scholarly journals Sequence, infectivity and replication kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from COVID-19 patients in Canada

Author(s):  
Arinjay Banerjee ◽  
Jalees A. Nasir ◽  
Patrick Budylowski ◽  
Lily Yip ◽  
Patryk Aftanas ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSARS-CoV-2 emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and has since infected over 1.5 million people, of which over 107,000 have died. As SARS-CoV-2 spreads across the planet, speculations remain about the range of human cells that can be infected by SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we report the isolation of SARS-CoV-2 from two COVID-19 patients in Toronto, Canada. We determined the genomic sequences of the two isolates and identified single nucleotide changes in representative populations of our virus stocks. More importantly, we tested a wide range of human immune cells for productive infection with SARS-CoV-2. Here we confirm that human primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are not permissive to SARS-CoV-2. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread globally, it is essential to monitor small nucleotide polymorphisms in the virus and to continue to isolate circulating viruses to determine cell susceptibility and pathogenicity using in vitro and in vivo infection models.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujian Wang ◽  
Muhammad Ehsan ◽  
Jianmei Huang ◽  
Kalibixiati Aimulajiang ◽  
RuoFeng Yan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Suppression and modulation of the immune response of the host by nematode parasites have been reported widely. Rhodaneses or thiosulfate: cyanide sulfurtransferases are present in a wide range of organisms, such as archea, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. Previously, it was reported that a rhodanese homology could bind by goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vivo.Results: In the present study, we cloned and produced recombinant rhodanese protein originated from Haemonchus contortus (rHCRD), which was one of the parasitic nematodes of small ruminants. The effect of this protein on modulating the immunity of goat PBMC and monocyte was studied in the current work. The predominant localization of the natural HCRD protein was verified as the bowel wall and body surface of worms, according to the immunohistochemical tests. It was proved in this study that the serum produced by artificially infecting goats with H. contortus successfully recognized rHCRD which conjugated goat PBMCs. The rHCRD was co-incubated with goat PBMCs to observe the immunomodulatory effect on proliferation, apoptosis and secretion of cytokines exerted by HCRD. The results showed that the interaction of rHCRD suppressed proliferation of goat PBMCs stimulated by ConA but did not induce the apoptosis of goat PBMCs. After rHCRD exposure, the production of TNF-α and IFN-γ were significantly decreased, however, it significantly increased the secretion of IL-10 and TGF-β1 in goat PBMCs. Phagocytotic assay by FITC-dextran internalization showed that rHCRD inhibited the phagocytosis of goat monocytes. Moreover, rHCRD could down-regulate the expression of MHC-II on goat monocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions: These discoveries proposed a possible target as immunomodulator, which was potentially beneficial to illuminate the interaction between parasites and hosts in the molecular level and hunt for innovative protein species as candidate targets of drug and vaccine.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujian Wang ◽  
Muhammad Ehsan ◽  
Jianmei Huang ◽  
Kalibixiati Aimulajiang ◽  
RuoFeng Yan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Modulation of the host immune response by nematode parasites has been widely reported. Rhodaneses (thiosulfate: cyanide sulfurtransferases) are present in a wide range of organisms, such as archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. Previously, it was reported that a rhodanese homologue could be bound by goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vivo.Methods: In the present study, we cloned and produced a recombinant rhodanese protein originating from Haemonchus contortus (rHCRD), a parasitic nematode of small ruminants. rHCRD was co-incubated with goat PBMCs to assess its immunomodulatory effects on proliferation, apoptosis and cytokine secretion.Results: We verified that the natural HCRD protein localized predominantly to the bowel wall and body surface of the parasite. We further demonstrated that serum produced by goats artificially infected with H. contortus successfully recognized rHCRD, which bound to goat PBMCs. rHCRD suppressed proliferation of goat PBMCs stimulated by concanavalin A but did not induce apoptosis in goat PBMCs. The production of TNF-α and IFN-γ decreased significantly, whereas secretion of IL-10 and TGF-β1 increased, in goat PBMCs after exposure to rHCRD. rHCRD also inhibited phagocytosis by goat monocytes. Moreover, rHCRD downregulated the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-II on goat monocytes in a dose-dependent manner, but did not alter MHC-I expression.Conclusions: These results propose a possible immunomodulatory target that may help illuminate the interactions between parasites and their hosts at the molecular level and reveal innovative protein species as candidate drug and vaccine targets.


2001 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 837-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker Specke ◽  
Stefan J. Tacke ◽  
Klaus Boller ◽  
Jochen Schwendemann ◽  
Joachim Denner

Using transgenic pigs as the source of cells or organs for xenotransplantation is associated with the risk of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) transmission. Multiple proviruses are integrated into the genome of all pigs, and virus particles, some of which are able to infect human cells, are released from normal pig cells. In order to evaluate the potential risk posed by the transmission of PERVs, in vitro infection studies were performed as a basis for small animal as well as non-human primate models. In vitro infectivity was demonstrated for permanent cell lines and primary cells from a wide range of species. Productive infection was shown using reverse transcriptase (RT) assays and RT–PCR for mink, feline and human kidney cell lines, primary rhesus peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and baboon spleen cells and PBMCs as well as for different human lymphoid and monocyte cell lines and PBMCs. In an attempt to establish a small animal model, naive guinea pigs, non-immunosuppressed rats, rats immunosuppressed by cyclosporin-A and immunosuppressed rats treated with cobra venom factor were inoculated with PERVs produced from porcine kidney PK-15 cells, infected human 293 kidney cells and mitogen-stimulated porcine PBMCs. Animals were also inoculated with PERV-producing PK-15 and 293 cells. No antibodies against PERV and no provirus integration were observed in any of the treated animals. This suggests that productive infection of these animals did not occur in this experimental setting.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujian Wang ◽  
Muhammad Ehsan ◽  
Jianmei Huang ◽  
Kalibixiati Aimulajiang ◽  
RuoFeng Yan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Modulation of the host immune response by nematode parasites has been widely reported. Rhodaneses (thiosulfate: cyanide sulfurtransferases) are present in a wide range of organisms, such as archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. Previously, it was reported that a rhodanese homologue could be bound by goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vivo.Methods: In the present study, we cloned and produced a recombinant rhodanese protein originating from Haemonchus contortus (rHCRD), a parasitic nematode of small ruminants. rHCRD was co-incubated with goat PBMCs to assess its immunomodulatory effects on proliferation, apoptosis and cytokine secretion.Results: We verified that the natural HCRD protein localized predominantly to the bowel wall and body surface of the parasite. We further demonstrated that serum produced by goats artificially infected with H. contortus successfully recognized rHCRD, which bound to goat PBMCs. rHCRD suppressed proliferation of goat PBMCs stimulated by concanavalin A but did not induce apoptosis in goat PBMCs. The production of TNF-α and IFN-γ decreased significantly, whereas secretion of IL-10 and TGF-β1 increased, in goat PBMCs after exposure to rHCRD. rHCRD also inhibited phagocytosis by goat monocytes. Moreover, rHCRD down-regulated the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-II on goat monocytes in a dose-dependent manner, but did not alter MHC-I expression. Conclusions: These results propose a possible immunomodulatory target that may help illuminate the interactions between parasites and their hosts at the molecular level and reveal innovative protein species as candidate drug and vaccine targets.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujian Wang ◽  
Muhammad Ehsan ◽  
Jianmei Huang ◽  
Kalibixiati Aimulajiang ◽  
RuoFeng Yan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Modulation of the host immune response by nematode parasites has been widely reported. Rhodaneses (thiosulfate: cyanide sulfurtransferases) are present in a wide range of organisms, such as archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. Previously, it was reported that a rhodanese homologue could be bound by goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vivo. Methods In the present study, we cloned and produced a recombinant rhodanese protein originating from Haemonchus contortus (rHCRD), a parasitic nematode of small ruminants. rHCRD was co-incubated with goat PBMCs to assess its immunomodulatory effects on proliferation, apoptosis and cytokine secretion. Results We verified that the natural HCRD protein localized predominantly to the bowel wall and body surface of the parasite. We further demonstrated that serum produced by goats artificially infected with H. contortus successfully recognized rHCRD, which bound to goat PBMCs. rHCRD suppressed proliferation of goat PBMCs stimulated by concanavalin A but did not induce apoptosis in goat PBMCs. The production of TNF-α and IFN-γ decreased significantly, whereas secretion of IL-10 and TGF-β1 increased, in goat PBMCs after exposure to rHCRD. rHCRD also inhibited phagocytosis by goat monocytes. Moreover, rHCRD downregulated the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-II on goat monocytes in a dose-dependent manner, but did not alter MHC-I expression. Conclusions These results propose a possible immunomodulatory target that may help illuminate the interactions between parasites and their hosts at the molecular level and reveal innovative protein species as candidate drug and vaccine targets.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hacer Kuzu Okur ◽  
Koray Yalcin ◽  
Cihan Tastan ◽  
Sevda Demir ◽  
Bulut Yurtsever ◽  
...  

UNSTRUCTURED Dornase alfa, the recombinant form of the human DNase I enzyme, breaks down neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) that include a vast amount of DNA fragments, histones, microbicidal proteins and oxidant enzymes released from necrotic neutrophils in the highly viscous mucus of cystic fibrosis patients. Dornase alfa has been used for decades in patients with cystic fibrosis to reduce the viscoelasticity of respiratory tract secretions, to decrease the severity of respiratory tract infections, and to improve lung function. Previous studies have linked abnormal NET formations to lung diseases, especially to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected more than two million people over the world, resulting in unprecedented health, social and economic crises. The COVID-19, viral pneumonia that progresses to ARDS and even multiple organ failure, is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). High blood neutrophil levels are an early indicator of SARS-CoV-2 infection and predict severe respiratory diseases. A similar mucus structure is detected in COVID-19 patients due to the accumulation of excessive NET in the lungs. Here, we show our preliminary results with dornase alfa that may have an in-vitro anti-viral effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a bovine kidney cell line, MDBK without drug toxicity on healthy adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In this preliminary study, we also showed that dornase alfa can promote clearance of NET formation in both an in-vitro and three COVID-19 cases who showed clinical improvement in radiological analysis (2-of-3 cases), oxygen saturation (SpO2), respiratory rate, disappearing of dyspnea and coughing.


npj Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Tanner ◽  
Andrew D. White ◽  
Charelle Boot ◽  
Claudia C. Sombroek ◽  
Matthew K. O’Shea ◽  
...  

AbstractWe present a non-human primate mycobacterial growth inhibition assay (MGIA) using in vitro blood or cell co-culture with the aim of refining and expediting early tuberculosis vaccine testing. We have taken steps to optimise the assay using cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells, transfer it to end-user institutes, and assess technical and biological validity. Increasing cell concentration or mycobacterial input and co-culturing in static 48-well plates compared with rotating tubes improved intra-assay repeatability and sensitivity. Standardisation and harmonisation efforts resulted in high consistency agreements, with repeatability and intermediate precision <10% coefficient of variation (CV) and inter-site reproducibility <20% CV; although some systematic differences were observed. As proof-of-concept, we demonstrated ability to detect a BCG vaccine-induced improvement in growth inhibition in macaque samples, and a correlation between MGIA outcome and measures of protection from in vivo disease development following challenge with either intradermal BCG or aerosol/endobronchial Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) at a group and individual animal level.


Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 83 (9) ◽  
pp. 2516-2525 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Meszaros ◽  
S Aberle ◽  
R Dedrick ◽  
R Machovich ◽  
A Horwitz ◽  
...  

Abstract Mononuclear phagocytes, stimulated by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), have been implicated in the activation of coagulation in sepsis and endotoxemia. In monocytes LPS induces the synthesis of tissue factor (TF) which, assembled with factor VII, initiates the blood coagulation cascades. In this study we investigated the mechanism of LPS recognition by monocytes, and the consequent expression of TF mRNA and TF activity. We also studied the inhibition of these effects of LPS by rBPI23, a 23-kD recombinant fragment of bactericidal/permeability increasing protein, which has been shown to antagonize LPS in vitro and in vivo. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or monocytes isolated by adherence, were stimulated with Escherichia coli O113 LPS at physiologically relevant concentrations (&gt; or = 10 pg/mL). The effect of LPS was dependent on the presence of the serum protein LBP (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein), as shown by the potentiating effect of human recombinant LBP or serum. Furthermore, recognition of low amounts of LPS by monocytes was also dependent on CD14 receptors, because monoclonal antibodies against CD14 greatly reduced the LPS sensitivity of monocytes in the presence of serum or rLBP. Induction of TF activity and mRNA expression by LPS were inhibited by rBPI23. The expression of tumor necrosis factor showed qualitatively similar changes. Considering the involvement of LPS-induced TF in the potentially lethal intravascular coagulation in sepsis, inhibition of TF induction by rBPI23 may be of therapeutic benefit.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
Mark Collister ◽  
Julia Rempel ◽  
Jiaqi Yang ◽  
Kelly Kaita ◽  
Zach Raizman ◽  
...  

Background: Interleukin 32 (IL-32) is a recently described pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related inflammation and fibrosis. IL-32α is the most abundant IL-32 isoform. Methods: Circulating IL-32α levels were documented in patients with chronic HCV infections ( n = 31) and compared with individuals who spontaneously resolved HCV infection ( n = 14) and HCV-naive controls ( n = 20). In addition, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the chronic HCV ( n = 12) and HCV-naive ( n = 9) cohorts were investigated for responses to HCV core and non-structural (NS)3 protein induced IL-32α production. Finally, correlations between IL-32α levels, hepatic fibrosis and subsequent responses to interferon-based therapy were documented in patients with chronic HCV. Results: Circulating IL-32α levels in patients with chronic HCV were similar to those of spontaneously resolved and HCV-naive controls. HCV protein induced IL-32α responses were similar in chronic HCV patients and HCV-naive controls. In patients with chronic HCV, serum IL-32α levels correlated with worsening METAVIR fibrosis (F) scores from F0 to F3 ( r = 0.596, P < 0.001) as did NS3 induced IL-32α responses ( r = 0.837, P < 0.05). However, these correlations were not sustained with the inclusion of IL-32α levels at F4 scores, suggesting events at F4 interfere with IL-32α synthesis or release. In chronic HCV patients who underwent treatment ( n = 28), baseline in vivo and in vitro induced IL-32α concentrations were not predictive of therapeutic outcomes. Conclusions: IL-32α activity is associated with worsening fibrosis scores in non-cirrhotic, chronic HCV patients.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document