of EETs and sEH in macrophage function may lead to development of new therapeutic approaches for bacterial diseases.
Hong Li, J. Alyce Bradbury, Matthew L. Edin, Joan P. Graves, Artiom Gruzdev, Jennifer Cheng, Samantha L. Hoopes, Laura Miller-Degraff, Michael B. Fessler, Stavros Garantziotis, Shepherd H. Schurman, Darryl Craig Zeldin
Bladder cancer is a genetically heterogeneous disease and novel therapeutic strategies are needed to expand treatment options and improve clinical outcomes. Here we identified a unique subset of urothelial tumors with focal amplification of the RAF1 (CRAF) kinase gene. RAF1-amplified tumors had activation of the RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway and exhibited a luminal gene expression pattern. Genetic studies demonstrated that RAF1-amplified tumors were dependent upon RAF1 activity for survival, and RAF1-activated cell lines and patient-derived models were sensitive to available and emerging RAF inhibitors as well as combined RAF plus MEK inhibition. Furthermore, we found that bladder tumors with HRAS or NRAS activating mutations were dependent on RAF1-mediated signaling and were sensitive to RAF1-targeted therapy. Together, these data identified RAF1 activation as a novel dependency in a subset comprising nearly 20% of urothelial tumors and suggested that targeting RAF1-mediated signaling represents a rationale therapeutic strategy.
Raie T. Bekele, Amruta S. Samant, Amin H. Nassar, Jonathan So, Elizabeth P. Garcia, Catherine R. Curran, Justin H. Hwang, David L. Mayhew, Anwesha Nag, Aaron R. Thorner, Judit Börcsök, Zsofia Sztupinszki, Chong-Xian Pan, Joaquim Bellmunt, David J. Kwiatkowski, Guru P. Sonpavde, Eliezer M. Van Allen, Kent W. Mouw
Somatic mutations in the spliceosome gene U2AF1 are common in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. U2AF1 mutations that code for the most common amino acid substitutions are always heterozygous, and the retained wild-type allele is expressed, suggesting that mutant hematopoietic cells may require the residual wild-type allele to be viable. We show that hematopoiesis and RNA splicing in U2af1 heterozygous knock-out mice was similar to control mice, but that deletion of the wild-type allele in U2AF1(S34F) heterozygous mutant expressing hematopoietic cells (i.e., hemizygous mutant) was lethal. These results confirm that U2AF1 mutant hematopoietic cells are dependent on the expression of wild-type U2AF1 for survival in vivo and that U2AF1 is a haplo-essential cancer gene. Mutant U2AF1 (S34F) expressing cells were also more sensitive to reduced expression of wild-type U2AF1 than non-mutant cells. Furthermore, mice transplanted with leukemia cells expressing mutant U2AF1 had significantly reduced tumor burden and improved survival after the wild-type U2af1 allele was deleted compared to when it was not deleted. These results suggest that selectively targeting the wild-type U2AF1 allele in heterozygous mutant cells could induce cancer cell death and be a therapeutic strategy for patients harboring U2AF1 mutations.
Brian A. Wadugu, Sridhar Nonavinkere Srivatsan, Amanda Heard, Michael O. Alberti, Matthew Ndonwi, Jie Liu, Sarah Grieb, Joseph Bradley, Jin Shao, Tanzir Ahmed, Cara L. Shirai, Ajay Khanna, Dennis L. Fei, Christopher A. Miller, Timothy A. Graubert, Matthew J. Walter
In this study, we demonstrate that Forkhead Box F1 (FOXF1), a mesenchymal transcriptional factor essential for lung development, is retained in a topographically distinct mesenchymal stromal cell population along the bronchovascular space in an adult lung and identify this distinct subset of collagen-expressing cells as a key player in lung allograft remodeling and fibrosis. Utilizing Foxf1_tdTomato BAC (Foxf1_tdTomato) and Foxf1_tdTomato;Col1a1_GFP mice, we show that Lin-Foxf1+ cells encompass the Sca1+CD34+ subset of collagen I-expressing mesenchymal cells (MCs) with capacity to generate colony forming units and lung epithelial organoids. Histologically, Foxf1-expressing MCs formed a three-dimensional network along the conducting airways; FOXF1 was noted to be conspicuously absent in MCs in the alveolar compartment. Bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing confirmed distinct transcriptional signatures of Foxf1pos/neg MCs, with Foxf1-expressing cells delineated by their high Gli1 and low Integrin α8 expression, from other collagen-expressing MCs. Foxf1+Gli1+ MCs demonstrated proximity to Sonic hedgehog (Shh) expressing bronchial epithelium, and mesenchymal Foxf1/Gli1 expression was found to be dependent on the paracrine Shh signaling in epithelial organoids. Utilizing a murine lung transplant model, we show dysregulation of the epithelial mesenchymal Shh/Gli1/Foxf1 crosstalk and expansion of this specific peri-bronchial MC population in chronically rejecting fibrotic lung allografts.
Russell R. Braeuer, Natalie M. Walker, Keizo Misumi, Serina Mazzoni-Putman, Yoshiro Aoki, Ruohan Liao, Ragini Vittal, Gabriel G. Kleer, David S. Wheeler, Jonathan Z. Sexton, Carol F. Farver, Joshua D. Welch, Vibha N. Lama
Cortical spreading depression (CSD), a wave of depolarization followed by depression of cortical activity, is a pathophysiological process implicated in migraine with aura and various other brain pathologies, such as ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury. To gain insight into the pathophysiology of CSD, we generated a mouse model for a severe monogenic subtype of migraine with aura, familial hemiplegic migraine type 3 (FHM3). FHM3 is caused by mutations in SCN1A, encoding the voltage-gated Na+ channel NaV1.1 predominantly expressed in inhibitory interneurons. Homozygous Scn1aL1649Q knock-in mice died prematurely, whereas heterozygous mice had a normal lifespan. Heterozygous Scn1aL1649Q knock-in mice compared to wildtype mice displayed a significantly enhanced susceptibility to CSD. We found L1649Q to cause a gain-of-function effect with an impaired Na+-channel inactivation and increased ramp Na+-currents leading to hyperactivity of fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons. Brain slice recordings using K+-sensitive electrodes revealed an increase in extracellular K+ in the early phase of CSD in heterozygous mice, likely representing the mechanistic link between interneuron hyperactivity and CSD initiation. The neuronal phenotype and premature death of homozygous Scn1aL1649Q knock-in mice was partially rescued by GS967, a blocker of persistent Na+-currents. Collectively, our findings identify interneuron hyperactivity as a mechanism to trigger CSD.
Eva Auffenberg, Ulrike B.S. Hedrich, Raffaella Barbieri, Daniela Miely, Bernhard Groschup, Thomas V. Wuttke, Niklas Vogel, Philipp Lührs, Ilaria Zanardi, Sara Bertelli, Nadine Spielmann, Valerie Gailus-Durner, Helmut Fuchs, Martin Hrabě de Angelis, Michael Pusch, Martin Dichgans, Holger Lerche, Paola Gavazzo, Nikolaus Plesnila, Tobias Freilinger
Tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells contribute to the development of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Myeloid cell expression of arginase 1 (Arg-1) promotes a protumor phenotype by inhibiting T cell function and depleting extracellular L-arginine, but the mechanism underlying this expression, especially in breast cancer, is poorly understood. In breast cancer clinical samples and in our mouse models, we identified tumor derived GM-CSF as the primary regulator of myeloid cell Arg-1 expression and local immune suppression through a gene knockout screen of breast tumor cell-produced factors. The induction of myeloid cell Arg-1 required GM-CSF and a low pH environment. GM-CSF signaling through STAT3, p38 MAPK, and acid signaling through cAMP were required to activate myeloid cell Arg-1 expression in a STAT6 independent manner. Importantly, breast tumor cell-derived GM-CSF promoted tumor progression by inhibiting host anti-tumor immunity, driving a significant accumulation of Arg-1 expressing myeloid cells compared to lung and melanoma tumors with minimal GM-CSF expression. Blockade of tumoral GM-CSF enhanced the efficacy of tumor-specific adoptive T-cell therapy and immune checkpoint blockade. Taken together, breast tumor cell-derived GM-CSF contributes to the development of the immunosuppressive breast cancer microenvironment by regulating myeloid cell Arg-1 expression and can be targeted to enhance breast cancer immunotherapy.
Xinming Su, Yalin Xu, Gregory C. Fox, Jingyu Xiang, Kristin A. Kwakwa, Jennifer L. Davis, Jad I. Belle, Wen-Chih Lee, Wing H. Wong, Francesca Fontana, Leonel Hernandez-Aya, Takayuki Kobayashi, Helen M. Tomasson, Junyi Su, Suzanne J. Bakewell, Sheila A. Stewart, Christopher Egbulefu, Partha Karmakar, Melissa A Meyer, Deborah J. Veis, David G. DeNardo, Gregory M. Lanza, Samuel Achilefu, Katherine N. Weilbaecher
Insulin resistance is present in one-quarter of the general population, predisposing to a wide-range of diseases. Our aim was to identify cell-intrinsic determinants of insulin resistance in this population using IPS cell-derived myoblasts (iMyos). We found that these cells exhibited a large network of altered protein phosphorylation in vitro. Integrating these data with data from type-2-diabetic iMyos revealed critical sites of conserved altered phosphorylation in IRS-1, AKT, mTOR and TBC1D1, in addition to changes in protein phosphorylation involved in Rho/Rac signaling, chromatin organization and RNA processing. There were also striking differences in the phosphoproteome in cells from males versus females. These sex-specific and insulin resistance defects were linked to functional differences in downstream actions. Thus, there are cell-autonomous signaling alterations associated with insulin resistance within the general population and important differences in males and females, many of which are shared with diabetes, and contribute to differences in physiology and disease.
Nida Haider, Jasmin Lebastchi, Ashok Kumar Jayavelu, Thiago M. Batista, Hui Pan, Jonathan M. Dreyfuss, Ivan Carcamo-Orive, Joshua W. Knowles, Matthias Mann, C. Ronald Kahn
Formation of nitric oxide (NO) by the endothelial NO-synthase (eNOS) is a central process in the homeostatic regulation of vascular functions including blood pressure regulation and fluid shear stress exerted by the flowing blood is a main stimulus of eNOS activity. Previous work has identified several mechanosensing and -transducing processes in endothelial cells, which mediate this process and result in the stimulation of eNOS activity through phosphorylation of the enzyme via various kinases including AKT. How the initial mechanosensing and signaling processes are linked to eNOS phosphorylation is unclear. In human endothelial cells, we demonstrated that protein kinase N2 (PKN2), which is activated by flow through the mechanosensitive cation channel Piezo1 and Gq/G11-mediated signaling, as well as Ca2+ and PDK1, plays a pivotal role in this process. Active PKN2 promoted phosphorylation of human eNOS at serine 1177 and at a newly identified site, serine 1179. These phosphorylation events additively led to increased eNOS activity. PKN2-mediated eNOS phosphorylation at serine 1177 involved phosphorylation of AKT synergistically with mTORC2-mediated AKT phosphorylation while active PKN2 directly phosphorylated human eNOS at serine 1179. Mice with induced endothelium-specific deficiency of PKN2 showed strongly reduced flow-induced vasodilation and developed arterial hypertension accompanied by reduced eNOS activation. These results uncover a central mechanism that couples upstream mechanosignaling processes in endothelial cells to the regulation of eNOS-mediated NO formation, vascular tone and blood pressure.
Young-June Jin, Ramesh Chennupati, Rui Li, Guozheng Liang, ShengPeng Wang, András Iring, Johannes Graumann, Nina Wettschureck, Stefan Offermanns
Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) risk-alleles in donor kidneys associate with graft loss but whether recipient risk-allele expression impacts transplant outcomes is unclear. To test whether recipient APOL1 risk-alleles independently correlate with transplant outcomes, we analyzed genome-wide SNP genotyping data of donors and recipients from two kidney transplant cohorts, Genomics of Chronic Allograft Rejection (GOCAR) and Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation (CTOT1/17). We estimated genetic ancestry (quantified as proportion of African ancestry or pAFR) by ADMIXTURE and correlated APOL1 genotypes and pAFR with outcomes. In the GOCAR discovery set, we observed that the number of recipient APOL1 G1/G2 alleles (R-nAPOL1) associated with increased risk of death-censored allograft loss (DCAL), independent of ancestry (HR = 2.14; P = 0.006), and within the subgroup of African American and Hispanic (AA/H) recipients (HR = 2.36; P = 0.003). R-nAPOL1 also associated with increased risk of any T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) event. These associations were validated in CTOT1/17. Ex vivo studies of peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed unanticipated high APOL1 expression in activated CD4+/CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells. We detected enriched immune response gene pathways in risk-allele carriers vs. non-carriers on the kidney transplant waitlist and among healthy controls. Our findings demonstrate an immunomodulatory role for recipient APOL1 risk-alleles associating with TCMR and DCAL. This finding has broader implications for immune mediated injury to native kidneys.
Zhongyang Zhang, Zeguo Sun, Jia Fu, Qisheng Lin, Khadija Banu, Kinsuk Chauhan, Marina Planoutene, Chengguo Wei, Fadi Salem, Zhengzi Yi, Ruijie Liu, Paolo Cravedi, Haoxiang Cheng, Ke Hao, Philip J. O’Connell, Shuta Ishibe, Weijia Zhang, Steven G. Coca, Ian W. Gibson, Robert B. Colvin, John C. He, Peter S. Heeger, Barbara T. Murphy, Madhav C. Menon
The endocannabinoid system regulates appetite and energy expenditure and inhibitors of the cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB-1) induce weight loss with improvement in components of the metabolic syndrome. While CB-1 blockage in brain is responsible for weight loss, many of the metabolic benefits associated with CB-1 blockade have been attributed to inhibition of CB-1 signaling in the periphery. As a result, there has been interest in developing a peripherally restricted CB-1 inhibitor for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that would lack the unwanted centrally mediated side effects. Here, we produced mice that lacked CB-1 receptors in hepatocytes or stellate cells to determine if CB-1 signaling contributes to the development of NAFLD or liver fibrosis. Deletion of CB-1 receptors in hepatocytes did not alter the development of NAFLD in mice fed a high sucrose high fat diet or high fat diet (HFD). Similarly, deletion of CB-1 deletion specifically in stellate cells also did not prevent the development of NAFLD in mice fed the HFD nor did it protect mice for carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced fibrosis. Combined, these studies do not support a direct role for hepatocyte or stellate cell CB-1 signaling in the development of NAFLD or liver fibrosis.
Simeng Wang, Qingzhang Zhu, Guosheng Liang, Tania Franks, Magalie Boucher, Kendra K. Bence, Mingjian Lu, Carlos M. Castorena, Shangang Zhao, Joel K. Elmquist, Philipp E. Scherer, Jay D. Horton
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Little is known about the interplay between pre-existing immunity towards endemic seasonal coronaviruses and the development of a SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG response. We investigated the kinetics, breadth, magnitude and level of cross-reactivity of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and heterologous seasonal and epidemic coronaviruses at the clonal level in mild and severe COVID-19 patients and disease control patients. Antibody reactivity towards nucleocapsid and spike antigens was assessed and correlated to SARS-CoV-2 neutralization. COVID-19 patients mounted a mostly type-specific SARS-CoV-2 response. Additionally, IgG clones directed against seasonal coronavirus were boosted in patients with severe COVID-19. These boosted clones showed limited cross-reactivity and did not neutralize SARS-CoV-2. These findings support a boost of poorly protective coronavirus-specific antibodies in COVID-19 patients that correlates with disease severity, revealing original antigenic sin.
Muriel Aguilar-Bretones, Brenda M. Westerhuis, Matthijs P. Raadsen, Erwin de Bruin, Felicity D. Chandler, Nisreen M.A. Okba, Bart L. Haagmans, Thomas Langerak, Henrik Endeman, Johannes P.C. van den Akker, Diederik A.M.P.J. Gommers, Eric C.M. van Gorp, Corine H. GeurtsvanKessel, Rory D. de Vries, Ron A.M. Fouchier, Barry H.G. Rockx, Marion P.G. Koopmans, Gijsbert P. van Nierop
Loss-of-function mutations in the transcription factor CREB3L3 (CREBH) associate with severe hypertriglyceridemia in humans. CREBH is believed to lower plasma triglycerides by augmenting the action of lipoprotein lipase (LPL). However, by using a mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), we found that greater liver expression of active CREBH normalized both elevated plasma triglycerides and cholesterol. Residual triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) remnants were enriched in apolipoprotein E (APOE) and impoverished in APOC3, an apolipoprotein composition indicative of increased hepatic clearance. The underlying mechanism was independent of LPL as CREBH reduced both triglycerides and cholesterol in LPL-deficient mice. Instead, APOE was critical for CREBH’s ability to lower circulating remnant lipoproteins because it failed to reduce TRL cholesterol in Apoe-/- mice. Importantly, humans with CREB3L3 loss-of-function mutations exhibited increased levels of remnant lipoproteins that were deprived of APOE. Recent evidence suggests that impaired clearance of TRL remnants promotes cardiovascular disease in patients with T1DM. Consistently, we found that hepatic expression of CREBH prevented the progression of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis. Our results support the proposal that CREBH acts through an APOE-dependent pathway to increase hepatic clearance of remnant lipoproteins. They also implicate elevated levels of remnants in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in T1DM.
Masami Shimizu-Albergine, Debapriya Basu, Jenny E. Kanter, Farah Kramer, Vishal Kothari, Shelley Barnhart, Carissa Thornock, Adam E. Mullick, Noemie Clouet-Foraison, Tomas Vaisar, Jay W. Heinecke, Robert A. Hegele, Ira J. Goldberg, Karin E. Bornfeldt
The transcription factor NFATC2 induces β-cell proliferation in mouse and human islets. However, the genomic targets that mediate these effects have not been identified. We expressed active forms of Nfatc2 and Nfatc1 in human islets. By integrating changes in gene expression with genomic binding sites for NFATC2, we identified ~2,200 transcriptional targets of NFATC2. Genes induced by NFATC2 were enriched for transcripts that regulate the cell cycle, and for DNA motifs associated with the transcription factor FOXP. Islets from an endocrine-specific Foxp1, Foxp2, and Foxp4 triple-knockout mouse are less responsive to NFATC2-induced β-cell proliferation, suggesting the FOXP family works to regulate β-cell proliferation in concert with NFATC2. NFATC2 induced β-cell proliferation in both mouse and human islets, whereas NFATC1 did so only in human islets. Exploiting this species difference, we identified ~250 direct transcriptional targets of NFAT in human islets. This gene set enriches for cell cycle-associated transcripts, and includes Nr4a1. Deletion of Nr4a1 reduced the capacity of NFATC2 to induce β-cell proliferation, suggesting that much of the effect of NFATC2 occurs through its induction of Nr4a1. Integration of non-coding RNA expression, chromatin accessibility, and NFATC2 binding sites enabled us to identify NFATC2-dependent enhancer loci that mediate β-cell proliferation.
Shane P. Simonett, Sunyoung Shin, Jacob A. Herring, Rhonda Bacher, Linsin A. Smith, Chenyang Dong, Mary E. Rabaglia, Donnie S. Stapleton, Kathryn L. Schueler, Jeea Choi, Matthew N. Bernstein, Daniel R. Turkewitz, Carlos Perez-Cervantes, Jason Spaeth, Roland Stein, Jeffery S. Tessem, Christina Kendziorski, Sunduz Keles, Ivan P. Moskowitz, Mark P. Keller, Alan D. Attie
Initiation of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling involves the activation of the tyrosine kinase LCK; however, it is currently unclear how LCK is recruited and activated. Here, we have identified the membrane protein CD146 as an essential member of the TCR network for LCK activation. CD146 deficiency in T cells substantially impaired thymocyte development and peripheral activation, both of which depend on TCR signaling. CD146 was found to directly interact with the SH3 domain of coreceptor-free LCK via its cytoplasmic domain. Interestingly, CD146 was found to be present in both monomeric and dimeric forms in T cells, with the dimerized form increasing after TCR ligation. Increased dimerized CD146 recruited LCK and promoted LCK autophosphorylation. In tumor models, CD146 deficiency dramatically impaired the anti-tumor response of T cells. Together, our data reveal a previously unrecognized LCK activation mechanism for TCR initiation. We also underscore a rational intervention based on CD146 for tumor immunotherapy.
Hongxia Duan, Lin Jing, Xiaoqing Jiang, Yanbin Ma, Daji Wang, Jianquan Xiang, Xuehui Chen, Zhenzhen Wu, Huiwen Yan, Junying Jia, Zheng Liu, Jing Feng, Mingzhao Zhu, Xiyun Yan
Peripheral nerves have the capacity for regeneration, but the rate of regeneration is so slow that many nerve injuries lead to incomplete recovery and permanent disability for patients. Macrophages play a critical role in the peripheral nerve response to injury, both for Wallerian degeneration and for contributing to regeneration, and their function has recently been shown to be dependent on intracellular metabolism. To date, the impact of their intracellular metabolism on peripheral nerve regeneration has not been studied. Examining conditional transgenic mice with selective ablation of solute carrier family 16, member 1 (Slc16a1, which encodes the monocarboxylate transporter 1, MCT1) in macrophages, we found that MCT1 contributes to macrophage metabolism, phenotype, and function, specifically in regard to phagocytosis and supporting peripheral nerve regeneration. Adoptive cell transfer of wild-type macrophages ameliorated the impaired nerve regeneration in macrophage-selective MCT1 null mice. We also developed a mouse model that overexpresses MCT1 in macrophages and found that peripheral nerves in these mice regenerated more rapidly than control mice. Our study provides further evidence that MCT1 has an important biological role in macrophages and that manipulations of macrophage metabolism can enhance recovery from peripheral nerve injuries, for which there are currently no approved medical therapies.
Mithilesh Kumar Jha, Joseph V. Passero, Atul Rawat, Xanthe Heifetz Ament, Fang Yang, Svetlana Vidensky, Samuel L. Collins, Maureen R. Horton, Ahmet Hoke, Guy A. Rutter, Alban Latremoliere, Jeffrey D. Rothstein, Brett M. Morrison