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Paskeviciute E, Chen M, Xu H, Honoré B, Vorum H, Sørensen TL, Christensen JP, Thomsen AR, Nissen MH, Steffensen MA. Systemic virus infection results in CD8 T cell recruitment to the retina in the absence of local virus infection. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1221511. [PMID: 37662932 PMCID: PMC10471971 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1221511] [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: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
During recent years, evidence has emerged that immune privileged sites such as the CNS and the retina may be more integrated in the systemic response to infection than was previously believed. In line with this, it was recently shown that a systemic acute virus infection leads to infiltration of CD8 T cells in the brains of immunocompetent mice. In this study, we extend these findings to the neurological tissue of the eye, namely the retina. We show that an acute systemic virus infection in mice leads to a transient CD8 T cell infiltration in the retina that is not directed by virus infection inside the retina. CD8 T cells were found throughout the retinal tissue, and had a high expression of CXCR6 and CXCR3, as also reported for tissue residing CD8 T cells in the lung and liver. We also show that the pigment epithelium lining the retina expresses CXCL16 (the ligand for CXCR6) similar to epithelial cells of the lung. Thus, our results suggest that the retina undergoes immune surveillance during a systemic infection, and that this surveillance appears to be directed by mechanisms similar to those described for non-privileged tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egle Paskeviciute
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mei Chen
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Science, Queens University of Belfast, Belfast, Ireland
| | - Heping Xu
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Science, Queens University of Belfast, Belfast, Ireland
| | - Bent Honoré
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Henrik Vorum
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Ophthalmology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Torben Lykke Sørensen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Allan Randrup Thomsen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mogens Holst Nissen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Sahin M, Remy MM, Fallet B, Sommerstein R, Florova M, Langner A, Klausz K, Straub T, Kreutzfeldt M, Wagner I, Schmidt CT, Malinge P, Magistrelli G, Izui S, Pircher H, Verbeek JS, Merkler D, Peipp M, Pinschewer DD. Antibody bivalency improves antiviral efficacy by inhibiting virion release independently of Fc gamma receptors. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110303. [PMID: 35108544 PMCID: PMC8822495 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, multivalency discriminates antibodies from all other immunoglobulin superfamily members. The evolutionary forces conserving multivalency above other structural hallmarks of antibodies remain, however, incompletely defined. Here, we engineer monovalent either Fc-competent or -deficient antibody formats to investigate mechanisms of protection of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and non-neutralizing antibodies (nnAbs) in virus-infected mice. Antibody bivalency enables the tethering of virions to the infected cell surface, inhibits the release of virions in cell culture, and suppresses viral loads in vivo independently of Fc gamma receptor (FcγR) interactions. In return, monovalent antibody formats either do not inhibit virion release and fail to protect in vivo or their protective efficacy is largely FcγR dependent. Protection in mice correlates with virus-release-inhibiting activity of nAb and nnAb rather than with their neutralizing capacity. These observations provide mechanistic insights into the evolutionary conservation of antibody bivalency and help refining correlates of nnAb protection for vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Sahin
- Department of Biomedicine - Haus Petersplatz, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Melissa M Remy
- Department of Biomedicine - Haus Petersplatz, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benedict Fallet
- Department of Biomedicine - Haus Petersplatz, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rami Sommerstein
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marianna Florova
- Department of Biomedicine - Haus Petersplatz, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anna Langner
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tobias Straub
- Institute for Immunology, Department for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mario Kreutzfeldt
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Pathology, University and University Hospital of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ingrid Wagner
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Pathology, University and University Hospital of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cinzia T Schmidt
- BioEM Lab, Center for Cellular Imaging & Nano Analytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pauline Malinge
- Light Chain Bioscience, Novimmune SA, Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland
| | | | - Shozo Izui
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hanspeter Pircher
- Institute for Immunology, Department for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - J Sjef Verbeek
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Toin University of Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Doron Merkler
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Pathology, University and University Hospital of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniel D Pinschewer
- Department of Biomedicine - Haus Petersplatz, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
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3
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Reuther P, Martin K, Kreutzfeldt M, Ciancaglini M, Geier F, Calabrese D, Merkler D, Pinschewer DD. Persistent RNA virus infection is short-lived at the single-cell level but leaves transcriptomic footprints. J Exp Med 2021; 218:212556. [PMID: 34398180 PMCID: PMC8493862 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20210408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Several RNA viruses can establish life-long persistent infection in mammalian hosts, but the fate of individual virus-infected cells remains undefined. Here we used Cre recombinase-encoding lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus to establish persistent infection in fluorescent cell fate reporter mice. Virus-infected hepatocytes underwent spontaneous noncytolytic viral clearance independently of type I or type II interferon signaling or adaptive immunity. Viral clearance was accompanied by persistent transcriptomic footprints related to proliferation and extracellular matrix remodeling, immune responses, and metabolism. Substantial overlap with persistent epigenetic alterations in HCV-cured patients suggested a universal RNA virus-induced transcriptomic footprint. Cell-intrinsic clearance occurred in cell culture, too, with sequential infection, reinfection cycles separated by a period of relative refractoriness to infection. Our study reveals that systemic persistence of a prototypic noncytolytic RNA virus depends on continuous spread and reinfection. Yet undefined cell-intrinsic mechanisms prevent viral persistence at the single-cell level but give way to profound transcriptomic alterations in virus-cleared cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Reuther
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katrin Martin
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mario Kreutzfeldt
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University and University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matias Ciancaglini
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian Geier
- Department of Biomedicine, Bioinformatics Core Facility, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Diego Calabrese
- Department of Biomedicine, Histology Core Facility, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Doron Merkler
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University and University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniel D Pinschewer
- Department of Biomedicine, Division of Experimental Virology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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4
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Krausgruber T, Fortelny N, Fife-Gernedl V, Senekowitsch M, Schuster LC, Lercher A, Nemc A, Schmidl C, Rendeiro AF, Bergthaler A, Bock C. Structural cells are key regulators of organ-specific immune responses. Nature 2020; 583:296-302. [PMID: 32612232 PMCID: PMC7610345 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2424-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian immune system implements a remarkably effective set of mechanisms for fighting pathogens1. Its main components are haematopoietic immune cells, including myeloid cells that control innate immunity, and lymphoid cells that constitute adaptive immunity2. However, immune functions are not unique to haematopoietic cells, and many other cell types display basic mechanisms of pathogen defence3-5. To advance our understanding of immunology outside the haematopoietic system, here we systematically investigate the regulation of immune genes in the three major types of structural cells: epithelium, endothelium and fibroblasts. We characterize these cell types across twelve organs in mice, using cellular phenotyping, transcriptome sequencing, chromatin accessibility profiling and epigenome mapping. This comprehensive dataset revealed complex immune gene activity and regulation in structural cells. The observed patterns were highly organ-specific and seem to modulate the extensive interactions between structural cells and haematopoietic immune cells. Moreover, we identified an epigenetically encoded immune potential in structural cells under tissue homeostasis, which was triggered in response to systemic viral infection. This study highlights the prevalence and organ-specific complexity of immune gene activity in non-haematopoietic structural cells, and it provides a high-resolution, multi-omics atlas of the epigenetic and transcriptional networks that regulate structural cells in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Krausgruber
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Fortelny
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Victoria Fife-Gernedl
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Senekowitsch
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Linda C Schuster
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Division of Chromatin Networks, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Bioquant, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Lercher
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Amelie Nemc
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Schmidl
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.,Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology (RCI), Regensburg, Germany
| | - André F Rendeiro
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Bergthaler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria. .,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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5
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Khamina K, Lercher A, Caldera M, Schliehe C, Vilagos B, Sahin M, Kosack L, Bhattacharya A, Májek P, Stukalov A, Sacco R, James LC, Pinschewer DD, Bennett KL, Menche J, Bergthaler A. Characterization of host proteins interacting with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus L protein. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006758. [PMID: 29261807 PMCID: PMC5738113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) play a key role in the life cycle of RNA viruses and impact their immunobiology. The arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain Clone 13 provides a benchmark model for studying chronic infection. A major genetic determinant for its ability to persist maps to a single amino acid exchange in the viral L protein, which exhibits RdRp activity, yet its functional consequences remain elusive. To unravel the L protein interactions with the host proteome, we engineered infectious L protein-tagged LCMV virions by reverse genetics. A subsequent mass-spectrometric analysis of L protein pulldowns from infected human cells revealed a comprehensive network of interacting host proteins. The obtained LCMV L protein interactome was bioinformatically integrated with known host protein interactors of RdRps from other RNA viruses, emphasizing interconnected modules of human proteins. Functional characterization of selected interactors highlighted proviral (DDX3X) as well as antiviral (NKRF, TRIM21) host factors. To corroborate these findings, we infected Trim21-/- mice with LCMV and found impaired virus control in chronic infection. These results provide insights into the complex interactions of the arenavirus LCMV and other viral RdRps with the host proteome and contribute to a better molecular understanding of how chronic viruses interact with their host. RNA-dependent RNA-polymerases (RdRps) play a key role in the life cycle of RNA viruses. They interact with cellular proteins during replication and transcription processes and impact the immunobiology of viral infections. This study characterized the host protein interactome of the RdRp-containing L protein of the prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Several L protein interactors with proviral and antiviral effects were identified in vitro, and mice lacking the identified L protein interactor TRIM21 exhibited impaired control of chronic LCMV infection. Integration of the L protein interactomes with known RdRp interactomes from other RNA viruses highlighted common and virus-specific strategies to interact with the host proteome, which may indicate novel avenues for antiviral interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kseniya Khamina
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Lercher
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Caldera
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher Schliehe
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bojan Vilagos
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mehmet Sahin
- University of Basel, Department of Biomedicine–Haus Petersplatz, Division of Experimental Virology, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lindsay Kosack
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anannya Bhattacharya
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Májek
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexey Stukalov
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roberto Sacco
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leo C. James
- Division of Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel D. Pinschewer
- University of Basel, Department of Biomedicine–Haus Petersplatz, Division of Experimental Virology, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Keiryn L. Bennett
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Menche
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Bergthaler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
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6
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Durlanik S, Loyal L, Stark R, Sercan Alp Ö, Hartung A, Radbruch A, von Herrath M, Matzmohr N, Frentsch M, Thiel A. CD40L expression by CD4 + but not CD8 + T cells regulates antiviral immune responses in acute LCMV infection in mice. Eur J Immunol 2016; 46:2566-2573. [PMID: 27562840 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201646420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) signaling plays multiple indispensable roles in cellular and humoral immunity. Impaired memory T-cell responses in the absence of CD40L have been well documented, but the requirement of this interaction for efficient priming of CD8+ T cells especially under inflammatory conditions has been under debate. In contrast to previous publications, we report here that virus-specific CD8+ T-cell responses as well as viral clearance are affected not only in the memory but also in the effector phase in CD40L-/- mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) Armstrong strain. Interestingly, a considerable part of the LCMV-specific effector and memory T cells consists of CD40L+ CD8+ T cells. However, deficiency of CD40L in CD8+ T cells did influence neither the quantity nor the quality of primary T-cell responses in LCMV infection. Virus-specific CD8+ T cells in conditional knockout mice, with a selective deletion of the CD40L in CD8+ T cells, were fully functional regarding cytokine production and efficient pathogen clearance. Thus, our results unambiguously demonstrate that while CD40L is critical to generate effective primary CD8+ T-cell responses also under inflammatory conditions, CD40L expression by CD8+ T cells themselves is dispensable in acute LCMV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibel Durlanik
- Regenerative Immunology and Aging, Berlin-Brandenburger Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Cellular Biology, German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ), Institute of the Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucie Loyal
- Regenerative Immunology and Aging, Berlin-Brandenburger Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Regina Stark
- Regenerative Immunology and Aging, Berlin-Brandenburger Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Hematopoiesis, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Özen Sercan Alp
- Cellular Biology, German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ), Institute of the Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anett Hartung
- Regenerative Immunology and Aging, Berlin-Brandenburger Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Radbruch
- Cellular Biology, German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ), Institute of the Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias von Herrath
- Type 1 Diabetes Center, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Novo Nordisk Diabetes Research and Development Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nadine Matzmohr
- Regenerative Immunology and Aging, Berlin-Brandenburger Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Unit 303, Efficacy and Safety Assessment of Veterinary Drugs, Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Frentsch
- Regenerative Immunology and Aging, Berlin-Brandenburger Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Thiel
- Regenerative Immunology and Aging, Berlin-Brandenburger Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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7
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Abstract
The family Arenaviridae currently comprises over 20 viral species, each of them associated with a main rodent species as the natural reservoir and in one case possibly phyllostomid bats. Moreover, recent findings have documented a divergent group of arenaviruses in captive alethinophidian snakes. Human infections occur through mucosal exposure to aerosols or by direct contact of abraded skin with infectious materials. Arenaviruses merit interest both as highly tractable experimental model systems to study acute and persistent infections and as clinically important human pathogens including Lassa (LASV) and Junin (JUNV) viruses, the causative agents of Lassa and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers (AHFs), respectively, for which there are no FDA-licensed vaccines, and current therapy is limited to an off-label use of ribavirin (Rib) that has significant limitations. Arenaviruses are enveloped viruses with a bi-segmented negative strand (NS) RNA genome. Each genome segment, L (ca 7.3 kb) and S (ca 3.5 kb), uses an ambisense coding strategy to direct the synthesis of two polypeptides in opposite orientation, separated by a noncoding intergenic region (IGR). The S genomic RNA encodes the virus nucleoprotein (NP) and the precursor (GPC) of the virus surface glycoprotein that mediates virus receptor recognition and cell entry via endocytosis. The L genome RNA encodes the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp, or L polymerase) and the small (ca 11 kDa) RING finger protein Z that has functions of a bona fide matrix protein including directing virus budding. Arenaviruses were thought to be relatively stable genetically with intra- and interspecies amino acid sequence identities of 90-95 % and 44-63 %, respectively. However, recent evidence has documented extensive arenavirus genetic variability in the field. Moreover, dramatic phenotypic differences have been documented among closely related LCMV isolates. These data provide strong evidence of viral quasispecies involvement in arenavirus adaptability and pathogenesis. Here, we will review several aspects of the molecular biology of arenaviruses, phylogeny and evolution, and quasispecies dynamics of arenavirus populations for a better understanding of arenavirus pathogenesis, as well as for the development of novel antiviral strategies to combat arenavirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Domingo
- Campus de Cantoblanco, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Peter Schuster
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA and Institut f. Theoretische Chemie, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Johnson S, Bergthaler A, Graw F, Flatz L, Bonilla WV, Siegrist CA, Lambert PH, Regoes RR, Pinschewer DD. Protective efficacy of individual CD8+ T cell specificities in chronic viral infection. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 194:1755-62. [PMID: 25567678 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1401771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Specific CD8(+) T cells (CTLs) play an important role in resolving protracted infection with hepatitis B and C virus in humans and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in mice. The contribution of individual CTL specificities to chronic virus control, as well as epitope-specific patterns in timing and persistence of antiviral selection pressure, remain, however, incompletely defined. To monitor and characterize the antiviral efficacy of individual CTL specificities throughout the course of chronic infection, we coinoculated mice with a mixture of wild-type LCMV and genetically engineered CTL epitope-deficient mutant virus. A quantitative longitudinal assessment of viral competition revealed that mice continuously exerted CTL selection pressure on the persisting virus population. The timing of selection pressure characterized individual epitope specificities, and its magnitude varied considerably between individual mice. This longitudinal assessment of "antiviral efficacy" provides a novel parameter to characterize CTL responses in chronic viral infection. It demonstrates remarkable perseverance of all antiviral CTL specificities studied, thus raising hope for therapeutic vaccination in the treatment of persistent viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Johnson
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Vaccine Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Bergthaler
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Frederik Graw
- Center for Modeling and Simulation in the Biosciences, BioQuant-Center, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544; Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Flatz
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; and
| | - Weldy V Bonilla
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Vaccine Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; Division of Experimental Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claire-Anne Siegrist
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Vaccine Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Paul-Henri Lambert
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Vaccine Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Roland R Regoes
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel D Pinschewer
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Vaccine Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland; Division of Experimental Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4009 Basel, Switzerland
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9
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Kreutzfeldt M, Bergthaler A, Fernandez M, Brück W, Steinbach K, Vorm M, Coras R, Blümcke I, Bonilla WV, Fleige A, Forman R, Müller W, Becher B, Misgeld T, Kerschensteiner M, Pinschewer DD, Merkler D. Neuroprotective intervention by interferon-γ blockade prevents CD8+ T cell-mediated dendrite and synapse loss. J Exp Med 2013; 210:2087-103. [PMID: 23999498 PMCID: PMC3782053 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20122143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2012] [Accepted: 08/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons are postmitotic and thus irreplaceable cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Accordingly, CNS inflammation with resulting neuronal damage can have devastating consequences. We investigated molecular mediators and structural consequences of CD8(+) T lymphocyte (CTL) attack on neurons in vivo. In a viral encephalitis model in mice, disease depended on CTL-derived interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and neuronal IFN-γ signaling. Downstream STAT1 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in neurons were associated with dendrite and synapse loss (deafferentation). Analogous molecular and structural alterations were also found in human Rasmussen encephalitis, a CTL-mediated human autoimmune disorder of the CNS. Importantly, therapeutic intervention by IFN-γ blocking antibody prevented neuronal deafferentation and clinical disease without reducing CTL responses or CNS infiltration. These findings identify neuronal IFN-γ signaling as a novel target for neuroprotective interventions in CTL-mediated CNS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Kreutzfeldt
- Department of Pathology and Immunology and 2 World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Vaccine Immunology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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Lukashevich IS. The search for animal models for Lassa fever vaccine development. Expert Rev Vaccines 2013; 12:71-86. [PMID: 23256740 DOI: 10.1586/erv.12.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV) is the most prevalent arenavirus in West Africa and is responsible for several hundred thousand infections and thousands of deaths annually. The sizeable disease burden, numerous imported cases of Lassa fever (LF) and the possibility that LASV can be used as an agent of biological warfare make a strong case for vaccine development. Currently there is no licensed LF vaccine and research and devlopment is hampered by the high cost of nonhuman primate animal models and by biocontainment requirements (BSL-4). In addition, a successful LF vaccine has to induce a strong cell-mediated cross-protective immunity against different LASV lineages. All of these challenges will be addressed in this review in the context of available and novel animal models recently described for evaluation of LF vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor S Lukashevich
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine and the Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
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Albariño CG, Bird BH, Chakrabarti AK, Dodd KA, Erickson BR, Nichol ST. Efficient rescue of recombinant Lassa virus reveals the influence of S segment noncoding regions on virus replication and virulence. J Virol 2011; 85:4020-4. [PMID: 21307206 PMCID: PMC3126145 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02556-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2010] [Accepted: 01/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV), is a significant cause of severe, often fatal, hemorrhagic fever in humans throughout western Africa, with an estimated 100,000 infections each year. No vaccines are commercially available. We report the development of an efficient reverse genetics system to rescue recombinant LASV and to investigate the contributions of the long 5' and 3' noncoding regions (NCRs) of the S genomic segment to in vitro growth and in vivo virulence. This work demonstrates that deletions of large portions of these NCRs confer an attenuated phenotype and are a first step toward further insights into the high virulence of LASV.
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Affiliation(s)
- César G Albariño
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS G14, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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Viral replicative capacity is the primary determinant of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus persistence and immunosuppression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:21641-6. [PMID: 21098292 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1011998107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Clone 13 (Cl13) strain of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is widely studied as a model of chronic systemic viral infection. Here, we used reverse genetic techniques to identify the molecular basis of Cl13 persistence and immunosuppression, the characteristics differentiating it from the closely related Armstrong strain. We found that a single-point mutation in the Cl13 polymerase was necessary and partially sufficient for viral persistence and immunosuppression. A glycoprotein mutation known to enhance dendritic cell targeting accentuated both characteristics but when introduced alone, failed to alter the phenotype of the Armstrong strain. The decisive polymerase mutation increased intracellular viral RNA load in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, which we identified as a main initial target cell type in vivo, and increased viremia in the early phase of infection. These findings establish the enhanced replicative capacity as the primary determinant of the Cl13 phenotype. Viral persistence and immunosuppression can, thus, represent a direct consequence of excessive viral replication overwhelming the host's antiviral defense.
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