Project description:Viral infections affecting the upper or lower respiratory tract induce mucin production in the epithelial surfaces of the respiratory cells. However, a little is known about how mucins are produced on the surfaces of respiratory epithelial cells and affects viral replication. In the course of the investigation of the cellular responses in the early stage of Influenza A virus (IAV) infection, we found that two miRNAs, miR-221 and miR-17-3p, which target the mRNA of GalNAc transferase 3 (GALNT3), are rapidly down-regulated as early as 1.5 h post-infection. To understand the early host cell responses to the IAV infection, we performed miRNA microarray analysis using a human alveolar adenocarcinoma cell line, A549 cells, infected with influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 H1N1 (PR8) virus. We isolated the cellular RNAs at 0.5, 1.5 and 4.5 h post-infection and detected significant changes in the global profile of miRNA expression after infection with IAV. mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Each sample was run in duplicate.
Project description:CD47 is an ubiquitously expressed surface molecule that has a significant impact on immune responses. However, its role for antiviral immunity is not fully understood. We can show that CD47 has an inhibitory role in influenza virus defense, since CD47-deficient mice (CD47-/-) display an increased viral clearance during influenza virus infection. This effect is strongly associated with alveolar macrophages, yet the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Thus, to assess the precise impact of CD47 on antiviral action of alveolar macrophages, transcriptional analysis of ex vivo isolated alveolar macrophages from CD47-/- and WT mice were performed isolated 3dpi. Surprisingly, instead of classical antiviral mediators, an increased expression of both hemoglobin α and hemoglobin β was found in CD47 deficient compared to WT alveolar macrophages upon influenza A virus infection. Importantly, antiviral activity of hemoglobin was already shown for other viruses and thus, CD47 might limit influenza virus defense via the regulation of hemoglobin, which could act as a modulator of the antiviral immune response during the infection.
Project description:Alveolar macrophages maintain lung homeostasis and are critical for host defense to respiratory pathogens, including influenza virus. Yet how aging impacts alveolar macrophages remains unclear. Here, we found that aging reduces the proliferation and concentration of alveolar macrophages under basal conditions in mice. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that aging induces a down regulation in cell cycling pathways in alveolar macrophages. Functionally, aging impaired the capacity of alveolar macrophages to phagocytose in vivo, and also increased influenza virus-induced lung damage, morbidity and mortality. Depleting alveolar macrophages indicated that these cells were critical for accelerated mortality during influenza viral lung infection with aging. Adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that aging impaired the ability of alveolar macrophages to reduce lung damage after influenza viral infection. Thus, our study has revealed that aging impairs alveolar macrophages to resolve damageand increases mortality after influenza viral infection.
Project description:Background: Influenza A virus (IAV) infections periodically cause substantial morbidity and mortality in the human population. In the lung, the primary targets for IAV replication are type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII), which are increasingly recognized for their immunological potential. However, our knowledge of the role of AECII in anti-IAV immunity is incomplete and their in vivo response to infection has not been evaluated. To increase our understanding of their role in host-response to IAV-infection, we analyzed transcriptional regulation in primary AECII isolated from infected mice. Results: Microarray analyses of AECII isolated on the first three days following IAV-infection revealed extensive transcriptional regulation. A multitude of differentially expressed transcripts was identified and in comparison to whole-lung tissue revealed a strong contribution of AECII to respiratory anti-IAV responses. Type I interferon played a major role in the detected gene expression profile and functional pathway analyses showed AECII to be highly active in pathogen recognition, cell recruitment and antigen-presentation. Analysis of Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) deficient mice indicated AECII to rely on the host’s expression of this innate IAV-sensor to elicit their full response. Importantly, the AECII transcriptional profiles correlated to cell recruitment and type I interferon levels detected in the lungs of infected animals. Conclusions: Ex vivo analysis of primary murine AECII proved as a powerful tool to increase our understanding of AECII biology in infection. Our analysis revealed an exceptionally strong contribution of AECII to local host defenses by integrating signals provided by surrounding cells and direct pathogen recognition.
Project description:The breadth of responses to influenza infection in epithelial cells in vivo is understudied. We isolated ciliated cells, a target of influenza virus, at multiple timepoints following infection for scRNAseq analysis
Project description:Pandemic influenza H1N1 (pdmH1N1) virus causes mild disease in humans but occasionally leads to severe complications and even death, especially in those who are pregnant or have underlying disease. Cytokine responses induced by pdmH1N1 viruses in vitro are comparable to other seasonal influenza viruses, suggesting the cytokine dysregulation as seen in H5N1 infection is not a feature of the pdmH1N1 virus. However, a comprehensive gene expression profile of pdmH1N1 in relevant primary human cells in vitro has not been reported. Type I alveolar epithelial cells are a key target cell in pdmH1N1 pneumonia. We carried out a comprehensive gene expression profiling using the Affymetrix microarray platform to compare the transcriptomes of primary human alveolar type I-like alveolar epithelial cells infected with pdmH1N1 or seasonal H1N1 virus. Primary type II alveolar epithelial cells were isolated from human non-malignant lung tissue of three patients who underwent lung resection, and cells were differentiated to type I-like before use. Type I-like alveolar epithelial cells were mock infected, or infected with pdmH1N1 or seasonal H1N1 viruses at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of two. Total RNA was extracted from cells after 8h post-infection, and gene expression profiling was performed using an Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 ST microarray platform.
Project description:The temporal response of primary human alveolar adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (A549) infected with H5N1 influenza virus and H9N2 influenza A viruswere evaluated using the proteomics approaches (2D-DIGE combined with MALDI-TOF-MS/MS) at 24 hours post of the infection .
Project description:A. Esteban Hernandez-Vargas & Michael Meyer-Hermann. Innate Immune System Dynamics to Influenza Virus. IFAC Proceedings Volumes 45, 18 (2012).
The understanding of how influenza virus infection activates the immune system is crucial to designing prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against the infection. Nevertheless, the immune response to influenza virus infection is complex and remains largely unknown. In this paper we focus in the innate immune response to influenza virus using a mathematical model, based on interferon-induced resistance to infection of respiratory epithelial cells and the clearance of infected cells by natural killers. Simulation results show the importance of IFN-I to prevent new infections in epithelial cells and to stop the viral explosion during the first two days after infection. Nevertheless, natural killers response might be the most relevant for the first depletion in viral load due to the elimination of infected cells. Based on the reproductive number, the innate immune response is important to control the infection, although it would not be enough to clear completely the virus. The effective coordination between innate and adaptive immune response is essential for the virus eradication.
Project description:A. Esteban Hernandez-Vargas & Michael Meyer-Hermann. Innate Immune System Dynamics to Influenza Virus. IFAC Proceedings Volumes 45, 18 (2012).
The understanding of how influenza virus infection activates the immune system is crucial to designing prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against the infection. Nevertheless, the immune response to influenza virus infection is complex and remains largely unknown. In this paper we focus in the innate immune response to influenza virus using a mathematical model, based on interferon-induced resistance to infection of respiratory epithelial cells and the clearance of infected cells by natural killers. Simulation results show the importance of IFN-I to prevent new infections in epithelial cells and to stop the viral explosion during the first two days after infection. Nevertheless, natural killers response might be the most relevant for the first depletion in viral load due to the elimination of infected cells. Based on the reproductive number, the innate immune response is important to control the infection, although it would not be enough to clear completely the virus. The effective coordination between innate and adaptive immune response is essential for the virus eradication.