The single-cell assessment of transcriptiomic profile and chromain accessibility for the brain myeloid cells in rhesus macaques with SIV-induced encephalitis
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ABSTRACT: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is widely recognized for its striking impact on the immune system, and it also significantly impacts the central nervous system (CNS). The primary immune constituents in the brain, microglia and macrophages, are the target for HIV in people and the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in nonhuman primates. This infection can lead to neurological dysfunction, known as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) and pathological entities such as HIV-induced encephalitis (HIVE). Given the gaps in our knowledge on how these cells respond in vivo to CNS infection, we performed single-cell multiomic sequencing, including gene expression and ATAC-seq on myeloid cells from the brains of two rhesus macaques with SIV-induced encephalitis (SIVE) as well as two uninfected controls. We used both RNA expression and chromatin accessibility to identify cell clusters. We found that the myeloid cell populations were significantly changed by SIVE, which differed greatly from those found in the uninfected brains. We categorized myeloid cells in the SIVE brains into two primary phenotypes: microglia-like and CAM-like, which were different from each other regarding trancriptomic profile and chromatin accessibility. We found that these microglia-like cells express high levels of chemoattractants for capable of recruiting highly the activated CAM-like cells to the site of infection/inflammation. Additionally, we observed a dramatic shift of upstream gene regulators and their targets in brain myeloid cells during SIVE. The transcription factors (TFs) highly enriched in SIVE-specific cell clusters were related to IRF/STAT and NF-κB mediated interferon and other proinflammatory cytokines production. Interestingly, some of these TF binding sites were also enriched in the open chromatin identified in the SIV DNA provirus in infected myeloid cells, indicating the immune activation in the host cells might also promote HIV/SIV gene expression and regulation . In summary, this study further uncover the trancriptome, gene regulaory events and potenital roles of differenet brain myeloid phenotypes in SIVE.
Project description:HIV-associated dementia (HAD) is a syndrome occurring in HIV-infected patients with advanced disease that likely develops as a result of macrophage and microglial activation as well as other immune events triggered by virus in the central nervous system. The most relevant experimental model of HAD, rhesus macaques exhibiting SIV encephalitis (SIVE), closely reproduces the human disease and has been successfully used to advance our understanding of mechanisms underlying HAD. In this study we integrate gene expression data from uninfected and SIV-infected hippocampus with a human protein interaction network and discover modules of genes whose expression patterns distinguish these two states, to facilitate identification of neuronal genes that may contribute to SIVE/HIV cognitive deficits. Using this approach we identify several downregulated candidate genes and select one, EGR1, a key molecule in hippocampus-related learning and memory, for further study. We show that EGR1 is downregulated in SIV-infected hippocampus and that it can be downregulated in differentiated human neuroblastoma cells by treatment with CCL8, a product of activated microglia. Integration of expression data with protein interaction data to discover discriminatory modules of interacting proteins can be usefully employed to prioritize differentially expressed genes for further study. Investigation of EGR1, selected in this manner, indicates that its downregulation in SIVE may occur as a consequence of the host response to infection, leading to deficits in cognition. RNA from duplicate hippocampal samples taken from nine control monkeys and nine monkeys with evidence of SIV encephalitis were hybridized to Affymetrix arrays.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in regulating a plethora of physiological and pathophysiogical processes including neurodegeneration. In both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated dementia in humans and its monkey model simian immunodeficiency virus encephalitis (SIVE), we find miR-21, a miRNA largely known for its link to oncogenesis, to be significantly upregulated in the brain. In situ hybridization of the diseased brain sections revealed induction of miR-21 in neurons. miR-21 can be induced in neurons by prolonged N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor stimulation, an excitotoxic process active in HIV and other neurodegenerative diseases. Introduction of miR-21 into human neurons leads to pathological functional defects. Furthermore, we show that miR-21 specifically targets the mRNA of myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), a transcription factor crucial for neuronal function, and reduces its expression. MEF2C is dramatically downregulated in neurons of HIV-associated dementia patients, as well as monkeys with SIVE. Together, this study elucidates a novel role for miR-21 in the brain, not only as a potential signature of neurological disease, but also as a crucial effector of HIV-induced neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Total cellular RNA was isolated from frozen (−80°C) brain specimens by using TRIzol (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) for the monkey samples, and RNAzol (Biotecx Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA) for the human samples, followed by column purification (miRNeasy, Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA) as per manufacture's instructions. For the monkeys, four samples were from uninfected animals and four from SIV-infected animals that developed simian AIDS with SIV encephalitis. For the human samples, six samples were from individuals who were HIV negative with no history of dementia or neurocognitive disability and showed no significant neuropathology. Five samples were from HIV positive individuals that were neurocognitively impaired (NNTC clinical rating >6)38 and a neuropathological diagnosis of HIV encephalitis. Clinical information is provided in the supplemental material. For microarray analysis, only three of the HAD specimens were sufficient for use, but all five were used for the qRT-PCR studies.
Project description:HIV-associated dementia (HAD) is a syndrome occurring in HIV-infected patients with advanced disease that likely develops as a result of macrophage and microglial activation as well as other immune events triggered by virus in the central nervous system. The most relevant experimental model of HAD, rhesus macaques exhibiting SIV encephalitis (SIVE), closely reproduces the human disease and has been successfully used to advance our understanding of mechanisms underlying HAD. In this study we integrate gene expression data from uninfected and SIV-infected hippocampus with a human protein interaction network and discover modules of genes whose expression patterns distinguish these two states, to facilitate identification of neuronal genes that may contribute to SIVE/HIV cognitive deficits. Using this approach we identify several downregulated candidate genes and select one, EGR1, a key molecule in hippocampus-related learning and memory, for further study. We show that EGR1 is downregulated in SIV-infected hippocampus and that it can be downregulated in differentiated human neuroblastoma cells by treatment with CCL8, a product of activated microglia. Integration of expression data with protein interaction data to discover discriminatory modules of interacting proteins can be usefully employed to prioritize differentially expressed genes for further study. Investigation of EGR1, selected in this manner, indicates that its downregulation in SIVE may occur as a consequence of the host response to infection, leading to deficits in cognition.
Project description:Although modern therapies like cART have transformed HIV from a lethal disease to a manageable condition, associated neurocognitive consequences remain a concern. Paradoxically, microglia and macrophages, which comprise the innate defense system in the brain and are crucial for CNS homeostasis, are targets for HIV and key players in its neuropathogenesis. In addition, these infected cells can serve as viral reservoirs even in effectively treated infection. Here using an scRNA-seq approach in the SIV-NHP model, we demonstrate differential transcriptional programs in brain myeloid cells from monkeys under four conditions: uninfected, chronically SIV-infected, chronically SIV-infected treated with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), and SIVE. Our study reveals alterations in composition (both lineage and gene expression profiles) of the cell populations between groups. Importantly, treatment with cART largely restored the homeostatic microglia profile present in uninfected animals that was disrupted in SIV-infected untreated animals
Project description:Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is widely recognized for its striking impact on the immune system. Even though HIV is primarily known for the impairment of the peripheral CD4 T cells, its influence on the central nervous system (CNS) also cannot be neglected. The main immune constituents in the brain, microglia and macrophages, are the target for HIV in the brain, as well as for the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in nonhuman primates. This infection can lead to neurological effects as well as the establishment of a virus reservoir. Given the gaps in our knowledge on how these cells respond in vivo to CNS infection, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on myeloid cells from the brains of 3 rhesus macaque with 12-day SIV infection as well as 3 uninfected controls. We identified six microglial clusters and two macrophage clusters by transcriptomic profiling. Intriguingly, there were two microglial clusters populated with the cells from infected animals. These two infection-specific clusters had significantly higher expression (p < 0.05) of MHC class I molecules, interferon-induced proteins, chemokines, and cytokines than did the other clusters. Although only a low proportion of SIV-infected cells were detected in microglia and macrophages (~0.14%), almost all the microglia and macrophages in infected animals were activated to certain extents. In addition, the clusters with higher expression of cytotoxic molecules increased their populations during the infection, suggesting their potential to cause HIV-associated neurological disorders.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in regulating a plethora of physiological and pathophysiogical processes including neurodegeneration. In both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated dementia in humans and its monkey model simian immunodeficiency virus encephalitis (SIVE), we find miR-21, a miRNA largely known for its link to oncogenesis, to be significantly upregulated in the brain. In situ hybridization of the diseased brain sections revealed induction of miR-21 in neurons. miR-21 can be induced in neurons by prolonged N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor stimulation, an excitotoxic process active in HIV and other neurodegenerative diseases. Introduction of miR-21 into human neurons leads to pathological functional defects. Furthermore, we show that miR-21 specifically targets the mRNA of myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), a transcription factor crucial for neuronal function, and reduces its expression. MEF2C is dramatically downregulated in neurons of HIV-associated dementia patients, as well as monkeys with SIVE. Together, this study elucidates a novel role for miR-21 in the brain, not only as a potential signature of neurological disease, but also as a crucial effector of HIV-induced neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration.
Project description:The virus/host interactions during the acute phase of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection help determine the course of disease. During this time period, virus enters the brain. Here, we report clusters of genes whose transcripts are significantly upregulated in the frontal lobe of the brain during acute simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of rhesus monkeys. Many of these genes are involved in interferon (IFN) and/or interleukin (IL)-6 pathways. Although neither IFNa nor IFN? are elevated in the brain, IL6 is increased. Both IFNa and IL6 are elevated in plasma during this acute phase. The upregulation of STAT1, verified by immunohistochemical staining, can be due to both central nervous system (CNS) (SIV and IL6) and peripheral (IFNa and IL6) causes, and can itself drive the expression of many of these genes. Examination of the levels of expression of the upregulated genes in the post-acute and long-term phases of infection, as well as in SIV encephalitis, reveals increased expression throughout SIV infection, which may serve to protect the brain, but can have untoward long-term consequences.
Project description:The virus/host interactions during the acute phase of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection help determine the course of disease. During this time period, virus enters the brain. Here, we report clusters of genes whose transcripts are significantly upregulated in the frontal lobe of the brain during acute simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of rhesus monkeys. Many of these genes are involved in interferon (IFN) and/or interleukin (IL)-6 pathways. Although neither IFNa nor IFN? are elevated in the brain, IL6 is increased. Both IFNa and IL6 are elevated in plasma during this acute phase. The upregulation of STAT1, verified by immunohistochemical staining, can be due to both central nervous system (CNS) (SIV and IL6) and peripheral (IFNa and IL6) causes, and can itself drive the expression of many of these genes. Examination of the levels of expression of the upregulated genes in the post-acute and long-term phases of infection, as well as in SIV encephalitis, reveals increased expression throughout SIV infection, which may serve to protect the brain, but can have untoward long-term consequences. Keywords = HIV dementia Keywords = Gene array Keywords = Cytokine Keywords = Simian immunodeficiency virus Keywords: other
Project description:The etiology of the central nervous system (CNS) alterations after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, such as dementia and encephalitis, remains unknown. We have used microarray analysis in a monkey model of neuroAIDS to identify 98 genes, many previously unrecognized in lentiviral CNS pathogenesis, whose expression is significantly up-regulated in the frontal lobe of simian immunodeficiency virus-infected brains. Further, through immunohistochemical illumination, distinct classes of genes were found whose protein products localized to infiltrating macrophages, endothelial cells and resident glia, such as CD163, Glut5, and ISG15. In addition we found proteins induced in cortical neurons (ie, cyclin D3, tissue transglutaminase, 1-antichymotrypsin, and STAT1), which have not previously been described as participating in simian immunodeficiency virus or HIV-related CNS pathology. This molecular phenotyping in the infected brains revealed pathways promoting entry of macrophages into the brain and their subsequent detrimental effects on neurons. These data support the hypothesis that in HIV-induced CNS disease products of activated macrophages and astrocytes lead to CNS dysfunction by directly damaging neurons, as well as by induction of altered gene and protein expression profiles in neurons themselves which are deleterious to their function.
Project description:A majority of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have inadequate access to antiretroviral therapy and ultimately develop debilitating oral infections that often correlate with disease progression. Our study evaluates the potential of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infected rhesus macaques to serve as a non-human primate model for oral manifestations of HIV disease. Microarrays were used to characterize changes in gene expression in the dorsal tongue epithelium that occur during chronic SIV infection. Epithelial cells were laser microdissected from dorsal tongue tissue sections from healthy uninfected macaques and macaques with chronic stage SIV infection and used for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.