Project description:VSV-M2 is recognized by cytosolic RIG-I. Notably, 5'-triphosphate RNA molecules derived from either viral RNA or from the synthetically produced 3pRNA can also induce RIG-I activation. MDA5 stimulation is achieved using complexed poly(I:C), a synthetic analog of viral dsRNA. To test whether the RIG-I and MDA5 ligands 3pRNA and poly(I:C) can be used in their complexed structures to decipher RNA virus-induced sickness behavior in vivo, we first compared the tissue-specific signaling pathways after systemic challenge with VSV-M2 and the RIG-I and MDA5 ligands, respectively. A whole-genome expression analysis using splenic cells was carried out using an Affymetrix Mouse Gene 2.1 ST Array.
Project description:The RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs: RIG-I, MDA5 and LGP2) trigger inflammatory and antiviral responses by sensing non-self RNA molecules produced during viral replication. LGP2 regulation of RIG-I and MDA5-dependant type-I interferon signaling is a matter of controversy. Here we show that LGP2 interacts with different components of the RNA silencing machinery. Particularly, we identified a direct protein-protein interaction between LGP2 and interferon-inducible double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase activator A (PACT). The LGP2-PACT interaction is mediated by the regulatory C-terminal domain of LGP2 and is necessary for inhibiting the RIG-I- and amplifying the MDA5-responses. We describe a point mutation within LGP2 that disrupts LGP2-PACT interaction and leads to the loss of LGP2 regulatory activity over RIG-I and MDA5. These results provide a model in which PACT-LGP2 interaction regulates RIG-I and MDA5 inflammatory response and allows cellular RNA silencing machinery to coordinate the innate immune response.
Project description:Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs), including RIG-I (encoded by Ddx58) and MDA5 (melanoma-differentiation-associated gene 5, encoded by Ifih1), are crucial for initiating antiviral responses. Endogenous retroviral elements (ERVs) are transposable elements derived from exogenous retrovirus that integrated into the genome. KRAB-associated protein 1 (KAP1) is a master epigenetic suppressor of ERVs, and thereby protects cells from detrimental genome instability. Increased ERV transcripts are sensed by RLRs and trigger innate immune signaling. However, whether KAP1 could directly control RLRs activity remain unclear. Here we show that KAP1 attenuates RNA viral infection induced type I IFNs and facilitates viral replication by inhibiting RIG-I/MDA5 expression in primary peritoneal macrophages of C57BL/6J mice. Kap1 deficiency increased IFN-β expression and inhibited VSV replication in C57BL/6J mice in vivo. Mechanistically, KAP1 binds to the promoter regions of Ddx58 and Ifih1, and promotes the establishment of repressive histone marks in primary peritoneal macrophages of C57BL/6J mice. Concordantly, KAP1 suppresses the expression of RIG-I and MDA5 at transcriptional level in primary peritoneal macrophages of C57BL/6J mice. Our results establish that KAP1 epigenetically suppresses host antiviral responses by direct targeting RIG-1 and MDA5, and thus facilitates the immune escape of RNA viruses.
Project description:The important role of IGF-1R in cancers has been well established. Classical model involves IGF-1/2 binding to IGF-1R, following activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, thereby promoting cell proliferation, apoptosis inhibition and treatment resistance. While IGF-1R has become a promising target for cancer therapy, clinical disclosures subsequently have been less encouraging. The question is whether targeting IGF/IGF-1R still holds therapeutic potential. Here we show a novel mechanism that knockdown IGF-1R surprisingly triggers cytoplasmic viral RNA sensors MDA5 and RIG-1, leading to mitochondrial apoptosis in cancer. We analyzed MDA5 and RIG-1 in the intestinal epithelium of IGF-1R knockdown mice. Igf1r+/- mice demonstrated higher MDA5 and RIG-1 than WT mice. IGF-1R knockdown-triggered MDA5 and RIG-1 was further analyzed in human cancer and normal cells. Increased MDA5 and RIG-1 were clearly seen in the cytoplasm identified by immunofluoresce in the cells silenced IGF-1R. Block off IGF-1R downstream PI3K/Akt did not impact on MDA5 and RIG-1 expression. IGF-1R knockdown-triggered MDA5 and RIG-1 and their signaling pathways were similar to those of viral RNA mimetic poly(I:C) had. IGF-1R knockdown-triggered MDA5 and RIG-1 led to cancer apoptosis through activation of the mitochondrial pathway. In vivo assay, Igf1r+/- mice strongly resisted AOM-induced colonic tumorigenesis through triggering MDA¬5- and RIG-1-mediated apoptosis. Notably, RIG-I and MDA5-mediated proapoptotic signaling pathway is preferential active in cancer cells. These data suggest that targeting IGF-1R-triggered MDA5 and RIG-1 might have therapeutic potential for cancer treatment.
Project description:Abstract Introduction Several environmental stimuli may influence lupus, especially viral infection. We utilize an imiquimod-induced lupus mouse model focusing on TLR7 pathway and use proteomics analysis to figure out the specific pathway related to viral infection and its related protein expressions in splenic B cells, hoping to get an insight on B cell responses to viral infection in lupus model. Material and methods. FVB/N wild type mouse was used treated with imiquimod for 8 weeks to induce lupus symptoms and signs, and splenocytes were retrieved, and B cells were selected and conducted proteomic analysis. The B cells were co-cultured with CD40L+ feeder cells for another one week before Western blot analysis. Panther pathway analysis was used to disclose the pathways activated and protein-protein interactome analyzed by STRING database in this lupus murine model. Results. The lupus model is well established and well demonstrated with serology evidence and pathology proof of lupus-mimic organ damage. Proteomics data of splenic B cells revealed the most important pathways activated (fold enrichment >100) were positive regulation of MDA-5 signaling pathway, negative regulation of IP-10 production, negative regulation of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 production and positive regulation of RIG-I signaling pathway. A unique protein-protein interactome containing 10 genes was discovered, within which ISG15, IFIH1, IFIT1, DDX60, and DHX58 have been demonstrated to be downstream effectors of MDA5 signaling. Finally, B cells intracellular cytosolic proteins were determined with Western blot experiment and the MDA5-related pathway activation is still evident. Conclusion. In this experiment, we confirmed that the B cells in lupus murine model focusing on TLR7 pathway were activated through MDA5 signaling pathway, an important RNA sensor implicated in the detection of viral infections and autoimmune. The MDA5 agonists/antagonist RNAs and detailed molecular interactions inside B cells are worthy further investigation for lupus therapy.
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:Translational research is commonly performed in the C57B6/J mouse strain, chosen for its genetic homogeneity and phenotypic uniformity. Here, we evaluate the suitability of the white-footed deer mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) as a model organism for aging research, offering a comparative analysis against C57B6/J and diversity outbred (DO) Mus musculus strains. Our study includes comparisons of body composition, skeletal muscle function, and cardiovascular parameters, shedding light on potential applications and limitations of P. leucopus in aging studies. Notably, P. leucopus exhibits distinct body composition characteristics, emphasizing reduced muscle force exertion and a unique metabolism, particularly in fat mass. Cardiovascular assessments showed changes in arterial stiffness, challenging conventional assumptions and highlighting the need for a nuanced interpretation of aging-related phenotypes. Our study also highlights inherent challenges associated with maintaining and phenotyping P. leucopus cohorts. Behavioral considerations, including anxiety-induced responses during handling and phenotyping assessment, pose obstacles in acquiring meaningful data. Moreover, the unique anatomy of P. leucopus necessitates careful adaptation of protocols designed for Mus musculus. While showcasing potential benefits, further extensive analyses across broader age ranges and larger cohorts are necessary to establish the reliability of P. leucopus as a robust and translatable model for aging studies.
Project description:The RIG-I like receptors (RLRs) RIG-I and MDA5 are cytosolic RNA helicases best characterized as restriction factors for RNA viruses. However, evidence suggests RLRs participate in innate immune recognition of other pathogens, including DNA viruses. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human gammaherpesvirus and the etiological agent of Kaposi's sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). We demonstrate that RIG-I and MDA5 restrict KSHV lytic reactivation in PEL. By performing fRIP-Seq, we define the in vivo RLR substrates and demonstrate that RIG-I and MDA5-mediated restriction is facilitated exclusively by the recognition of host-derived RNAs.
Project description:BackgroundCopy number variation is an important dimension of genetic diversity and has implications in development and disease. As an important model organism, the mouse is a prime candidate for copy number variant (CNV) characterization, but this has yet to be completed for a large sample size. Here we report CNV analysis of publicly available, high-density microarray data files for 351 mouse tail samples, including 290 mice that had not been characterized for CNVs previously.ResultsWe found 9634 putative autosomal CNVs across the samples affecting 6.87% of the mouse reference genome. We find significant differences in the degree of CNV uniqueness (single sample occurrence) and the nature of CNV-gene overlap between wild-caught mice and classical laboratory strains. CNV-gene overlap was associated with lipid metabolism, pheromone response and olfaction compared to immunity, carbohydrate metabolism and amino-acid metabolism for wild-caught mice and classical laboratory strains, respectively. Using two subspecies of wild-caught Mus musculus, we identified putative CNVs unique to those subspecies and show this diversity is better captured by wild-derived laboratory strains than by the classical laboratory strains. A total of 9 genic copy number variable regions (CNVRs) were selected for experimental confirmation by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR).ConclusionThe analysis we present is a comprehensive, genome-wide analysis of CNVs in Mus musculus, which increases the number of known variants in the species and will accelerate the identification of novel variants in future studies.