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Amratia PS, Kerr-Jones LE, Chapman L, Marsden M, Clement M, Stanton RJ, Humphreys IR. Cytomegalovirus-induced peroxynitrite promotes virus entry and contributes to pathogenesis in a murine model of infection. mBio 2024; 15:e0315223. [PMID: 38953361 PMCID: PMC11323495 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03152-23] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
There are no licensed vaccines for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), and current antiviral drugs that target viral proteins are toxic and prone to resistance. Targeting host pathways essential for virus replication provides an alternate strategy that may reduce opportunities for drug resistance to occur. Oxidative stress is triggered by numerous viruses including HCMV. Peroxynitrite is a reactive nitrogen species that is formed during oxidative stress. Herein, we identified that HCMV rapidly induces the generation of intracellular peroxynitrite upon infection in a manner partially dependent upon xanthine oxidase generation. Peroxynitrite promoted HCMV infection in both cell-free and cell-associated infection systems in multiple cell types. Inhibiting peroxynitrite within the first 24 hours of infection prevented HCMV replication and peroxynitrite promoted cell entry and pp65 translocation into the host cell nuclei. Furthermore, using the murine cytomegalovirus model, we demonstrated that antagonizing peroxynitrite significantly reduces cytomegalovirus replication and pathogenesis in vivo. Overall, our study highlights a proviral role for peroxynitrite in CMV infection and implies that RNS and/or the mechanisms that induce their production could be targeted as a novel strategy to inhibit HCMV infection. IMPORTANCE Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes significant disease in individuals with impaired or immature immune systems, such as transplant patients and after congenital infection. Antiviral drugs that target the virus directly are toxic and are susceptible to antiviral drug resistance due to virus mutations. An alternate strategy is to target processes within host cells that are required by the virus for replication. Herein, we show that HCMV infection triggers a highly reactive molecule, peroxynitrite, during the initial stages of infection. Peroxynitrite was required for the initial entry of the virus into the cell and promotes virus replication in multiple cell types, suggesting a broad pro-viral function. Importantly, targeting peroxynitrite dramatically inhibited cytomegalovirus replication in cells in the laboratory and in mice, suggesting that therapeutic targeting of this molecule and/or the cellular functions it regulates could represent a novel strategy to inhibit HCMV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragati S. Amratia
- Division of Infection and Immunity/Systems Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren E. Kerr-Jones
- Division of Infection and Immunity/Systems Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Chapman
- Division of Infection and Immunity/Systems Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Morgan Marsden
- Division of Infection and Immunity/Systems Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Mathew Clement
- Division of Infection and Immunity/Systems Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. Stanton
- Division of Infection and Immunity/Systems Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ian R. Humphreys
- Division of Infection and Immunity/Systems Immunity University Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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Harrison MAA, Morris SL, Rudman GA, Rittenhouse DJ, Monk CH, Sakamuri SSVP, Mehedi Hasan M, Shamima Khatun M, Wang H, Garfinkel LP, Norton EB, Kim S, Kolls JK, Jazwinski SM, Mostany R, Katakam PVG, Engler-Chiurazzi EB, Zwezdaryk KJ. Intermittent cytomegalovirus infection alters neurobiological metabolism and induces cognitive deficits in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 117:36-50. [PMID: 38182037 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Risk factors contributing to dementia are multifactorial. Accumulating evidence suggests a role for pathogens as risk factors, but data is largely correlative with few causal relationships. Here, we demonstrate that intermittent murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection of mice, alters blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability and metabolic pathways. Increased basal mitochondrial function is observed in brain microvessels cells (BMV) exposed to intermittent MCMV infection and is accompanied by elevated levels of superoxide. Further, mice score lower in cognitive assays compared to age-matched controls who were never administered MCMV. Our data show that repeated systemic infection with MCMV, increases markers of neuroinflammation, alters mitochondrial function, increases markers of oxidative stress and impacts cognition. Together, this suggests that viral burden may be a risk factor for dementia. These observations provide possible mechanistic insights through which pathogens may contribute to the progression or exacerbation of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A A Harrison
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University School of Science & Engineering, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Sara L Morris
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Grace A Rudman
- Department of Environmental Studies, Tulane University School of Liberal Arts, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Daniel J Rittenhouse
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Center for Translational Research in Infection & Inflammation, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Chandler H Monk
- Bioinnovation Program, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Siva S V P Sakamuri
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Md Mehedi Hasan
- Tulane Center for Aging, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Mst Shamima Khatun
- Tulane Center for Translational Research in Infection & Inflammation, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Hanyun Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Lucas P Garfinkel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Elizabeth B Norton
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Sangku Kim
- Tulane Center for Aging, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Jay K Kolls
- Deming Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Center for Translational Research in Infection & Inflammation, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - S. Michal Jazwinski
- Tulane Center for Aging, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Deming Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Ricardo Mostany
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Center for Aging, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Prasad V G Katakam
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Center for Aging, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Elizabeth B Engler-Chiurazzi
- Tulane Center for Aging, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
| | - Kevin J Zwezdaryk
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Center for Aging, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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Kulkarni V, Jayakumar S, Mohan M, Kulkarni S. Aid or Antagonize: Nuclear Long Noncoding RNAs Regulate Host Responses and Outcomes of Viral Infections. Cells 2023; 12:987. [PMID: 37048060 PMCID: PMC10093752 DOI: 10.3390/cells12070987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts measuring >200 bp in length and devoid of protein-coding potential. LncRNAs exceed the number of protein-coding mRNAs and regulate cellular, developmental, and immune pathways through diverse molecular mechanisms. In recent years, lncRNAs have emerged as epigenetic regulators with prominent roles in health and disease. Many lncRNAs, either host or virus-encoded, have been implicated in critical cellular defense processes, such as cytokine and antiviral gene expression, the regulation of cell signaling pathways, and the activation of transcription factors. In addition, cellular and viral lncRNAs regulate virus gene expression. Viral infections and associated immune responses alter the expression of host lncRNAs regulating immune responses, host metabolism, and viral replication. The influence of lncRNAs on the pathogenesis and outcomes of viral infections is being widely explored because virus-induced lncRNAs can serve as diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Future studies should focus on thoroughly characterizing lncRNA expressions in virus-infected primary cells, investigating their role in disease prognosis, and developing biologically relevant animal or organoid models to determine their suitability for specific therapeutic targeting. Many cellular and viral lncRNAs localize in the nucleus and epigenetically modulate viral transcription, latency, and host responses to infection. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of nuclear lncRNAs in the pathogenesis and outcomes of viral infections, such as the Influenza A virus, Sendai Virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Hepatitis C virus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and Herpes Simplex Virus. We also address significant advances and barriers in characterizing lncRNA function and explore the potential of lncRNAs as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viraj Kulkarni
- Disease Intervention and Prevention Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA;
| | - Sahana Jayakumar
- Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (S.J.); (M.M.)
| | - Mahesh Mohan
- Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (S.J.); (M.M.)
| | - Smita Kulkarni
- Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (S.J.); (M.M.)
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