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Greco F, Panunzio A, Tafuri A, Bernetti C, Pagliarulo V, Beomonte Zobel B, Scardapane A, Mallio CA. Radiogenomic Features of GIMAP Family Genes in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: An Observational Study on CT Images. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1832. [PMID: 37895181 PMCID: PMC10606653 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101832] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
GTPases of immunity-associated proteins (GIMAP) genes include seven functional genes and a pseudogene. Most of the GIMAPs have a role in the maintenance and development of lymphocytes. GIMAPs could inhibit the development of tumors by increasing the amount and antitumor activity of infiltrating immunocytes. Knowledge of key factors that affect the tumor immune microenvironment for predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy and establishing new targets in ccRCC is of great importance. A computed tomography (CT)-based radiogenomic approach was used to detect the imaging phenotypic features of GIMAP family gene expression in ccRCC. In this retrospective study we enrolled 193 ccRCC patients divided into two groups: ccRCC patients with GIMAP expression (n = 52) and ccRCC patients without GIMAP expression (n = 141). Several imaging features were evaluated on preoperative CT scan. A statistically significant correlation was found with absence of endophytic growth pattern (p = 0.049), tumor infiltration (p = 0.005), advanced age (p = 0.018), and high Fuhrman grade (p = 0.024). This study demonstrates CT imaging features of GIMAP expression in ccRCC. These results could allow the collection of data on GIMAP expression through a CT-approach and could be used for the development of a targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Greco
- Department of Radiology, Cittadella Della Salute, Azienda Sanitaria Locale di Lecce, Piazza Filippo Bottazzi, 2, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Andrea Panunzio
- Department of Urology, “Vito Fazzi” Hospital, Piazza Filippo Muratore, 1, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (A.P.); (A.T.); (V.P.)
| | - Alessandro Tafuri
- Department of Urology, “Vito Fazzi” Hospital, Piazza Filippo Muratore, 1, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (A.P.); (A.T.); (V.P.)
| | - Caterina Bernetti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy; (C.B.); (B.B.Z.); (C.A.M.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Pagliarulo
- Department of Urology, “Vito Fazzi” Hospital, Piazza Filippo Muratore, 1, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (A.P.); (A.T.); (V.P.)
| | - Bruno Beomonte Zobel
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy; (C.B.); (B.B.Z.); (C.A.M.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Arnaldo Scardapane
- Dipartimento Interdisciplinare di Medicina, Sezione di Diagnostica Per Immagini, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy;
| | - Carlo Augusto Mallio
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy; (C.B.); (B.B.Z.); (C.A.M.)
- Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
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Balla KM, Rice MC, Gagnon JA, Elde NC. Linking Virus Discovery to Immune Responses Visualized during Zebrafish Infections. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2092-2103.e5. [PMID: 32413307 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of new viruses currently outpaces our capacity for experimental examination of infection biology. To better couple virus discovery with immunology, we genetically modified zebrafish to visually report on virus infections. After generating a strain that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) under an interferon-stimulated gene promoter, we repeatedly observed transgenic larvae spontaneously expressing GFP days after hatching. RNA sequencing comparisons of co-housed GFP-positive and GFP-negative zebrafish revealed a naturally occurring picornavirus that induced a canonical interferon-mediated response and hundreds of antiviral defense genes not observed following immunostimulatory treatments or experimental infections with other viruses. Among the many genes induced by picornavirus infection was a large set encoding guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) of immunity-associated proteins (GIMAPs). The GIMAP gene family is massively expanded in fish genomes and may also play a crucial role in antiviral responses in mammals, including humans. We subsequently detected zebrafish picornavirus in publicly available sequencing data from seemingly asymptomatic zebrafish in many research institutes and found that it altered gene expression in a previous study of zebrafish development. Experiments revealed a horizontal mode of virus transmission, highlighting a system for studying the spread of picornavirus infections within and between individuals. Our study describes a naturally occurring picornavirus that elicits strong antiviral responses in zebrafish and provides new strategies for simultaneously discovering viruses and their impact on vertebrate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keir M Balla
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Marlen C Rice
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - James A Gagnon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Nels C Elde
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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Lu L, Loker ES, Zhang SM, Buddenborg SK, Bu L. Genome-wide discovery, and computational and transcriptional characterization of an AIG gene family in the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata, a vector for Schistosoma mansoni. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:190. [PMID: 32122294 PMCID: PMC7053062 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6534-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The AIG (avrRpt2-induced gene) family of GTPases, characterized by the presence of a distinctive AIG1 domain, is mysterious in having a peculiar phylogenetic distribution, a predilection for undergoing expansion and loss, and an uncertain functional role, especially in invertebrates. AIGs are frequently represented as GIMAPs (GTPase of the immunity associated protein family), characterized by presence of the AIG1 domain along with coiled-coil domains. Here we provide an overview of the remarkably expanded AIG repertoire of the freshwater gastropod Biomphalaria glabrata, compare it with AIGs in other organisms, and detail patterns of expression in B. glabrata susceptible or resistant to infection with Schistosoma mansoni, responsible for the neglected tropical disease of intestinal schistosomiasis. Results We define the 7 conserved motifs that comprise the AIG1 domain in B. glabrata and detail its association with at least 7 other domains, indicative of functional versatility of B. glabrata AIGs. AIG genes were usually found in tandem arrays in the B. glabrata genome, suggestive of an origin by segmental gene duplication. We found 91 genes with complete AIG1 domains, including 64 GIMAPs and 27 AIG genes without coiled-coils, more than known for any other organism except Danio (with > 100). We defined expression patterns of AIG genes in 12 different B. glabrata organs and characterized whole-body AIG responses to microbial PAMPs, and of schistosome-resistant or -susceptible strains of B. glabrata to S. mansoni exposure. Biomphalaria glabrata AIG genes clustered with expansions of AIG genes from other heterobranch gastropods yet showed unique lineage-specific subclusters. Other gastropods and bivalves had separate but also diverse expansions of AIG genes, whereas cephalopods seem to lack AIG genes. Conclusions The AIG genes of B. glabrata exhibit expansion in both numbers and potential functions, differ markedly in expression between strains varying in susceptibility to schistosomes, and are responsive to immune challenge. These features provide strong impetus to further explore the functional role of AIG genes in the defense responses of B. glabrata, including to suppress or support the development of medically relevant S. mansoni parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Lu
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Eric S Loker
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Si-Ming Zhang
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Sarah K Buddenborg
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Lijing Bu
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
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Thirunavukkarasu S, Plain KM, de Silva K, Begg D, Whittington RJ, Purdie AC. Expression of genes associated with cholesterol and lipid metabolism identified as a novel pathway in the early pathogenesis of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis-infection in cattle. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2014; 160:147-57. [PMID: 24930699 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Revised: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Johne's disease (JD) is a chronic disease affecting ruminants and other species caused by the pathogenic mycobacterium, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). MAP has developed a multitude of mechanisms to persist within the host, and these in turn are counteracted by the host through various immune pathways. Identifying and characterising the different strategies employed by MAP to alter the host immune system in its favour, and thereby persist intracellularly, could hold the key to developing strategies to fight this disease. In this study we analysed a subset of bovine microarray data derived from early time points after experimental infection with MAP. A specifically developed integrated approach was used to identify and validate host genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis (24DHCR, LDLR, SCD-1), calcium homeostasis and anti-bacterial defence mechanisms, (CD38, GIMAP6) which were downregulated in response to MAP exposure. A trend for upregulation of granulysin gene expression in MAP-exposed cattle in comparison to unexposed cattle was also observed. From these analyses, a model of potential pathogen-host interactions involving these novel pathways was developed which indicates an important role for host lipids in mycobacterial survival and persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyamala Thirunavukkarasu
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia
| | - Karren M Plain
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia
| | - Kumudika de Silva
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia
| | - Douglas Begg
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard J Whittington
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia
| | - Auriol C Purdie
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia.
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