bims-nimamd Biomed News
on Neuroimmunity and neuroinflammation in ageing and metabolic disease
Issue of 2022–07–31
forty-four papers selected by
Fawaz Alzaïd, Sorbonne Université
  1. Mouse fetal growth restriction through parental and fetal immune gene variation and intercellular communications cascade.
  2. Structural basis of human TREX1 DNA degradation and autoimmune disease.
  3. Dysfunctional ERG signaling drives pulmonary vascular aging and persistent fibrosis.
  4. Notch, RORC and IL-23 signals cooperate to promote multi-lineage human innate lymphoid cell differentiation.
  5. Gata6+ resident peritoneal macrophages promote the growth of liver metastasis.
  6. Targeting transcription in heart failure via CDK7/12/13 inhibition.
  7. Shared mechanisms across the major psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.
  8. Transcription factor network analysis identifies REST/NRSF as an intrinsic regulator of CNS regeneration in mice.
  9. Inhibition of astrocytic DRD2 suppresses CNS inflammation in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.
  10. T cell receptor β-chain-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T cells against T cell malignancies.
  11. Rare loss of function variants in the hepatokine gene INHBE protect from abdominal obesity.
  12. Aggregative trans-eQTL analysis detects trait-specific target gene sets in whole blood.
  13. Discovering the drivers of clonal hematopoiesis.
  14. Targeting de novo lipogenesis and the Lands cycle induces ferroptosis in KRAS-mutant lung cancer.
  15. Balanced gene dosage control rather than parental origin underpins genomic imprinting.
  16. Neprilysins regulate muscle contraction and heart function via cleavage of SERCA-inhibitory micropeptides.
  17. The molecular epidemiology of multiple zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2.
  18. Noise correlations in neural ensemble activity limit the accuracy of hippocampal spatial representations.
  19. The inositol 5-phosphatase INPP5B regulates B cell receptor clustering and signaling.
  20. Thymus Reconstitution in Young and Aged Mice Is Facilitated by In Vitro-Generated Progenitor T Cells.
  21. An acquired phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate transport initiates T-cell deterioration and leukemogenesis.
  22. Beyond controlling cell size: functional analyses of S6K in tumorigenesis.
  23. Lactational delivery of Triclosan promotes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in newborn mice.
  24. Extracellular HSP90α promotes cellular senescence by modulating TGF-β signaling in pulmonary fibrosis.
  25. ECM dimensionality tunes actin tension to modulate endoplasmic reticulum function and spheroid phenotypes of mammary epithelial cells.
  26. Partial RAG deficiency in humans induces dysregulated peripheral lymphocyte development and humoral tolerance defect with accumulation of T-bet+ B cells.
  27. Recording gene expression order in DNA by CRISPR addition of retron barcodes.
  28. Association of a common genetic variant with Parkinson's disease is mediated by microglia.
  29. Extreme purifying selection against point mutations in the human genome.
  30. Secreted fungal virulence effector triggers allergic inflammation via TLR4.
  31. Mitigation of age-dependent accumulation of defective mitochondrial genomes.
  32. Systemic induction of senescence in young mice after single heterochronic blood exchange.
  33. Light-activated mitochondrial fission through optogenetic control of mitochondria-lysosome contacts.
  34. Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Neutrophil as Orchestrator during β-Glucan-Induced Trained Immunity in a Teleost Fish.
  35. Single-cell RNA-seq of primary bone marrow neutrophils from female and male adult mice.
  36. miR-24-3p down-regulates the expression of the apoptotic factors FasL and BIM in human natural killer cells.
  37. Downregulation of TCF1 in HIV Infection Impairs T-cell Proliferative Capacity by Disrupting Mitochondrial Function.
  38. Loss of sphingosine kinase 2 promotes the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells by improving their metabolic fitness.
  39. SMAD4, activated by the TCR-triggered MEK/ERK signaling pathway, critically regulates CD8+ T cell cytotoxic function.
  40. The function of Wtap in N6-adenosine methylation of mRNAs controls T cell receptor signaling and survival of T cells.
  41. Regulated degradation of HMG CoA reductase requires conformational changes in sterol-sensing domain.
  42. A missense mutation in Kcnc3 causes hippocampal learning deficits in mice.
  43. Epithelial HVEM maintains intraepithelial T cell survival and contributes to host protection.
  44. Mitochondrial proteostasis stress in muscle drives a long-range protective response to alleviate dietary obesity independently of ATF4.
  1. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 29. 13(1): 4398
    Mouse fetal growth restriction through parental and fetal immune gene variation and intercellular communications cascade.
    Gurman Kaur, Caroline B M Porter, Orr Ashenberg, Jack Lee, Samantha J Riesenfeld, Matan Hofree, Maria Aggelakopoulou, Ayshwarya Subramanian, Subita Balaram Kuttikkatte, Kathrine E Attfield, Christiane A E Desel, Jessica L Davies, Hayley G Evans, Inbal Avraham-Davidi, Lan T Nguyen, Danielle A Dionne, Anna E Neumann, Lise Torp Jensen, Thomas R Barber, Elizabeth Soilleux, Mary Carrington, Gil McVean, Orit Rozenblatt-Rosen, Aviv Regev, Lars Fugger.
      Fetal growth restriction (FGR) affects 5-10% of pregnancies, and can have serious consequences for both mother and child. Prevention and treatment are limited because FGR pathogenesis is poorly understood. Genetic studies implicate KIR and HLA genes in FGR, however, linkage disequilibrium, genetic influence from both parents, and challenges with investigating human pregnancies make the risk alleles and their functional effects difficult to map. Here, we demonstrate that the interaction between the maternal KIR2DL1, expressed on uterine natural killer (NK) cells, and the paternally inherited HLA-C*0501, expressed on fetal trophoblast cells, leads to FGR in a humanized mouse model. We show that the KIR2DL1 and C*0501 interaction leads to pathogenic uterine arterial remodeling and modulation of uterine NK cell function. This initial effect cascades to altered transcriptional expression and intercellular communication at the maternal-fetal interface. These findings provide mechanistic insight into specific FGR risk alleles, and provide avenues of prevention and treatment.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32171-w
  2. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 25. 13(1): 4277
    Structural basis of human TREX1 DNA degradation and autoimmune disease.
    Wen Zhou, Desmond Richmond-Buccola, Qiannan Wang, Philip J Kranzusch.
      TREX1 is a cytosolic DNA nuclease essential for regulation of cGAS-STING immune signaling. Existing structures of mouse TREX1 establish a mechanism of DNA degradation and provide a key model to explain autoimmune disease, but these structures incompletely explain human disease-associated mutations and have limited ability to guide development of small-molecule therapeutics. Here we determine crystal structures of human TREX1 in apo and DNA-bound conformations that provide high-resolution detail of all human-specific features. A 1.25 Å structure of human TREX1 establishes a complete model of solvation of the exonuclease active site and a 2.2 Å structure of the human TREX1-DNA complex enables identification of specific substitutions involved in DNA recognition. We map each TREX1 mutation associated with autoimmune disease and establish distinct categories of substitutions predicted to impact enzymatic function, protein stability, and interaction with cGAS-DNA liquid droplets. Our results explain how human-specific substitutions regulate TREX1 function and provide a foundation for structure-guided design of TREX1 therapeutics.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32055-z
  3. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 25. 13(1): 4170
    Dysfunctional ERG signaling drives pulmonary vascular aging and persistent fibrosis.
    Nunzia Caporarello, Jisu Lee, Tho X Pham, Dakota L Jones, Jiazhen Guan, Patrick A Link, Jeffrey A Meridew, Grace Marden, Takashi Yamashita, Collin A Osborne, Aditya V Bhagwate, Steven K Huang, Roberto F Nicosia, Daniel J Tschumperlin, Maria Trojanowska, Giovanni Ligresti.
      Vascular dysfunction is a hallmark of chronic diseases in elderly. The contribution of the vasculature to lung repair and fibrosis is not fully understood. Here, we performed an epigenetic and transcriptional analysis of lung endothelial cells (ECs) from young and aged mice during the resolution or progression of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. We identified the transcription factor ETS-related gene (ERG) as putative orchestrator of lung capillary homeostasis and repair, and whose function is dysregulated in aging. ERG dysregulation is associated with reduced chromatin accessibility and maladaptive transcriptional responses to injury. Loss of endothelial ERG enhances paracrine fibroblast activation in vitro, and impairs lung fibrosis resolution in young mice in vivo. scRNA-seq of ERG deficient mouse lungs reveales transcriptional and fibrogenic abnormalities resembling those associated with aging and human lung fibrosis, including reduced number of general capillary (gCap) ECs. Our findings demonstrate that lung endothelial chromatin remodeling deteriorates with aging leading to abnormal transcription, vascular dysrepair, and persistent fibrosis following injury.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31890-4
  4. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 27. 13(1): 4344
    Notch, RORC and IL-23 signals cooperate to promote multi-lineage human innate lymphoid cell differentiation.
    Carys A Croft, Anna Thaller, Solenne Marie, Jean-Marc Doisne, Laura Surace, Rui Yang, Anne Puel, Jacinta Bustamante, Jean-Laurent Casanova, James P Di Santo.
      Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) include cytotoxic natural killer cells and distinct groups of cytokine-producing innate helper cells which participate in immune defense and promote tissue homeostasis. Circulating human ILC precursors (ILCP) able to generate all canonical ILC subsets via multi-potent or uni-potent intermediates according to our previous work. Here we show potential cooperative roles for the Notch and IL-23 signaling pathways for human ILC differentiation from blood ILCP using single cell cloning analyses and validate these findings in patient samples with rare genetic deficiencies in IL12RB1 and RORC. Mechanistically, Notch signaling promotes upregulation of the transcription factor RORC, enabling acquisition of Group 1 (IFN-γ) and Group 3 (IL-17A, IL-22) effector functions in multi-potent and uni-potent ILCP. Interfering with RORC or signaling through its target IL-23R compromises ILC3 effector functions but also generally suppresses ILC production from multi-potent ILCP. Our results identify a Notch->RORC- > IL-23R pathway which operates during human ILC differentiation. These observations may help guide protocols to expand functional ILC subsets in vitro with an aim towards novel ILC therapies for human disease.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32089-3
  5. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 29. 13(1): 4406
    Gata6+ resident peritoneal macrophages promote the growth of liver metastasis.
    Mokarram Hossain, Raymond Shim, Woo-Yong Lee, Arlene H Sharpe, Paul Kubes.
      Emerging evidence suggests that resident macrophages within tissues are enablers of tumor growth. However, a second population of resident macrophages surrounds all visceral organs within the cavities and nothing is known about these GATA6+ large peritoneal macrophages (GLPMs) despite their ability to invade injured visceral organs by sensing danger signals. Here, we show that GLPMs invade growing metastases that breach the visceral mesothelium of the liver via the "find me signal", ATP. Depleting GLPMs either by pharmacological or genetic tools, reduces metastases growth. Apoptotic bodies from tumor cells induces programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) upregulation on GLPMs which block CD8+ T cell function. Direct targeting of GLPMs by intraperitoneal but not intravenous administration of anti-PD-L1 reduces tumor growth. Thermal ablation of liver metastases recruits huge numbers of GLPMs and enables rapid regrowth of tumors. GLPMs contribute to metastatic growth and tumor recurrence.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32080-y
  6. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 27. 13(1): 4345
    Targeting transcription in heart failure via CDK7/12/13 inhibition.
    Austin Hsu, Qiming Duan, Daniel S Day, Xin Luo, Sarah McMahon, Yu Huang, Zachary B Feldman, Zhen Jiang, Tinghu Zhang, Yanke Liang, Michael Alexanian, Arun Padmanabhan, Jonathan D Brown, Charles Y Lin, Nathanael S Gray, Richard A Young, Benoit G Bruneau, Saptarsi M Haldar.
      Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is associated with high mortality, highlighting an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. As stress-activated cardiac signaling cascades converge on the nucleus to drive maladaptive gene programs, interdicting pathological transcription is a conceptually attractive approach for HFrEF therapy. Here, we demonstrate that CDK7/12/13 are critical regulators of transcription activation in the heart that can be pharmacologically inhibited to improve HFrEF. CDK7/12/13 inhibition using the first-in-class inhibitor THZ1 or RNAi blocks stress-induced transcription and pathologic hypertrophy in cultured rodent cardiomyocytes. THZ1 potently attenuates adverse cardiac remodeling and HFrEF pathogenesis in mice and blocks cardinal features of disease in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. THZ1 suppresses Pol II enrichment at stress-transactivated cardiac genes and inhibits a specific pathologic gene program in the failing mouse heart. These data identify CDK7/12/13 as druggable regulators of cardiac gene transactivation during disease-related stress, suggesting that HFrEF features a critical dependency on transcription that can be therapeutically exploited.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31541-8
  7. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 26. 13(1): 4314
    Shared mechanisms across the major psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.
    Thomas S Wingo, Yue Liu, Ekaterina S Gerasimov, Selina M Vattathil, Meghan E Wynne, Jiaqi Liu, Adriana Lori, Victor Faundez, David A Bennett, Nicholas T Seyfried, Allan I Levey, Aliza P Wingo.
      Several common psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases share epidemiologic risk; however, whether they share pathophysiology is unclear and is the focus of our investigation. Using 25 GWAS results and LD score regression, we find eight significant genetic correlations between psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. We integrate the GWAS results with human brain transcriptomes (n = 888) and proteomes (n = 722) to identify cis- and trans- transcripts and proteins that are consistent with a pleiotropic or causal role in each disease, referred to as causal proteins for brevity. Within each disease group, we find many distinct and shared causal proteins. Remarkably, 30% (13 of 42) of the neurodegenerative disease causal proteins are shared with psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, we find 2.6-fold more protein-protein interactions among the psychiatric and neurodegenerative causal proteins than expected by chance. Together, our findings suggest these psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases have shared genetic and molecular pathophysiology, which has important ramifications for early treatment and therapeutic development.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31873-5
  8. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 29. 13(1): 4418
    Transcription factor network analysis identifies REST/NRSF as an intrinsic regulator of CNS regeneration in mice.
    Yuyan Cheng, Yuqin Yin, Alice Zhang, Alexander M Bernstein, Riki Kawaguchi, Kun Gao, Kyra Potter, Hui-Ya Gilbert, Yan Ao, Jing Ou, Catherine J Fricano-Kugler, Jeffrey L Goldberg, Zhigang He, Clifford J Woolf, Michael V Sofroniew, Larry I Benowitz, Daniel H Geschwind.
      The inability of neurons to regenerate long axons within the CNS is a major impediment to improving outcome after spinal cord injury, stroke, and other CNS insults. Recent advances have uncovered an intrinsic program that involves coordinate regulation by multiple transcription factors that can be manipulated to enhance growth in the peripheral nervous system. Here, we use a systems genomics approach to characterize regulatory relationships of regeneration-associated transcription factors, identifying RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor (REST; Neuron-Restrictive Silencer Factor, NRSF) as a predicted upstream suppressor of a pro-regenerative gene program associated with axon regeneration in the CNS. We validate our predictions using multiple paradigms, showing that mature mice bearing cell type-specific deletions of REST or expressing dominant-negative mutant REST show improved regeneration of the corticospinal tract and optic nerve after spinal cord injury and optic nerve crush, which is accompanied by upregulation of regeneration-associated genes in cortical motor neurons and retinal ganglion cells, respectively. These analyses identify a role for REST as an upstream suppressor of the intrinsic regenerative program in the CNS and demonstrate the utility of a systems biology approach involving integrative genomics and bio-informatics to prioritize hypotheses relevant to CNS repair.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31960-7
  9. J Exp Med. 2022 Sep 05. pii: e20210998. [Epub ahead of print]219(9):
    Inhibition of astrocytic DRD2 suppresses CNS inflammation in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.
    Shen-Zhao Lu, Yue Wu, Yong-Shun Guo, Pei-Zhou Liang, Shu Yin, Yan-Qing Yin, Xiu-Li Zhang, Yan-Fang Liu, Hong-Yan Wang, Yi-Chuan Xiao, Xin-Miao Liang, Jia-Wei Zhou.
      Astrocyte activation is associated with progressive inflammatory demyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS). The molecular mechanisms underlying astrocyte activation remain incompletely understood. Recent studies have suggested that classical neurotransmitter receptors are implicated in the modulation of brain innate immunity. We investigated the role of dopamine signaling in the process of astrocyte activation. Here, we show the upregulation of dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) in reactive astrocytes in MS brain and noncanonical role of astrocytic DRD2 in MS pathogenesis. Mice deficient in astrocytic Drd2 exhibit a remarkable suppression of reactive astrocytes and amelioration of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Mechanistically, DRD2 regulates the expression of 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin synthase, which modulates NF-κB activity through protein kinase C-δ. Pharmacological blockade of astrocytic DRD2 with a DRD2 antagonist dehydrocorybulbine remarkably inhibits the inflammatory response in mice lacking neuronal Drd2. Together, our findings reveal previously an uncharted role for DRD2 in astrocyte activation during EAE-associated CNS inflammation. Its therapeutic inhibition may provide a potent lever to alleviate autoimmune diseases.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20210998
  10. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 26. 13(1): 4334
    T cell receptor β-chain-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T cells against T cell malignancies.
    Fanlin Li, Huihui Zhang, Wanting Wang, Puyuan Yang, Yue Huang, Junshi Zhang, Yaping Yan, Yuan Wang, Xizhong Ding, Jie Liang, Xinyue Qi, Min Li, Ping Han, Xiaoqing Zhang, Xin Wang, Jiang Cao, Yang-Xin Fu, Xuanming Yang.
      The success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in treating B cell malignancies comes at the price of eradicating normal B cells. Even though T cell malignancies are aggressive and treatment options are limited, similar strategies for T cell malignancies are constrained by the severe immune suppression arising from bystander T cell aplasia. Here, we show the selective killing of malignant T cells without affecting normal T cell-mediated immune responses in vitro and in a mouse model of disseminated leukemia. Further, we develop a CAR construct that carries the single chain variable fragment of a subtype-specific antibody against the variable TCR β-chain region. We demonstrate that these anti-Vβ8 CAR-T cells are able to recognize and kill all Vβ8+ malignant T cells that arise from clonal expansion while sparing malignant or healthy Vβ8- T cells, allowing sufficient T cell-mediated cellular immunity. In summary, we present a proof of concept for a selective CAR-T cell therapy to eradicate T cell malignancies while maintaining functional adaptive immunity, which opens the possibility for clinical development.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32092-8
  11. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 27. 13(1): 4319
    Rare loss of function variants in the hepatokine gene INHBE protect from abdominal obesity.
    AMP-T2D-GENES Consortium
      Identifying genetic variants associated with lower waist-to-hip ratio can reveal new therapeutic targets for abdominal obesity. We use exome sequences from 362,679 individuals to identify genes associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRadjBMI), a surrogate for abdominal fat that is causally linked to type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Predicted loss of function (pLOF) variants in INHBE associate with lower WHRadjBMI and this association replicates in data from AMP-T2D-GENES. INHBE encodes a secreted protein, the hepatokine activin E. In vitro characterization of the most common INHBE pLOF variant in our study, indicates an in-frame deletion resulting in a 90% reduction in secreted protein levels. We detect associations with lower WHRadjBMI for variants in ACVR1C, encoding an activin receptor, further highlighting the involvement of activins in regulating fat distribution. These findings highlight activin E as a potential therapeutic target for abdominal obesity, a phenotype linked to cardiometabolic disease.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31757-8
  12. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 26. 13(1): 4323
    Aggregative trans-eQTL analysis detects trait-specific target gene sets in whole blood.
    Diptavo Dutta, Yuan He, Ashis Saha, Marios Arvanitis, Alexis Battle, Nilanjan Chatterjee.
      Large scale genetic association studies have identified many trait-associated variants and understanding the role of these variants in the downstream regulation of gene-expressions can uncover important mediating biological mechanisms. Here we propose ARCHIE, a summary statistic based sparse canonical correlation analysis method to identify sets of gene-expressions trans-regulated by sets of known trait-related genetic variants. Simulation studies show that compared to standard methods, ARCHIE is better suited to identify "core"-like genes through which effects of many other genes may be mediated and can capture disease-specific patterns of genetic associations. By applying ARCHIE to publicly available summary statistics from the eQTLGen consortium, we identify gene sets which have significant evidence of trans-association with groups of known genetic variants across 29 complex traits. Around half (50.7%) of the selected genes do not have any strong trans-associations and are not detected by standard methods. We provide further evidence for causal basis of the target genes through a series of follow-up analyses. These results show ARCHIE is a powerful tool for identifying sets of genes whose trans-regulation may be related to specific complex traits.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31845-9
  13. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 23. 13(1): 4267
    Discovering the drivers of clonal hematopoiesis.
    Oriol Pich, Iker Reyes-Salazar, Abel Gonzalez-Perez, Nuria Lopez-Bigas.
      Mutations in genes that confer a selective advantage to hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) drive clonal hematopoiesis (CH). While some CH drivers have been identified, the compendium of all genes able to drive CH upon mutations in HSCs remains incomplete. Exploiting signals of positive selection in blood somatic mutations may be an effective way to identify CH driver genes, analogously to cancer. Using the tumor sample in blood/tumor pairs as reference, we identify blood somatic mutations across more than 12,000 donors from two large cancer genomics cohorts. The application of IntOGen, a driver discovery pipeline, to both cohorts, and more than 24,000 targeted sequenced samples yields a list of close to 70 genes with signals of positive selection in CH, available at http://www.intogen.org/ch . This approach recovers known CH genes, and discovers other candidates.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31878-0
  14. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 26. 13(1): 4327
    Targeting de novo lipogenesis and the Lands cycle induces ferroptosis in KRAS-mutant lung cancer.
    Caterina Bartolacci, Cristina Andreani, Gonçalo Vale, Stefano Berto, Margherita Melegari, Anna Colleen Crouch, Dodge L Baluya, George Kemble, Kurt Hodges, Jacqueline Starrett, Katerina Politi, Sandra L Starnes, Daniele Lorenzini, Maria Gabriela Raso, Luisa M Solis Soto, Carmen Behrens, Humam Kadara, Boning Gao, Ignacio I Wistuba, John D Minna, Jeffrey G McDonald, Pier Paolo Scaglioni.
      Mutant KRAS (KM), the most common oncogene in lung cancer (LC), regulates fatty acid (FA) metabolism. However, the role of FA in LC tumorigenesis is still not sufficiently characterized. Here, we show that KMLC has a specific lipid profile, with high triacylglycerides and phosphatidylcholines (PC). We demonstrate that FASN, the rate-limiting enzyme in FA synthesis, while being dispensable in EGFR-mutant or wild-type KRAS LC, is required for the viability of KMLC cells. Integrating lipidomic, transcriptomic and functional analyses, we demonstrate that FASN provides saturated and monounsaturated FA to the Lands cycle, the process remodeling oxidized phospholipids, such as PC. Accordingly, blocking either FASN or the Lands cycle in KMLC, promotes ferroptosis, a reactive oxygen species (ROS)- and iron-dependent cell death, characterized by the intracellular accumulation of oxidation-prone PC. Our work indicates that KM dictates a dependency on newly synthesized FA to escape ferroptosis, establishing a targetable vulnerability in KMLC.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31963-4
  15. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 29. 13(1): 4391
    Balanced gene dosage control rather than parental origin underpins genomic imprinting.
    Ariella Weinberg-Shukron, Raz Ben-Yair, Nozomi Takahashi, Marko Dunjić, Alon Shtrikman, Carol A Edwards, Anne C Ferguson-Smith, Yonatan Stelzer.
      Mammalian parental imprinting represents an exquisite form of epigenetic control regulating the parent-specific monoallelic expression of genes in clusters. While imprinting perturbations are widely associated with developmental abnormalities, the intricate regional interplay between imprinted genes makes interpreting the contribution of gene dosage effects to phenotypes a challenging task. Using mouse models with distinct deletions in an intergenic region controlling imprinting across the Dlk1-Dio3 domain, we link changes in genetic and epigenetic states to allelic-expression and phenotypic outcome in vivo. This determined how hierarchical interactions between regulatory elements orchestrate robust parent-specific expression, with implications for non-imprinted gene regulation. Strikingly, flipping imprinting on the parental chromosomes by crossing genotypes of complete and partial intergenic element deletions rescues the lethality of each deletion on its own. Our work indicates that parental origin of an epigenetic state is irrelevant as long as appropriate balanced gene expression is established and maintained at imprinted loci.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32144-z
  16. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 29. 13(1): 4420
    Neprilysins regulate muscle contraction and heart function via cleavage of SERCA-inhibitory micropeptides.
    Ronja Schiemann, Annika Buhr, Eva Cordes, Stefan Walter, Jürgen J Heinisch, Paola Ferrero, Hendrik Milting, Achim Paululat, Heiko Meyer.
      Muscle contraction depends on strictly controlled Ca2+ transients within myocytes. A major player maintaining these transients is the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase, SERCA. Activity of SERCA is regulated by binding of micropeptides and impaired expression or function of these peptides results in cardiomyopathy. To date, it is not known how homeostasis or turnover of the micropeptides is regulated. Herein, we find that the Drosophila endopeptidase Neprilysin 4 hydrolyzes SERCA-inhibitory Sarcolamban peptides in membranes of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, thereby ensuring proper regulation of SERCA. Cleavage is necessary and sufficient to maintain homeostasis and function of the micropeptides. Analyses on human Neprilysin, sarcolipin, and ventricular cardiomyocytes indicates that the regulatory mechanism is evolutionarily conserved. By identifying a neprilysin as essential regulator of SERCA activity and Ca2+ homeostasis in cardiomyocytes, these data contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex mechanisms that control muscle contraction and heart function in health and disease.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31974-1
  17. Science. 2022 Jul 26. eabp8337
    The molecular epidemiology of multiple zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2.
    Jonathan E Pekar, Andrew Magee, Edyth Parker, Niema Moshiri, Katherine Izhikevich, Jennifer L Havens, Karthik Gangavarapu, Lorena Mariana Malpica Serrano, Alexander Crits-Christoph, Nathaniel L Matteson, Mark Zeller, Joshua I Levy, Jade C Wang, Scott Hughes, Jungmin Lee, Heedo Park, Man-Seong Park, Katherine Zi Yan Ching, Raymond Tzer Pin Lin, Mohd Noor Mat Isa, Yusuf Muhammad Noor, Tetyana I Vasylyeva, Robert F Garry, Edward C Holmes, Andrew Rambaut, Marc A Suchard, Kristian G Andersen, Michael Worobey, Joel O Wertheim.
      Understanding the circumstances that lead to pandemics is important for their prevention. Here, we analyze the genomic diversity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We show that SARS-CoV-2 genomic diversity before February 2020 likely comprised only two distinct viral lineages, denoted A and B. Phylodynamic rooting methods, coupled with epidemic simulations, reveal that these lineages were the result of at least two separate cross-species transmission events into humans. The first zoonotic transmission likely involved lineage B viruses around 18 November 2019 (23 October-8 December), while the separate introduction of lineage A likely occurred within weeks of this event. These findings indicate that it is unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 circulated widely in humans prior to November 2019 and define the narrow window between when SARS-CoV-2 first jumped into humans and when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported. As with other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 emergence likely resulted from multiple zoonotic events.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abp8337
  18. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 25. 13(1): 4276
    Noise correlations in neural ensemble activity limit the accuracy of hippocampal spatial representations.
    Omer Hazon, Victor H Minces, David P Tomàs, Surya Ganguli, Mark J Schnitzer, Pablo E Jercog.
      Neurons in the CA1 area of the mouse hippocampus encode the position of the animal in an environment. However, given the variability in individual neurons responses, the accuracy of this code is still poorly understood. It was proposed that downstream areas could achieve high spatial accuracy by integrating the activity of thousands of neurons, but theoretical studies point to shared fluctuations in the firing rate as a potential limitation. Using high-throughput calcium imaging in freely moving mice, we demonstrated the limiting factors in the accuracy of the CA1 spatial code. We found that noise correlations in the hippocampus bound the estimation error of spatial coding to ~10 cm (the size of a mouse). Maximal accuracy was obtained using approximately [300-1400] neurons, depending on the animal. These findings reveal intrinsic limits in the brain's representations of space and suggest that single neurons downstream of the hippocampus can extract maximal spatial information from several hundred inputs.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31254-y
  19. J Cell Biol. 2022 Sep 05. pii: e202112018. [Epub ahead of print]221(9):
    The inositol 5-phosphatase INPP5B regulates B cell receptor clustering and signaling.
    Alaa Droubi, Connor Wallis, Karen E Anderson, Saifur Rahman, Aloka de Sa, Taufiq Rahman, Len R Stephens, Philip T Hawkins, Martin Lowe.
      Upon antigen binding, the B cell receptor (BCR) undergoes clustering to form a signalosome that propagates downstream signaling required for normal B cell development and physiology. BCR clustering is dependent on remodeling of the cortical actin network, but the mechanisms that regulate actin remodeling in this context remain poorly defined. In this study, we identify the inositol 5-phosphatase INPP5B as a key regulator of actin remodeling, BCR clustering, and downstream signaling in antigen-stimulated B cells. INPP5B acts via dephosphorylation of the inositol lipid PI(4,5)P2 that in turn is necessary for actin disassembly, BCR mobilization, and cell spreading on immobilized surface antigen. These effects can be explained by increased actin severing by cofilin and loss of actin linking to the plasma membrane by ezrin, both of which are sensitive to INPP5B-dependent PI(4,5)P2 hydrolysis. INPP5B is therefore a new player in BCR signaling and may represent an attractive target for treatment of B cell malignancies caused by aberrant BCR signaling.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202112018
  20. Front Immunol. 2022 ;13 926773
    Thymus Reconstitution in Young and Aged Mice Is Facilitated by In Vitro-Generated Progenitor T Cells.
    Mahmood Mohtashami, Yue Ru Li, Christina R Lee, Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker.
      The prolonged lag in T cell recovery seen in older patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), after chemo-/radiotherapy, can lead to immune dysfunction. As a result, recovering patients may experience a relapse in malignancies and opportunistic infections, leading to high mortality rates. The delay in T cell recovery is partly due to thymic involution, a natural collapse in the size and function of the thymus, as individuals age, and partly due to the damage sustained by the thymic stromal cells through exposure to chemo-/radiotherapy. There is a clear need for new strategies to accelerate intrathymic T cell reconstitution when treating aged patients to counter the effects of involution and cancer therapy regimens. Adoptive transfer of human progenitor T (proT) cells has been shown to accelerate T cell regeneration in radiation-treated young mice and to restore thymic architecture in immunodeficient mice. Here, we demonstrate that the adoptive transfer of in vitro-generated proT cells in aged mice (18-24 months) accelerated thymic reconstitution after treatment with chemotherapy and gamma irradiation compared to HSCT alone. We noted that aged mice appeared to have a more limited expansion of CD4-CD8- thymocytes and slower temporal kinetics in the development of donor proT cells into mature T cells, when compared to younger mice, despite following the same chemo/radiation regimen. This suggests a greater resilience of the young thymus compared to the aged thymus. Nevertheless, newly generated T cells from proT cell engrafted aged and young mice were readily present in the periphery accelerating the reappearance of new naïve T cells. Accelerated T cell recovery was also observed in both aged and young mice receiving both proT cells and HSCT. The strategy of transferring proT cells can potentially be used as an effective cellular therapy in aged patients to improve immune recovery and reduce the risk of opportunistic infections post-HSCT.
    Keywords:  T cell development; hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation; homing; progenitor T cells; thymus
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.926773
  21. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 29. 13(1): 4390
    An acquired phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate transport initiates T-cell deterioration and leukemogenesis.
    Wenbin Zhong, Weize Lin, Yingjie Yang, Dan Chen, Xiuye Cao, Mengyang Xu, Guoping Pan, Huanzhao Chen, Jie Zheng, Xiaoqin Feng, Li Hua Yang, Chaofeng Lai, Vesa M Olkkonen, Jun Xu, Shuzhong Cui, Daoguang Yan.
      Lipid remodeling is crucial for malignant cell transformation and tumorigenesis, but the precise molecular processes involved and direct evidences for these in vivo remain elusive. Here, we report that oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP)-related protein 4 L (ORP4L) is expressed in adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells but not normal T-cells. In ORP4L knock-in T-cells, ORP4L dimerizes with OSBP to control the shuttling of OSBP between the Golgi apparatus and the plasma membrane (PM) as an exchanger of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P]/cholesterol. The PI(4)P arriving at the PM via this transport machinery replenishes phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] and phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5) trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] biosynthesis, thus contributing to PI3K/AKT hyperactivation and T-cell deterioration in vitro and in vivo. Disruption of ORP4L and OSBP dimerization disables PI(4)P transport and T-cell leukemogenesis. In summary, we identify a non-vesicular lipid transport machinery between Golgi and PM maintaining the oncogenic signaling competence initiating T-cell deterioration and leukemogenesis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32104-7
  22. Cell Death Dis. 2022 Jul 25. 13(7): 646
    Beyond controlling cell size: functional analyses of S6K in tumorigenesis.
    Xueji Wu, Wei Xie, Wenxuan Xie, Wenyi Wei, Jianping Guo.
      As a substrate and major effector of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), the biological functions of ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K) have been canonically assigned for cell size control by facilitating mRNA transcription, splicing, and protein synthesis. However, accumulating evidence implies that diverse stimuli and upstream regulators modulate S6K kinase activity, leading to the activation of a plethora of downstream substrates for distinct pathobiological functions. Beyond controlling cell size, S6K simultaneously plays crucial roles in directing cell apoptosis, metabolism, and feedback regulation of its upstream signals. Thus, we comprehensively summarize the emerging upstream regulators, downstream substrates, mouse models, clinical relevance, and candidate inhibitors for S6K and shed light on S6K as a potential therapeutic target for cancers.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-022-05081-4
  23. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 27. 13(1): 4346
    Lactational delivery of Triclosan promotes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in newborn mice.
    André A Weber, Xiaojing Yang, Elvira Mennillo, Jeffrey Ding, Jeramie D Watrous, Mohit Jain, Shujuan Chen, Michael Karin, Robert H Tukey.
      Here we show that Triclosan (TCS), a high-volume antimicrobial additive that has been detected in human breastmilk, can be efficiently transferred by lactation to newborn mice, causing significant fatty liver (FL) during the suckling period. These findings are relevant since pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is escalating in the United States, with a limited mechanistic understanding. Lactational delivery stimulated hepatosteatosis, triglyceride accumulation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, signs of inflammation, and liver fibrosis. De novo lipogenesis (DNL) induced by lactational TCS exposure is shown to be mediated in a PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-PPARα cascade. The administration of obeticholic acid (OCA), a potent FXR agonist, as well as activation of intestinal mucosal-regenerative gp130 signaling, led to reduced liver ATF4 expression, PPARα signaling, and DNL when neonates were exposed to TCS. It is yet to be investigated but mother to child transmission of TCS or similar toxicants may underlie the recent increases in pediatric NAFLD.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31947-4
  24. FASEB J. 2022 Aug;36(8): e22475
    Extracellular HSP90α promotes cellular senescence by modulating TGF-β signaling in pulmonary fibrosis.
    Wenshan Zhong, Weimou Chen, Yuanyuan Liu, Jinming Zhang, Ye Lu, Xuan Wan, Yujie Qiao, Haohua Huang, Zhaojin Zeng, Wei Li, Xiaojing Meng, Haijin Zhao, Mengchen Zou, Shaoxi Cai, Hangming Dong.
      Recent findings suggest that extracellular heat shock protein 90α (eHSP90α) promotes pulmonary fibrosis, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Aging, especially cellular senescence, is a critical risk factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Here, we aim to investigate the role of eHSP90α on cellular senescence in IPF. Our results found that eHSP90α was upregulated in bleomycin (BLM)-induced mice, which correlated with the expression of senescence markers. This increase in eHSP90α mediated fibroblast senescence and facilitated mitochondrial dysfunction. eHSP90α activated TGF-β signaling through the phosphorylation of the SMAD complex. The SMAD complex binding to p53 and p21 promoters triggered their transcription. In vivo, the blockade of eHSP90α with 1G6-D7, a specific eHSP90α antibody, in old mice attenuated the BLM-induced lung fibrosis. Our findings elucidate a crucial mechanism underlying eHSP90α-induced cellular senescence, providing a framework for aging-related fibrosis interventions.
    Keywords:  HSP90 heat-shock proteins; cellular senescence; mitochondria; pulmonary fibrosis; reactive oxygen species; transforming growth factor beta
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202200406RR
  25. EMBO J. 2022 Jul 25. e109205
    ECM dimensionality tunes actin tension to modulate endoplasmic reticulum function and spheroid phenotypes of mammary epithelial cells.
    FuiBoon Kai, Guanqing Ou, Richard W Tourdot, Connor Stashko, Guido Gaietta, Mark F Swift, Niels Volkmann, Alexandra F Long, Yulong Han, Hector H Huang, Jason J Northey, Andrew M Leidal, Virgile Viasnoff, David M Bryant, Wei Guo, Arun P Wiita, Ming Guo, Sophie Dumont, Dorit Hanein, Ravi Radhakrishnan, Valerie M Weaver.
      Patient-derived organoids and cellular spheroids recapitulate tissue physiology with remarkable fidelity. We investigated how engagement with a reconstituted basement membrane in three dimensions (3D) supports the polarized, stress resilient tissue phenotype of mammary epithelial spheroids. Cells interacting with reconstituted basement membrane in 3D had reduced levels of total and actin-associated filamin and decreased cortical actin tension that increased plasma membrane protrusions to promote negative plasma membrane curvature and plasma membrane protein associations linked to protein secretion. By contrast, cells engaging a reconstituted basement membrane in 2D had high cortical actin tension that forced filamin unfolding and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) associations. Enhanced filamin-ER interactions increased levels of PKR-like ER kinase effectors and ER-plasma membrane contact sites that compromised calcium homeostasis and diminished cell viability. Consequently, cells with decreased cortical actin tension had reduced ER stress and survived better. Consistently, cortical actin tension in cellular spheroids regulated polarized basement membrane membrane deposition and sensitivity to exogenous stress. The findings implicate cortical actin tension-mediated filamin unfolding in ER function and underscore the importance of tissue mechanics in organoid homeostasis.
    Keywords:  actin tension; endoplasmic reticulum; extracellular matrix; membrane contact sites; spheroids
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2021109205
  26. Nat Immunol. 2022 Jul 28.
    Partial RAG deficiency in humans induces dysregulated peripheral lymphocyte development and humoral tolerance defect with accumulation of T-bet+ B cells.
    Krisztian Csomos, Boglarka Ujhazi, Peter Blazso, Jose L Herrera, Christopher M Tipton, Tomoki Kawai, Sumai Gordon, Maryssa Ellison, Kevin Wu, Matthew Stowell, Lauren Haynes, Rachel Cruz, Bence Zakota, Johnny Nguyen, Michelle Altrich, Christoph B Geier, Svetlana Sharapova, Joseph F Dasso, Jennifer W Leiding, Grace Smith, Waleed Al-Herz, Mayra de Barros Dorna, Olajumoke Fadugba, Eva Fronkova, Veronika Kanderova, Michael Svaton, Sarah E Henrickson, Joseph D Hernandez, Taco Kuijpers, Snezhina Mihailova Kandilarova, Elizaveta Naumova, Tomas Milota, Anna Sediva, Despina Moshous, Benedicte Neven, Tara Saco, Ravishankar Sargur, Sinisa Savic, John Sleasman, Gauri Sunkersett, Brant R Ward, Masanobu Komatsu, Stefania Pittaluga, Attila Kumanovics, Manish J Butte, Michael P Cancro, Shiv Pillai, Eric Meffre, Luigi D Notarangelo, Jolan E Walter.
      The recombination-activating genes (RAG) 1 and 2 are indispensable for diversifying the primary B cell receptor repertoire and pruning self-reactive clones via receptor editing in the bone marrow; however, the impact of RAG1/RAG2 on peripheral tolerance is unknown. Partial RAG deficiency (pRD) manifesting with late-onset immune dysregulation represents an 'experiment of nature' to explore this conundrum. By studying B cell development and subset-specific repertoires in pRD, we demonstrate that reduced RAG activity impinges on peripheral tolerance through the generation of a restricted primary B cell repertoire, persistent antigenic stimulation and an inflammatory milieu with elevated B cell-activating factor. This unique environment gradually provokes profound B cell dysregulation with widespread activation, remarkable extrafollicular maturation and persistence, expansion and somatic diversification of self-reactive clones. Through the model of pRD, we reveal a RAG-dependent 'domino effect' that impacts stringency of tolerance and B cell fate in the periphery.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-022-01271-6
  27. Nature. 2022 Jul 27.
    Recording gene expression order in DNA by CRISPR addition of retron barcodes.
    Santi Bhattarai-Kline, Sierra K Lear, Chloe B Fishman, Santiago C Lopez, Elana R Lockshin, Max G Schubert, Jeff Nivala, George M Church, Seth L Shipman.
      Biological processes depend on the differential expression of genes over time, but methods to make physical recordings of these processes are limited. Here we report a molecular system for making time-ordered recordings of transcriptional events into living genomes. We do this through engineered RNA barcodes, based on prokaryotic retrons1, that are reverse transcribed into DNA and integrated into the genome using the CRISPR-Cas system2. The unidirectional integration of barcodes by CRISPR integrases enables reconstruction of transcriptional event timing based on a physical record through simple, logical rules rather than relying on pretrained classifiers or post hoc inferential methods. For disambiguation in the field, we will refer to this system as a Retro-Cascorder.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04994-6
  28. Sci Transl Med. 2022 Jul 27. 14(655): eabp8869
    Association of a common genetic variant with Parkinson's disease is mediated by microglia.
    Rebekah G Langston, Alexandra Beilina, Xylena Reed, Alice Kaganovich, Andrew B Singleton, Cornelis Blauwendraat, J Raphael Gibbs, Mark R Cookson.
      Studies of multiple neurodegenerative disorders have identified many genetic variants that are associated with risk of disease throughout a lifetime. For example, Parkinson's disease (PD) risk is attributed in part to both coding mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene and to a common noncoding variation in the 5' region of the LRRK2 locus, as identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, the mechanisms linking GWAS variants to pathogenicity are largely unknown. Here, we found that the influence of PD-associated noncoding variation on LRRK2 expression is specifically propagated through microglia and not by other cell types that express LRRK2 in the human brain. We find microglia-specific regulatory chromatin regions that modulate the LRRK2 expression in human frontal cortex and substantia nigra and confirm these results in a human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia model. We showed, using a large-scale clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats interference (CRISPRi) screen, that a regulatory DNA element containing the single-nucleotide variant rs6581593 influences the LRRK2 expression in microglia. Our study demonstrates that cell type should be considered when evaluating the role of noncoding variation in disease pathogenesis and sheds light on the mechanism underlying the association of the 5' region of LRRK2 with PD risk.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abp8869
  29. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 25. 13(1): 4312
    Extreme purifying selection against point mutations in the human genome.
    Noah Dukler, Mehreen R Mughal, Ritika Ramani, Yi-Fei Huang, Adam Siepel.
      Large-scale genome sequencing has enabled the measurement of strong purifying selection in protein-coding genes. Here we describe a new method, called ExtRaINSIGHT, for measuring such selection in noncoding as well as coding regions of the human genome. ExtRaINSIGHT estimates the prevalence of "ultraselection" by the fractional depletion of rare single-nucleotide variants, after controlling for variation in mutation rates. Applying ExtRaINSIGHT to 71,702 whole genome sequences from gnomAD v3, we find abundant ultraselection in evolutionarily ancient miRNAs and neuronal protein-coding genes, as well as at splice sites. By contrast, we find much less ultraselection in other noncoding RNAs and transcription factor binding sites, and only modest levels in ultraconserved elements. We estimate that ~0.4-0.7% of the human genome is ultraselected, implying ~ 0.26-0.51 strongly deleterious mutations per generation. Overall, our study sheds new light on the genome-wide distribution of fitness effects by combining deep sequencing data and classical theory from population genetics.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31872-6
  30. Nature. 2022 Jul 27.
    Secreted fungal virulence effector triggers allergic inflammation via TLR4.
    Eric V Dang, Susan Lei, Atanas Radkov, Regan F Volk, Balyn W Zaro, Hiten D Madhani.
      Invasive fungal pathogens are major causes of human mortality and morbidity1,2. Although numerous secreted effector proteins that reprogram innate immunity to promote virulence have been identified in pathogenic bacteria, so far, there are no examples of analogous secreted effector proteins produced by human fungal pathogens. Cryptococcus neoformans, the most common cause of fungal meningitis and a major pathogen in AIDS, induces a pathogenic type 2 response characterized by pulmonary eosinophilia and alternatively activated macrophages3-8. Here, we identify CPL1 as an effector protein secreted by C. neoformans that drives alternative activation (also known as M2 polarization) of macrophages to enable pulmonary infection in mice. We observed that CPL1-enhanced macrophage polarization requires Toll-like receptor 4, which is best known as a receptor for bacterial endotoxin but is also a poorly understood mediator of allergen-induced type 2 responses9-12. We show that this effect is caused by CPL1 itself and not by contaminating lipopolysaccharide. CPL1 is essential for virulence, drives polarization of interstitial macrophages in vivo, and requires type 2 cytokine signalling for its effect on infectivity. Notably, C. neoformans associates selectively with polarized interstitial macrophages during infection, suggesting a mechanism by which C. neoformans generates its own intracellular replication niche within the host. This work identifies a circuit whereby a secreted effector protein produced by a human fungal pathogen reprograms innate immunity, revealing an unexpected role for Toll-like receptor 4 in promoting the pathogenesis of infectious disease.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05005-4
  31. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Aug 02. 119(31): e2119009119
    Mitigation of age-dependent accumulation of defective mitochondrial genomes.
    Pei-I Tsai, Ekaterina Korotkevich, Patrick H O'Farrell.
      Unknown processes promote the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations during aging. Accumulation of defective mitochondrial genomes is thought to promote the progression of heteroplasmic mitochondrial diseases and degenerative changes with natural aging. We used a heteroplasmic Drosophila model to test 1) whether purifying selection acts to limit the abundance of deleterious mutations during development and aging, 2) whether quality control pathways contribute to purifying selection, 3) whether activation of quality control can mitigate accumulation of deleterious mutations, and 4) whether improved quality control improves health span. We show that purifying selection operates during development and growth but is ineffective during aging. Genetic manipulations suggest that a quality control process known to enforce purifying selection during oogenesis also suppresses accumulation of a deleterious mutation during growth and development. Flies with nuclear genotypes that enhance purifying selection sustained higher genome quality, retained more vigorous climbing activity, and lost fewer dopaminergic neurons. A pharmacological agent thought to enhance quality control produced similar benefits. Importantly, similar pharmacological treatment of aged mice reversed age-associated accumulation of a deleterious mtDNA mutation. Our findings reveal dynamic maintenance of mitochondrial genome fitness and reduction in the effectiveness of purifying selection during life. Importantly, we describe interventions that mitigate and even reverse age-associated genome degeneration in flies and in mice. Furthermore, mitigation of genome degeneration improved well-being in a Drosophila model of heteroplasmic mitochondrial disease.
    Keywords:  aging; heteroplasmy; mitochondria; mtDNA; mutations
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2119009119
  32. Nat Metab. 2022 Jul 28.
    Systemic induction of senescence in young mice after single heterochronic blood exchange.
    Ok Hee Jeon, Melod Mehdipour, Tae-Hwan Gil, Minha Kang, Nicholas W Aguirre, Zachery R Robinson, Cameron Kato, Jessy Etienne, Hyo Gyeong Lee, Fatouma Alimirah, Vighnesh Walavalkar, Pierre-Yves Desprez, Michael J Conboy, Judith Campisi, Irina M Conboy.
       ABSTACT: Ageing is the largest risk factor for many chronic diseases. Studies of heterochronic parabiosis, substantiated by blood exchange and old plasma dilution, show that old-age-related factors are systemically propagated and have pro-geronic effects in young mice. However, the underlying mechanisms how bloodborne factors promote ageing remain largely unknown. Here, using heterochronic blood exchange in male mice, we show that aged mouse blood induces cell and tissue senescence in young animals after one single exchange. This induction of senescence is abrogated if old animals are treated with senolytic drugs before blood exchange, therefore attenuating the pro-geronic influence of old blood on young mice. Hence, cellular senescence is neither simply a response to stress and damage that increases with age, nor a chronological cell-intrinsic phenomenon. Instead, senescence quickly and robustly spreads to young mice from old blood. Clearing senescence cells that accumulate with age rejuvenates old circulating blood and improves the health of multiple tissues.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-022-00609-6
  33. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 25. 13(1): 4303
    Light-activated mitochondrial fission through optogenetic control of mitochondria-lysosome contacts.
    Kangqiang Qiu, Weiwei Zou, Hongbao Fang, Mingang Hao, Kritika Mehta, Zhiqi Tian, Jun-Lin Guan, Kai Zhang, Taosheng Huang, Jiajie Diao.
      Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles whose fragmentation by fission is critical to their functional integrity and cellular homeostasis. Here, we develop a method via optogenetic control of mitochondria-lysosome contacts (MLCs) to induce mitochondrial fission with spatiotemporal accuracy. MLCs can be achieved by blue-light-induced association of mitochondria and lysosomes through various photoactivatable dimerizers. Real-time optogenetic induction of mitochondrial fission is tracked in living cells to measure the fission rate. The optogenetic method partially restores the mitochondrial functions of SLC25A46-/- cells, which display defects in mitochondrial fission and hyperfused mitochondria. The optogenetic MLCs system thus provides a platform for studying mitochondrial fission and treating mitochondrial diseases.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31970-5
  34. J Immunol. 2022 Jul 27. pii: ji2200225. [Epub ahead of print]
    Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Neutrophil as Orchestrator during β-Glucan-Induced Trained Immunity in a Teleost Fish.
    Di Mu, Jin Yang, Yu Jiang, Zhuang Wang, Weijie Chen, Jianchang Huang, Yuanxing Zhang, Qin Liu, Dahai Yang.
      Trained immunity defines long-term memory of innate immunity based on transcriptional, epigenetic, and metabolic modifications of myeloid cells, which are characterized by elevated proinflammatory responses toward homologous or heterologous secondary stimuli in mammals. However, the evidence of trained immunity-associated immune cells and its molecular mechanism in teleost fish remains largely unknown. In this study, we established a trained immunity activation model in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and found that administration with β-glucan induces protection against a bacterial infection. Through single-cell RNA sequencing to annotate 14 clusters of innate and adaptive immune cells, as well as two clusters of blood cells, from head kidney and spleen, respectively, we characterized that neutrophil displays cardinal features of trained immunity by analyzing the expression abundance of trained immunity database-related genes at the single-cell level. Subsequently, through establishing an in vivo training and in vitro neutrophil challenge model, we found that the trained neutrophils exhibit a significant elevation of the IL-1R signaling pathway after Edwardsiella piscicida infection. Furthermore, inhibition of neutrophil's IL-1R signaling pathway through anakinra treatment impaired the heightened production of reactive oxygen, nitrogen species, lactate, as well as the neutrophil extracellular traps formation and bacterial killing ability. Taken together, these findings characterized neutrophil as the orchestrator to express features of trained immunity, and revealed that the IL-1R signaling pathway plays a critical role in induction of trained immunity for bacterial clearance in teleost fish.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.2200225
  35. Sci Data. 2022 07 23. 9(1): 442
    Single-cell RNA-seq of primary bone marrow neutrophils from female and male adult mice.
    Minhoo Kim, Ryan J Lu, Bérénice A Benayoun.
      Widespread sex-dimorphism is observed in the mammalian immune system. Consistently, studies have reported sex differences in the transcriptome of immune cells at the bulk level, including neutrophils. Neutrophils are the most abundant cell type in human blood, and they are key components of the innate immune system as they form a first line of defense against pathogens. Neutrophils are produced in the bone marrow, and differentiation and maturation produce distinct neutrophil subpopulations. Thus, single-cell resolution studies are crucial to decipher the biological significance of neutrophil heterogeneity. However, since neutrophils are very RNA-poor, single-cell profiling of these cells has been technically challenging. Here, we generated a single-cell RNA-seq dataset of primary neutrophils from adult female and male mouse bone marrow. After stringent quality control, we found that previously characterized neutrophil subpopulations can be detected in both sexes. Additionally, we confirmed that canonical sex-linked markers are differentially expressed between female and male cells across neutrophil subpopulations. This dataset provides a groundwork for comparative studies on the lifelong transcriptional sexual dimorphism of neutrophils.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01544-7
  36. Cell Signal. 2022 Jul 21. pii: S0898-6568(22)00177-2. [Epub ahead of print]98 110415
    miR-24-3p down-regulates the expression of the apoptotic factors FasL and BIM in human natural killer cells.
    Stefano Regis, Alessandra Dondero, Grazia Maria Spaggiari, Martina Serra, Fabio Caliendo, Cristina Bottino, Roberta Castriconi.
      MicroRNAs are involved in the regulation of different functions in immune and non-immune cells. Here we show that miR-24-3p functionally interacts with FASLG mRNA and down-regulates its expression. This interaction occurs in human natural killer cells (NK), leading to the modulation of FasL surface expression. Moreover, miR-24-3p also modulates the mRNA and protein expression of BIM in NK cells. Thus, it likely contributes to the control of both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. In line with this hypothesis, inhibition of miR-24-3p improves both initiator caspase-8 and effector caspase-3 and -7 activities, increases cell apoptosis, and reduces cell viability. Our data suggest that miR-24-3p can act as a survival factor in NK cells, affecting the FasL-mediated killing of Fas expressing cells and the BIM-dependent cell death. More generally, miR-24-3p may condition the level of cell apoptosis, which increases at the contraction phase of the immune response when the clearance of various expanded effector cells is needed.
    Keywords:  Apoptosis; BIM; FasL; NK cells; miRNA
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110415
  37. Front Microbiol. 2022 ;13 880873
    Downregulation of TCF1 in HIV Infection Impairs T-cell Proliferative Capacity by Disrupting Mitochondrial Function.
    Hong-Jiao Cai, Jue Shi, Lin-Bo Yin, Jie-Fu Zheng, Ya-Jing Fu, Yong-Jun Jiang, Hong Shang, Zi-Ning Zhang.
       Background: Despite the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people with HIV, T-cell dysfunction cannot be fully restored. Metabolic dysregulation is associated with dysfunction of HIV-1-specific T-cells. Exploration of the factors regulating metabolic fitness can help reverse T-cell dysfunction and provide new insights into the underlying mechanism.
    Methods: In this study, HIV-infected individuals and HIV-negative control individuals (NCs) were enrolled. T-cell factor (TCF)1 expression in cells was determined by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry. Relevant microarray data from the GEO database were analyzed to explore the underlying mechanism. The effects of TCF1 on T-cell function and metabolic function were assessed in vitro.
    Results: TCF7 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was downregulated in rapid progressors compared with long-term non-progressors individuals and NCs. TCF1 expression on CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells was downregulated in treatment-naïve HIV-infected individuals compared with NCs. Interleukin (IL)2 production and proliferative capacity were impaired in TCF1 knockdown T-cells. Moreover, glycolytic capacity and mitochondrial respiratory function were decreased in TCF1 knockdown T-cells, and depolarized mitochondria were increased in TCF1 knockdown T-cells.
    Conclusion: Downregulation of TCF1 in HIV infection impairs T-cell proliferative capacity by disrupting mitochondrial function. These findings highlight the metabolic regulation as a pivotal mechanism of TCF1 in the regulation of T-cell dysfunction.
    Keywords:  HIV infection; T-cell factor 1; metabolism; mitochondrial function; proliferative capacity
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.880873
  38. Blood. 2022 Jul 26. pii: blood.2022016112. [Epub ahead of print]
    Loss of sphingosine kinase 2 promotes the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells by improving their metabolic fitness.
    Changzheng Li, Binghuo Wu, Yishan Li, Yaxi Liu, Jin Wang, Jiayi Xie, Xi Xu, Xiaobin Tian, Zhitao Ye, Jingjing Guan, Jie Chen, Siyu Xie, Baolin Zhang, Boyong Cai, Qianhao Wang, Haopeng Yu, Tian Lan, Cheuk Him Man, Xunlei Kang, Pengxu Qian, John M Perry, Aibin He, Linjia Jiang, Meng Zhao.
      Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have reduced capacities to properly maintain and replenish the hematopoietic system during myelosuppressive injury or aging. Expanding and rejuvenating HSCs for therapeutic purposes has been a long-sought goal, with limited progress. Here, we show that enzyme sphingosine kinase 2 (Sphk2), which generates the lipid metabolite sphingosine-1-phosphate, is highly expressed in HSCs. The deletion of Sphk2 markedly promotes self-renewal and increases the regenerative potential of HSCs. More importantly, Sphk2 deletion globally preserves the young HSC gene expression pattern, improves the function, and sustains the multilineage potential of HSCs during aging. Mechanistically, Sphk2 interacts with prolyl hydroxylase 2 and the Von Hippel-Lindau protein to facilitate HIF1α ubiquitination in the nucleus independent of the Sphk2 catalytic activity. Deletion of Sphk2 increases hypoxic responses by stabilizing the HIF1α protein to upregulate PDK3, a glycolysis checkpoint protein for HSC quiescence, which subsequently enhances the function of HSCs by improving their metabolic fitness; specifically, it enhances anaerobic glycolysis but suppresses mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and generation of reactive oxygen species. Overall, targeting Sphk2 to enhance the metabolic fitness of HSCs is a promising strategy to expand and rejuvenate functional HSCs.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2022016112
  39. Sci Adv. 2022 Jul 29. 8(30): eabo4577
    SMAD4, activated by the TCR-triggered MEK/ERK signaling pathway, critically regulates CD8+ T cell cytotoxic function.
    Xinwei Liu, Jing Hao, Peng Wei, Xiaohong Zhao, Qiuyan Lan, Lu Ni, Yongzhen Chen, Xue Bai, Ling Ni, Chen Dong.
      Transforming growth factor-β is well known to restrain cytotoxic T cell responses to maintain self-tolerance and to promote tumor immune evasion. In this study, we have investigated the role of SMAD4, a core component in the TGF-β signaling pathway, in CD8+ T cells. Unexpectedly, we found that SMAD4 was critical in promoting CD8+ T cell function in both tumor and infection models. SMAD4-mediated transcriptional regulation of CD8+ T cell activation and cytotoxicity was dependent on the T cell receptor (TCR) but not TGF-β signaling pathway. Following TCR activation, SMAD4 translocated into the nucleus, up-regulated genes encoding TCR signaling components and cytotoxic molecules in CD8+ T cells and thus reinforced T cell function. Biochemically, SMAD4 was directly phosphorylated by ERK at Ser367 residue following TCR activation. Our study thus demonstrates a critical yet unexpected role of SMAD4 in promoting CD8+ T cell-mediated cytotoxic immunity.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo4577
  40. Nat Immunol. 2022 Jul 25.
    The function of Wtap in N6-adenosine methylation of mRNAs controls T cell receptor signaling and survival of T cells.
    Taku Ito-Kureha, Cristina Leoni, Kayla Borland, Giulia Cantini, Marian Bataclan, Rebecca N Metzger, Gregor Ammann, Anne B Krug, Annalisa Marsico, Stefanie Kaiser, Stefan Canzar, Stefan Feske, Silvia Monticelli, Julian König, Vigo Heissmeyer.
      T cell antigen-receptor (TCR) signaling controls the development, activation and survival of T cells by involving several layers and numerous mechanisms of gene regulation. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent messenger RNA modification affecting splicing, translation and stability of transcripts. In the present study, we describe the Wtap protein as essential for m6A methyltransferase complex function and reveal its crucial role in TCR signaling in mouse T cells. Wtap and m6A methyltransferase functions were required for the differentiation of thymocytes, control of activation-induced death of peripheral T cells and prevention of colitis by enabling gut RORγt+ regulatory T cell function. Transcriptome and epitranscriptomic analyses reveal that m6A modification destabilizes Orai1 and Ripk1 mRNAs. Lack of post-transcriptional repression of the encoded proteins correlated with increased store-operated calcium entry activity and diminished survival of T cells with conditional genetic inactivation of Wtap. These findings uncover how m6A modification impacts on TCR signal transduction and determines activation and survival of T cells.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-022-01268-1
  41. Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 25. 13(1): 4273
    Regulated degradation of HMG CoA reductase requires conformational changes in sterol-sensing domain.
    Hongwen Chen, Xiaofeng Qi, Rebecca A Faulkner, Marc M Schumacher, Linda M Donnelly, Russell A DeBose-Boyd, Xiaochun Li.
      3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) is the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis and target of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Accumulation of sterols in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes accelerates degradation of HMGCR, slowing the synthesis of cholesterol. Degradation of HMGCR is inhibited by its binding to UBIAD1 (UbiA prenyltransferase domain-containing protein-1). This inhibition contributes to statin-induced accumulation of HMGCR, which limits their cholesterol-lowering effects. Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of the HMGCR-UBIAD1 complex, which is maintained by interactions between transmembrane helix (TM) 7 of HMGCR and TMs 2-4 of UBIAD1. Disrupting this interface by mutagenesis prevents complex formation, enhancing HMGCR degradation. TMs 2-6 of HMGCR contain a 170-amino acid sterol sensing domain (SSD), which exists in two conformations-one of which is essential for degradation. Thus, our data supports a model that rearrangement of the TMs in the SSD permits recruitment of proteins that initate HMGCR degradation, a key reaction in the regulatory system that governs cholesterol synthesis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32025-5
  42. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Aug 02. 119(31): e2204901119
    A missense mutation in Kcnc3 causes hippocampal learning deficits in mice.
    Pin Xu, Kazuhiro Shimomura, Changhoon Lee, Xiaofei Gao, Eleanor H Simpson, Guocun Huang, Chryshanthi M Joseph, Vivek Kumar, Woo-Ping Ge, Karen S Pawlowski, Mitchell D Frye, Saïd Kourrich, Eric R Kandel, Joseph S Takahashi.
      Although a wide variety of genetic tools has been developed to study learning and memory, the molecular basis of memory encoding remains incompletely understood. Here, we undertook an unbiased approach to identify novel genes critical for memory encoding. From a large-scale, in vivo mutagenesis screen using contextual fear conditioning, we isolated in mice a mutant, named Clueless, with spatial learning deficits. A causative missense mutation (G434V) was found in the voltage-gated potassium channel, subfamily C member 3 (Kcnc3) gene in a region that encodes a transmembrane voltage sensor. Generation of a Kcnc3G434V CRISPR mutant mouse confirmed this mutation as the cause of the learning defects. While G434V had no effect on transcription, translation, or trafficking of the channel, electrophysiological analysis of the G434V mutant channel revealed a complete loss of voltage-gated conductance, a broadening of the action potential, and decreased neuronal firing. Together, our findings have revealed a role for Kcnc3 in learning and memory.
    Keywords:  ENU mutagenesis; behavioral screen; hippocampus; learning and memory; potassium channels
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2204901119
  43. Sci Immunol. 2022 Jul 29. 7(73): eabm6931
    Epithelial HVEM maintains intraepithelial T cell survival and contributes to host protection.
    Goo-Young Seo, Daisuke Takahashi, Qingyang Wang, Zbigniew Mikulski, Angeline Chen, Ting-Fang Chou, Paola Marcovecchio, Sara McArdle, Ashu Sethi, Jr-Wen Shui, Masumi Takahashi, Charles D Surh, Hilde Cheroutre, Mitchell Kronenberg.
      Intraepithelial T cells (IETs) are in close contact with intestinal epithelial cells and the underlying basement membrane, and they detect invasive pathogens. How intestinal epithelial cells and basement membrane influence IET survival and function, at steady state or after infection, is unclear. The herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM), a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, is constitutively expressed by intestinal epithelial cells and is important for protection from pathogenic bacteria. Here, we showed that at steady-state LIGHT, an HVEM ligand, binding to epithelial HVEM promoted the survival of small intestine IETs. RNA-seq and addition of HVEM ligands to epithelial organoids indicated that HVEM increased epithelial synthesis of basement membrane proteins, including collagen IV, which bound to β1 integrins expressed by IETs. Therefore, we proposed that IET survival depended on β1 integrin binding to collagen IV and showed that β1 integrin-collagen IV interactions supported IET survival in vitro. Moreover, the absence of β1 integrin expression by T lymphocytes decreased TCR αβ+ IETs in vivo. Intravital microscopy showed that the patrolling movement of IETs was reduced without epithelial HVEM. As likely consequences of decreased number and movement, protective responses to Salmonella enterica were reduced in mice lacking either epithelial HVEM, HVEM ligands, or β1 integrins. Therefore, IETs, at steady state and after infection, depended on HVEM expressed by epithelial cells for the synthesis of collagen IV by epithelial cells. Collagen IV engaged β1 integrins on IETs that were important for their maintenance and for their protective function in mucosal immunity.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.abm6931
  44. Sci Adv. 2022 Jul 29. 8(30): eabo0340
    Mitochondrial proteostasis stress in muscle drives a long-range protective response to alleviate dietary obesity independently of ATF4.
    Qiqi Guo, Zhisheng Xu, Danxia Zhou, Tingting Fu, Wen Wang, Wanping Sun, Liwei Xiao, Lin Liu, Chenyun Ding, Yujing Yin, Zheng Zhou, Zongchao Sun, Yuangang Zhu, Wenjing Zhou, Yuhuan Jia, Jiachen Xue, Yuncong Chen, Xiao-Wei Chen, Hai-Long Piao, Bin Lu, Zhenji Gan.
      Mitochondrial quality in skeletal muscle is crucial for maintaining energy homeostasis during metabolic stresses. However, how muscle mitochondrial quality is controlled and its physiological impacts remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that mitoprotease LONP1 is essential for preserving muscle mitochondrial proteostasis and systemic metabolic homeostasis. Skeletal muscle-specific deletion of Lon protease homolog, mitochondrial (LONP1) impaired mitochondrial protein turnover, leading to muscle mitochondrial proteostasis stress. A benefit of this adaptive response was the complete resistance to diet-induced obesity. These favorable metabolic phenotypes were recapitulated in mice overexpressing LONP1 substrate ΔOTC in muscle mitochondria. Mechanistically, mitochondrial proteostasis imbalance elicits an unfolded protein response (UPRmt) in muscle that acts distally to modulate adipose tissue and liver metabolism. Unexpectedly, contrary to its previously proposed role, ATF4 is dispensable for the long-range protective response of skeletal muscle. Thus, these findings reveal a pivotal role of LONP1-dependent mitochondrial proteostasis in directing muscle UPRmt to regulate systemic metabolism.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo0340
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