1
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Zarate-Sanchez E, George SC, Moya ML, Robertson C. Vascular dysfunction in hemorrhagic viral fevers: opportunities for organotypic modeling. Biofabrication 2024; 16:032008. [PMID: 38749416 PMCID: PMC11151171 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ad4c0b] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
The hemorrhagic fever viruses (HFVs) cause severe or fatal infections in humans. Named after their common symptom hemorrhage, these viruses induce significant vascular dysfunction by affecting endothelial cells, altering immunity, and disrupting the clotting system. Despite advances in treatments, such as cytokine blocking therapies, disease modifying treatment for this class of pathogen remains elusive. Improved understanding of the pathogenesis of these infections could provide new avenues to treatment. While animal models and traditional 2D cell cultures have contributed insight into the mechanisms by which these pathogens affect the vasculature, these models fall short in replicatingin vivohuman vascular dynamics. The emergence of microphysiological systems (MPSs) offers promising avenues for modeling these complex interactions. These MPS or 'organ-on-chip' models present opportunities to better mimic human vascular responses and thus aid in treatment development. In this review, we explore the impact of HFV on the vasculature by causing endothelial dysfunction, blood clotting irregularities, and immune dysregulation. We highlight how existing MPS have elucidated features of HFV pathogenesis as well as discuss existing knowledge gaps and the challenges in modeling these interactions using MPS. Understanding the intricate mechanisms of vascular dysfunction caused by HFV is crucial in developing therapies not only for these infections, but also for other vasculotropic conditions like sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Zarate-Sanchez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Steven C George
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Monica L Moya
- Materials Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States of America
| | - Claire Robertson
- Materials Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States of America
- UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Davis, CA, United States of America
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2
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Nunberg JH, Westover JB, York J, Jung KH, Bailey KW, Boardman KM, Li M, Furnell RS, Wasson SR, Murray JS, Kaundal R, Thomas AJ, Gowen BB. Restoration of virulence in the attenuated Candid#1 vaccine virus requires reversion at both positions 168 and 427 in the envelope glycoprotein GPC. J Virol 2024; 98:e0011224. [PMID: 38506509 PMCID: PMC11019782 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00112-24] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Live-attenuated virus vaccines provide long-lived protection against viral disease but carry inherent risks of residual pathogenicity and genetic reversion. The live-attenuated Candid#1 vaccine was developed to protect Argentines against lethal infection by the Argentine hemorrhagic fever arenavirus, Junín virus. Despite its safety and efficacy in Phase III clinical study, the vaccine is not licensed in the US, in part due to concerns regarding the genetic stability of attenuation. Previous studies had identified a single F427I mutation in the transmembrane domain of the Candid#1 envelope glycoprotein GPC as the key determinant of attenuation, as well as the propensity of this mutation to revert upon passage in cell culture and neonatal mice. To ascertain the consequences of this reversion event, we introduced the I427F mutation into recombinant Candid#1 (I427F rCan) and investigated the effects in two validated small-animal models: in mice expressing the essential virus receptor (human transferrin receptor 1; huTfR1) and in the conventional guinea pig model. We report that I427F rCan displays only modest virulence in huTfR1 mice and appears attenuated in guinea pigs. Reversion at another attenuating locus in Candid#1 GPC (T168A) was also examined, and a similar pattern was observed. By contrast, virus bearing both revertant mutations (A168T+I427F rCan) approached the lethal virulence of the pathogenic Romero strain in huTfR1 mice. Virulence was less extreme in guinea pigs. Our findings suggest that genetic stabilization at both positions is required to minimize the likelihood of reversion to virulence in a second-generation Candid#1 vaccine.IMPORTANCELive-attenuated virus vaccines, such as measles/mumps/rubella and oral poliovirus, provide robust protection against disease but carry with them the risk of genetic reversion to the virulent form. Here, we analyze the genetics of reversion in the live-attenuated Candid#1 vaccine that is used to protect against Argentine hemorrhagic fever, an often-lethal disease caused by the Junín arenavirus. In two validated small-animal models, we find that restoration of virulence in recombinant Candid#1 viruses requires back-mutation at two positions specific to the Candid#1 envelope glycoprotein GPC, at positions 168 and 427. Viruses bearing only a single change showed only modest virulence. We discuss strategies to genetically harden Candid#1 GPC against these two reversion events in order to develop a safer second-generation Candid#1 vaccine virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack H. Nunberg
- Montana Biotechnology Center, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Jonna B. Westover
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Joanne York
- Montana Biotechnology Center, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Kie Hoon Jung
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Kevin W. Bailey
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Kirsten M. Boardman
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Minghao Li
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Rachel S. Furnell
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Samantha R. Wasson
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Justin S. Murray
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Rakesh Kaundal
- Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Center for Integrated BioSystems, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Aaron J. Thomas
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Center for Integrated BioSystems, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Brian B. Gowen
- Department of Animal Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
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3
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Iyer K, Yan Z, Ross SR. Entry inhibitors as arenavirus antivirals. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1382953. [PMID: 38650890 PMCID: PMC11033450 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1382953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Arenaviruses belonging to the Arenaviridae family, genus mammarenavirus, are enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses primarily found in rodent species, that cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. With high mortality rates and limited treatment options, the search for effective antivirals is imperative. Current treatments, notably ribavirin and other nucleoside inhibitors, are only partially effective and have significant side effects. The high lethality and lack of treatment, coupled with the absence of vaccines for all but Junín virus, has led to the classification of these viruses as Category A pathogens by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This review focuses on entry inhibitors as potential therapeutics against mammarenaviruses, which include both New World and Old World arenaviruses. Various entry inhibition strategies, including small molecule inhibitors and neutralizing antibodies, have been explored through high throughput screening, genome-wide studies, and drug repurposing. Notable progress has been made in identifying molecules that target receptor binding, internalization, or fusion steps. Despite promising preclinical results, the translation of entry inhibitors to approved human therapeutics has faced challenges. Many have only been tested in in vitro or animal models, and a number of candidates showed efficacy only against specific arenaviruses, limiting their broader applicability. The widespread existence of arenaviruses in various rodent species and their potential for their zoonotic transmission also underscores the need for rapid development and deployment of successful pan-arenavirus therapeutics. The diverse pool of candidate molecules in the pipeline provides hope for the eventual discovery of a broadly effective arenavirus antiviral.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Susan R. Ross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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4
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Bostedt L, Fénéant L, Leske A, Holzerland J, Günther K, Waßmann I, Bohn P, Groseth A. Alternative translation contributes to the generation of a cytoplasmic subpopulation of the Junín virus nucleoprotein that inhibits caspase activation and innate immunity. J Virol 2024; 98:e0197523. [PMID: 38294249 PMCID: PMC10878266 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01975-23] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The highly pathogenic arenavirus, Junín virus (JUNV), expresses three truncated alternative isoforms of its nucleoprotein (NP), i.e., NP53kD, NP47kD, and NP40kD. While both NP47kD and NP40kD have been previously shown to be products of caspase cleavage, here, we show that expression of the third isoform NP53kD is due to alternative in-frame translation from M80. Based on this information, we were able to generate recombinant JUNVs lacking each of these isoforms. Infection with these mutants revealed that, while all three isoforms contribute to the efficient control of caspase activation, NP40kD plays the predominant role. In contrast to full-length NP (i.e., NP65kD), which is localized to inclusion bodies, where viral RNA synthesis takes place, the loss of portions of the N-terminal coiled-coil region in these isoforms leads to a diffuse cytoplasmic distribution and a loss of function in viral RNA synthesis. Nonetheless, NP53kD, NP47kD, and NP40kD all retain robust interferon antagonistic and 3'-5' exonuclease activities. We suggest that the altered localization of these NP isoforms allows them to be more efficiently targeted by activated caspases for cleavage as decoy substrates, and to be better positioned to degrade viral double-stranded (ds)RNA species that accumulate in the cytoplasm during virus infection and/or interact with cytosolic RNA sensors, thereby limiting dsRNA-mediated innate immune responses. Taken together, this work provides insight into the mechanism by which JUNV leverages apoptosis during infection to generate biologically distinct pools of NP and contributes to our understanding of the expression and biological relevance of alternative protein isoforms during virus infection.IMPORTANCEA limited coding capacity means that RNA viruses need strategies to diversify their proteome. The nucleoprotein (NP) of the highly pathogenic arenavirus Junín virus (JUNV) produces three N-terminally truncated isoforms: two (NP47kD and NP40kD) are known to be produced by caspase cleavage, while, here, we show that NP53kD is produced by alternative translation initiation. Recombinant JUNVs lacking individual NP isoforms revealed that all three isoforms contribute to inhibiting caspase activation during infection, but cleavage to generate NP40kD makes the biggest contribution. Importantly, all three isoforms retain their ability to digest double-stranded (ds)RNA and inhibit interferon promoter activation but have a diffuse cytoplasmic distribution. Given the cytoplasmic localization of both aberrant viral dsRNAs, as well as dsRNA sensors and many other cellular components of innate immune activation pathways, we suggest that the generation of NP isoforms not only contributes to evasion of apoptosis but also robust control of the antiviral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linus Bostedt
- Laboratory for Arenavirus Biology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Lucie Fénéant
- Laboratory for Arenavirus Biology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anne Leske
- Laboratory for Arenavirus Biology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Julia Holzerland
- Laboratory for Arenavirus Biology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Karla Günther
- Laboratory for Arenavirus Biology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Irke Waßmann
- Laboratory for Arenavirus Biology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Patrick Bohn
- Laboratory for Arenavirus Biology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Allison Groseth
- Laboratory for Arenavirus Biology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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5
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Kerzel T, Giacca G, Beretta S, Bresesti C, Notaro M, Scotti GM, Balestrieri C, Canu T, Redegalli M, Pedica F, Genua M, Ostuni R, Kajaste-Rudnitski A, Oshima M, Tonon G, Merelli I, Aldrighetti L, Dellabona P, Coltella N, Doglioni C, Rancoita PMV, Sanvito F, Naldini L, Squadrito ML. In vivo macrophage engineering reshapes the tumor microenvironment leading to eradication of liver metastases. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:1892-1910.e10. [PMID: 37863068 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Liver metastases are associated with poor response to current pharmacological treatments, including immunotherapy. We describe a lentiviral vector (LV) platform to selectively engineer liver macrophages, including Kupffer cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), to deliver type I interferon (IFNα) to liver metastases. Gene-based IFNα delivery delays the growth of colorectal and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma liver metastases in mice. Response to IFNα is associated with TAM immune activation, enhanced MHC-II-restricted antigen presentation and reduced exhaustion of CD8+ T cells. Conversely, increased IL-10 signaling, expansion of Eomes CD4+ T cells, a cell type displaying features of type I regulatory T (Tr1) cells, and CTLA-4 expression are associated with resistance to therapy. Targeting regulatory T cell functions by combinatorial CTLA-4 immune checkpoint blockade and IFNα LV delivery expands tumor-reactive T cells, attaining complete response in most mice. These findings support a promising therapeutic strategy with feasible translation to patients with unmet medical need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kerzel
- Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna Giacca
- Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Beretta
- Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; Bioinformatics Core, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Bresesti
- Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Notaro
- Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Maria Scotti
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Balestrieri
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Tamara Canu
- Preclinical Imaging Facility, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Miriam Redegalli
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Pedica
- Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy; Pathology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Genua
- Genomics of the Innate Immune System Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Renato Ostuni
- Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy; Genomics of the Innate Immune System Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Kajaste-Rudnitski
- Retrovirus-Host Interactions and Innate Immunity to Gene Transfer, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Masanobu Oshima
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Giovanni Tonon
- Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy; Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Ivan Merelli
- Bioinformatics Core, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; National Research Council, Institute for Biomedical Technologies, 20054 Segrate, Italy
| | - Luca Aldrighetti
- Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy; Hepatobiliary Surgery Division, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Dellabona
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Coltella
- Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Doglioni
- Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy; Pathology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Paola M V Rancoita
- CUSSB University Center for Statistics in the Biomedical Science, Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Sanvito
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; GLP Test Facility, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Naldini
- Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.
| | - Mario Leonardo Squadrito
- Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy Unit, San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.
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6
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Hastie KM, Melnik LI, Cross RW, Klitting RM, Andersen KG, Saphire EO, Garry RF. The Arenaviridae Family: Knowledge Gaps, Animal Models, Countermeasures, and Prototype Pathogens. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:S359-S375. [PMID: 37849403 PMCID: PMC10582522 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac266] [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] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Lassa virus (LASV), Junin virus (JUNV), and several other members of the Arenaviridae family are capable of zoonotic transfer to humans and induction of severe viral hemorrhagic fevers. Despite the importance of arenaviruses as potential pandemic pathogens, numerous gaps exist in scientific knowledge pertaining to this diverse family, including gaps in understanding replication, immunosuppression, receptor usage, and elicitation of neutralizing antibody responses, that in turn complicates development of medical countermeasures. A further challenge to the development of medical countermeasures for arenaviruses is the requirement for use of animal models at high levels of biocontainment, where each model has distinct advantages and limitations depending on, availability of space, animals species-specific reagents, and most importantly the ability of the model to faithfully recapitulate human disease. Designation of LASV and JUNV as prototype pathogens can facilitate progress in addressing the public health challenges posed by members of this important virus family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Hastie
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lilia I Melnik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Robert W Cross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston National Laboratory, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Raphaëlle M Klitting
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kristian G Andersen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Erica Ollmann Saphire
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Robert F Garry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Zalgen Labs LLC, Frederick, Maryland, USA
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7
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Bohn P, Waßmann I, Wendt L, Leske A, Hoenen T, Tews BA, Groseth A. A dsRNA-binding mutant reveals only a minor role of exonuclease activity in interferon antagonism by the arenavirus nucleoprotein. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011049. [PMID: 36603036 PMCID: PMC9815661 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The arenavirus nucleoprotein (NP) plays an important role in the virus' ability to block interferon (IFN) production, and its exonuclease function appears to contribute to this activity. However, efforts to analyze this contribution are complicated by the functional overlap between the exonuclease active site and a neighboring region involved in IKKε-binding and subsequent inhibition of IRF3 activation, which also plays an important role in IFN production. To circumvent this issue, we mutated a residue located away from the active site that is involved in binding of the dsRNA substrate being targeted for exonuclease digestion, i.e. H426A. We found that expression of Tacaribe virus (TCRV) NP containing this RNA-binding H426A mutation was still able to efficiently block IFN-β promoter activity in response to Sendai virus infection, despite being strongly impaired in its exonuclease activity. This was in contrast to a conventional exonuclease active site mutant (E388A), which was impaired with respect to both exonuclease activity and IFN antagonism. Importantly, growth of a recombinant virus encoding the RNA-binding mutation (rTCRV-H426A) was similar to wild-type in IFN-deficient cells, unlike the active site mutant (rTCRV-E388A), which was already markedly impaired in these cells. Further, in IFN-competent cells, the TCRV-H426A RNA-binding mutant showed more robust growth and delayed IFN-β mRNA upregulation compared to the TCRV-E388A active site mutant. Taken together, this novel mutational approach, which allows us to now dissect the different contributions of the NP exonuclease activity and IKKε-binding/IRF3 inhibition to IFN antagonism, clearly suggests that conventional exonuclease mutants targeting the active site overestimate the contribution of the exonuclease function, and that rather other IFN antagonistic functions of NP play the dominant role in IFN-antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bohn
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Irke Waßmann
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Lisa Wendt
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anne Leske
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Thomas Hoenen
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Birke A. Tews
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald–Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Allison Groseth
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- * E-mail:
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8
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Hickerson BT, Daniels-Wells TR, Payes C, Clark LE, Candelaria PV, Bailey KW, Sefing EJ, Zink S, Ziegenbein J, Abraham J, Helguera G, Penichet ML, Gowen BB. Host receptor-targeted therapeutic approach to counter pathogenic New World mammarenavirus infections. Nat Commun 2022; 13:558. [PMID: 35091550 PMCID: PMC8799657 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27949-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Five New World mammarenaviruses (NWMs) cause life-threatening hemorrhagic fever (HF). Cellular entry by these viruses is mediated by human transferrin receptor 1 (hTfR1). Here, we demonstrate that an antibody (ch128.1/IgG1) which binds the apical domain of hTfR1, potently inhibits infection of attenuated and pathogenic NWMs in vitro. Computational docking of the antibody Fab crystal structure onto the known structure of hTfR1 shows an overlapping receptor-binding region shared by the Fab and the viral envelope glycoprotein GP1 subunit that binds hTfR1, and we demonstrate competitive inhibition of NWM GP1 binding by ch128.1/IgG1 as the principal mechanism of action. Importantly, ch128.1/IgG1 protects hTfR1-expressing transgenic mice against lethal NWM challenge. Additionally, the antibody is well-tolerated and only partially reduces ferritin uptake. Our findings provide the basis for the development of a novel, host receptor-targeted antibody therapeutic broadly applicable to the treatment of HF of NWM etiology.
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MESH Headings
- A549 Cells
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/metabolism
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacology
- Antigens, CD/immunology
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Arenaviridae/drug effects
- Arenaviridae/metabolism
- Arenaviridae/physiology
- Chlorocebus aethiops
- Hemorrhagic Fever, American/metabolism
- Hemorrhagic Fever, American/prevention & control
- Hemorrhagic Fever, American/virology
- Host-Pathogen Interactions/drug effects
- Humans
- Junin virus/drug effects
- Junin virus/physiology
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Molecular Docking Simulation
- Protein Binding/drug effects
- Receptors, Transferrin/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Transferrin/immunology
- Receptors, Transferrin/metabolism
- Vero Cells
- Viral Envelope Proteins/metabolism
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Brady T Hickerson
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
- Division of Biotechnology Review and Research-III, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Tracy R Daniels-Wells
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Cristian Payes
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lars E Clark
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pierre V Candelaria
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kevin W Bailey
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Eric J Sefing
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Samantha Zink
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - James Ziegenbein
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Abraham
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gustavo Helguera
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Manuel L Penichet
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- UCLA Molecular Biology Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Brian B Gowen
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA.
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Sarute N, Ross SR. The board is set, the pieces are moving: Modulation of New World arenavirus entry by host proteins. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009605. [PMID: 34111222 PMCID: PMC8191888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Sarute
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Susan R. Ross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Koma T, Huang C, Coscia A, Hallam S, Manning JT, Maruyama J, Walker AG, Miller M, Smith JN, Patterson M, Abraham J, Paessler S. Glycoprotein N-linked glycans play a critical role in arenavirus pathogenicity. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009356. [PMID: 33647064 PMCID: PMC7951981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Several arenaviruses cause hemorrhagic fevers in humans with high case fatality rates. A vaccine named Candid#1 is available only against Junin virus (JUNV) in Argentina. Specific N-linked glycans on the arenavirus surface glycoprotein (GP) mask important epitopes and help the virus evade antibody responses. However the role of GPC glycans in arenavirus pathogenicity is largely unclear. In a lethal animal model of hemorrhagic fever-causing Machupo virus (MACV) infection, we found that a chimeric MACV with the ectodomain of GPC from Candid#1 vaccine was partially attenuated. Interestingly, mutations resulting in acquisition of N-linked glycans at GPC N83 and N166 frequently occurred in late stages of the infection. These glycosylation sites are conserved in the GPC of wild-type MACV, indicating that this is a phenotypic reversion for the chimeric MACV to gain those glycans crucial for infection in vivo. Further studies indicated that the GPC mutant viruses with additional glycans became more resistant to neutralizing antibodies and more virulent in animals. On the other hand, disruption of these glycosylation sites on wild-type MACV GPC rendered the virus substantially attenuated in vivo and also more susceptible to antibody neutralization, while loss of these glycans did not affect virus growth in cultured cells. We also found that MACV lacking specific GPC glycans elicited higher levels of neutralizing antibodies against wild-type MACV. Our findings revealed the critical role of specific glycans on GPC in arenavirus pathogenicity and have important implications for rational design of vaccines against this group of hemorrhagic fever-causing viruses. Several arenaviruses cause severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans. The only vaccine against arenavirus infections is Candid#1, a live attenuated vaccine against Argentine hemorrhagic fever. So far, we have successfully attenuated additional one of the arenaviruses, Machupo virus, the causative agent of Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. Unraveling this attenuation mechanism might help the development of live-attenuated vaccines for other arenaviruses. In this study, we revealed that the specific glycans of the viral glycoproteins play an important role in pathogenicity in vivo. The glycans facilitate the virus to evade neutralizing antibodies. This study would contribute to the development of arenavirus vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Koma
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Adrian Coscia
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Steven Hallam
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - John T. Manning
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Junki Maruyama
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Aida G. Walker
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Milagros Miller
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeanon N. Smith
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michael Patterson
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Abraham
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Slobodan Paessler
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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