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Asgari D, Purvis T, Pickens V, Saski C, Meisel RP, Nayduch D. Expression of defensin genes across house fly ( Musca domestica) life history gives insight into immune system subfunctionalization. Genome 2024; 67:316-326. [PMID: 38722238 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2024-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2024]
Abstract
Animals encounter diverse microbial communities throughout their lifetime, which exert varying selection pressures. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which lyse or inhibit microbial growth, are a first line of defense against some of these microbes. Here we examine how developmental variation in microbial exposure has affected the evolution of expression and amino acid sequences of Defensins (an ancient class of AMPs) in the house fly (Musca domestica). The house fly is a well-suited model for this work because it trophically associates with varying microbial communities throughout its life history and its genome contains expanded families of AMPs, including Defensins. We identified two subsets of house fly Defensins: one expressed in larvae or pupae, and the other expressed in adults. The amino acid sequences of these two Defensin subsets form distinct monophyletic clades, and they are located in separate gene clusters in the genome. The adult-expressed Defensins evolve faster than larval/pupal Defensins, consistent with different selection pressures across developmental stages. Our results therefore suggest that varied microbial communities encountered across life history can shape the evolutionary trajectories of immune genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danial Asgari
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Tanya Purvis
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
| | - Victoria Pickens
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Christopher Saski
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Richard P Meisel
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Dana Nayduch
- Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
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2
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Kolla HB, Dutt M, Kumar A, Hebbandi Nanjunadappa R, Karakach T, Singh KP, Kelvin D, Clement Mertens PP, Umeshappa CS. Immuno-informatics study identifies conserved T cell epitopes in non-structural proteins of Bluetongue virus serotypes: formulation of a computationally optimized next-generation broad-spectrum multi-epitope vaccine. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1424307. [PMID: 39011043 PMCID: PMC11246920 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1424307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Bluetongue (BT) poses a significant threat to the livestock industry, affecting various animal species and resulting in substantial economic losses. The existence of numerous BT virus (BTV) serotypes has hindered control efforts, highlighting the need for broad-spectrum vaccines. Methodology In this study, we evaluated the conserved amino acid sequences within key non-structural (NS) proteins of BTV and identified numerous highly conserved murine- and bovine-specific MHC class I-restricted (MHC-I) CD8+ and MHC-II-restricted CD4+ epitopes. We then screened these conserved epitopes for antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, and solubility. Using these epitopes, we developed in silico-based broad-spectrum multiepitope vaccines with Toll-like receptor (TLR-4) agonists. The predicted proinflammatory cytokine response was assessed in silico using the C-IMMSIM server. Structural modeling and refinement were achieved using Robetta and GalaxyWEB servers. Finally, we assessed the stability of the docking complexes through extensive 100-nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations before considering the vaccines for codon optimization and in silico cloning. Results We found many epitopes that meet these criteria within NS1 and NS2 proteins and developed in silico broad-spectrum vaccines. The immune simulation studies revealed that these vaccines induce high levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 in the vaccinated groups. Protein-protein docking analysis demonstrated promising epitopes with strong binding affinities to TLR-4. The docked complexes were stable, with minimal Root Mean Square Deviation and Root Mean Square Fluctuation values. Finally, the in silico-cloned plasmids have high % of GC content with > 0.8 codon adaptation index, suggesting they are suitable for expressing the protein vaccines in prokaryotic system. Discussion These next-generation vaccine designs are promising and warrant further investigation in wet lab experiments to assess their immunogenicity, safety, and efficacy for practical application in livestock. Our findings offer a robust framework for developing a comprehensive, broad-spectrum vaccine, potentially revolutionizing BT control and prevention strategies in the livestock industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish Babu Kolla
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Immunology Division, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mansi Dutt
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Immunology Division, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Anuj Kumar
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Immunology Division, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Roopa Hebbandi Nanjunadappa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Immunology Division, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Tobias Karakach
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Karam Pal Singh
- Center for Animal Disease Research and Diagnosis, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
| | - David Kelvin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Immunology Division, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Channakeshava Sokke Umeshappa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Immunology Division, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
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3
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Chen J, Mei Q, Wang L, Wei Y. DEFB114 protein enhances host resistance to fungal infection through the NOD1/2-ATG16L1-NF-κB signaling pathway. Bioorg Chem 2024; 146:107245. [PMID: 38484587 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The overuse of antibiotics has led to the enhanced resistance of many pathogenic bacteria, posing a threat to human health. Therefore, there is a need to develop green and safe alternatives to antibiotics. Beta-defensins play a crucial role in host defense against pathogens and have multifunctional properties, exerting key roles in innate and adaptive immunity, as well as non-immune processes. In this study, a 210 bp long cDNA sequence of yak DEFB114 gene was amplified and successfully expressed in a prokaryotic system. The DEFB114 protein exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus in vitro. When co-cultured with yak macrophages, DEFB114 protein enhanced macrophage phagocytic activity and increased nucleic acid fluorescence intensity (P < 0.05). DEFB114 protein also enhanced the activity of yak macrophages stimulated by inactivated Aspergillus fumigatus spores, increased the release of nitric oxide (NO), and promoted the expression of genes such as γ-actin, Lgals, Man2b, and Capg (P < 0.05). In mice experiments, DEFB114 protein promoted resistance against Aspergillus fumigatus infection, by regulating the NOD1/2-ATG16L1-NF-κB pathway to modulate the host immune response and exert its anti-infective effects. In summary, the yak DEFB114 protein could inhibit the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus and enhance the animal's resistance to pathogenic microorganisms, thereby having significant implications in the treatment and prevention of fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Animal Genetic Resource Reservation and Utilization, Ministry of Education, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Science of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Qundi Mei
- Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Animal Genetic Resource Reservation and Utilization, Ministry of Education, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Science of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, PR China
| | - Li Wang
- Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Animal Genetic Resource Reservation and Utilization, Ministry of Education, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Science of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, PR China.
| | - Yong Wei
- Animal Genetics and Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Animal Sciences Academy, Chengdu 610066, China
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4
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Vinkler M, Fiddaman SR, Těšický M, O'Connor EA, Savage AE, Lenz TL, Smith AL, Kaufman J, Bolnick DI, Davies CS, Dedić N, Flies AS, Samblás MMG, Henschen AE, Novák K, Palomar G, Raven N, Samaké K, Slade J, Veetil NK, Voukali E, Höglund J, Richardson DS, Westerdahl H. Understanding the evolution of immune genes in jawed vertebrates. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:847-873. [PMID: 37255207 PMCID: PMC10247546 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Driven by co-evolution with pathogens, host immunity continuously adapts to optimize defence against pathogens within a given environment. Recent advances in genetics, genomics and transcriptomics have enabled a more detailed investigation into how immunogenetic variation shapes the diversity of immune responses seen across domestic and wild animal species. However, a deeper understanding of the diverse molecular mechanisms that shape immunity within and among species is still needed to gain insight into-and generate evolutionary hypotheses on-the ultimate drivers of immunological differences. Here, we discuss current advances in our understanding of molecular evolution underpinning jawed vertebrate immunity. First, we introduce the immunome concept, a framework for characterizing genes involved in immune defence from a comparative perspective, then we outline how immune genes of interest can be identified. Second, we focus on how different selection modes are observed acting across groups of immune genes and propose hypotheses to explain these differences. We then provide an overview of the approaches used so far to study the evolutionary heterogeneity of immune genes on macro and microevolutionary scales. Finally, we discuss some of the current evidence as to how specific pathogens affect the evolution of different groups of immune genes. This review results from the collective discussion on the current key challenges in evolutionary immunology conducted at the ESEB 2021 Online Satellite Symposium: Molecular evolution of the vertebrate immune system, from the lab to natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Vinkler
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | | | - Martin Těšický
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | | | - Anna E. Savage
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Central FloridaFloridaOrlandoUSA
| | - Tobias L. Lenz
- Research Unit for Evolutionary ImmunogenomicsDepartment of BiologyUniversity of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | | | - Jim Kaufman
- Institute for Immunology and Infection ResearchUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Daniel I. Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | | | - Neira Dedić
- Department of Botany and ZoologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Andrew S. Flies
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - M. Mercedes Gómez Samblás
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
- Department of ParasitologyUniversity of GranadaGranadaSpain
| | | | - Karel Novák
- Department of Genetics and BreedingInstitute of Animal SciencePragueUhříněvesCzech Republic
| | - Gemma Palomar
- Faculty of BiologyInstitute of Environmental SciencesJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Nynke Raven
- Department of ScienceEngineering and Build EnvironmentDeakin UniversityVictoriaWaurn PondsAustralia
| | - Kalifa Samaké
- Department of Genetics and MicrobiologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Joel Slade
- Department of BiologyCalifornia State UniversityFresnoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Eleni Voukali
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Jacob Höglund
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsUppsala UniversitetUppsalaSweden
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5
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Islam S, Akhand MRN, Hasan M. Evolutionary trend of bovine β-defensin proteins toward functionality prediction: A domain-based bioinformatics study. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14158. [PMID: 36938430 PMCID: PMC10015202 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Defensins are small cationic cysteine-rich and amphipathic peptides that form of three-dimensional β-strand structure connected by disulfide bonds. Defensins form key elements of the innate immune system of multicellular organisms. They not only possess broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity but also have diverse roles, including cell signaling, ion channel agitation, toxic functions, and enzyme inhibitor activities in various animals. Although the role of β-defensins in immune responses against infectious agents and reproduction could be significant, inadequate genomic information is available to explain the whole β-defensin repertoire in cattle. No domain or motif-based functional analyses have been previously reported. In addition, how do defensins possess this magnitude of functions in the immune system is still not clear. Our present study, therefore, investigated the sequence divergence and evolutionary relations of bovine defensin proteins with those of humans. Our domain-based evolutionary analysis revealed four major clusters with significant domain variation while reserving a main antimicrobial activity. Our study revealed the β-defensin domain as the ancestor domain, and it is preserved in the first group of defensin protein with no α-helix in its structure. Due to natural selection, some domains have evolved independently within clusters II and III, while some proteins have lost their domain characteristics. Cluster IV contains the most recently evolved domains. Some proteins of all but cluster I might have adopted the functional characteristics of α-defensins which is largely absent in cattle. The proteins show different patterns of disulfide bridges and multiple signature patterns which might render them specialized functions in different tissue to combat against various pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saiful Islam
- Department of Physiology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh
| | - Mst Rubaiat Nazneen Akhand
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh
- Corresponding author.
| | - Mahmudul Hasan
- Department of Pharmaceuticals and Industrial Biotechnology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh
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De S, Kingan SB, Kitsou C, Portik DM, Foor SD, Frederick JC, Rana VS, Paulat NS, Ray DA, Wang Y, Glenn TC, Pal U. A high-quality Ixodes scapularis genome advances tick science. Nat Genet 2023; 55:301-311. [PMID: 36658436 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01275-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Ixodes spp. and related ticks transmit prevalent infections, although knowledge of their biology and development of anti-tick measures have been hindered by the lack of a high-quality genome. In the present study, we present the assembly of a 2.23-Gb Ixodes scapularis genome by sequencing two haplotypes within one individual, complemented by chromosome-level scaffolding and full-length RNA isoform sequencing, yielding a fully reannotated genome featuring thousands of new protein-coding genes and various RNA species. Analyses of the repetitive DNA identified transposable elements, whereas the examination of tick-associated bacterial sequences yielded an improved Rickettsia buchneri genome. We demonstrate how the Ixodes genome advances tick science by contributing to new annotations, gene models and epigenetic functions, expansion of gene families, development of in-depth proteome catalogs and deciphering of genetic variations in wild ticks. Overall, we report critical genetic resources and biological insights impacting our understanding of tick biology and future interventions against tick-transmitted infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip De
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | - Shelby D Foor
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Julia C Frederick
- Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Vipin S Rana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Nicole S Paulat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - David A Ray
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Yan Wang
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Travis C Glenn
- Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. .,Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA.
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7
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Lee S, Yoo I, Cheon Y, Hong M, Jeon BY, Ka H. Antimicrobial peptides β-defensin family: Expression and regulation in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 139:104596. [PMID: 36442607 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Members of the β-defensin (DEFB) family, which are antimicrobial peptides and humoral components of the innate immune system, protect the surfaces of various host tissues by killing a broad range of microorganisms and are involved in immunomodulatory actions. The expression of these DEFB members changed during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in a stage-specific manner. The expression of DEFBs was also detected in conceptus and chorioallantoic tissues during pregnancy. DEFB1 and DEFB3 proteins and DEFB2 mRNA were localized primarily to endometrial epithelial cells during early pregnancy. Increasing doses of progesterone upregulated DEFB2 and EP2C expression in endometrial explant tissues. These results showed that members of the DEFB family were expressed stage-specifically at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs, suggesting that the DEFB family plays important roles at the maternal-conceptus interface in regulation of innate immunity by protection of the maternal endometrial and conceptus tissues from pathogens to preserve fertility in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohyung Lee
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea
| | - Inkyu Yoo
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea
| | - Yugyeong Cheon
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsun Hong
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo-Young Jeon
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea
| | - Hakhyun Ka
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea.
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8
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Abdullah U, Saleh N, Shaw P, Jalal N. COVID-19: The Ethno-Geographic Perspective of Differential Immunity. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:319. [PMID: 36851197 PMCID: PMC9966855 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the agent behind the worst global pandemic of the 21st century (COVID-19), is primarily a respiratory-disease-causing virus called SARS-CoV-2 that is responsible for millions of new cases (incidence) and deaths (mortalities) worldwide. Many factors have played a role in the differential morbidity and mortality experienced by nations and ethnicities against SARS-CoV-2, such as the quality of primary medical health facilities or enabling economies. At the same time, the most important variable, i.e., the subsequent ability of individuals to be immunologically sensitive or resistant to the infection, has not been properly discussed before. Despite having excellent medical facilities, an astounding issue arose when some developed countries experienced higher morbidity and mortality compared with their relatively underdeveloped counterparts. Hence, this investigative review attempts to analyze the issue from an angle of previously undiscussed genetic, epigenetic, and molecular immune resistance mechanisms in correlation with the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 and varied ethnicity-based immunological responses against it. The biological factors discussed here include the overall landscape of human microbiota, endogenous retroviral genes spliced into the human genome, and copy number variation, and how they could modulate the innate and adaptive immune systems that put a certain ethnic genetic architecture at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection than others. Considering an array of these factors in their entirety may help explain the geographic disparity of disease incidence, severity, and subsequent mortality associated with the disease while at the same time encouraging scientists to design new experimental approaches to investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Abdullah
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Pak-Austria Fachhochschule, Mang, Haripur 22621, Pakistan
| | - Ned Saleh
- Synsal Inc., San Jose, CA 95138, USA
| | - Peter Shaw
- Oujiang Lab, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Nasir Jalal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Pak-Austria Fachhochschule, Mang, Haripur 22621, Pakistan
- Oujiang Lab, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou 325000, China
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9
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Solanki S, Kumar V, Kashyap P, Kumar R, De S, Datta TK. Beta-defensins as marker for male fertility: a comprehensive review†. Biol Reprod 2023; 108:52-71. [PMID: 36322147 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine male fertility in animals has a direct impact on the productivity of dairy herds. The epididymal sperm maturations involve extensive sperm surface modifications to gain the fertilizing ability, especially by absorptions of the plethora of biomolecules, including glycoprotein beta-defensins (BDs), enzymes, organic ions, protein, and phospholipids. Defensins are broad-range nonspecific antimicrobial peptides that exhibit strong relations with innate and adaptive immunity, but their roles in male fertility are relatively recently identified. In the course of evolution, BD genes give rise to different clusters with specific functions, especially reproductive functions, by undergoing duplications and nonsynonymous mutations. BD polymorphisms have been reported with milk compositions, disease resistance, and antimicrobial activities. However, in recent decades, the link of BD polymorphisms with fertility has emerged as an appealing improvement of reproductive performance such as sperm motility, membrane integrity, cervical mucus penetration, evading of uterus immunosurveillance, oviduct cell attachment, and egg recognition. The reproductive-specific glycosylated BD class-A BDs (CA-BDs) have shown age- and sex-specific expressions in male reproductive organs, signifying their physiological pleiotropism, especially in the sperm maturation and sperm transport in the female reproductive tract. By considering adult male reproductive organ-specific BD expressions, importance in sperm functionalities, and bioinformatic analysis, we have selected two bovine BBD126 and BBD129 genes as novel potential biomarkers of bovine male fertility. Despite the importance of BDs, however, genomic characterization of most BD genes across most livestock and nonmodel organisms remains predictive/incomplete. The current review discusses our understanding of BD pleiotropic functions, polymorphism, and genomic structural attributes concerning the fertilizability of the male gamete in dairy animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhash Solanki
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- NMR lab-II, National Institute of immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Poonam Kashyap
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Sachinandan De
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Tirtha Kumar Datta
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India.,ICAR- Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India
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10
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Huang S, Zhu Y, Zhang L, Zhang Z. Recent Advances in Delivery Systems for Genetic and Other Novel Vaccines. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2107946. [PMID: 34914144 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202107946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination is one of the most successful and cost-effective prophylactic measures against diseases, especially infectious diseases including smallpox and polio. However, the development of effective prophylactic or therapeutic vaccines for other diseases such as cancer remains challenging. This is often due to the imprecise control of vaccine activity in vivo which leads to insufficient/inappropriate immune responses or short immune memory. The development of new vaccine types in recent decades has created the potential for improving the protective potency against these diseases. Genetic and subunit vaccines are two major categories of these emerging vaccines. Owing to their nature, they rely heavily on delivery systems with various functions, such as effective cargo protection, immunogenicity enhancement, targeted delivery, sustained release of antigens, selective activation of humoral and/or cellular immune responses against specific antigens, and reduced adverse effects. Therefore, vaccine delivery systems may significantly affect the final outcome of genetic and other novel vaccines and are vital for their development. This review introduces these studies based on their research emphasis on functional design or administration route optimization, presents recent progress, and discusses features of new vaccine delivery systems, providing an overview of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery Systems, Ministry of Education, West China School of Pharmacy, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, P. R. China
| | - Yining Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery Systems, Ministry of Education, West China School of Pharmacy, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, P. R. China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery Systems, Ministry of Education, West China School of Pharmacy, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, P. R. China
| | - Zhirong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery Systems, Ministry of Education, West China School of Pharmacy, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, P. R. China
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11
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Gautam P, Maenner S, Cailotto F, Reboul P, Labialle S, Jouzeau J, Bourgaud F, Moulin D. Emerging role of IκBζ in inflammation: Emphasis on psoriasis. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e1032. [PMID: 36245291 PMCID: PMC9574490 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting skin and joints that results from immunological dysfunction such as enhanced IL-23 induced Th-17 differentiation. IkappaB-Zeta (IκBζ) is an atypical transcriptional factor of the IκB protein family since, contrary to the other family members, it positively regulates NF-κB pathway by being exclusively localized into the nucleus. IκBζ deficiency reduces visible manifestations of experimental psoriasis by diminishing expression of psoriasis-associated genes. It is thus tempting to consider IκBζ as a potential therapeutic target for psoriasis as well as for other IL23/IL17-mediated inflammatory diseases. In this review, we will discuss the regulation of expression of NFKBIZ and its protein IκBζ, its downstream targets, its involvement in pathogenesis of multiple disorders with emphasis on psoriasis and evidences supporting that inhibition of IκBζ may be a promising alternative to current therapeutic managements of psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Gautam
- Laboratoire IMoPAUMR 7365 CNRS‐Université de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Université de LorraineVandœuvre‐lès‐NancyFrance
| | - Sylvain Maenner
- Laboratoire IMoPAUMR 7365 CNRS‐Université de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Université de LorraineVandœuvre‐lès‐NancyFrance
| | - Frédéric Cailotto
- Laboratoire IMoPAUMR 7365 CNRS‐Université de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Université de LorraineVandœuvre‐lès‐NancyFrance
| | - Pascal Reboul
- Laboratoire IMoPAUMR 7365 CNRS‐Université de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Université de LorraineVandœuvre‐lès‐NancyFrance
| | - Stéphane Labialle
- Laboratoire IMoPAUMR 7365 CNRS‐Université de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Université de LorraineVandœuvre‐lès‐NancyFrance
| | - Jean‐Yves Jouzeau
- Laboratoire IMoPAUMR 7365 CNRS‐Université de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Université de LorraineVandœuvre‐lès‐NancyFrance
| | | | - David Moulin
- Laboratoire IMoPAUMR 7365 CNRS‐Université de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Université de LorraineVandœuvre‐lès‐NancyFrance
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12
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Talapko J, Meštrović T, Juzbašić M, Tomas M, Erić S, Horvat Aleksijević L, Bekić S, Schwarz D, Matić S, Neuberg M, Škrlec I. Antimicrobial Peptides-Mechanisms of Action, Antimicrobial Effects and Clinical Applications. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11101417. [PMID: 36290075 PMCID: PMC9598582 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing emergence of antimicrobial resistance represents a global problem that not only influences healthcare systems but also has grave implications for political and economic processes. As the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents is lagging, one of the solutions is innovative therapeutic options that would expand our armamentarium against this hazard. Compounds of interest in many such studies are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which actually represent the host's first line of defense against pathogens and are involved in innate immunity. They have a broad range of antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and viruses, with specific mechanisms of action utilized by different AMPs. Coupled with a lower propensity for resistance development, it is becoming clear that AMPs can be seen as emerging and very promising candidates for more pervasive usage in the treatment of infectious diseases. However, their use in quotidian clinical practice is not without challenges. In this review, we aimed to summarize state-of-the-art evidence on the structure and mechanisms of action of AMPs, as well as to provide detailed information on their antimicrobial activity. We also aimed to present contemporary evidence of clinical trials and application of AMPs and highlight their use beyond infectious diseases and potential challenges that may arise with their increasing availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasminka Talapko
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
- Correspondence: (J.T.); (I.Š.)
| | - Tomislav Meštrović
- University Centre Varaždin, University North, 42000 Varaždin, Croatia
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Martina Juzbašić
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Matej Tomas
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Suzana Erić
- Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Lorena Horvat Aleksijević
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Sanja Bekić
- Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
- Family Medicine Practice, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Dragan Schwarz
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Suzana Matić
- Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Josipa Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Marijana Neuberg
- University Centre Varaždin, University North, 42000 Varaždin, Croatia
| | - Ivana Škrlec
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
- Correspondence: (J.T.); (I.Š.)
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13
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Human neutrophil peptides 1-3 protect the murine urinary tract from uropathogenic Escherichia coli challenge. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206515119. [PMID: 36161923 PMCID: PMC9546544 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206515119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are critical to the protection of the urinary tract of humans and other animals from pathogenic microbial invasion. AMPs rapidly destroy pathogens by disrupting microbial membranes and/or augmenting or inhibiting the host immune system through a variety of signaling pathways. We have previously demonstrated that alpha-defensins 1-3 (DEFA1A3) are AMPs expressed in the epithelial cells of the human kidney collecting duct in response to uropathogens. We also demonstrated that DNA copy number variations in the DEFA1A3 locus are associated with UTI and pyelonephritis risk. Because DEFA1A3 is not expressed in mice, we utilized human DEFA1A3 gene transgenic mice (DEFA4/4) to further elucidate the biological relevance of this locus in the murine urinary tract. We demonstrate that the kidney transcriptional and translational expression pattern is similar in humans and the human gene transgenic mouse upon uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) stimulus in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrate transgenic human DEFA4/4 gene mice are protected from UTI and pyelonephritis under various UPEC challenges. This study serves as the foundation to start the exploration of manipulating the DEFA1A3 locus and alpha-defensins 1-3 expression as a potential therapeutic target for UTIs and other infectious diseases.
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Mabrouk DM. Antimicrobial peptides: features, applications and the potential use against covid-19. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:10039-10050. [PMID: 35606604 PMCID: PMC9126628 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07572-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a diverse class of molecules that represent a vital part of innate immunity. AMPs are evolutionarily conserved molecules that exhibit structural and functional diversity. They provide a possible solution to the antibiotic-resistance crisis. MAIN TEXT These small cationic peptides can target bacteria, fungi, and viruses, as well as cancer cells. Their unique action mechanisms, rare antibiotic-resistant variants, broad-spectrum activity, low toxicity, and high specificity encourage pharmaceutical industries to conduct clinical trials to develop them as therapeutic drugs. The rapid development of computer-assisted strategies accelerated the identification of AMPs. The Antimicrobial Peptide Database (APD) so far contains 3324 AMPs from different sources. In addition to their applications in different fields, some AMPs demonstrated the potential to combat COVID-19, and hinder viral infectivity in diverse ways. CONCLUSIONS This review provides a brief history of AMPs and their features, including classification, evolution, sources and mechanisms of action, biosynthesis pathway, and identification techniques. Furthermore, their different applications, challenges to clinical applications, and their potential use against COVID-19 are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalia Mamdouh Mabrouk
- Cell Biology Department, National Research Centre, 33 El Bohouth, St., P.O.12622, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
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15
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CNVs Associated with Different Clinical Phenotypes of Psoriasis and Anti-TNF-Induced Palmoplantar Pustulosis. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12091452. [PMID: 36143237 PMCID: PMC9506507 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12091452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Psoriasis can present different phenotypes and could affect diverse body areas. In contrast to the high effectiveness of biological drugs in the treatment of trunk and extremities plaque psoriasis, in palmoplantar phenotypes and in plaque scalp psoriasis, these same drugs usually have reduced efficacy. Anti-TNF drugs could induce the appearance of palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) in patients with other inflammatory diseases. The objective of this study is to identify if there are DNA Copy Number Variations (CNVs) associated with these different clinical phenotypes, which could justify the differences found in clinical practice. Moreover, we intend to elucidate if anti-TNF-induced PPP has a similar genetic background to idiopathic PPP. Methods: Skin samples were collected from 39 patients with different patterns of psoriasis and six patients with anti-TNF-induced PPP. The CNVs were obtained from methylation array data (Illumina Infinium Human Methylation) using the conumee R package. Results: No significant CNVs were found between the different phenotypes and the locations of psoriasis compared. Nevertheless, we found two significant bins harboring five different genes associated with anti-TNF-induced PPP in patients with a different background other than psoriasis. Conclusions: Our results may help to predict which patients could develop anti-TNF-induced PPP.
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16
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Glycosaminoglycan, Antimicrobial Defence Molecule and Cytokine Appearance in Tracheal Hyaline Cartilage of Healthy Humans. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol 2022; 7:jfmk7030055. [PMID: 35893329 PMCID: PMC9326615 DOI: 10.3390/jfmk7030055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyaline cartilage is an important tracheal structure, yet little is known about its molecular composition, complicating investigation of pathologies and replacement options. Our aim was to research tracheal hyaline cartilage structure, protective tissue factors and variations in healthy humans. The tissue material was obtained from 10 cadavers obtained from the Riga Stradins University Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology archive. Tissues were stained with Bismarck brown and PAS for glycosaminoglycans, and immunohistochemistry was performed for HBD-2, HBD-3, HBD-4, IL-10 and LL-37. The slides were inspected by light microscopy and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated. The extracellular matrix was positive across hyaline cartilage for PAS, yet Bismarck brown marked positive proliferation and growth zones. Numerous positive cells for both factors were found in all zones. All of the antimicrobial defence molecules and cytokines were found in a moderate number of cells, except in the mature cell zone with few positive cells. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient revealed strong and moderate correlations between studied factors. Hyaline cartilage is a tracheal defence structure with a moderate number of antimicrobial defence protein and cytokine immunoreactive cells as well as numerous glycosaminoglycan positive cells. The extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycans provide structural scaffolding and intercellular signalling. The correlations between the studied factors confirm the synergistic activity of them.
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17
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Koutsos E, Modica B, Freel T. Immunomodulatory potential of black soldier fly larvae: applications beyond nutrition in animal feeding programs. Transl Anim Sci 2022; 6:txac084. [PMID: 35854966 PMCID: PMC9280983 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txac084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect-derived ingredients, including whole larvae, protein-rich meal, and oil, have been extensively studied in recent years and shown to be a sustainable source of quality nutrition for virtually all animal species and life stages. In addition to the ability to use these ingredients as a source of essential nutrition, more recent research has demonstrated the potential for the immunomodulatory activity of various components of insect-derived ingredients. For all insects studied, antimicrobial peptides make up a critical part of the insects’ innate immune system and these peptides have antimicrobial efficacy when purified from hemolymph and tested in vitro. From black soldier fly larvae, in particular, lauric acid is a predominant fatty acid deposited into the insect, and lauric acid also has potential antimicrobial activity in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the chitin and chitosan components of the insect exoskeleton may modulate microbial activity in a variety of ways. In companion animals, poultry, and livestock species, insect-derived ingredients have shown the potential to reduce the impact of actual or simulated disease challenge on several parameters of animal health and well-being. This review describes the current state of knowledge of the immunomodulatory potential of insect-derived ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bree Modica
- EnviroFlight, LLC , 1118 Progress Way, Maysville, KY 41056 , USA
| | - Tarra Freel
- EnviroFlight, LLC , 1118 Progress Way, Maysville, KY 41056 , USA
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18
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Bellamkonda N, Lambe UP, Sawant S, Nandi SS, Chakraborty C, Shukla D. Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines. Biomedicines 2022; 10:1464. [PMID: 35884770 PMCID: PMC9312515 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccines have been developed to confer immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Prior to the pandemic of COVID-19 which started in March 2020, there was a well-established understanding about the structure and pathogenesis of previously known Coronaviruses from the SARS and MERS outbreaks. In addition to this, vaccines for various Coronaviruses were available for veterinary use. This knowledge supported the creation of various vaccine platforms for SARS-CoV-2. Before COVID-19 there are no reports of a vaccine being developed in under a year and no vaccine for preventing coronavirus infection in humans had ever been developed. Approximately nine different technologies are being researched and developed at various levels in order to design an effective COVID-19 vaccine. As the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for generating substantial adaptive immune response, mostly all the vaccine candidates have been targeting the whole spike protein or epitopes of spike protein as a vaccine candidate. In this review, we have compiled the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and followed by the mechanism of action of various vaccine platforms such as mRNA vaccines, Adenoviral vectored vaccine, inactivated virus vaccines and subunit vaccines in the market. In the end we have also summarized the various adjuvants used in the COVID-19 vaccine formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navya Bellamkonda
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | | | - Sonali Sawant
- ICMR-NIV, Mumbai Unit, A. D. Road, Parel, Mumbai 400012, India; (U.P.L.); (S.S.)
| | - Shyam Sundar Nandi
- ICMR-NIV, Mumbai Unit, A. D. Road, Parel, Mumbai 400012, India; (U.P.L.); (S.S.)
| | | | - Deepak Shukla
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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19
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Gorlova OY, Kimmel M, Tsavachidis S, Amos CI, Gorlov IP. Identification of lung cancer drivers by comparison of the observed and the expected numbers of missense and nonsense mutations in individual human genes. Oncotarget 2022; 13:756-767. [PMID: 35634240 PMCID: PMC9132259 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Largely, cancer development is driven by acquisition and positive selection of somatic mutations that increase proliferation and survival of tumor cells. As a result, genes related to cancer development tend to have an excess of somatic mutations in them. An excess of missense and/or nonsense mutations in a gene is an indicator of its cancer relevance. To identify genes with an excess of potentially functional missense or nonsense mutations one needs to compare the observed and expected numbers of mutations in the gene. We estimated the expected numbers of missense and nonsense mutations in individual human genes using (i) the number of potential sites for missense and nonsense mutations in individual transcripts and (ii) histology-specific nucleotide context-dependent mutation rates. To estimate mutation rates defined as the number of mutations per site per tumor we used silent mutations reported in the Catalog Of Somatic Mutations In Cancer (COSMIC). The estimates were nucleotide context dependent. We have identified 26 genes with an excess of missense and/or nonsense mutations for lung adenocarcinoma, 18 genes for small cell lung cancer, and 26 genes for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. These genes include known genes and novel lung cancer gene candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Y. Gorlova
- 1Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Correspondence to:Olga Y. Gorlova, email:
| | - Marek Kimmel
- 2Department of Statistics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | | | | | - Ivan P. Gorlov
- 1Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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20
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Dimos B, Emery M, Beavers K, MacKnight N, Brandt M, Demuth J, Mydlarz L. Adaptive Variation in Homolog Number Within Transcript Families Promotes Expression Divergence in Reef-Building Coral. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2594-2610. [PMID: 35229964 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression, especially in multi-species experiments, is used to gain insight into the genetic basis of how organisms adapt and respond to changing environments. However, evolutionary processes which can influence gene expression patterns between species such as the presence of paralogs which arise from gene duplication events are rarely accounted for. Paralogous transcripts can alter the transcriptional output of a gene and thus exclusion of these transcripts can obscure important biological differences between species. To address this issue, we investigated how differences in transcript family size is associated with divergent gene expression patterns in five species of Caribbean reef-building corals. We demonstrate that transcript families that are rapidly evolving in terms of size have increased levels of expression divergence. Additionally, these rapidly evolving transcript families are enriched for multiple biological processes, with genes involved in the coral innate immune system demonstrating pronounced variation in homolog number between species. Overall, this investigation demonstrates the importance of incorporating paralogous transcripts when comparing gene expression across species by influencing both transcriptional output and the number of transcripts within biological processes. As this investigation was based on transcriptome assemblies, additional insights into the relationship between gene duplications and expression patterns will likely emergence once more genome assemblies are available for study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradford Dimos
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Madison Emery
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Kelsey Beavers
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Nicholas MacKnight
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Marilyn Brandt
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, 00802, USA
| | - Jeffery Demuth
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Laura Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
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21
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Fareed MM, Ullah S, Aziz S, Johnsen TA, Shityakov S. In-silico analysis of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in human β-defensin type 1 gene reveals their impact on protein-ligand binding sites. Comput Biol Chem 2022; 98:107669. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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22
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Urine proteomics as a non-invasive approach to monitor exertional rhabdomyolysis during military training. J Proteomics 2022; 258:104498. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2022.104498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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23
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Neumann S, Steingräber L, Herold L. Investigation of procalcitonin and beta-defensin2 in the serum and feces of dogs with acute diarrhea. Vet Clin Pathol 2022; 50 Suppl 1:55-62. [PMID: 35040162 DOI: 10.1111/vcp.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute diarrhea is a common clinical condition where clinical parameters are used to assess disease severity, course, and prognosis. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate procalcitonin (PCT) and beta-defensin2 (Bdef2) as biomarkers for disease severity, course, and prognosis of dogs with acute diarrhea. METHODS Dogs with acute diarrhea (enteritis group [EG], n = 35) were compared with 30 healthy controls. The dogs in the EG were scored using the Canine Acute Diarrhea Severity (CADS) index and grouped by bacterial fecal culture results. Procalcitonin and Bdef2 were analyzed in serum and feces. RESULTS Dogs with acute diarrhea showed higher serum PCT concentrations (P < 0.0001) and lower fecal Bdef2 concentrations (P = 0.0001) than unaffected dogs. Serum PCT was moderately and positively related to the extent of disease classified by the CADS score. Dogs with Clostridium perfringens or hemolyzing Escherichia coli as predominant pathogen had increased serum Bdef2 concentrations (P < 0.01). Differentiation between uncomplicated (≤3 days) and complicated (>3 days) disease courses, determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, resulted in a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.69 for serum PCT at a cutoff of 3.9 ng/mL. The serum PCT and fecal Bdef2 quotient resulted in a sensitivity of 0.80 and a specificity of 0.92, with a cutoff of 80.5. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study indicate that PCT and Bdef2 are potential biomarkers that can provide information on the severity, course, and prognosis of acute diarrhea in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Neumann
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lilith Steingräber
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Herold
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Mekonnen D, Mengist HM, Jin T. SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine adjuvants and their signaling pathways. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:69-81. [PMID: 34633259 PMCID: PMC8567292 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1991794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vaccines are the agreed upon weapon against the COVID-19 pandemic. This review discusses about COVID-19 subunit vaccines adjuvants and their signaling pathways, which could provide a glimpse into the selection of appropriate adjuvants for prospective vaccine development studies. AREAS COVERED In the introduction, a brief background about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the vaccine development race and classes of vaccine adjuvants were provided. . The antigen, trial stage, and types of adjuvants were extracted from the included articles and thun assimilated. Finally, the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), their classes, cognate adjuvants, and potential signaling pathways were comprehended. EXPERT OPINION Adjuvants are unsung heroes of subunit vaccines. The in silico studies are very vital in avoiding several costly trial errors and save much work times. The majority of the (pre)clinical studies are promising. It is encouraging that most of the selected adjuvants are novel. Much emphasis must be paid to the optimal paring of antigen-adjuvant-PRRs for obtaining the desired vaccine effect. A good subunit vaccine/adjuvant is one that has high efficacy, safety, dose sparing, and rapid seroconversion rate and broad spectrum of immune response. In the years to come, COVID-19 adjuvanted subunit vaccines are expected to have superior utility than any other vaccines for various reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mekonnen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hylemariam Mihiretie Mengist
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Cas Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Cas Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Lin B, Li R, Handley TN, Wade JD, Li W, O’Brien-Simpson NM. Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides Are Leading the Way to Combat Oropathogenic Infections. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:2959-2970. [PMID: 34587737 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oral dental infections are one of the most common diseases affecting humans, with caries and periodontal disease having the highest incidence. Caries and periodontal disease arise from infections caused by oral bacterial pathogens. Current misuse and overuse of antibiotic treatments have led to the development of antimicrobial resistance. However, recent studies have shown that cationic antimicrobial peptides are a promising family of antibacterial agents that are active against oral pathogenic bacteria and also possess less propensity for development of antimicrobial resistance. This timely Review has a focus on two primary subjects: (i) the oral bacterial pathogens associated with dental infections and (ii) the current development of antimicrobial peptides targeting oral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Lin
- The Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Rong Li
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry & Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Thomas N.G. Handley
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - John D. Wade
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Wenyi Li
- The Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Neil M. O’Brien-Simpson
- The Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, Melbourne Dental School, Centre for Oral Health Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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26
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Dhande IS, Doris PA. Genomics and Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease. Compr Physiol 2021; 11:2433-2454. [PMID: 34570903 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c200032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Chronic cardiovascular diseases are associated with inflammatory responses within the blood vessels and end organs. The origin of this inflammation has not been certain, and neither is its relationship to disease clear. There is a need to determine whether this association is causal or coincidental to the processes leading to cardiovascular disease. These processes are themselves complex: many cardiovascular diseases arise in conjunction with the presence of sustained elevation of blood pressure. Inflammatory processes have been linked to hypertension, and causality has been suggested. Evidence of causality poses the difficult challenge of linking the integrated and multifaceted biology of blood pressure regulation with vascular function and complex elements of immune system function. These include both, innate and adaptive immunity, as well as interactions between the host immune system and the omnipresent microorganisms that are encountered in the environment and that colonize and exist in commensal relationship with the host. Progress has been made in this task and has drawn on experimental approaches in animals, much of which have focused on hypertension occurring with prolonged infusion of angiotensin II. These laboratory studies are complemented by studies that seek to inform disease mechanism by examining the genomic basis of heritable disease susceptibility in human populations. In this realm too, evidence has emerged that implicates genetic variation affecting immunity in disease pathogenesis. In this article, we survey the genetic and genomic evidence linking high blood pressure and its end-organ injuries to immune system function and examine evidence that genomic factors can influence disease risk. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:1-22, 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha S Dhande
- Center for Human Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Peter A Doris
- Center for Human Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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Al-Bayatee NT, Ad'hiah AH. Human beta-defensins 2 and 4 are dysregulated in patients with coronavirus disease 19. Microb Pathog 2021; 160:105205. [PMID: 34547411 PMCID: PMC8450228 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have recently been proposed as significant immunological factors involved in pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). Human β-defensins (hBDs) are among these AMPs, but the evidence is not well detailed. Therefore, this case-control study analyzed levels of hBD1, hBD2, hBD3 and hBD4 in serum of 103 patients with severe COVID-19 and 105 healthy controls. Most patients were older than 45 years (80.6%), and more than 50% suffered from chronic diseases (cardiovascular and diabetes). Results revealed that median levels of hBD1 and hBD3 did not show significant differences between patients and controls. On the contrary, HBD2 levels were significantly decreased in patients compared to controls (1036 vs. 1289 ng/L; p < 0.001), while HBD4 levels were significantly increased (4.04 vs. 2.43 ng/L; p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated the predictive significance of hBD2 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.795; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.729–0.861; p < 0.001) and hBD4 (AUC = 0.816; 95% CI = 0.756–0.876; p < 0.001) in discriminating between COVID-19 patients and controls. Logistic regression analysis (adjusted for age, gender and body mass index) confirmed the significance of hBD2 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.996; corrected p = 0.004) and hBD4 (OR = 4.948; corrected p < 0.001) in susceptibility to COVID-19. In conclusion, the study indicated that hBD2 showed low levels in serum of patients infected with severe COVID-19, while hBD4 showed elevated levels. These differences in HBDs were not influenced by age, gender, body mass index, or chronic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor T Al-Bayatee
- Biotechnology Department, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Ali H Ad'hiah
- Tropical-Biological Research Unit, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.
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28
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Wang M, Zhou Z, Li S, Zhu W, Hu X. Identification and Characterization of Antimicrobial Peptides From Butterflies: An Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Study. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:720381. [PMID: 34512599 PMCID: PMC8427292 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.720381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Butterflies represent one of the largest animal groups on Earth, yet antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of this group are less studied in comparison with their moth counterparts. This study employed an integrated bioinformatics approach to survey natural AMPs from publicly available genomic datasets. Numerous AMPs, including cecropins, defensins, and moricins, were identified and subsequently used as templates for the design of a series of synthetic AMPs that mimicked the naturally occurring sequences. Despite differing biological effects among the various sequences, the synthetic AMPs exhibited potent antibacterial and antifungal activities in vitro and in vivo, without inducing hemolysis, which implied their therapeutic potential in infectious diseases. Electron and confocal fluorescence microscopies revealed that the AMPs induced distinct morphological and biophysical changes on microbial cell membranes and nuclei, suggesting that the antimicrobial effects were related to a mechanism of membrane penetration and nucleic acid binding by the peptides. In conclusion, this study not only offers insights into butterfly AMPs but also provides a practical strategy for high-throughput natural AMP discoveries that will have implications for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China.,Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ziyue Zhou
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Simin Li
- Stomatological Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xianda Hu
- Beijing Tibetan Hospital, China Tibetology Research Center, Beijing, China
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Al Mansour N, Al-Kafaji G, Al Mahmeed A, Bindayna KM. Dysregulation of human beta-defensin-3 expression in the peripheral blood of patients with sepsis. SAGE Open Med 2021; 9:20503121211041515. [PMID: 34457302 PMCID: PMC8385589 DOI: 10.1177/20503121211041515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Sepsis is a serious medical condition caused by the body’s systemic inflammatory response to infections. The antimicrobial peptides, human beta-defensins, play a key role in modulating host immune responses, and aberrant expression of human beta-defensins has been implicated in many infections and inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about the expression of human beta-defensin-3 in systemic infectious diseases. Methods: We investigated the gene expression and protein level of human beta-defensin-3 in peripheral whole blood from 107 participants—67 patients with sepsis and 40 healthy controls—and evaluated the feasibility of human beta-defensin-3 as an indicator for sepsis. Total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and relative mRNA expression of human beta-defensin-3 was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Plasma concentration of human beta-defensin-3 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between human beta-defensin-3 mRNA and protein levels. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to evaluate the value of human beta-defensin-3 as a biomarker for sepsis. Results: Human beta-defensin-3 mRNA expression was significantly downregulated in sepsis patients compared to controls (p = 0.001). The mean fold change of mRNA expression (±standard error) was 0.82 ± 0.63 in sepsis patients and 1.39 ± 1.09 in controls. Plasma concentration of human beta-defensin-3 (pg/mL) was significantly lower in sepsis patients compared to healthy controls (p = 0.039). The mean protein concentration (±standard error) was 539.6 ± 39.4 in sepsis patients and 715.5 ± 53 in controls. There was a significant correlation between human beta-defensin-3 mRNA expression and the corresponding protein level in sepsis patients (r = 0.358, p = 0.04), but not in healthy controls (r = 0.124, p = 0.51). For discriminating sepsis patients from healthy controls, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.722 (95% confidence interval: 0.597–0.847, p = 0.002) for human beta-defensin-3 mRNA and 0.689 (95% confidence interval: 0.557–0.827, p = 0.009) for human beta-defensin-3 protein. Conclusion: This is the first study to show the downregulation of human beta-defensin-3 gene expression and protein level in sepsis, which may contribute to the complex immunological imbalance in sepsis. The significant correlation between human beta-defensin-3 mRNA expression and protein concentration suggests that mRNA expression could be used to predict protein level. Our study also showed a potential role of human beta-defensin-3 as a blood-based biomarker for sepsis. More studies on the clinical significance of human beta-defensin-3 in sepsis could further support a biomarker development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noura Al Mansour
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Ghada Al-Kafaji
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Al-Jawhara Centre for Molecular Medicine, Genetics, and Inherited Disorders, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Ali Al Mahmeed
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
| | - Khalid M Bindayna
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
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Human Defensins Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Blocking Viral Entry. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071246. [PMID: 34206990 PMCID: PMC8310277 DOI: 10.3390/v13071246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate immunity during acute infection plays a critical role in the disease severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and is likely to contribute to COVID-19 disease outcomes. Defensins are highly abundant innate immune factors in neutrophils and epithelial cells, including intestinal Paneth cells, and exhibit antimicrobial and immune-modulatory activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of human α- and β-defensins and RC101, a θ-defensin analog, on SARS-CoV-2 infection. We found that human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) 1-3, human defensin (HD) 5 and RC101 exhibited potent antiviral activity against pseudotyped viruses expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. HNP4 and HD6 had weak anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, whereas human β-defensins (HBD2, HBD5 and HBD6) had no effect. HNP1, HD5 and RC101 also inhibited infection by replication-competent SARS-CoV-2 viruses and SARS-CoV-2 variants. Pretreatment of cells with HNP1, HD5 or RC101 provided some protection against viral infection. These defensins did not have an effect when provided post-infection, indicating their effect was directed towards viral entry. Indeed, HNP1 inhibited viral fusion but not the binding of the spike receptor-binding domain to hACE2. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect of defensins was influenced by the structure of the peptides, as linear unstructured forms of HNP1 and HD5 lost their antiviral function. Pro-HD5, the precursor of HD5, did not block infection by SARS-CoV-2. High virus titers overcame the effect of low levels of HNP1, indicating that defensins act on the virion. HNP1, HD5 and RC101 also blocked viral infection of intestinal and lung epithelial cells. The protective effects of defensins reported here suggest that they may be useful additives to the antivirus arsenal and should be thoroughly studied.
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31
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Mok AC, Mody CH, Li SS. Immune Cell Degranulation in Fungal Host Defence. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:484. [PMID: 34208679 PMCID: PMC8234259 DOI: 10.3390/jof7060484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have developed complex immune systems that defend against invading microbes, including fungal pathogens. Many highly specialized cells of the immune system share the ability to store antimicrobial compounds in membrane bound organelles that can be immediately deployed to eradicate or inhibit growth of invading pathogens. These membrane-bound organelles consist of secretory vesicles or granules, which move to the surface of the cell, where they fuse with the plasma membrane to release their contents in the process of degranulation. Lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, mast cells, eosinophils, and basophils all degranulate in fungal host defence. While anti-microbial secretory vesicles are shared among different immune cell types, information about each cell type has emerged independently leading to an uncoordinated and confusing classification of granules and incomplete description of the mechanism by which they are deployed. While there are important differences, there are many similarities in granule morphology, granule content, stimulus for degranulation, granule trafficking, and release of granules against fungal pathogens. In this review, we describe the similarities and differences in an attempt to translate knowledge from one immune cell to another that may facilitate further studies in the context of fungal host defence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adley Ch Mok
- Department of Microbiology Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Christopher H Mody
- Department of Microbiology Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Shu Shun Li
- Department of Microbiology Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
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32
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Moretta A, Scieuzo C, Petrone AM, Salvia R, Manniello MD, Franco A, Lucchetti D, Vassallo A, Vogel H, Sgambato A, Falabella P. Antimicrobial Peptides: A New Hope in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Fields. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:668632. [PMID: 34195099 PMCID: PMC8238046 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.668632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics are essential drugs used to treat pathogenic bacteria, but their prolonged use contributes to the development and spread of drug-resistant microorganisms. Antibiotic resistance is a serious challenge and has led to the need for new alternative molecules less prone to bacterial resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have aroused great interest as potential next-generation antibiotics, since they are bioactive small proteins, naturally produced by all living organisms, and representing the first line of defense against fungi, viruses and bacteria. AMPs are commonly classified according to their sources, which are represented by microorganisms, plants and animals, as well as to their secondary structure, their biosynthesis and their mechanism of action. They find application in different fields such as agriculture, food industry and medicine, on which we focused our attention in this review. Particularly, we examined AMP potential applicability in wound healing, skin infections and metabolic syndrome, considering their ability to act as potential Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme I and pancreatic lipase inhibitory peptides as well as antioxidant peptides. Moreover, we argued about the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic approaches to develop new antibiotics, the drug development strategies and the formulation approaches which need to be taken into account in developing clinically suitable AMP applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Moretta
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Carmen Scieuzo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | | | - Rosanna Salvia
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Franco
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Donatella Lucchetti
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Vassallo
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Heiko Vogel
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Alessandro Sgambato
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata (IRCCS-CROB), Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | - Patrizia Falabella
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
- Spinoff XFlies s.r.l, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
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D'Souza SM, Houston K, Keenan L, Yoo BS, Parekh PJ, Johnson DA. Role of microbial dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of esophageal mucosal disease: A paradigm shift from acid to bacteria? World J Gastroenterol 2021; 27:2054-2072. [PMID: 34025064 PMCID: PMC8117736 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i18.2054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic sequencing, bioinformatics, and initial speciation (e.g., relative abundance) of the commensal microbiome have revolutionized the way we think about the “human” body in health and disease. The interactions between the gut bacteria and the immune system of the host play a key role in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal diseases, including those impacting the esophagus. Although relatively stable, there are a number of factors that may disrupt the delicate balance between the luminal esophageal microbiome (EM) and the host. These changes are thought to be a product of age, diet, antibiotic and other medication use, oral hygiene, smoking, and/or expression of antibiotic products (bacteriocins) by other flora. These effects may lead to persistent dysbiosis which in turn increases the risk of local inflammation, systemic inflammation, and ultimately disease progression. Research has suggested that the etiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease-related esophagitis includes a cytokine-mediated inflammatory component and is, therefore, not merely the result of esophageal mucosal exposure to corrosives (i.e., acid). Emerging evidence also suggests that the EM plays a major role in the pathogenesis of disease by inciting an immunogenic response which ultimately propagates the inflammatory cascade. Here, we discuss the potential role for manipulating the EM as a therapeutic option for treating the root cause of various esophageal disease rather than just providing symptomatic relief (i.e., acid suppression).
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve M D'Souza
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23502, United States
| | - Kevin Houston
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23502, United States
| | - Lauren Keenan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23502, United States
| | - Byung Soo Yoo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23502, United States
| | - Parth J Parekh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23502, United States
| | - David A Johnson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23502, United States
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Kanmura S, Morinaga Y, Tanaka A, Komaki Y, Iwaya H, Kumagai K, Mawatari S, Sasaki F, Tanoue S, Hashimoto S, Sameshima Y, Ono Y, Ohi H, Ido A. Increased Gene Copy Number of DEFA1A3 Is Associated With the Severity of Ulcerative Colitis. Clin Transl Gastroenterol 2021; 12:e00331. [PMID: 33825720 PMCID: PMC8032364 DOI: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION DEFA1A3 encodes human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) 1-3 and has multiple copy number variations (CNVs). HNPs are associated with innate immunity. Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal disorder, is a life-threatening condition, and predictive markers of UC severity are needed. This study investigated the relationship between DEFA1A3 CNV and UC severity. METHODS This study enrolled 165 patients with UC. The relationship between DEFA1A3 CNV and disease severity was analyzed based on Mayo score, patient characteristics, and treatment methods. In addition, serum and stimulated neutrophil-derived HNP concentrations were also measured in patients with high and low DEFA1A3 CNV. RESULTS DEFA1A3 CNV was significantly correlated with Mayo score and white blood cell count (R = 0.46, P < 0.0001; R = 0.29, P = 0.003, respectively), and only high copy numbers of DEFA1A3 were independent factors for severe UC (P < 0.001, odds ratio: 1.88, 95% confidence interval, 1.34-2.61). The number of severe UC patients with high DEFA1A3 CNV was significantly greater than those with low CNV. We confirmed the associations between DEFA1A3 and UC severity using a validation cohort. In addition, the HNP concentration in high-copy number patients was significantly higher after neutrophil stimulation than that in low-copy number patients. DISCUSSION This study demonstrated that there is a correlation between DEFA1A3 copy number and severity in patients with UC. In addition, neutrophils from UC patients with higher DEFA1A3 CNV had high reactivity of secretion of HNPs after stimulation. DEFA1A3 CNV may be a novel severity marker and a potential therapeutic target for UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuji Kanmura
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yuko Morinaga
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Akihito Tanaka
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yuga Komaki
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Iwaya
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kotaro Kumagai
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Seiichi Mawatari
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Fumisato Sasaki
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Shiroh Tanoue
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Shinichi Hashimoto
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yoichi Sameshima
- Department of Gastroenterology, Imamura General Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yohei Ono
- Department of Gastroenterology, Idzuro Imamura Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Hidehisa Ohi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Idzuro Imamura Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Akio Ido
- Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
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Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Anti-Tubercular Leads: A Concise Review. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14040323. [PMID: 33918182 PMCID: PMC8065624 DOI: 10.3390/ph14040323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being considered a public health emergency for the last 25 years, tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the deadliest infectious diseases, responsible for over a million deaths every year. The length and toxicity of available treatments and the increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis renders standard regimens increasingly inefficient and emphasizes the urgency to develop new approaches that are not only cost- and time-effective but also less toxic. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are small cationic and amphipathic molecules that play a vital role in the host immune system by acting as a first barrier against invading pathogens. The broad spectrum of properties that peptides possess make them one of the best possible alternatives for a new “post-antibiotic” era. In this context, research into AMP as potential anti-tubercular agents has been driven by the increasing danger revolving around the emergence of extremely-resistant strains, the innate resistance that mycobacteria possess and the low compliance of patients towards the toxic anti-TB treatments. In this review, we will focus on AMP from various sources, such as animal, non-animal and synthetic, with reported inhibitory activity towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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The Role of Bacterial and Fungal Human Respiratory Microbiota in COVID-19 Patients. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:6670798. [PMID: 33681368 PMCID: PMC7907751 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6670798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recently, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to a worldwide pandemic with millions of infected patients. Alteration in humans' microbiota was also reported in COVID-19 patients. The alteration in human microbiota may contribute to bacterial or viral infections and affect the immune system. Moreover, human's microbiota can be altered due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and these microbiota changes can indicate the progression of COVID-19. While current studies focus on the gut microbiota, it seems necessary to pay attention to the lung microbiota in COVID-19. This study is aimed at reviewing respiratory microbiota dysbiosis among COVID-19 patients to encourage further studies on the field for assessment of SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory microbiota interaction.
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Hart CE, Thangamani S. Tick-virus interactions: Current understanding and future perspectives. Parasite Immunol 2021; 43:e12815. [PMID: 33368375 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are the primary vector of arboviruses in temperate climates worldwide. They are both the vector of these pathogens to humans and an integral component of the viral sylvatic cycle. Understanding the tick-pathogen interaction provides information about the natural maintenance of these pathogens and informs the development of countermeasures against human infection. In this review, we discuss currently available information on tick-viral interactions within the broader scope of general tick immunology. While the tick immune response to several pathogens has been studied extensively, minimal work centres on responses to viral infection. This is largely due to the high pathogenicity of tick-borne viruses; this necessitates high-containment laboratories or low-pathogenicity substitute viruses. This has biased most research towards tick-borne flaviviruses. More work is required to fully understand the role of tick-virus interaction in sylvatic cycling and transmission of diverse tick-borne viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Edward Hart
- Institute for Global Health and Translational Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Saravanan Thangamani
- Institute for Global Health and Translational Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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Zhao W, Ahmed S, Ahmed S, Yangliu Y, Wang H, Cai X. Analysis of long non-coding RNAs in epididymis of cattleyak associated with male infertility. Theriogenology 2020; 160:61-71. [PMID: 33181482 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cattleyak (CY), is a cross breed between cattle and yak (YK), which display equal adaptability to the harsh environment as YK and much higher performances than YK. However, the CY is female fertile and male sterile. Previous studies were conducted on testes tissues to investigate the mechanism of male infertility in CY. There is no systematic research on genes, especially lncRNAs between CY and YK epididymis. In this study, Illumina Hiseq was performed to profile the epididymis transcriptome (lncRNA and mRNA) of CY and YK. In total 18859 lncRNAs were identified, from which lincRNAs 12458, antisense lncRNAs 2345, intronic lncRNAs 3101, and sense lncRNAs 955 respectively. We have identified 345 DE lncRNAs and 3008 DE mRNAs between YK and CY epididymis. Thirteen DEGs were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. Combing with DEG, 14 couples of lncRNAs and their target genes were both DE, and 6 of them including CCDC39, KCNJ16, NECTIN2, MRPL20, PSMC4, and DEFB112 show their potential infertility-related terms such as cellular motility, sperm maturation, sperm storage, cellular junction, folate metabolism, and capacitation. On the other hand, several down-regulated genes such as DEFB124, DEFB126, DEFB125, DEFB127, DEFB129, CES5A, TKDP1, CST3, RNASE9 and CD52 in CY compared to YK were involved in the immune response and sperm maturation. Therefore, comprehensive analysis for lncRNAs and their target genes may enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the process of sperm maturation in CY and may provide important resources for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangsheng Zhao
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Saeed Ahmed
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Siraj Ahmed
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Yueling Yangliu
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin Cai
- Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Animal Genetic Resource Reservation and Utilization (Southwest Minzu University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China; Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Animal Genetic Resource Reservation and Utilization Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
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Mercer DK, O'Neil DA. Innate Inspiration: Antifungal Peptides and Other Immunotherapeutics From the Host Immune Response. Front Immunol 2020; 11:2177. [PMID: 33072081 PMCID: PMC7533533 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to describe antifungal therapeutic candidates in preclinical and clinical development derived from, or directly influenced by, the immune system, with a specific focus on antimicrobial peptides (AMP). Although the focus of this review is AMP with direct antimicrobial effects on fungi, we will also discuss compounds with direct antifungal activity, including monoclonal antibodies (mAb), as well as immunomodulatory molecules that can enhance the immune response to fungal infection, including immunomodulatory AMP, vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors, interferon and colony stimulating factors as well as immune cell therapies. The focus of this manuscript will be a non-exhaustive review of antifungal compounds in preclinical and clinical development that are based on the principles of immunology and the authors acknowledge the incredible amount of in vitro and in vivo work that has been conducted to develop such therapeutic candidates.
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Hares MF, Tiffney EA, Johnston LJ, Luu L, Stewart CJ, Flynn RJ, Coombes JL. Stem cell-derived enteroid cultures as a tool for dissecting host-parasite interactions in the small intestinal epithelium. Parasite Immunol 2020; 43:e12765. [PMID: 32564379 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium spp. can cause devastating pathological effects in humans and livestock, and in particular to young or immunocompromised individuals. The current treatment plans for these enteric parasites are limited due to long drug courses, severe side effects or simply a lack of efficacy. The study of the early interactions between the parasites and the site of infection in the small intestinal epithelium has been thwarted by the lack of accessible, physiologically relevant and species-specific models. Increasingly, 3D stem cell-derived enteroid models are being refined and developed into sophisticated models of infectious disease. In this review, we shall illustrate the use of enteroids to spearhead research into enteric parasitic infections, bridging the gap between cell line cultures and in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam F Hares
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ellen-Alana Tiffney
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Luke J Johnston
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lisa Luu
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Robin J Flynn
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Janine L Coombes
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Asadi A, Tavakoli Kareshk A, Sharifi I, Firouzeh N. Murine cathelicidin: as a host defensive response against Leishmania major infection. J Parasit Dis 2020; 44:633-638. [PMID: 32801517 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-020-01238-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a serious global challenge with neither efficacious prophylactic vaccine nor effective and safe therapeutic measures. Cathelicidins, members of antimicrobial peptides family, are small proteins of innate immunity system, which represent a protective barrier against a number of potential pathogens in living organisms. The murine cathelicidin or cathelin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP) is expressed by a variety of cells or tissues, and highly resembles to human cathelicidin (LL-37). It is naturally expressed at a low concentration in adolescent age, but extensively increases during cutaneous infections. Despite its important role, it has less been investigated in parasitic infections. Among all cells, macrophages and skin cells are the two important cells that directly have a relationship with Leishmania major parasites. The present study aimed to show whether cathelicidins protect their hosts following cutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. major parasites. Both in vitro and in vivo models of L. major infection were established by exposing of J744 cell line (murine macrophages) and BALB/c mice with the stationary phase of L. major promastigotes for 24 h and 7 days. The findings revealed that both macrophages and skin cells significantly (p < 0.05) expressed a high level of CRAMP gene and peptide after challenging with L. major parasites. Thus, our data suggest a protective role for cathelicidins against infections caused by L. major parasites. This experimental model could be considered as a novel potential vaccine candidate for planning future control strategy against human leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Asadi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Amir Tavakoli Kareshk
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Iraj Sharifi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Nima Firouzeh
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Gerdol M, Schmitt P, Venier P, Rocha G, Rosa RD, Destoumieux-Garzón D. Functional Insights From the Evolutionary Diversification of Big Defensins. Front Immunol 2020; 11:758. [PMID: 32425943 PMCID: PMC7203481 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Big defensins are antimicrobial polypeptides believed to be the ancestors of β-defensins, the most evolutionary conserved family of host defense peptides (HDPs) in vertebrates. Nevertheless, big defensins underwent several independent gene loss events during animal evolution, being only retained in a limited number of phylogenetically distant invertebrates. Here, we explore the evolutionary history of this fascinating HDP family and investigate its patchy distribution in extant metazoans. We highlight the presence of big defensins in various classes of lophotrochozoans, as well as in a few arthropods and basal chordates (amphioxus), mostly adapted to life in marine environments. Bivalve mollusks often display an expanded repertoire of big defensin sequences, which appear to be the product of independent lineage-specific gene tandem duplications, followed by a rapid molecular diversification of newly acquired gene copies. This ongoing evolutionary process could underpin the simultaneous presence of canonical big defensins and non-canonical (β-defensin-like) sequences in some species. The big defensin genes of mussels and oysters, two species target of in-depth studies, are subjected to gene presence/absence variation (PAV), i.e., they can be present or absent in the genomes of different individuals. Moreover, big defensins follow different patterns of gene expression within a given species and respond differently to microbial challenges, suggesting functional divergence. Consistently, current structural data show that big defensin sequence diversity affects the 3D structure and biophysical properties of these polypeptides. We discuss here the role of the N-terminal hydrophobic domain, lost during evolution toward β-defensins, in the big defensin stability to high salt concentrations and its mechanism of action. Finally, we discuss the potential of big defensins as markers for animal health and for the nature-based design of novel therapeutics active at high salt concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Paulina Schmitt
- Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Paola Venier
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gustavo Rocha
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Rafael Diego Rosa
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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Huang Y, Feulner PGD, Eizaguirre C, Lenz TL, Bornberg-Bauer E, Milinski M, Reusch TBH, Chain FJJ. Genome-Wide Genotype-Expression Relationships Reveal Both Copy Number and Single Nucleotide Differentiation Contribute to Differential Gene Expression between Stickleback Ecotypes. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:2344-2359. [PMID: 31298693 PMCID: PMC6735750 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated and independent emergence of trait divergence that matches habitat differences is a sign of parallel evolution by natural selection. Yet, the molecular underpinnings that are targeted by adaptive evolution often remain elusive. We investigate this question by combining genome-wide analyses of copy number variants (CNVs), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and gene expression across four pairs of lake and river populations of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We tested whether CNVs that span entire genes and SNPs occurring in putative cis-regulatory regions contribute to gene expression differences between sticklebacks from lake and river origins. We found 135 gene CNVs that showed a significant positive association between gene copy number and gene expression, suggesting that CNVs result in dosage effects that can fuel phenotypic variation and serve as substrates for habitat-specific selection. Copy number differentiation between lake and river sticklebacks also contributed to expression differences of two immune-related genes in immune tissues, cathepsin A and GIMAP7. In addition, we identified SNPs in cis-regulatory regions (eSNPs) associated with the expression of 1,865 genes, including one eSNP upstream of a carboxypeptidase gene where both the SNP alleles differentiated and the gene was differentially expressed between lake and river populations. Our study highlights two types of mutations as important sources of genetic variation involved in the evolution of gene expression and in potentially facilitating repeated adaptation to novel environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Huang
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Philine G D Feulner
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.,Division of Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias L Lenz
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
| | - Manfred Milinski
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Thorsten B H Reusch
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany
| | - Frédéric J J Chain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA
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Parai D, Dey P, Mukherjee SK. Antimicrobial Peptides: An Approach to Combat Resilient Infections. Curr Drug Discov Technol 2020; 17:542-552. [PMID: 31250760 DOI: 10.2174/1570163816666190620114338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It was apparent by the end of 1980s that the success against the threats of bacterial pathogens on public health was an illusion, with the rapid development of resistant strains more than the discovery of new drugs. As a consequence, the remedial services were in the backfoot position of being on the losing side of this never-ending evolutionary war. The quest for new antibiotics to overcome resistance problems has long been a top research priority for the researchers and the pharmaceutical industry. However, the resistance problems remain unresolved due to the abrupt misuse of antibiotics by common people, which has immensely worsened the scenario by disseminating antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains around the world. OBJECTIVE Thus, immediate action is needed to measure emerging and re-emerging microbial diseases having new resistance mechanisms and to manage their rapid spread among the common public by means of novel alternative metabolites. CONCLUSION Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) are short, cationic peptides evolved in a wide range of living organisms and serve as the essential part of the host innate immunity. For humans, these effector molecules either can directly kill the foreign microbes or modulate the host immune systems so that the human body could develop some resistance against the microbial infections. In this review, we discuss their history, structural classifications, modes of action, and explain their biological roles as anti-infective agents. We also scrutinize their clinical potentiality, current limitations in various developmental stages and strategies to overcome for their successful clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debaprasad Parai
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, WB, India
| | - Pia Dey
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, WB, India
| | - Samir K Mukherjee
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, WB, India
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Batra V, Maheshwarappa A, Dagar K, Kumar S, Soni A, Kumaresan A, Kumar R, Datta TK. Unusual interplay of contrasting selective pressures on β-defensin genes implicated in male fertility of the Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:214. [PMID: 31771505 PMCID: PMC6878701 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1535-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The buffalo, despite its superior milk-producing ability, suffers from reproductive limitations that constrain its lifetime productivity. Male sub-fertility, manifested as low conception rates (CRs), is a major concern in buffaloes. The epididymal sperm surface-binding proteins which participate in the sperm surface remodelling (SSR) events affect the survival and performance of the spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract (FRT). A mutation in an epididymal secreted protein, beta-defensin 126 (DEFB-126/BD-126), a class-A beta-defensin (CA-BD), resulted in decreased CRs in human cohorts across the globe. To better understand the role of CA-BDs in buffalo reproduction, this study aimed to identify the BD genes for characterization of the selection pressure(s) acting on them, and to identify the most abundant CA-BD transcript in the buffalo male reproductive tract (MRT) for predicting its reproductive functional significance. RESULTS Despite the low protein sequence homology with their orthologs, the CA-BDs have maintained the molecular framework and the structural core vital to their biological functions. Their coding-sequences in ruminants revealed evidence of pervasive purifying and episodic diversifying selection pressures. The buffalo CA-BD genes were expressed in the major reproductive and non-reproductive tissues exhibiting spatial variations. The Buffalo BD-129 (BuBD-129) was the most abundant and the longest CA-BD in the distal-MRT segments and was predicted to be heavily O-glycosylated. CONCLUSIONS The maintenance of the structural core, despite the sequence divergence, indicated the conservation of the molecular functions of the CA-BDs. The expression of the buffalo CA-BDs in both the distal-MRT segments and non-reproductive tissues indicate the retention the primordial microbicidal activity, which was also predicted by in silico sequence analyses. However, the observed spatial variations in their expression across the MRT hint at their region-specific roles. Their comparison across mammalian species revealed a pattern in which the various CA-BDs appeared to follow dissimilar evolutionary paths. This pattern appears to maintain only the highly efficacious CA-BD alleles and diversify their functional repertoire in the ruminants. Our preliminary results and analyses indicated that BuBD-129 could be the functional ortholog of the primate DEFB-126. Further studies are warranted to assess its molecular functions to elucidate its role in immunity, reproduction and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Batra
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India
| | | | - Komal Dagar
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India
| | - Apoorva Soni
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India
| | - A Kumaresan
- Theriogenology Lab, SRS of NDRI, Bengaluru, 560030, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India
| | - T K Datta
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, India.
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Hanson MA, Lemaitre B, Unckless RL. Dynamic Evolution of Antimicrobial Peptides Underscores Trade-Offs Between Immunity and Ecological Fitness. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2620. [PMID: 31781114 PMCID: PMC6857651 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a developing interest in how immune genes may function in other physiological roles, and how traditionally non-immune peptides may, in fact, be active in immune contexts. In the absence of infection, the induction of the immune response is costly, and there are well-characterized trade-offs between immune defense and fitness. The agents behind these fitness costs are less understood. Here we implicate antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as particularly costly effectors of immunity using an evolutionary framework. We describe the independent loss of AMPs in multiple lineages of Diptera (true flies), tying these observations back to life history. We then focus on the intriguing case of the glycine-rich AMP, Diptericin, and find several instances of loss, pseudogenization, and segregating null alleles. We suggest that Diptericin may be a particularly toxic component of the Dipteran immune response lost in flies either with reduced pathogen pressure or other environmental factors. As Diptericins have recently been described to have neurological roles, these findings parallel a developing interest in AMPs as potentially harmful neuropeptides, and AMPs in other roles beyond immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Hanson
- School of Life Science, Global Health Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- School of Life Science, Global Health Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Robert L Unckless
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
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New therapeutic targets for the prevention of infectious acute exacerbations of COPD: role of epithelial adhesion molecules and inflammatory pathways. Clin Sci (Lond) 2019; 133:1663-1703. [PMID: 31346069 DOI: 10.1042/cs20181009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chronic respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with the major contributor, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accounting for approximately 3 million deaths annually. Frequent acute exacerbations (AEs) of COPD (AECOPD) drive clinical and functional decline in COPD and are associated with accelerated loss of lung function, increased mortality, decreased health-related quality of life and significant economic costs. Infections with a small subgroup of pathogens precipitate the majority of AEs and consequently constitute a significant comorbidity in COPD. However, current pharmacological interventions are ineffective in preventing infectious exacerbations and their treatment is compromised by the rapid development of antibiotic resistance. Thus, alternative preventative therapies need to be considered. Pathogen adherence to the pulmonary epithelium through host receptors is the prerequisite step for invasion and subsequent infection of surrounding structures. Thus, disruption of bacterial-host cell interactions with receptor antagonists or modulation of the ensuing inflammatory profile present attractive avenues for therapeutic development. This review explores key mediators of pathogen-host interactions that may offer new therapeutic targets with the potential to prevent viral/bacterial-mediated AECOPD. There are several conceptual and methodological hurdles hampering the development of new therapies that require further research and resolution.
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48
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Stenwall A, Ingvast S, Skog O, Korsgren O. Characterization of host defense molecules in the human pancreas. Islets 2019; 11:89-101. [PMID: 31242128 PMCID: PMC6682263 DOI: 10.1080/19382014.2019.1585165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota can play a role in pancreatitis and, likely, in the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Anti-microbial peptides and secretory proteins are important mediators of the innate immune response against bacteria but their expression in the human pancreas is not fully known. In this study, immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the expression of seven anti-microbial peptides (Defensin α1, α4, β1-4 and Cathelicidin) and two secretory proteins with known antimicrobial properties (REG3A and GP2) in pancreatic and duodenal biopsies from 10 non-diabetic organ donors and one organ donor that died at onset of T1D. Immunohistochemical data was compared with previously published whole-transcriptome data sets. Seven (Defensin α1, β2, β3, α4, GP2, Cathelicidin, and REG3A) host defense molecules showed positive staining patterns in most non-diabetic organ donors, whereas two (Defensin β1 and β4) were negative in all non-diabetic donors. Two molecules (Defensin α1 and GP2) were restricted to the exocrine pancreas whereas two (Defensin β3, α4) were only expressed in islet tissue. Cathelicidin, β2, and REG3A were expressed in both islets and exocrine tissue. The donor that died at onset of T1D had generally less positivity for the host defense molecules, but, notably, this pancreas was the only one where defensin β1 was found. Neither donor age, immune-cell infiltration, nor duodenal expression correlated to the pancreatic expression of host defense molecules. In conclusion, these findings could have important implications for the inflammatory processes in diabetes and pancreatitis as we find several host defense molecules expressed by the pancreatic tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Stenwall
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sofie Ingvast
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oskar Skog
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olle Korsgren
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Transfusion Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Zharkova MS, Orlov DS, Golubeva OY, Chakchir OB, Eliseev IE, Grinchuk TM, Shamova OV. Application of Antimicrobial Peptides of the Innate Immune System in Combination With Conventional Antibiotics-A Novel Way to Combat Antibiotic Resistance? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:128. [PMID: 31114762 PMCID: PMC6503114 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapidly growing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to conventional antibiotics leads to inefficiency of traditional approaches of countering infections and determines the urgent need for a search of fundamentally new anti-infective drugs. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of the innate immune system are promising candidates for a role of such novel antibiotics. However, some cytotoxicity of AMPs toward host cells limits their active implementation in medicine and forces attempts to design numerous structural analogs of the peptides with optimized properties. An alternative route for the successful AMPs introduction may be their usage in combination with conventional antibiotics. Synergistic antibacterial effects have been reported for a number of such combinations, however, the molecular mechanisms of the synergy remain poorly understood and little is known whether AMPs cytotoxicy for the host cells increases upon their application with antibiotics. Our study is directed to examination of a combined action of natural AMPs with different structure and mode of action (porcine protegrin 1, caprine bactenecin ChBac3.4, human alpha- and beta-defensins (HNP-1, HNP-4, hBD-2, hBD-3), human cathelicidin LL-37), and egg white lysozyme with varied antibiotic agents (gentamicin, ofloxacin, oxacillin, rifampicin, polymyxin B, silver nanoparticles) toward selected bacteria, including drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains, as well as toward some mammalian cells (human erythrocytes, PBMC, neutrophils, murine peritoneal macrophages and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells). Using “checkerboard titrations” for fractional inhibitory concentration indexes evaluation, it was found that synergy in antibacterial action mainly occurs between highly membrane-active AMPs (e.g., protegrin 1, hBD-3) and antibiotics with intracellular targets (e.g., gentamicin, rifampcin), suggesting bioavailability increase as the main model of such interaction. In some combinations modulation of dynamics of AMP-bacterial membrane interaction in presence of the antibiotic was also shown. Cytotoxic effects of the same combinations toward normal eukaryotic cells were rarely synergistic. The obtained data approve that combined application of antimicrobial peptides with antibiotics or other antimicrobials is a promising strategy for further development of new approach for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria by usage of AMP-based therapeutics. Revealing the conventional antibiotics that increase the activity of human endogenous AMPs against particular pathogens is also important for cure strategies elaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria S Zharkova
- Laboratory of Design and Synthesis of Biologically Active Peptides, Department of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, FSBSI Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitriy S Orlov
- Laboratory of Design and Synthesis of Biologically Active Peptides, Department of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, FSBSI Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga Yu Golubeva
- Laboratory of Nanostructures Research, Institute of Silicate Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Oleg B Chakchir
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Saint Petersburg National Research Academic University of the Russian Academy of Science, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Igor E Eliseev
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Saint Petersburg National Research Academic University of the Russian Academy of Science, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatyana M Grinchuk
- Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Science, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga V Shamova
- Laboratory of Design and Synthesis of Biologically Active Peptides, Department of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, FSBSI Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-glucan-induced SBD-1 expression in ovine ruminal epithelial cells is mediated through the TLR-2-MyD88-NF-κB/MAPK pathway. Vet Res Commun 2019; 43:77-89. [PMID: 30863917 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-019-09747-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Ovine ruminal epithelial cells (ORECs) not only have a physical barrier function but also can secrete host defence peptides (HDPs), such as sheep β-defensin-1 (SBD-1). As a feed additive, Saccharomyces cerevisiae can enhance the host's innate immunity. β-glucan, a cell wall component of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, can stimulate innate immune responses and trigger the up-regulation of SBD-1 in ORECs. The signaling mechanisms involved in β-glucan-induced SBD-1 expression are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to identify the receptors and intracellular pathways involved in the up-regulation of SBD-1 induced by β-glucan. ORECs were cultured, and the regulatory mechanisms of β-glucan-induced up-regulation of SBD-1 were detected using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and western blotting. TLR-2 and MyD88 knockdown or inhibition attenuated β-glucan-induced SBD-1 expression. We also showed that inhibition of MAPK and NF-κB pathways significantly reduced β-glucan-induced SBD-1 expression. These results demonstrate that β-glucan-induced SBD-1 expression is TLR-2-MyD88-dependent and may be regulated by both MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Since NF-κB inhibition had a greater effect on the down-regulation of β-glucan-induced SBD-1 expression, the NF-κB pathway may be the dominant signaling pathway involved in the regulation of defensin expression. Our studies demonstrate that β-glucan-induced SBD-1 expression is mediated through the TLR-2-MyD88-NF-κB/MAPK pathway. Our results would contribute to the understanding of immunological modulations in the gastrointestinal tract triggered by probiotic yeast cell wall components.
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