Transgenic Expression of Human C-Type Lectin Protein CLEC18A Reduces Dengue Virus Type 2 Infectivity in Aedes aegypti

The C-type lectins, one family of lectins featuring carbohydrate binding domains which participate in a variety of bioprocesses in both humans and mosquitoes, including immune response, are known to target DENV. A human C-type lectin protein CLEC18A in particular shows extensive glycan binding abilities and correlates with type-I interferon expression, making CLEC18A a potential player in innate immune responses to DENV infection; this potential may provide additional regulatory point in improving mosquito immunity. Here, we established for the first time a transgenic Aedes aegypti line that expresses human CLEC18A. This expression enhanced the Toll immune pathway responses to DENV infection. Furthermore, viral genome and virus titers were reduced by 70% in the midgut of transgenic mosquitoes. We found significant changes in the composition of the midgut microbiome in CLEC18A expressing mosquitoes, which may result from the Toll pathway enhancement and contribute to DENV inhibition. Transgenic mosquito lines offer a compelling option for studying DENV pathogenesis, and our analyses indicate that modifying the mosquito immune system via expression of a human immune gene can significantly reduce DENV infection.

Human CLEC18 Gene Cluster Contains C-type Lectins with Differential Glycan-binding Specificity

The human C-type lectin 18 (clec18) gene cluster, which contains three clec18a, clec18b, and clec18c loci, is located in human chromosome 16q22. Although the amino acid sequences of CLEC18A, CLEC18B, and CLEC18C are almost identical, several amino acid residues located in the C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD) and the sperm-coating protein/Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7 (SCP/TAPS) domain, also known as the cysteine-rich secretory proteins/antigen 5/pathogenesis-related 1 proteins (CAP) domain, are distinct from each other. Genotyping by real-time PCR and sequencing further shows the presence of multiple alleles in clec18a/b/c loci. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrates that CLEC18 (CLEC18A, -B, and -C) are expressed abundantly in human peripheral blood cells. Moreover, CLEC18 expression is further up-regulated when monocytes differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells. Immunofluorescence staining reveals that CLEC18 are localized in the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and endosome. Interestingly, CLEC18 are also detectable in human sera and culture supernatants from primary cells and 293T cells overexpressing CLEC18. Moreover, CLEC18 bind polysaccharide in Ca(2+)-independent manner, and amino acid residues Ser/Arg(339) and Asp/Asn(421) in CTLD domain contribute to their differential binding abilities to polysaccharides isolated from Ganoderma lucidum (GLPS-F3). The Ser(339) (CLEC18A) → Arg(339) (CLEC18A-1) mutation completely abolishes CLEC18A-1 binding to GLPS-F3, and a sugar competition assay shows that CLEC18 preferentially binds to fucoidan, β-glucans, and galactans. Because proteins with the SCP/TAPS/CAP domain are able to bind sterol and acidic glycolipid, and are involved in sterol transport and β-amyloid aggregation, it would be interesting to investigate whether CLEC18 modulates host immunity via binding to glycolipids, and are also involved in glycolipid transportation and protein aggregation in the future.