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Langebrake C, Manthey G, Frederiksen A, Lugo Ramos JS, Dutheil JY, Chetverikova R, Solov'yov IA, Mouritsen H, Liedvogel M. Adaptive evolution and loss of a putative magnetoreceptor in passerines. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232308. [PMID: 38320616 PMCID: PMC10846946 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds possess remarkable accuracy in orientation and navigation, which involves various compass systems including the magnetic compass. Identifying the primary magnetosensor remains a fundamental open question. Cryptochromes (Cry) have been shown to be magnetically sensitive, and Cry4a from a migratory songbird seems to show enhanced magnetic sensitivity in vitro compared to Cry4a from resident species. We investigate Cry and their potential involvement in magnetoreception in a phylogenetic framework, integrating molecular evolutionary analyses with protein dynamics modelling. Our analysis is based on 363 bird genomes and identifies different selection regimes in passerines. We show that Cry4a is characterized by strong positive selection and high variability, typical characteristics of sensor proteins. We identify key sites that are likely to have facilitated the evolution of an optimized sensory protein for night-time orientation in songbirds. Additionally, we show that Cry4 was lost in hummingbirds, parrots and Tyranni (Suboscines), and thus identified a gene deletion, which might facilitate testing the function of Cry4a in birds. In contrast, the other avian Cry (Cry1 and Cry2) were highly conserved across all species, indicating basal, non-sensory functions. Our results support a specialization or functional differentiation of Cry4 in songbirds which could be magnetosensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Langebrake
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- MPRG Behavioural Genomics, MPI Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Georg Manthey
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Anders Frederiksen
- Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Juan S. Lugo Ramos
- MPRG Behavioural Genomics, MPI Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Julien Y. Dutheil
- Research Group Molecular Systems Evolution, MPI Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Raisa Chetverikova
- Biology and Environmental Sciences Department, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Ilia A. Solov'yov
- Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Biology and Environmental Sciences Department, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Miriam Liedvogel
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- MPRG Behavioural Genomics, MPI Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
- Biology and Environmental Sciences Department, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
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2
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Thümmler K, Wrzos C, Franz J, McElroy D, Cole JJ, Hayden L, Arseni D, Schwarz F, Junker A, Edgar JM, Kügler S, Neef A, Wolf F, Stadelmann C, Linington C. Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9)-mediated neurodegeneration: Implications for progressive multiple sclerosis? Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2023; 49:e12935. [PMID: 37705188 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling is dysregulated in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological and psychiatric conditions, but there is little or no consensus as to how individual FGF family members contribute to disease pathogenesis. Lesion development in MS is associated with increased expression of FGF1, FGF2 and FGF9, all of which modulate remyelination in a variety of experimental settings. However, FGF9 is also selectively upregulated in major depressive disorder (MDD), prompting us to speculate it may also have a direct effect on neuronal function and survival. METHODS Transcriptional profiling of myelinating cultures treated with FGF1, FGF2 or FGF9 was performed, and the effects of FGF9 on cortical neurons investigated using a combination of transcriptional, electrophysiological and immunofluorescence microscopic techniques. The in vivo effects of FGF9 were explored by stereotactic injection of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors encoding either FGF9 or EGFP into the rat motor cortex. RESULTS Transcriptional profiling of myelinating cultures after FGF9 treatment revealed a distinct neuronal response with a pronounced downregulation of gene networks associated with axonal transport and synaptic function. In cortical neuronal cultures, FGF9 also rapidly downregulated expression of genes associated with synaptic function. This was associated with a complete block in the development of photo-inducible spiking activity, as demonstrated using multi-electrode recordings of channel rhodopsin-transfected rat cortical neurons in vitro and, ultimately, neuronal cell death. Overexpression of FGF9 in vivo resulted in rapid loss of neurons and subsequent development of chronic grey matter lesions with neuroaxonal reduction and ensuing myelin loss. CONCLUSIONS These observations identify overexpression of FGF9 as a mechanism by which neuroaxonal pathology could develop independently of immune-mediated demyelination in MS. We suggest targeting neuronal FGF9-dependent pathways may provide a novel strategy to slow if not halt neuroaxonal atrophy and loss in MS, MDD and potentially other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Thümmler
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Claudia Wrzos
- Institute for Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jonas Franz
- Institute for Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel McElroy
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - John J Cole
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Lorna Hayden
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Diana Arseni
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Friedrich Schwarz
- Institute for Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Junker
- Institute for Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Julia M Edgar
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Sebastian Kügler
- Institute for Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center Nanoscale Microscopy and Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Neef
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fred Wolf
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Network of Excitable Cells (MBExC), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christine Stadelmann
- Institute for Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Network of Excitable Cells (MBExC), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Wagoner J, Herring S, Hsiang TY, Ianevski A, Biering SB, Xu S, Hoffmann M, Pöhlmann S, Gale M, Aittokallio T, Schiffer JT, White JM, Polyak SJ. Combinations of Host- and Virus-Targeting Antiviral Drugs Confer Synergistic Suppression of SARS-CoV-2. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0333122. [PMID: 36190406 PMCID: PMC9718484 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03331-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Three directly acting antivirals (DAAs) demonstrated substantial reduction in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in clinical trials. However, these agents did not completely prevent severe illness and are associated with cases of rebound illness and viral shedding. Combination regimens can enhance antiviral potency, reduce the emergence of drug-resistant variants, and lower the dose of each component in the combination. Concurrently targeting virus entry and virus replication offers opportunities to discover synergistic drug combinations. While combination antiviral drug treatments are standard for chronic RNA virus infections, no antiviral combination therapy has been approved for SARS-CoV-2. Here, we demonstrate that combining host-targeting antivirals (HTAs) that target TMPRSS2 and hence SARS-CoV-2 entry, with the DAA molnupiravir, which targets SARS-CoV-2 replication, synergistically suppresses SARS-CoV-2 infection in Calu-3 lung epithelial cells. Strong synergy was observed when molnupiravir, an oral drug, was combined with three TMPRSS2 (HTA) oral or inhaled inhibitors: camostat, avoralstat, or nafamostat. The combination of camostat plus molnupiravir was also effective against the beta and delta variants of concern. The pyrimidine biosynthesis inhibitor brequinar combined with molnupiravir also conferred robust synergistic inhibition. These HTA+DAA combinations had similar potency to the synergistic all-DAA combination of molnupiravir plus nirmatrelvir, the protease inhibitor found in paxlovid. Pharmacodynamic modeling allowed estimates of antiviral potency at all possible concentrations of each agent within plausible therapeutic ranges, suggesting possible in vivo efficacy. The triple combination of camostat, brequinar, and molnupiravir further increased antiviral potency. These findings support the development of HTA+DAA combinations for pandemic response and preparedness. IMPORTANCE Imagine a future viral pandemic where if you test positive for the new virus, you can quickly take some medicines at home for a few days so that you do not get too sick. To date, only single drugs have been approved for outpatient use against SARS-CoV-2, and we are learning that these have some limitations and may succumb to drug resistance. Here, we show that combinations of two oral drugs are better than the single ones in blocking SARS-CoV-2, and we use mathematical modeling to show that these drug combinations are likely to work in people. We also show that a combination of three oral drugs works even better at eradicating the virus. Our findings therefore bode well for the development of oral drug cocktails for at home use at the first sign of an infection by a coronavirus or other emerging viral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Wagoner
- Virology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Shawn Herring
- Virology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tien-Ying Hsiang
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Aleksandr Ianevski
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Scott B. Biering
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Shuang Xu
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Markus Hoffmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Gale
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tero Aittokallio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Joshua T. Schiffer
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Judith M. White
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Stephen J. Polyak
- Virology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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4
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Wong SY, Wei Y, Mouritsen H, Solov'yov IA, Hore PJ. Cryptochrome magnetoreception: four tryptophans could be better than three. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210601. [PMID: 34753309 PMCID: PMC8580466 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The biophysical mechanism of the magnetic compass sensor in migratory songbirds is thought to involve photo-induced radical pairs formed in cryptochrome (Cry) flavoproteins located in photoreceptor cells in the eyes. In Cry4a-the most likely of the six known avian Crys to have a magnetic sensing function-four radical pair states are formed sequentially by the stepwise transfer of an electron along a chain of four tryptophan residues to the photo-excited flavin. In purified Cry4a from the migratory European robin, the third of these flavin-tryptophan radical pairs is more magnetically sensitive than the fourth, consistent with the smaller separation of the radicals in the former. Here, we explore the idea that these two radical pair states of Cry4a could exist in rapid dynamic equilibrium such that the key magnetic and kinetic properties are weighted averages. Spin dynamics simulations suggest that the third radical pair is largely responsible for magnetic sensing while the fourth may be better placed to initiate magnetic signalling particularly if the terminal tryptophan radical can be reduced by a nearby tyrosine. Such an arrangement could have allowed independent optimization of the essential sensing and signalling functions of the protein. It might also rationalize why avian Cry4a has four tryptophans while Crys from plants have only three.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siu Ying Wong
- Institut für Physik, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Yujing Wei
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Ilia A. Solov'yov
- Institut für Physik, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - P. J. Hore
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK
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5
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Krüger N, Rocha C, Runft S, Krüger J, Färber I, Armando F, Leitzen E, Brogden G, Gerold G, Pöhlmann S, Hoffmann M, Baumgärtner W. The Upper Respiratory Tract of Felids Is Highly Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10636. [PMID: 34638978 PMCID: PMC8508926 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural or experimental infection of domestic cats and virus transmission from humans to captive predatory cats suggest that felids are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, it is unclear which cells and compartments of the respiratory tract are infected. To address this question, primary cell cultures derived from the nose, trachea, and lungs of cat and lion were inoculated with SARS-CoV-2. Strong viral replication was observed for nasal mucosa explants and tracheal air-liquid interface cultures, whereas replication in lung slices was less efficient. Infection was mainly restricted to epithelial cells and did not cause major pathological changes. Detection of high ACE2 levels in the nose and trachea but not lung further suggests that susceptibility of feline tissues to SARS-CoV-2 correlates with ACE2 expression. Collectively, this study demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 can efficiently replicate in the feline upper respiratory tract ex vivo and thus highlights the risk of SARS-CoV-2 spillover from humans to felids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Krüger
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (C.R.); (S.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Cheila Rocha
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (C.R.); (S.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Sandra Runft
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.R.); (J.K.); (I.F.); (F.A.); (E.L.); (W.B.)
| | - Johannes Krüger
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.R.); (J.K.); (I.F.); (F.A.); (E.L.); (W.B.)
| | - Iris Färber
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.R.); (J.K.); (I.F.); (F.A.); (E.L.); (W.B.)
| | - Federico Armando
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.R.); (J.K.); (I.F.); (F.A.); (E.L.); (W.B.)
| | - Eva Leitzen
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.R.); (J.K.); (I.F.); (F.A.); (E.L.); (W.B.)
| | - Graham Brogden
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (G.B.); (G.G.)
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Gisa Gerold
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (G.B.); (G.G.)
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, 90185 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, 90185 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (C.R.); (S.P.); (M.H.)
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Hoffmann
- Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; (C.R.); (S.P.); (M.H.)
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Baumgärtner
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (S.R.); (J.K.); (I.F.); (F.A.); (E.L.); (W.B.)
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