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Sapoznikov A, Evgy Y, Ben-Shmuel A, Schwartz A, Alcalay R, Aftalion M, Ben David A, Erez N, Falach R. Short- and long-term outcomes of pulmonary exposure to a sublethal dose of ricin in mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11637. [PMID: 38773158 PMCID: PMC11109263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62222-9] [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: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ricin, an extremely potent toxin produced from the seeds of castor plant, Ricinus communis, is ribosome-inactivating protein that blocks cell-protein synthesis. It is considered a biological threat due to worldwide availability of castor beans, massive quantities as a by-product of castor oil production, high stability and ease of production. The consequence of exposure to lethal dose of ricin was extensively described in various animal models. However, it is assumed that in case of aerosolized ricin bioterror attack, the majority of individuals would be exposed to sublethal doses rather than to lethal ones. Therefore, the purpose of current study was to assess short- and long-term effects on physiological parameters and function following sublethal pulmonary exposure. We show that in the short-term, sublethal exposure of mice to ricin resulted in acute lung injury, including interstitial pneumonia, cytokine storm, neutrophil influx, edema and cellular death. This damage was manifested in reduced lung performance and physiological function. Interestingly, although in the long-term, mice recovered from acute lung damage and restored pulmonary and physiological functionality, the reparative process was associated with lasting fibrotic lesions. Therefore, restriction of short-term acute phase of the disease and management of long-term pulmonary fibrosis by medical countermeasures is expected to facilitate the quality of life of exposed survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Sapoznikov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Yentl Evgy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Amir Ben-Shmuel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Arieh Schwartz
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Noam Erez
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
| | - Reut Falach
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, 74100, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
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Choi D, Khan N, Montermini L, Tawil N, Meehan B, Kim D, Roth FP, Divangahi M, Rak J. Quantitative proteomics and biological activity of extracellular vesicles engineered to express SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. JOURNAL OF EXTRACELLULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 1:e58. [PMID: 36710959 PMCID: PMC9874654 DOI: 10.1002/jex2.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 viral infection led to the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, where illness stemmed from interactions between virions and recipient host cells resulting in multi-layered pathological consequences. The role of the infection portal is now understood to be the cellular angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor, which binds to viral spike (S) protein initiating virion internalisation process. Since SARS-CoV-2 virions bear some resemblance to endogenously produced small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) we reasoned that EVs engineered to express S protein (viral mimics) may interfere with viral infection. Here, we report generation of HEK293T cells producing sEVs enriched for transmembrane S-protein tagged with green fluorescent protein (S/GFP). Strikingly, S protein drove the GFP tag to the membrane of sEVs, while GFP alone was not efficiently included in the sEV cargo. High-throughput quantitative proteomics revealed that S/GFP sEVs contained over 1000 proteins including canonical components of the exosomal pathway such as ALIX, syntenin-1, and tetraspanins (CD81, CD9), but depleted for calnexin and cytochrome c. We found that 84 sEV proteins were significantly altered by the presence of S/GFP. S protein expressing EVs efficiently adhered to target cells in an ACE2-dependent manner, but they were poorly internalised. Importantly, prolonged administration of S/GFP EV to K18-hACE2 mice provided a significant protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, the generation of sEV containing S protein can be considered as a novel therapeutic approach in reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongsic Choi
- Department of BiochemistryCollege of MedicineSoonchunhyang UniversityCheonanChungcheongnamRepublic of Korea
| | - Nargis Khan
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreGlen SiteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Snyder institute of Chronic DiseasesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada
| | - Laura Montermini
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreGlen SiteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Nadim Tawil
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreGlen SiteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Brian Meehan
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreGlen SiteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Dae‐Kyum Kim
- Department of Cancer Genetics and GenomicsRoswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffaloNew YorkUSA
| | - Frederick P. Roth
- Donnelly Centre and Departments of Molecular Genetics and Computer ScienceUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- Lunenfeld‐Tanenbaum Research InstituteSinai Health SystemTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Maziar Divangahi
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreGlen SiteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Janusz Rak
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreGlen SiteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
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Short-Term Effect of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Receptor-Binding Domain-Specific Antibody Induction on Neutrophil-Mediated Immune Response in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158234. [PMID: 35897803 PMCID: PMC9331224 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination protects against COVID-19 via the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific antibody formation, but it also affects the innate immunity. The effects of specific antibody induction on neutrophils that can cause severe respiratory inflammation are important, though not completely investigated. In the present study, using a mouse model mimicking SARS-CoV-2 virus particle inhalation, we investigated neutrophil phenotype and activity alterations in the presence of RBD-specific antibodies. Mice were immunized with RBD and a week after a strong antibody response establishment received 100 nm particles in the RBD solution. Control mice received injections of a phosphate buffer instead of RBD. We show that the application of 100 nm particles in the RBD solution elevates neutrophil recruitment to the blood and the airways of RBD-immunized mice rather than in control mice. Analysis of bone marrow cells of mice with induced RBD-specific antibodies revealed the increased population of CXCR2+CD101+ neutrophils. These neutrophils did not demonstrate an enhanced ability of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation compared to the neutrophils from control mice. Thus, the induction of RBD-specific antibodies stimulates the activation of mature neutrophils that react to RBD-coated particles without triggering excessive inflammation.
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Prolonged Protective Immunity Induced by Mild SARS-CoV-2 Infection of K18-hACE2 Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10040613. [PMID: 35455362 PMCID: PMC9032525 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10040613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Longevity of the immune response following viral exposure is an essential aspect of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Mild SARS-CoV-2 infection of K18-hACE2 mice was implemented for evaluating the mounting and longevity of a specific memory immune response. We show that the infection of K18-hACE2 mice induced robust humoral and cellular immunity (systemic and local), which persisted for at least six months. Virus-specific T cells and neutralizing antibody titers decreased over time, yet their levels were sufficient to provide sterile immunity against lethal rechallenge six months post-primary infection. The study substantiates the role of naturally induced immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection for preventing recurring morbidity.
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Atiya-Nasagi Y, Milrot E, Makdasi E, Schuster O, Shmaya S, Simon I, Ben-Shmuel A, Beth-Din A, Weiss S, Laskar O. Development of an immunofluorescence assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Arch Virol 2022; 167:1041-1049. [PMID: 35192015 PMCID: PMC8862410 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-022-05392-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerged as the cause of a global crisis in 2019. Currently, the main method for identification of SARS-CoV-2 is a reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay designed to detect viral RNA in oropharyngeal (OP) or nasopharyngeal (NP) samples. While the PCR assay is considered highly specific and sensitive, this method cannot determine the infectivity of the sample, which may assist in evaluation of virus transmissibility from patients and breaking transmission chains. Thus, cell-culture-based approaches such as cytopathic effect (CPE) assays are routinely employed for the identification of infectious viruses in NP/OP samples. Despite their high sensitivity, CPE assays take several days and require additional diagnostic tests in order to verify the identity of the pathogen. We have therefore developed a rapid immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for the specific detection of SARS-CoV-2 in NP/OP samples following cell culture infection. Initially, IFA was carried out on Vero E6 cultures infected with SARS-CoV-2 at defined concentrations, and infection was monitored at different time points. This test was able to yield positive signals in cultures infected with 10 pfu/ml at 12 hours postinfection (PI). Increasing the incubation time to 24 hours reduced the detectable infective dose to 1 pfu/ml. These IFA signals occur before the development of CPE. When compared to the CPE test, IFA has the advantages of specificity, rapid detection, and sensitivity, as demonstrated in this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafit Atiya-Nasagi
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Elad Milrot
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofir Schuster
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shlomo Shmaya
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Irit Simon
- The Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Amir Ben-Shmuel
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Shay Weiss
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Orly Laskar
- The Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel.
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Bi Z, Hong W, Yang J, Lu S, Peng X. Animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathology. MedComm (Beijing) 2021; 2:548-568. [PMID: 34909757 PMCID: PMC8662225 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Current variants including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Lambda increase the capacity of infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which might disable the in-used therapies and vaccines. The COVID-19 has now put an enormous strain on health care system all over the world. Therefore, the development of animal models that can capture characteristics and immune responses observed in COVID-19 patients is urgently needed. Appropriate models could accelerate the testing of therapeutic drugs and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we aim to summarize the current animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infection, including mice, hamsters, nonhuman primates, and ferrets, and discuss the details of transmission, pathology, and immunology induced by SARS-CoV-2 in these animal models. We hope this could throw light to the increased usefulness in fundamental studies of COVID-19 and the preclinical analysis of vaccines and therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenfei Bi
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug TargetState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyNational Clinical Research Center for GeriatricsWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Weiqi Hong
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug TargetState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyNational Clinical Research Center for GeriatricsWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Jingyun Yang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug TargetState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyNational Clinical Research Center for GeriatricsWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Shuaiyao Lu
- National Kunming High‐level Biosafety Primate Research CenterInstitute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeYunnanChina
| | - Xiaozhong Peng
- National Kunming High‐level Biosafety Primate Research CenterInstitute of Medical BiologyChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeYunnanChina
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Noy-Porat T, Edri A, Alcalay R, Makdasi E, Gur D, Aftalion M, Evgy Y, Beth-Din A, Levy Y, Epstein E, Radinsky O, Zauberman A, Lazar S, Yitzhaki S, Marcus H, Porgador A, Rosenfeld R, Mazor O. Fc-Independent Protection from SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Recombinant Human Monoclonal Antibodies. Antibodies (Basel) 2021; 10:antib10040045. [PMID: 34842604 PMCID: PMC8628512 DOI: 10.3390/antib10040045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of passively-administered neutralizing antibodies is a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antibody-mediated protection may involve immune system recruitment through Fc-dependent activation of effector cells and the complement system. However, the role of Fc-mediated functions in the efficacious in-vivo neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 is not yet clear, and it is of high importance to delineate the role this process plays in antibody-mediated protection. Toward this aim, we have chosen two highly potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies, MD65 and BLN1 that target distinct domains of the spike (RBD and NTD, respectively). The Fc of these antibodies was engineered to include the triple mutation N297G/S298G/T299A that eliminates glycosylation and the binding to FcγR and to the complement system activator C1q. As expected, the virus neutralization activity (in-vitro) of the engineered antibodies was retained. To study the role of Fc-mediated functions, the protective activity of these antibodies was tested against lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice, when treatment was initiated either before or two days post-exposure. Antibody treatment with both Fc-variants similarly rescued the mice from death reduced viral load and prevented signs of morbidity. Taken together, this work provides important insight regarding the contribution of Fc-effector functions in MD65 and BLN1 antibody-mediated protection, which should aid in the future design of effective antibody-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Noy-Porat
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Avishay Edri
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel; (A.E.); (O.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - David Gur
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Moshe Aftalion
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Yentl Evgy
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Adi Beth-Din
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Yinon Levy
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Olga Radinsky
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel; (A.E.); (O.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Ayelet Zauberman
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Shirley Lazar
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Shmuel Yitzhaki
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Hadar Marcus
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Angel Porgador
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel; (A.E.); (O.R.); (A.P.)
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
- Correspondence: (R.R.); (O.M.)
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 7404800, Israel; (T.N.-P.); (R.A.); (E.M.); (D.G.); (M.A.); (Y.E.); (A.B.-D.); (Y.L.); (E.E.); (A.Z.); (S.L.); (S.Y.); (H.M.)
- Correspondence: (R.R.); (O.M.)
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