1
|
Hasan MZ, Claus M, Krüger N, Reusing S, Gall E, Bade-Döding C, Braun A, Watzl C, Uhrberg M, Walter L. SARS-CoV-2 infection induces adaptive NK cell responses by spike protein-mediated induction of HLA-E expression. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2361019. [PMID: 38804979 PMCID: PMC11212573 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2361019] [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: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
HLA-E expression plays a central role for modulation of NK cell function by interaction with inhibitory NKG2A and stimulatory NKG2C receptors on canonical and adaptive NK cells, respectively. Here, we demonstrate that infection of human primary lung tissue with SARS-CoV-2 leads to increased HLA-E expression and show that processing of the peptide YLQPRTFLL from the spike protein is primarily responsible for the strong, dose-dependent increase of HLA-E. Targeting the peptide site within the spike protein revealed that a single point mutation was sufficient to abrogate the increase in HLA-E expression. Spike-mediated induction of HLA-E differentially affected NK cell function: whereas degranulation, IFN-γ production, and target cell cytotoxicity were enhanced in NKG2C+ adaptive NK cells, effector functions were inhibited in NKG2A+ canonical NK cells. Analysis of a cohort of COVID-19 patients in the acute phase of infection revealed that adaptive NK cells were induced irrespective of the HCMV status, challenging the paradigm that adaptive NK cells are only generated during HCMV infection. During the first week of hospitalization, patients exhibited a selective increase of early NKG2C+CD57- adaptive NK cells whereas mature NKG2C+CD57+ cells remained unchanged. Further analysis of recovered patients suggested that the adaptive NK cell response is primarily driven by a wave of early adaptive NK cells during acute infection that wanes once the infection is cleared. Together, this study suggests that NK cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection are majorly influenced by the balance between canonical and adaptive NK cells via the HLA-E/NKG2A/C axis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zahidul Hasan
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- PhD Program Molecular Biology of Cells, GGNB, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maren Claus
- Department for Immunology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) at TU Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Nadine Krüger
- Platform Infection Models, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Reusing
- Institute for Transplantation Diagnostics and Cell Therapeutics, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Eline Gall
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Armin Braun
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease (BREATH), Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases CIMD, Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, Medical School Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Carsten Watzl
- Department for Immunology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) at TU Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Markus Uhrberg
- Institute for Transplantation Diagnostics and Cell Therapeutics, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lutz Walter
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lenart M, Rutkowska-Zapała M, Siedlar M. NK-cell receptor modulation in viral infections. Clin Exp Immunol 2024; 217:151-158. [PMID: 38767592 PMCID: PMC11239562 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxae045] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in controlling viral infections. The ability to kill infected cells without prior immunization, yet being tolerant to self, healthy cells, depends on the balance of germ-line encoded surface receptors. NK-cell receptors are divided into either activating, leading to activation of NK cell and its cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory activity, or inhibitory, providing tolerance for a target cell. The signals from inhibitory receptors dominate and NK-cell activation requires stimulation of activating receptors. In viral infections, NK-cell interaction with infected cells can result in activation, memory-like NK-cell differentiation, or NK-cell exhaustion, which constitutes one of the viral immune evasion mechanisms. All of these states are associated with the modulation of NK-cell receptor expression. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of NK-cell receptors and their role in viral infection control, as well as the alterations of their expression observed in acute or chronic infections. We present recently discovered SARS-CoV-2-mediated modulation of NK-cell receptor expression and compare them with other human viral infections. Finally, since modulation of NK-cell receptor activation gives a promising addition to currently used antiviral therapies, we briefly discuss the clinical significance and future perspective of the application of agonists or antagonists of activating and inhibitory receptors, respectively. In sum, our review shows that although much is known about NK-cell receptor biology, a deeper understanding of NK-cell receptors role in viral infections is still needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marzena Lenart
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Pediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Wielicka, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Rutkowska-Zapała
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Pediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Wielicka, Krakow, Poland
| | - Maciej Siedlar
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Pediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Wielicka, Krakow, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lee MJ, de los Rios Kobara I, Barnard TR, Vales Torres X, Tobin NH, Ferbas KG, Rimoin AW, Yang OO, Aldrovandi GM, Wilk AJ, Fulcher JA, Blish CA. NK Cell-Monocyte Cross-talk Underlies NK Cell Activation in Severe COVID-19. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:1693-1705. [PMID: 38578283 PMCID: PMC11102029 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
NK cells in the peripheral blood of severe COVID-19 patients exhibit a unique profile characterized by activation and dysfunction. Previous studies have identified soluble factors, including type I IFN and TGF-β, that underlie this dysregulation. However, the role of cell-cell interactions in modulating NK cell function during COVID-19 remains unclear. To address this question, we combined cell-cell communication analysis on existing single-cell RNA sequencing data with in vitro primary cell coculture experiments to dissect the mechanisms underlying NK cell dysfunction in COVID-19. We found that NK cells are predicted to interact most strongly with monocytes and that this occurs via both soluble factors and direct interactions. To validate these findings, we performed in vitro cocultures in which NK cells from healthy human donors were incubated with monocytes from COVID-19+ or healthy donors. Coculture of healthy NK cells with monocytes from COVID-19 patients recapitulated aspects of the NK cell phenotype observed in severe COVID-19, including decreased expression of NKG2D, increased expression of activation markers, and increased proliferation. When these experiments were performed in a Transwell setting, we found that only CD56bright CD16- NK cells were activated in the presence of severe COVID-19 patient monocytes. O-link analysis of supernatants from Transwell cocultures revealed that cultures containing severe COVID-19 patient monocytes had significantly elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, as well as TGF-β. Collectively, these results demonstrate that interactions between NK cells and monocytes in the peripheral blood of COVID-19 patients contribute to NK cell activation and dysfunction in severe COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline J. Lee
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
- Stanford Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Izumi de los Rios Kobara
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
- Stanford Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Trisha R. Barnard
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Xariana Vales Torres
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
- Stanford Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Nicole H. Tobin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Kathie G. Ferbas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Anne W. Rimoin
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Otto O. Yang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Grace M. Aldrovandi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Aaron J. Wilk
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
- Stanford Medical Scientist Training Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Jennifer A. Fulcher
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Catherine A. Blish
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hartmann JA, Cardoso MR, Talarico MCR, Kenney DJ, Leone MR, Reese DC, Turcinovic J, O'Connell AK, Gertje HP, Marino C, Ojeda PE, De Paula EV, Orsi FA, Velloso LA, Cafiero TR, Connor JH, Ploss A, Hoelzemer A, Carrington M, Barczak AK, Crossland NA, Douam F, Boucau J, Garcia-Beltran WF. Evasion of NKG2D-mediated cytotoxic immunity by sarbecoviruses. Cell 2024; 187:2393-2410.e14. [PMID: 38653235 PMCID: PMC11088510 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 and other sarbecoviruses continue to threaten humanity, highlighting the need to characterize common mechanisms of viral immune evasion for pandemic preparedness. Cytotoxic lymphocytes are vital for antiviral immunity and express NKG2D, an activating receptor conserved among mammals that recognizes infection-induced stress ligands (e.g., MIC-A/B). We found that SARS-CoV-2 evades NKG2D recognition by surface downregulation of MIC-A/B via shedding, observed in human lung tissue and COVID-19 patient serum. Systematic testing of SARS-CoV-2 proteins revealed that ORF6, an accessory protein uniquely conserved among sarbecoviruses, was responsible for MIC-A/B downregulation via shedding. Further investigation demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cells efficiently killed SARS-CoV-2-infected cells and limited viral spread. However, inhibition of MIC-A/B shedding with a monoclonal antibody, 7C6, further enhanced NK-cell activity toward SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. Our findings unveil a strategy employed by SARS-CoV-2 to evade cytotoxic immunity, identify the culprit immunevasin shared among sarbecoviruses, and suggest a potential novel antiviral immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Hartmann
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Devin J Kenney
- Department of Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology, Chobanian and Avedisian Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Madison R Leone
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dagny C Reese
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jacquelyn Turcinovic
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aoife K O'Connell
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hans P Gertje
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin Marino
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pedro E Ojeda
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Erich V De Paula
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Hematology and Hemotherapy Center, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda A Orsi
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Hematology and Hemotherapy Center, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Licio Augusto Velloso
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Thomas R Cafiero
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - John H Connor
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Ploss
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Angelique Hoelzemer
- First Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; Institute for Infection and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; Research Department Virus Immunology, Leibniz Institute for Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mary Carrington
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA; Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Amy K Barczak
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas A Crossland
- Department of Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology, Chobanian and Avedisian Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Florian Douam
- Department of Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology, Chobanian and Avedisian Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julie Boucau
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Wilfredo F Garcia-Beltran
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ellsworth CR, Wang C, Katz AR, Chen Z, Islamuddin M, Yang H, Scheuermann SE, Goff KA, Maness NJ, Blair RV, Kolls JK, Qin X. Natural Killer Cells Do Not Attenuate a Mouse-Adapted SARS-CoV-2-Induced Disease in Rag2-/- Mice. Viruses 2024; 16:611. [PMID: 38675952 PMCID: PMC11054502 DOI: 10.3390/v16040611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the roles of T, B, and Natural Killer (NK) cells in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19, utilizing mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2-MA30 (MA30). To evaluate this MA30 mouse model, we characterized MA30-infected C57BL/6 mice (B6) and compared them with SARS-CoV-2-WA1 (an original SARS-CoV-2 strain) infected K18-human ACE2 (K18-hACE2) mice. We found that the infected B6 mice developed severe peribronchial inflammation and rapid severe pulmonary edema, but less lung interstitial inflammation than the infected K18-hACE2 mice. These pathological findings recapitulate some pathological changes seen in severe COVID-19 patients. Using this MA30-infected mouse model, we further demonstrate that T and/or B cells are essential in mounting an effective immune response against SARS-CoV-2. This was evident as Rag2-/- showed heightened vulnerability to infection and inhibited viral clearance. Conversely, the depletion of NK cells did not significantly alter the disease course in Rag2-/- mice, underscoring the minimal role of NK cells in the acute phase of MA30-induced disease. Together, our results indicate that T and/or B cells, but not NK cells, mitigate MA30-induced disease in mice and the infected mouse model can be used for dissecting the pathogenesis and immunology of severe COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calder R Ellsworth
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Chenxiao Wang
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Alexis R Katz
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Center for Translational Research in Infection and Inflammation, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; (A.R.K.); (H.Y.); (J.K.K.)
| | - Zheng Chen
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Mohammad Islamuddin
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Haoran Yang
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Center for Translational Research in Infection and Inflammation, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; (A.R.K.); (H.Y.); (J.K.K.)
- Department of Pulmonary Critical Care and Environmental Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Sarah E Scheuermann
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
| | - Kelly A Goff
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
| | - Nicholas J Maness
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Robert V Blair
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
| | - Jay K Kolls
- Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Center for Translational Research in Infection and Inflammation, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; (A.R.K.); (H.Y.); (J.K.K.)
- Department of Pulmonary Critical Care and Environmental Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Xuebin Qin
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Health Sciences Campus, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA 70433, USA; (C.R.E.); (C.W.); (Z.C.); (M.I.); (S.E.S.); (K.A.G.); (N.J.M.); (R.V.B.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Patarca R, Haseltine WA. Forty years of HIV research inspires the development of SARS-CoV-2 therapy. J Mol Cell Biol 2024; 15:mjad065. [PMID: 37873695 PMCID: PMC11137671 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
|
7
|
Mele D, Ottolini S, Lombardi A, Conteianni D, Bandera A, Oliviero B, Mantovani S, Cassaniti I, Baldanti F, Gori A, Mondelli MU, Varchetta S. Long-term dynamics of natural killer cells in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: Persistently enhanced activity postvaccination. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29585. [PMID: 38566585 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells play a significant role in the early defense against virus infections and cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of NK cells in both the induction and effector phases of vaccine-induced immunity in various contexts. However, their role in shaping immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination remains poorly understood. To address this matter, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of NK cell phenotype and function in SARS-CoV-2 unexposed individuals who received the BNT162b2 vaccine. We employed a longitudinal study design and utilized a panel of 53 15-mer overlapping peptides covering the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein to assess NK cell function at 0 and 20 days following the first vaccine, and 30 and 240 days following booster. Additionally, we evaluated the levels of total IgG anti-Spike antibodies and their potential neutralizing ability. Our findings revealed an increased NK cell activity upon re-exposure to RBD when combined with IL12 and IL18 several months after booster. Concurrently, we observed that the frequencies of NKG2A + NK cells declined over the course of the follow-up period, while NKG2C increased only in CMV positive subjects. The finding that NK cell functions are inducible 9 months after vaccination upon re-exposure to RBD and cytokines, sheds light on the role of NK cells in contributing to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immune protection and pave the way to further studies in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dalila Mele
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sabrina Ottolini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Lombardi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Daniela Conteianni
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bandera
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Barbara Oliviero
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefania Mantovani
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Irene Cassaniti
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Molecular Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS, Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic, and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fausto Baldanti
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Molecular Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS, Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic, and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Gori
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology, L. Sacco Hospital, Università di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Centre for Multidisciplinary Research in Health Science (MACH), University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Mario U Mondelli
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefania Varchetta
- Division of Clinical Immunology - Infectious Diseases, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Fernández-Soto D, García-Jiménez ÁF, Casasnovas JM, Valés-Gómez M, Reyburn HT. Elevated levels of cell-free NKG2D-ligands modulate NKG2D surface expression and compromise NK cell function in severe COVID-19 disease. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1273942. [PMID: 38410511 PMCID: PMC10895954 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1273942] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction It is now clear that coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) severity is associated with a dysregulated immune response, but the relative contributions of different immune cells is still not fully understood. SARS CoV-2 infection triggers marked changes in NK cell populations, but there are contradictory reports as to whether these effector lymphocytes play a protective or pathogenic role in immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Methods To address this question we have analysed differences in the phenotype and function of NK cells in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals who developed either very mild, or life-threatening COVID-19 disease. Results Although NK cells from patients with severe disease appeared more activated and the frequency of adaptive NK cells was increased, they were less potent mediators of ADCC than NK cells from patients with mild disease. Further analysis of peripheral blood NK cells in these patients revealed that a population of NK cells that had lost expression of the activating receptor NKG2D were a feature of patients with severe disease and this correlated with elevated levels of cell free NKG2D ligands, especially ULBP2 and ULBP3 in the plasma of critically ill patients. In vitro, culture in NKG2DL containing patient sera reduced the ADCC function of healthy donor NK cells and this could be blocked by NKG2DL-specific antibodies. Discussion These observations of reduced NK function in severe disease are consistent with the hypothesis that defects in immune surveillance by NK cells permit higher levels of viral replication, rather than that aberrant NK cell function contributes to immune system dysregulation and immunopathogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Fernández-Soto
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro F. García-Jiménez
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - José M. Casasnovas
- Department of Macromolecular Structures, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Valés-Gómez
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Hugh T. Reyburn
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Minnai F, Biscarini F, Esposito M, Dragani TA, Bujanda L, Rahmouni S, Alarcón-Riquelme ME, Bernardo D, Carnero-Montoro E, Buti M, Zeberg H, Asselta R, Romero-Gómez M, Fernandez-Cadenas I, Fallerini C, Zguro K, Croci S, Baldassarri M, Bruttini M, Furini S, Renieri A, Colombo F. A genome-wide association study for survival from a multi-centre European study identified variants associated with COVID-19 risk of death. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3000. [PMID: 38321133 PMCID: PMC10847137 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53310-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection vary widely among patients, from asymptomatic to life-threatening. Host genetics is one of the factors that contributes to this variability as previously reported by the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (HGI), which identified sixteen loci associated with COVID-19 severity. Herein, we investigated the genetic determinants of COVID-19 mortality, by performing a case-only genome-wide survival analysis, 60 days after infection, of 3904 COVID-19 patients from the GEN-COVID and other European series (EGAS00001005304 study of the COVID-19 HGI). Using imputed genotype data, we carried out a survival analysis using the Cox model adjusted for age, age2, sex, series, time of infection, and the first ten principal components. We observed a genome-wide significant (P-value < 5.0 × 10-8) association of the rs117011822 variant, on chromosome 11, of rs7208524 on chromosome 17, approaching the genome-wide threshold (P-value = 5.19 × 10-8). A total of 113 variants were associated with survival at P-value < 1.0 × 10-5 and most of them regulated the expression of genes involved in immune response (e.g., CD300 and KLR genes), or in lung repair and function (e.g., FGF19 and CDH13). Overall, our results suggest that germline variants may modulate COVID-19 risk of death, possibly through the regulation of gene expression in immune response and lung function pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Minnai
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Via F.lli Cervi, 93, 20054, Segrate, MI, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BioMeTra), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Filippo Biscarini
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Esposito
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Via F.lli Cervi, 93, 20054, Segrate, MI, Italy
| | | | - Luis Bujanda
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), San Sebastián, Spain
| | | | - Marta E Alarcón-Riquelme
- GENYO, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
- Institute for Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
| | - David Bernardo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Mucosal Immunology Lab, Unit of Excellence, Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Genetics (IBGM), University of Valladolid-CSIC, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Elena Carnero-Montoro
- GENYO, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
- University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Maria Buti
- Vall D'Hebron Institut de Recerca, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hugo Zeberg
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rosanna Asselta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, MI, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, MI, Italy
| | - Manuel Romero-Gómez
- Digestive Diseases Unit and CiberehdVirgen del Rocío University HospitalInstitute of Biomedicine of Seville (HUVR/CSIC/US), University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Israel Fernandez-Cadenas
- Stroke Pharmacogenomics and Genetics Group, Sant Pau Hospital Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chiara Fallerini
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Kristina Zguro
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Susanna Croci
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Margherita Baldassarri
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Mirella Bruttini
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Genetica Medica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Senese, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Simone Furini
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Energia Elettrica e dell'Informazione "Guglielmo Marconi", Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Renieri
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Genetica Medica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Senese, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesca Colombo
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Via F.lli Cervi, 93, 20054, Segrate, MI, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Huot N, Planchais C, Rosenbaum P, Contreras V, Jacquelin B, Petitdemange C, Lazzerini M, Beaumont E, Orta-Resendiz A, Rey FA, Reeves RK, Le Grand R, Mouquet H, Müller-Trutwin M. SARS-CoV-2 viral persistence in lung alveolar macrophages is controlled by IFN-γ and NK cells. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:2068-2079. [PMID: 37919524 PMCID: PMC10681903 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01661-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA generally becomes undetectable in upper airways after a few days or weeks postinfection. Here we used a model of viral infection in macaques to address whether SARS-CoV-2 persists in the body and which mechanisms regulate its persistence. Replication-competent virus was detected in bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL) macrophages beyond 6 months postinfection. Viral propagation in BAL macrophages occurred from cell to cell and was inhibited by interferon-γ (IFN-γ). IFN-γ production was strongest in BAL NKG2r+CD8+ T cells and NKG2Alo natural killer (NK) cells and was further increased in NKG2Alo NK cells after spike protein stimulation. However, IFN-γ production was impaired in NK cells from macaques with persisting virus. Moreover, IFN-γ also enhanced the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-E on BAL macrophages, possibly inhibiting NK cell-mediated killing. Macaques with less persisting virus mounted adaptive NK cells that escaped the MHC-E-dependent inhibition. Our findings reveal an interplay between NK cells and macrophages that regulated SARS-CoV-2 persistence in macrophages and was mediated by IFN-γ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Huot
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit, Paris, France.
| | - Cyril Planchais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1222, Humoral Immunology Unit, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Rosenbaum
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1222, Humoral Immunology Unit, Paris, France
| | - Vanessa Contreras
- Université Paris-Saclay, INSERM, CEA, Immunologie des Maladies Virales, Auto-Immunes, Hématologiques et Bactériennes (IMVA-HB/IDMIT/UMR1184), Fontenay-aux-Roses & Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Beatrice Jacquelin
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Petitdemange
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit, Paris, France
| | - Marie Lazzerini
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit, Paris, France
| | - Emma Beaumont
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit, Paris, France
| | - Aurelio Orta-Resendiz
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit, Paris, France
| | - Félix A Rey
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, Structural Virology Unit, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
| | - R Keith Reeves
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Innate and Comparative Immunology, Center for Human Systems Immunology, Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Duke Research and Discovery at RTP, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Roger Le Grand
- Université Paris-Saclay, INSERM, CEA, Immunologie des Maladies Virales, Auto-Immunes, Hématologiques et Bactériennes (IMVA-HB/IDMIT/UMR1184), Fontenay-aux-Roses & Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Hugo Mouquet
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1222, Humoral Immunology Unit, Paris, France
| | - Michaela Müller-Trutwin
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris-Cité, HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Momayyezi P, Bilev E, Ljunggren HG, Hammer Q. Viral escape from NK-cell-mediated immunosurveillance: A lesson for cancer immunotherapy? Eur J Immunol 2023; 53:e2350465. [PMID: 37526136 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350465] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that participate in immune responses against virus-infected cells and tumors. As a countermeasure, viruses and tumors employ strategies to evade NK-cell-mediated immunosurveillance. In this review, we examine immune evasion strategies employed by viruses, focusing on examples from human CMV and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We explore selected viral evasion mechanisms categorized into three classes: (1) providing ligands for the inhibitory receptor NKG2A, (2) downregulating ligands for the activating receptor NKG2D, and (3) inducing the immunosuppressive cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. For each class, we draw parallels between immune evasion by viruses and tumors, reviewing potential opportunities for overcoming evasion in cancer therapy. We suggest that in-depth investigations of host-pathogen interactions between viruses and NK cells will not only deepen our understanding of viral immune evasion but also shed light on how NK cells counter such evasion attempts. Thus, due to the parallels of immune evasion by viruses and tumors, we propose that insights gained from antiviral NK-cell responses may serve as valuable lessons that can be leveraged for designing future cancer immunotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pouria Momayyezi
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eleni Bilev
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Quirin Hammer
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Hammer Q, Cuapio A, Bister J, Björkström NK, Ljunggren HG. NK cells in COVID-19-from disease to vaccination. J Leukoc Biol 2023; 114:507-512. [PMID: 36976012 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad031] [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: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cells participate in the host innate immune response to viral infection. Conversely, natural killer cell dysfunction and hyperactivation can contribute to tissue damage and immunopathology. Here, we review recent studies with respect to natural killer cell activity during infection with SARS-CoV-2. Discussed are initial reports of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, which revealed prompt natural killer cell activation during the acute disease state. Another hallmark of COVID-19, early on observed, was a decrease in numbers of natural killer cells in the circulation. Data from patients with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as from in vitro models demonstrated strong anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity by natural killer cells, likely through direct cytotoxicity as well as indirectly by secreting cytokines. Additionally, we describe the molecular mechanisms underlying natural killer cell recognition of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, which involve triggering of multiple activating receptors, including NKG2D, as well as loss of inhibition through NKG2A. Discussed is also the ability of natural killer cells to respond to SARS-CoV-2 infection via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. With respect to natural killer cells in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, we review studies demonstrating how hyperactivation and misdirected NK cell responses could contribute to disease course. Finally, while knowledge is still rather limited, we discuss current insights suggesting a contribution of an early natural killer cell activation response in the generation of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 following vaccination with anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Quirin Hammer
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Alfred Nobels allé 8, Stockholms län, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Angelica Cuapio
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Alfred Nobels allé 8, Stockholms län, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jonna Bister
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Alfred Nobels allé 8, Stockholms län, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Niklas K Björkström
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Alfred Nobels allé 8, Stockholms län, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Alfred Nobels allé 8, Stockholms län, 141 52 Huddinge, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lee MJ, Blish CA. Defining the role of natural killer cells in COVID-19. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:1628-1638. [PMID: 37460639 PMCID: PMC10538371 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01560-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are critical effectors of antiviral immunity. Researchers have therefore sought to characterize the NK cell response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The NK cells of patients with severe COVID-19 undergo extensive phenotypic and functional changes. For example, the NK cells from critically ill patients with COVID-19 are highly activated and exhausted, with poor cytotoxic function and cytokine production upon stimulation. The NK cell response to SARS-CoV-2 is also modulated by changes induced in virally infected cells, including the ability of a viral peptide to bind HLA-E, preventing NK cells from receiving inhibitory signals, and the downregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I and ligands for the activating receptor NKG2D. These changes have important implications for the ability of infected cells to escape NK cell killing. The implications of these findings for antibody-dependent NK cell activity in COVID-19 are also reviewed. Despite these advances in the understanding of the NK cell response to SARS-CoV-2, there remain critical gaps in our current understanding and a wealth of avenues for future research on this topic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline J Lee
- Stanford Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Catherine A Blish
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Stanford Medical Scientist Training Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tripathy AS, Wagh P, Akolkar K, Walimbe AM, Potdar VA, Choudhary ML, Kadgi N, Nakate L, Abraham P. Association of inhibitory NKG2A and activating NKG2D natural killer cell receptor genes with resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection in a western Indian population. Arch Virol 2023; 168:237. [PMID: 37653112 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-023-05861-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
We have evaluated the association of polymorphisms in the intronic variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) regions of the human NKG2D, NKG2A, and IL-1RN genes with resistance and/or susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in a total of 209 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (125 asymptomatic patients and 84 symptomatic patients with mild symptoms) and 355 healthy controls, using the PCR-RFLP method. The genotypic and allelic frequency distributions for an IL-1RN (VNTR) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were found to be comparable among the patient groups. Overall, in SARS-CoV-2 patients, NKG2A (rs2734440) showed a protective association in the codominant [(A/A vs. A/G): (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.34-0.83, p = 0.006)], recessive [(A/A vs. A/G+G/G): (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.39-0.92, p = 0.02)] and over-dominant [(A/A+G/G vs. A/G): (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.38-0.84, p = 0.005)] models. Similarly, NKG2D (rs7980470) showed a protective association in the codominant [(A/A vs. A/G): (OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.3-0.7, p = 0.0003), codominant (A/A vs. G/G): (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.31-0.71, p = 0.027)], recessive [(A/A vs. A/G+G/G): (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.32-0.7, p = 0.0001) and over-dominant [(A/A+G/G vs. A/G): (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.38-0.82, p = 0.003)] models. At the allelic level, there was a higher frequency of the "G" allele of NKG2D (rs7980470) in healthy controls than in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting that individuals with the "G" allele in the intronic region of NKG2D are likely to be protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, our data suggest that polymorphisms in the host NKG2D and NKG2A genes have a protective role in SARS-CoV-2 infection, although the functional impact of these polymorphisms on control of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unknown.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha S Tripathy
- Department of Dengue and Chikungunya, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 001, India.
| | - Priyanka Wagh
- Department of Dengue and Chikungunya, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 001, India
| | - Kadambari Akolkar
- Department of Dengue and Chikungunya, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 001, India
| | - Atul M Walimbe
- Department of Dengue and Chikungunya, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 001, India
| | - Varsha A Potdar
- Department of Dengue and Chikungunya, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 001, India
| | - Manohar Lal Choudhary
- Department of Dengue and Chikungunya, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 001, India
| | - Nalini Kadgi
- BJMC and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Leena Nakate
- BJMC and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Priya Abraham
- Department of Dengue and Chikungunya, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411 001, India
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lippi G, Henry BM. Understanding the biological success of SARS-CoV-2: Immunoevasion strategies and beyond. Eur J Intern Med 2023; 114:37-39. [PMID: 37277247 PMCID: PMC10235673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2023.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry and School of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - Brandon M Henry
- Clinical Laboratory, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Mironov AA, Savin MA, Beznoussenko GV. COVID-19 Biogenesis and Intracellular Transport. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054523. [PMID: 36901955 PMCID: PMC10002980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054523] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The structure of SARS-CoV-2 and most of its proteins of have been deciphered. SARS-CoV-2 enters cells through the endocytic pathway and perforates the endosomes' membranes, and its (+) RNA appears in the cytosol. Then, SARS-CoV-2 starts to use the protein machines of host cells and their membranes for its biogenesis. SARS-CoV-2 generates a replication organelle in the reticulo-vesicular network of the zippered endoplasmic reticulum and double membrane vesicles. Then, viral proteins start to oligomerize and are subjected to budding within the ER exit sites, and its virions are passed through the Golgi complex, where the proteins are subjected to glycosylation and appear in post-Golgi carriers. After their fusion with the plasma membrane, glycosylated virions are secreted into the lumen of airways or (seemingly rarely) into the space between epithelial cells. This review focuses on the biology of SARS-CoV-2's interactions with cells and its transport within cells. Our analysis revealed a significant number of unclear points related to intracellular transport in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A. Mironov
- Department of Cell Biology, IFOM ETS—The AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Via Adamello, 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Maksim A. Savin
- The Department for Welding Production and Technology of Constructional Materials, Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Komsomolsky Prospekt, 29, 614990 Perm, Russia
| | - Galina V. Beznoussenko
- Department of Cell Biology, IFOM ETS—The AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Via Adamello, 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|