Issue published December 6, 2024
- Volume 9, Issue 23
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Maddala et al. report on septin cytoskeleton’s importance in intraocular pressure homeostasis and its connection to ocular hypertension pathobiology. The cover image shows colocalization of septin-7 with actin stress fibers (red) in trabecular meshwork cells. Cell nuclei are stained with Hoechst (blue).
On the cover: Dysregulation of septin cytoskeletal organization in the trabecular meshwork contributes to ocular hypertension
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Research Articles
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Abstract
Despite proven therapy options for estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) breast tumors, a substantial number of patients with ER+ breast cancer exhibit relapse with associated metastasis. Loss of expression of RasGAPs leads to poor outcomes in several cancers, including breast cancer. Mining the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer RNA-Seq dataset revealed that low expression of the RasGAP DAB2IP was associated with a significant decrease in relapse-free survival in patients with Luminal A breast cancer. Immunostaining demonstrated that DAB2IP loss occurred in grade 2 tumors and higher. Consistent with this, genes upregulated in DAB2IP-low Luminal A tumors were shared with more aggressive tumor subtypes and were associated with proliferation, metastasis, and altered ER signaling. Low DAB2IP expression in ER+ breast cancer cells was associated with increased proliferation, enhanced stemness phenotypes, and activation of IKK, the upstream regulator of the transcription factor NF-κB. Integrating cell-based ChIP-Seq with motif analysis and TCGA RNA-Seq data, we identified a set of candidate NF-κB target genes upregulated with loss of DAB2IP linked with several oncogenic phenotypes, including altered RNA processing. This study provides insight into mechanisms associated with aggressiveness and recurrence within a subset of the typically less aggressive Luminal A breast cancer intrinsic subtype.
Authors
Angana Mukherjee, Rasha T. Kakati, Sarah Van Alsten, Tyler Laws, Aaron L. Ebbs, Daniel P. Hollern, Philip M. Spanheimer, Katherine A. Hoadley, Melissa A. Troester, Jeremy M. Simon, Albert S. Baldwin
×Abstract
Despite the advances in the understanding and treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), the disease remains incurable with the risk of evolution to acute myeloid leukemia or myelofibrosis (MF). Unfortunately, the evolution of the disease to MF remains poorly understood, impeding preventive and therapeutic options. Recent studies in solid tumor microenvironment and organ fibrosis have shed instrumental insights on their respective pathogenesis and drug resistance, yet such precise data are lacking in MPN. In this study, through a patient sample–driven transcriptomic and epigenetic description of the MF microenvironment landscape and cell-based analyses, we identify homeobox B7 (HOXB7) overexpression and more precisely a potentially novel TGF-β/WNT/HOXB7 pathway as associated to a pro-fibrotic and pro-osteoblastic biased differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Using gene-based and chemical inhibition of this pathway, we reversed the abnormal phenotype of MSCs from patients with MF, providing the MPN field a potentially novel target to prevent and manage evolution to MF.
Authors
Saravanan Ganesan, Sarah Awan-Toor, Fabien Guidez, Nabih Maslah, Rifkath Rahimy, Céline Aoun, Panhong Gou, Chloé Guiguen, Juliette Soret, Odonchimeg Ravdan, Valeria Bisio, Nicolas Dulphy, Camille Lobry, Marie-Hélène Schlageter, Michèle Souyri, Stéphane Giraudier, Jean-Jacques Kiladjian, Christine Chomienne, Bruno Cassinat
×Abstract
Excessive aldosterone production increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and death. Aldosterone increases both sodium retention and sodium consumption, and increased sodium consumption may worsen end-organ damage in patients with aldosteronism. Preventing this increase could improve outcomes, but the behavioral mechanisms of aldosterone-induced sodium appetite remain unclear. In rodents, we previously identified aldosterone-sensitive neurons, which express the mineralocorticoid receptor and its prereceptor regulator, 11-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD2). In the present study, we identified HSD2 neurons in the human brain and then used a mouse model to evaluate their role in aldosterone-induced salt intake. First, we confirmed that dietary sodium deprivation increases aldosterone production, salt intake, and HSD2 neuron activity. Next, we showed that continuous chemogenetic stimulation of HSD2 neurons causes a large and specific increase in salt intake. Finally, we used dose-response studies and genetically targeted ablation of HSD2 neurons to show that these neurons are necessary for aldosterone-induced salt intake. Identifying HSD2 neurons in the human brain and establishing their necessity for aldosterone-induced salt intake in mice improves our understanding of appetitive circuits and highlights this small cell population as a therapeutic target for moderating dietary sodium.
Authors
Silvia Gasparini, Lila Peltekian, Miriam C. McDonough, Chidera J.A. Mitchell, Marco Hefti, Jon M. Resch, Joel C. Geerling
×Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by immune system failure, vascular insult, autoimmunity, and tissue fibrosis. TGF-β is a crucial mediator of persistent myofibroblast activation and aberrant extracellular matrix production in SSc. The factors responsible for this are unknown. By amplifying pattern recognition receptor signaling, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) is implicated in multiple inflammatory conditions. In this study, we used potentially novel ligand-independent TREM-1 inhibitors in preclinical models of fibrosis and explanted SSc skin fibroblasts in order to investigate the pathogenic role of TREM-1 in SSc. Selective pharmacological TREM-1 blockade prevented and reversed skin fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mice and mitigated constitutive collagen synthesis and myofibroblast features in SSc fibroblasts in vitro. Our results implicate aberrantly activated TREM-1 signaling in SSc pathogenesis, identify a unique approach to TREM-1 blockade, and suggest a potential therapeutic benefit for TREM-1 inhibition.
Authors
Swarna Bale, Priyanka Verma, Bharath Yalavarthi, Matija Bajželj, Syed A.M. Hasan, Jenna N. Silverman, Katherine Broderick, Kris A. Shah, Timothy Hamill, Dinesh Khanna, Alexander B. Sigalov, Swati Bhattacharyya, John Varga
×Abstract
Mechanical loading, essential for bone health, promotes bone formation and remodeling. However, the positive response diminishes in cases of disuse and aging, leading to bone loss and an increased fracture risk. This study demonstrates that activating hemichannels (HCs) using a connexin 43 (Cx43) antibody, Cx43(M2), in bone osteocytes revitalizes aging and disused bones. Using a hindlimb suspension (HLS) disuse model and a tibial mechanical loading model, we found that Cx43(M2) inhibited bone loss and osteocyte apoptosis induced by unloading in 16-week-old adult mice. Additionally, it enhanced bone mass in response to tibial loading in 22-month-old aged mice. The HC opening released bone anabolic factor prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and suppressed catabolic factor sclerostin (SOST). This suppressed the increase of cortical bone formation and reduction of bone resorption during unloading and promoted trabecular and cortical bone formation during loading. Cx43(M2)-induced HC opening, coupled with PGE2 release, effectively rescued unloading-induced bone loss and restored the diminished anabolic response of aged bones to mechanical loading. Activating HCs with the Cx43 antibody holds promise as a de novo therapeutic approach, as it can overcome the limitations of existing treatment regimens for treating bone loss and osteoporosis associated with aging and disuse.
Authors
Dezhi Zhao, Chao Tu, Lidan Zhang, Teja Guda, Sumin Gu, Jean X. Jiang
×Abstract
Hereditary macular dystrophies (HMDs) are a genetically diverse group of disorders that cause central vision loss due to photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) damage. We investigated a family with a presumed novel autosomal-dominant HMD characterized by faint, hypopigmented RPE changes involving the central retina. Genome and RNA sequencing identified the disease-causing variant to be a 560 kb tandem duplication on chromosome 17 [NC_000017.10 (hg19): g.4012590_4573014dup], which led to the formation of a novel ZZEF1-ALOX15 fusion gene, which upregulates ALOX15. ALOX15 encodes a lipoxygenase involved in polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism. Functional studies showed retinal disorganization and photoreceptor and RPE damage following electroporation of the chimera transcript in mouse retina. Photoreceptor damage also occurred following electroporation with a native ALOX15 transcript but not with a near-null ALOX15 transcript. Affected patients’ lymphoblasts demonstrated lower levels of ALOX15 substrates and an accumulation of neutral lipids. We implicated the fusion gene as the cause of this family’s HMD, due to mislocalization and overexpression of ALOX15, driven by the ZZEF1 promoter. To our knowledge, this is the first reported instance of a fusion gene leading to HMD or inherited retinal dystrophy, highlighting the need to prioritize duplication analysis in unsolved retinal dystrophies.
Authors
Rabiat Adele, Rowaida Hussein, Erika Tavares, Kashif Ahmed, Matteo Di Scipio, Jason Charish, Minggao Liang, Simon Monis, Anupreet Tumber, Xiaoyan Chen, Tara A. Paton, Nicole M. Roslin, Christabel Eileen, Evgueni Ivakine, Nishanth E. Sunny, Michael D. Wilson, Eric Campos, Raju V.S. Rajala, Jason T. Maynes, Philippe P. Monnier, Andrew D. Paterson, Elise Héon, Ajoy Vincent
×Abstract
Ocular hypertension, believed to result partly from increased contractile activity, cell adhesive interactions, and stiffness within the trabecular meshwork (TM), is a major risk factor for glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. However, the identity of molecular mechanisms governing organization of actomyosin and cell adhesive interactions in the TM remains limited. Based on our previous findings, in which proteomics analyses revealed elevated levels of septins, including septin-9 in human TM cells treated with the ocular hypertensive agent dexamethasone, here, we evaluated the effects of septin-9 overexpression, deficiency, and pharmacological targeting in TM cells. These studies demonstrated a profound impact on actomyosin organization, cell adhesion, contraction, and phagocytosis. Overexpression raised intraocular pressure (IOP) in mice, while inhibition increased cell permeability. In addition, we replicated a significant association between a common variant (rs9038) in SEPT9 with IOP in the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Healthy and Aging (GERA) cohort. Collectively, these data reveal a link between dysregulated septin cytoskeletal organization in the TM and increased IOP, likely due to enhanced cell contraction, adhesive interactions, and fibrotic activity. This suggests that targeting the septin cytoskeleton could offer a novel approach for lowering IOP in patients with glaucoma.
Authors
Rupalatha Maddala, Pallavi Gorijavolu, Levi K. Lankford, Nikolai P. Skiba, Pratap Challa, Rakesh K. Singh, K. Saidas Nair, Hélène Choquet, Ponugoti V. Rao
×Abstract
Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) lacks fully effective treatments. This study investigated the role of Piezo1, a mechanosensitive ion channel component 1, in GIOP. We found reduced Piezo1 expression in cortical bone osteocytes from patients with GIOP and a GIOP mouse model. Yoda1, a Piezo1 agonist, enhanced the mechanical stress response and bone mass and strength, which were diminished by dexamethasone (DEX) administration in GIOP mice. RNA-seq revealed that Yoda1 elevated Piezo1 expression by activating the key transcription factor Hes1, followed by enhanced CaM kinase II and Akt phosphorylation in osteocytes. This improved the lacuno-canalicular network and reduced sclerostin production and the receptor activator of NF-κB/osteoprotegerin ratio, which were mitigated by DEX. Comparative analysis of mouse models and human GIOP cortical bone revealed downregulation of mechanostimulated osteogenic factors, such as osteocrin, and cartilage differentiation markers in osteoprogenitor cells. In human periosteum-derived cells, DEX suppressed differentiation into osteoblasts, but Yoda1 rescued this effect. Our findings suggest that reduced Piezo1 expression and activity in osteocytes and periosteal cells contribute to GIOP, and Yoda1 may offer a novel therapeutic approach by restoring mechanosensitivity.
Authors
Nagahiro Ochiai, Yuki Etani, Takaaki Noguchi, Taihei Miura, Takuya Kurihara, Yuji Fukuda, Hidetoshi Hamada, Keisuke Uemura, Kazuma Takashima, Masashi Tamaki, Teruya Ishibashi, Shohei Ito, Satoshi Yamakawa, Takashi Kanamoto, Seiji Okada, Ken Nakata, Kosuke Ebina
×Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disorder characterized by exacerbated joint inflammation. Despite the well-documented accumulation of the serine protease granzyme B (GzmB) in RA patient biospecimens, little is understood pertaining to its role in pathobiology. In the present study, tenascin-C (TNC) — a large, pro-inflammatory extracellular matrix glycoprotein — was identified as a substrate for GzmB in RA. GzmB cleaves TNC to generate 3 fragments in vitro: a 130 kDa fragment that remains anchored to the matrix and 2 solubilized fragments of 70 and 30 kDa. Mass spectrometry results suggested that the 30 kDa fragment contained the pro-inflammatory TNC C-terminal fibrinogen-like domain. In the synovial fluids of patients with RA, soluble levels of GzmB and TNC were significantly elevated compared with healthy controls. Further, immunoblotting revealed soluble 70 and 30 kDa TNC fragments in the synovial fluids of patients with RA, matching TNC fragment sizes generated by GzmB cleavage in vitro. Granzyme K (GzmK), another serine protease of the granzyme family, also cleaves TNC in vitro; however, the molecular weights of GzmK-generated TNC fragments did not correspond to TNC fragment sizes detected in patients. Our data support that GzmB, but not GzmK, contributes to RA through the cleavage of TNC.
Authors
Alexandre Aubert, Amy Liu, Martin Kao, Jenna Goeres, Katlyn C. Richardson, Lorenz Nierves, Karen Jung, Layla Nabai, Hongyan Zhao, Gertraud Orend, Roman Krawetz, Philipp F. Lange, Alastair Younger, Jonathan Chan, David J. Granville
×Abstract
The opioid system plays crucial roles in modulating social behaviors in both humans and animals. However, the pharmacological profiles of opioids regarding social behavior and their therapeutic potential remain unclear. Multiple pharmacological, behavioral, and immunohistological c-Fos mapping approaches were used to characterize the effects of μ-opioid receptor agonists on social behavior and investigate the mechanisms in naive mice and autism spectrum disorder–like (ASD-like) mouse models, such as prenatally valproic acid–treated mice and Fmr1-KO mice. Here, we report that low-dose morphine, a μ-opioid receptor agonist, promoted social behavior by selectively activating neurons in prosocial brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens, but not those in the dorsomedial periaqueductal gray (dmPAG), which are only activated by analgesic high-dose morphine. Critically, intra-dmPAG morphine injection counteracted the prosocial effect of low-dose morphine, suggesting that dmPAG neural activation suppresses social behavior. Moreover, buprenorphine, a μ-opioid receptor partial agonist with less abuse liability and a well-established safety profile, ameliorated social behavior deficits in two mouse models recapitulating ASD symptoms by selectively activating prosocial brain regions without dmPAG neural activation. Our findings highlight the therapeutic potential of brain region–specific neural activation induced by low-dose opioids for social behavior deficits in ASD.
Authors
Soichiro Ohnami, Megumi Naito, Haruki Kawase, Momoko Higuchi, Shigeru Hasebe, Keiko Takasu, Ryo Kanemaru, Yuki Azuma, Rei Yokoyama, Takahiro Kochi, Eiji Imado, Takeru Tahara, Yaichiro Kotake, Satoshi Asano, Naoya Oishi, Kazuhiro Takuma, Hitoshi Hashimoto, Koichi Ogawa, Atsushi Nakamura, Hidekuni Yamakawa, Yukio Ago
×Abstract
In the mammalian cochlea, sensory hair cells are crucial for the transduction of acoustic stimuli into electrical signals, which are then relayed to the central auditory pathway via spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) afferent dendrites. The SGN output is directly modulated by inhibitory cholinergic axodendritic synapses from the efferent fibers originating in the superior olivary complex. When the adult cochlea is subjected to noxious stimuli or aging, the efferent system undergoes major rewiring, such that it reestablishes direct axosomatic contacts with the inner hair cells (IHCs), which occur only transiently during prehearing stages of development. The trigger, origin, and degree of efferent plasticity in the cochlea remains largely unknown. Using functional and morphological approaches, we demonstrate that efferent plasticity in the adult cochlea occurs as a direct consequence of mechanoelectrical transducer current dysfunction. We also show that, different from prehearing stages of development, the lateral olivocochlear — but not the medial olivocochlear — efferent fibers are those that form the axosomatic synapses with the IHCs. The study also demonstrates that in vivo restoration of IHC function using AAV-Myo7a rescue reestablishes the synaptic profile of adult IHCs and improves hearing, highlighting the potential of using gene-replacement therapy for progressive hearing loss.
Authors
Andrew P. O’Connor, Ana E. Amariutei, Alice Zanella, Sarah A. Hool, Adam J. Carlton, Fanbo Kong, Mauricio Saenz-Roldan, Jing-Yi Jeng, Marie-José Lecomte, Stuart L. Johnson, Saaid Safieddine, Walter Marcotti
×Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory condition. With modern therapeutics and evidence-based management strategies, achieving sustained remission is increasingly common. To prevent complications associated with prolonged use of immunosuppressants, drug tapering or withdrawal is recommended. However, due to the lack of tools that define immunological remission, disease flares are frequent, highlighting the need for a more precision medicine–based approach. Utilizing high-dimensional phenotyping platforms, we set out to define peripheral blood immunological signatures of sustained remission in RA. We identified that CD8+CD57+KIR2DL1+ NK cells are associated with sustained remission. Functional studies uncovered an NK cell subset characterized by normal degranulation responses and reduced proinflammatory cytokine expression, which was elevated in sustained remission. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis of NK cells from synovial fluid combined with interrogation of a publicly available single-cell RNA-Seq dataset of synovial tissue from active RA identified a deficiency of the phenotypic characteristics associated with this NK cell remission signature. In summary, we have uncovered an immune signature of RA remission associated with compositional changes in NK cell phenotype and function that has implications for understanding the effect of sustained remission on host immunity and distinct features that may define operational tolerance in RA.
Authors
Carl Coyle, Margaret Ma, Yann Abraham, Christopher B. Mahony, Kathryn Steel, Catherine Simpson, Nadia Guerra, Adam P. Croft, Stephen Rapecki, Andrew Cope, Rowann Bowcutt, Esperanza Perucha
×Abstract
Given the potential fundamental function of osteal macrophages in bone pathophysiology, we study here their precise function in experimental osteoporosis. Gene profiling of osteal macrophages from ovariectomized mice demonstrated the upregulation of genes that were involved in oxidative stress, cell senescence, and apoptotic process. A single-cell RNA-Seq analysis revealed that osteal macrophages were heterogeneously clustered into 6 subsets that expressed proliferative, inflammatory, antiinflammatory, and efferocytosis gene signatures. Importantly, postmenopausal mice exhibited an increase in subset 3 that showed a typical gene signature of cell senescence and inflammation. These findings suggest that the decreased production of estrogen due to postmenopausal condition altered the osteal macrophage subsets, resulting in a shift toward cell senescence and inflammatory conditions in the bone microenvironment. Furthermore, adoptive macrophage transfer onto calvarial bone was performed, and mice that received oxidatively stressed macrophages exhibited greater osteolytic lesions than control macrophages, suggesting the role of these cells in the development of inflammaging in the bone microenvironment. Consistently, depletion of senescent cells and the oxidatively stressed macrophage subset alleviated the excessive bone loss in postmenopausal mice. Our data provided insight into the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and shed light on a therapeutic approach for the treatment or prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Authors
Yoshio Nishida, M. Alaa Terkawi, Gen Matsumae, Shunichi Yokota, Taiki Tokuhiro, Yuki Ogawa, Hotaka Ishizu, Junki Shiota, Tsutomu Endo, Hend Alhasan, Taku Ebata, Keita Kitahara, Tomohiro Shimizu, Daisuke Takahashi, Masahiko Takahata, Ken Kadoya, Norimasa Iwasaki
×Abstract
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) arises when pancreatic β cells fail to produce sufficient insulin to control blood glucose appropriately. Aberrant nutrient sensing by O-GlcNAcylation and mTORC1 is linked to T2D and the failure of insulin-producing β cells. However, the nature of their crosstalk in β cells remains unexplored. Recently, O-GlcNAcylation, a posttranslation modification controlled by enzymes O-GlcNAc transferase/O-GlcNAcase (OGT/OGA), emerged as a pivotal regulator for β cell health; deficiency in either enzyme causes β cell failure. The present study investigates the previously unidentified connection between nutrient sensor OGT and mTORC1 crosstalk to regulate β cell mass and function in vivo. We show reduced OGT and mTORC1 activity in islets of a preclinical β cell dysfunction model and islets from humans with obesity. Using loss or gain of function of OGT, we identified that O-GlcNAcylation positively regulated mTORC1 signaling in β cells. O-GlcNAcylation negatively modulated autophagy, as the removal of OGT increased autophagy, while the deletion of OGA decreased it. Increasing mTORC1 signaling, via deletion of TSC2, alleviated the diabetic phenotypes by increasing β cell mass but not β cell function in OGT-deficient mice. Downstream phospho-protein signaling analyses revealed diverging effects on MKK4 and calmodulin signaling between islets with OGT, TSC2, or combined deletion. These data provide evidence of OGT’s significance as an upstream regulator of mTORC1 and autophagy, crucial for the regulation of β cell function and glucose homeostasis.
Authors
Seokwon Jo, Nicholas Esch, Anh Nguyen, Alicia Wong, Ramkumar Mohan, Clara Kim, Manuel Blandino-Rosano, Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi, Emilyn U. Alejandro
×Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects approximately 1% of live births. Although genetic and environmental etiologic contributors have been identified, the majority of CHD lacks a definitive cause, suggesting the role of gene-environment interactions (GxEs) in disease pathogenesis. Maternal diabetes mellitus (matDM) is among the most prevalent environmental risk factors for CHD. However, there is a substantial knowledge gap in understanding how matDM acts upon susceptible genetic backgrounds to increase disease expressivity. Previously, we reported a GxE between Notch1 haploinsufficiency and matDM leading to increased CHD penetrance. Here, we demonstrate a cell lineage–specific effect of Notch1 haploinsufficiency in matDM-exposed embryos, implicating endothelial/endocardial tissues in the developing heart. We report impaired atrioventricular cushion morphogenesis in matDM-exposed Notch1+/– animals and show a synergistic effect of NOTCH1 haploinsufficiency and oxidative stress in dysregulation of gene regulatory networks critical for endocardial cushion morphogenesis in vitro. Mitigation of matDM-associated oxidative stress via superoxide dismutase 1 overexpression did not rescue CHD in Notch1-haploinsufficient mice compared to wild-type littermates. Our results show the combinatorial interaction of matDM-associated oxidative stress and a genetic predisposition, Notch1 haploinsufficiency, on cardiac development, supporting a GxE model for CHD etiology and suggesting that antioxidant strategies alone may be ineffective in genetically susceptible individuals.
Authors
Talita Z. Choudhury, Sarah C. Greskovich, Holly B. Girard, Anupama S. Rao, Yogesh Budhathoki, Emily M. Cameron, Sara Conroy, Deqiang Li, Ming-Tao Zhao, Vidu Garg
×Abstract
African green monkeys (AGMs) are natural hosts of SIV whose infection does not progress to AIDS. Since early events of infection may be critical to pathogenesis in nonnatural hosts, we investigated early SIV infection in 29 adult male AGMs intrarectally inoculated with SIVsab92018 (SIVsab) and serially sacrificed throughout acute into early chronic infection to understand patterns of viral establishment, dissemination, and their effect on disease progression. Using this model, we showed that foci of virus replication could be detected at the site of inoculation and in the draining lymphatics as early as 1–3 days postinfection (dpi). Furthermore, testing with ultrasensitive assays showed rapid onset of viremia (2–4 dpi). After systemic spread, virus was detected in all tissues surveyed. Multiple transmitted/founder viruses were identified, confirming an optimal challenge dose, while demonstrating a moderate mucosal genetic bottleneck. Resident CD4+ T cells were the initial target cells; other immune cell populations were not significantly altered at the site of entry. Thus, intrarectal SIVsab infection is characterized by swift dissemination of the virus, a lack of major target cell recruitment, and no window of opportunity for interventions to prevent virus dissemination during the earliest stages of infection, similar to intrarectal transmission but different from vaginal transmission in macaques.
Authors
Kevin D. Raehtz, Cuiling Xu, Claire Deleage, Dongzhu Ma, Benjamin B. Policicchio, Egidio Brocca-Cofano, Daniele Piccolo, Kathryn Weaver, Brandon F. Keele, Jacob D. Estes, Cristian Apetrei, Ivona Pandrea
×Abstract
New vaccine formulations are based on circulating strains of virus, which have tended to evolve to more readily transmit human to human and to evade the neutralizing antibody response. An assumption of this approach is that ancestral strains of virus will not recur. Recurrence of these strains could be a problem for individuals not previously exposed to ancestral spike protein. Here, we addressed this by infecting mice with recent SARS-CoV-2 variants and then challenging them with a highly pathogenic mouse-adapted virus closely related to the ancestral Wuhan-1 strain (SARS2-N501YMA30). We found that challenged mice were protected from severe disease, despite having low or no neutralizing antibodies against SARS2-N501YMA30. T cell depletion from previously infected mice did not diminish infection against clinical disease, although it resulted in delayed virus clearance in the nasal turbinate and, in some cases, in the lungs. Levels of tissue-resident memory T cells were significantly elevated in the nasal turbinate of previously infected mice compared with that of naive mice. However, this phenotype was not seen in lung tissues. Together, these results indicate that the immune response to newly circulating variants afforded protection against reinfection with the ancestral virus that was in part T cell based.
Authors
Abby Odle, Meenakshi Kar, Abhishek K. Verma, Alan Sariol, David K. Meyerholz, Mehul S. Suthar, Lok-Yin Roy Wong, Stanley Perlman
×Abstract
Excessive fructose intake is a risk factor for the development of obesity and its complications. Targeting ketohexokinase (KHK), the first enzyme of fructose metabolism, has been investigated for the management of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We compared the effects of systemic, small molecule inhibitor of KHK enzymatic activity with hepatocyte-specific, N-acetylgalactosamine siRNA–mediated knockdown of KHK in mice on an HFD. We measured KHK enzymatic activity, extensively quantified glycogen accumulation, performed RNA-Seq analysis, and enumerated hepatic metabolites using mass spectrometry. Both KHK siRNA and KHK inhibitor led to an improvement in liver steatosis; however, via substantially different mechanisms, KHK knockdown decreased the de novo lipogenesis pathway, whereas the inhibitor increased the fatty acid oxidation pathway. Moreover, KHK knockdown completely prevented hepatic fructolysis and improved glucose tolerance. Conversely, the KHK inhibitor only partially reduced fructolysis, but it also targeted triokinase, mediating the third step of fructolysis. This led to the accumulation of fructose-1 phosphate, resulting in glycogen accumulation, hepatomegaly, and impaired glucose tolerance. Overexpression of wild-type, but not kinase-dead, KHK in cultured hepatocytes increased hepatocyte injury and glycogen accumulation after treatment with fructose. The differences between KHK inhibition and knockdown are, in part, explained by the kinase-dependent and -independent effects of KHK on hepatic metabolism.
Authors
Se-Hyung Park, Taghreed Fadhul, Lindsey R. Conroy, Harrison A Clarke, Ramon C. Sun, Kristina Wallenius, Jeremie Boucher, Gavin O’Mahony, Alessandro Boianelli, Marie Persson, Sunhee Jung, Cholsoon Jang, Analia S. Loria, Genesee J. Martinez, Zachary A. Kipp, Evelyn A. Bates, Terry D. Hinds Jr., Senad Divanovic, Samir Softic
×Abstract
BACKGROUND Current diagnostic tools for tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) are often inadequate, making accurate diagnosis challenging. Effective identification of TPE is critical for ensuring proper treatment and preventing tuberculosis relapse. This study explored the potential of granzyme A (GZMA) as a biomarker for TPE.METHODS Patients with TPE, malignant pleural effusion (MPE), and parapneumonic pleural effusion (PPE) were recruited into discovery and validation cohorts. The discovery cohort consisted of 200 patients with TPE and 100 patients with MPE, while the validation cohort included 167 patients with TPE, 84 patients with MPE, and 69 patients with PPE.RESULTS In the discovery cohort, GZMA levels were significantly elevated in TPE compared with MPE, demonstrating 90% sensitivity and 91% specificity at a cutoff of 102.29 ng/mL for effectively distinguishing between the two conditions. In the validation cohort, GZMA maintained high diagnostic performance, distinguishing TPE from MPE with 87% sensitivity and 87% specificity and from PPE with 87% sensitivity and 84% specificity. Incorporating GZMA, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and adenosine deaminase (ADA) into a random forest model further improved diagnostic accuracy. In the discovery cohort, this model achieved 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity, and in the validation cohort, it distinguished TPE from MPE with 87% sensitivity and 94% specificity and from PPE with 87% sensitivity and 91% specificity.CONCLUSION Overall, GZMA is a promising biomarker for diagnosing TPE, with improved accuracy when combined with LDH and ADA, providing a robust tool for timely identification and effective management of patients with TPE.FUNDING The study was supported by Science and Technology Project of Shenzhen (KCXFZ20211020163545004, KQTD20210811090219022, JCYJ20220818095610021, JSGG20220822095200001, JCYJ20210324094614038), Shenzhen Medical Research Funding (B2302035, A2302004), Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong (2022A1515220034), and Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital Research Foundation (G2022155).
Authors
Fuxiang Li, Chuanzhi Zhu, Yue Zhang, Fanhui Kong, Ximeng Zhang, Liping Pan, Hongyan Jia, Liang Fu, Yunlong Hu, Guofang Deng, Qianting Yang, Xinchun Chen, Yi Cai
×Abstract
Lineage plasticity mediates resistance to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) and progression from adenocarcinoma to neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), a highly aggressive and poorly understood subtype. Neuronal transcription factor ASCL1 has emerged as a central regulator of the lineage plasticity driving neuroendocrine differentiation. Here, we showed that ASCL1 was reprogrammed in ARPI-induced transition to terminal NEPC and identified that the ASCL1 binding pattern tailored the expression of lineage-determinant transcription factor combinations that underlie discrete terminal NEPC identity. Notably, we identified FOXA2 as a major cofactor of ASCL1 in terminal NEPC, which is highly expressed in ASCL1-driven NEPC. Mechanistically, FOXA2 and ASCL1 interacted and worked in concert to orchestrate terminal neuronal differentiation. We identified that prospero homeobox 1 was a target of ASCL1 and FOXA2. Targeting prospero homeobox 1 abrogated neuroendocrine characteristics and led to a decrease in cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Our findings provide insights into the molecular conduit underlying the interplay between different lineage-determinant transcription factors to support the neuroendocrine identity and nominate prospero homeobox 1 as a potential target in ASCL1-high NEPC.
Authors
Shaghayegh Nouruzi, Takeshi Namekawa, Nakisa Tabrizian, Maxim Kobelev, Olena Sivak, Joshua M Scurll, Cassandra Jingjing Cui, Dwaipayan Ganguli, Amina Zoubeidi
