scholarly journals Transcriptomic responses of Galapagos finches to avian pox virus infection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina McNew ◽  
Janai Yepez ◽  
C. Diana Loyola ◽  
Catherine Andreadis ◽  
Birgit Fessl

Emerging pathogens can have devastating effects on naive hosts, but disease outcomes often vary among hosts. Comparing the cellular response of different host species to infection can provide insight into mechanisms of host defense and the basis of host susceptibility to disease. Here, we used RNA-seq to characterize the transcriptomic response of Darwin's finches to avian poxvirus, which is introduced to the Galapagos Islands. We tested whether gene expression differs between infected and uninfected birds, and whether transcriptomic differences were related either to known antiviral mechanisms and/or the co-option of the host cellular environment by the virus. We compared two species, the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis) and the vegetarian finch (Platyspiza crassirostris), to determine whether related species have similar responses to the same novel pathogen. We found that medium ground finches had a strong transcriptomic response to infection, upregulating genes involved in the innate immune response including interferon production, inflammation, and other immune signaling pathways. In contrast, vegetarian finches had a more limited response to infection. Our results also revealed evidence of viral manipulation of the host's cellular function and metabolism, providing insight into the ways in which poxviruses affect their hosts. Many of the transcriptomic responses to infection mirrored known processes seen in model and in-vitro studies of poxviruses indicating that many pathways of host defense against poxviruses are conserved among vertebrates and present even in hosts without a long evolutionary history with the virus. At the same time, the variation we observed between closely related species indicates that some endemic species of Galapagos finch may be more susceptible to avian pox than others.

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 575-582
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Wisniewska ◽  
Tomasz Kalwarczyk ◽  
Jedrzej Szymanski ◽  
Katarzyna Kryszczuk ◽  
Kinga Matula ◽  
...  

Abstract Cell lysates (cellular extracts) constitute a perfect imitation of the intracellular environment that can provide insight into cellular response to external stimuli. However, most of the presented results are performed for diluted lysates that do not reflect the actual properties of a crowded cellular environment. Here, we report for the first time the measurement of the viscosity and shear storage modulus of highly concentrated Escherichia coli (E. coli) lysates with and without adenosine triphosphate (ATP). By cleavage of DNA content, we showed the value of shear storage modulus $G^{\prime }$ G ′ decreases by 19–31% in comparison to control samples. The addition of molecules that provides energy (ATP) allowed to rebuild the structure of the lysate by reversibly increasing viscous properties over elastic ones. When the energy delivered in the form of ATP is consumed by the unliving bacterial lysate, the system returns to its initial state.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (20) ◽  
pp. 3330-3345
Author(s):  
Ana G. Rodríguez-Hernández ◽  
Rafael Vazquez-Duhalt ◽  
Alejandro Huerta-Saquero

Nanomaterials have become part of our daily lives, particularly nanoparticles contained in food, water, cosmetics, additives and textiles. Nanoparticles interact with organisms at the cellular level. The cell membrane is the first protective barrier against the potential toxic effect of nanoparticles. This first contact, including the interaction between the cell membranes -and associated proteins- and the nanoparticles is critically reviewed here. Nanoparticles, depending on their toxicity, can cause cellular physiology alterations, such as a disruption in cell signaling or changes in gene expression and they can trigger immune responses and even apoptosis. Additionally, the fundamental thermodynamics behind the nanoparticle-membrane and nanoparticle-proteins-membrane interactions are discussed. The analysis is intended to increase our insight into the mechanisms involved in these interactions. Finally, consequences are reviewed and discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1116
Author(s):  
Laurens Maertens ◽  
Pauline Cherry ◽  
Françoise Tilquin ◽  
Rob Van Houdt ◽  
Jean-Yves Matroule

Bacteria encounter elevated copper (Cu) concentrations in multiple environments, varying from mining wastes to antimicrobial applications of copper. As the role of the environment in the bacterial response to Cu ion exposure remains elusive, we used a tagRNA-seq approach to elucidate the disparate responses of two morphotypes of Caulobacter crescentus NA1000 to moderate Cu stress in a complex rich (PYE) medium and a defined poor (M2G) medium. The transcriptome was more responsive in M2G, where we observed an extensive oxidative stress response and reconfiguration of the proteome, as well as the induction of metal resistance clusters. In PYE, little evidence was found for an oxidative stress response, but several transport systems were differentially expressed, and an increased need for histidine was apparent. These results show that the Cu stress response is strongly dependent on the cellular environment. In addition, induction of the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor SigF and its regulon was shared by the Cu stress responses in both media, and its central role was confirmed by the phenotypic screening of a sigF::Tn5 mutant. In both media, stalked cells were more responsive to Cu stress than swarmer cells, and a stronger basal expression of several cell protection systems was noted, indicating that the swarmer cell is inherently more Cu resistant. Our approach also allowed for detecting several new transcription start sites, putatively indicating small regulatory RNAs, and additional levels of Cu-responsive regulation.


Electrochem ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-215
Author(s):  
Jerzy J. Jasielec

This work is aimed to give an electrochemical insight into the ionic transport phenomena in the cellular environment of organized brain tissue. The Nernst–Planck–Poisson (NPP) model is presented, and its applications in the description of electrodiffusion phenomena relevant in nanoscale neurophysiology are reviewed. These phenomena include: the signal propagation in neurons, the liquid junction potential in extracellular space, electrochemical transport in ion channels, the electrical potential distortions invisible to patch-clamp technique, and calcium transport through mitochondrial membrane. The limitations, as well as the extensions of the NPP model that allow us to overcome these limitations, are also discussed.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clemens Falker-Gieske ◽  
Andrea Mott ◽  
Sören Franzenburg ◽  
Jens Tetens

Abstract Background Retinol (RO) and its active metabolite retinoic acid (RA) are major regulators of gene expression in vertebrates and influence various processes like organ development, cell differentiation, and immune response. To characterize a general transcriptomic response to RA-exposure in vertebrates, independent of species- and tissue-specific effects, four publicly available RNA-Seq datasets from Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, and Xenopus laevis were analyzed. To increase species and cell-type diversity we generated RNA-seq data with chicken hepatocellular carcinoma (LMH) cells. Additionally, we compared the response of LMH cells to RA and RO at different time points. Results By conducting a transcriptome meta-analysis, we identified three retinoic acid response core clusters (RARCCs) consisting of 27 interacting proteins, seven of which have not been associated with retinoids yet. Comparison of the transcriptional response of LMH cells to RO and RA exposure at different time points led to the identification of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that are only differentially expressed (DE) during the early response. Conclusions We propose that these RARCCs stand on top of a common regulatory RA hierarchy among vertebrates. Based on the protein sets included in these clusters we were able to identify an RA-response cluster, a control center type cluster, and a cluster that directs cell proliferation. Concerning the comparison of the cellular response to RA and RO we conclude that ncRNAs play an underestimated role in retinoid-mediated gene regulation.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Persson ◽  
Vardhaan S. Ambati ◽  
Onn Brandman

Summary/AbstractCells must precisely orchestrate thousands of reactions in both time and space. Yet reaction kinetics are highly dependent on uncontrollable environmental conditions such as temperature. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which budding yeast influence reaction rates through adjustment of intracellular viscosity. This “viscoadaptation” is achieved by production of two carbohydrates, trehalose and glycogen, which combine to create a more viscous cellular environment in which biomolecules retain solubility. We demonstrate that viscoadaptation functions as both an acute response to temperature increase as well as a homeostatic mechanism, allowing cells grown at temperatures spanning from 22°C to 40°C to maintain equivalent rates of intracellular diffusion and diffusion-controlled chemical reactions. Multiple conditions that lower ATP trigger viscoadaptation, suggesting that viscoadaptation may be a general cellular response to low energy. Viscoadaptation reveals viscosity to be a tunable property of cells through which they can regulate diffusion-controlled processes dynamically in response to a changing environment.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Bartalska ◽  
Verena Hübschmann ◽  
Medina Korkut-Demirbaş ◽  
Ryan John Abat Cubero ◽  
Alessandro Venturino ◽  
...  

Brain organoids differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells provide a unique opportunity to investigate the development, organization and connectivity of neurons in a complex cellular environment. However, organoids usually lack microglia, brain-resident immune cells which are both present in the early human embryonic brain and participate in neuronal circuit development. Here, we find that microglia innately develop in unguided retinal organoid differentiation between week 3 and 4 in 2.5D culture and appear later in floating, non-pigmented, 3D-cystic compartments. We enriched for cystic structures using a low-dosed BMP4 application and performed mass spectrometry, thus defining the protein composition of microglia-containing compartments. We found that cystic compartments expressed both mesenchymal and epithelial markers with microglia enriched in the mesenchymal region. Interestingly, microglia-like cells started to express the border-associated macrophage marker CD163. The preferential localization of human microglia to a mesenchymal compartment provides insight into the behavior and migration of microglia. The model will ultimately allow detailed study of these enigmatic cells and how they enter and distribute within the human brain.


2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Harke ◽  
Jennifer G. Jankowiak ◽  
Brooke K. Morrell ◽  
Christopher J. Gobler

ABSTRACT The bloom-forming, toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis synthesizes multiple secondary metabolites and has been shown to deter zooplankton grazing. However, the biochemical and/or molecular basis by which Microcystis deters zooplankton remains unclear. This global transcriptomic study explored the response of Microcystis to direct and indirect exposures to multiple densities of two cladoceran grazers, Daphnia pulex and D. magna. Higher densities of both daphnids significantly reduced Microcystis cell densities and elicited a stronger transcriptional response in Microcystis. While many putative grazer deterrence genes (encoding microcystin, aeruginosin, cyanopeptolin, and microviridin) were largely unaffected by zooplankton, transcripts for heat shock proteins (hsp) increased in abundance. Beyond metabolites and hsp, large increases in the abundances of transcripts from photosynthetic processes were observed, evidencing energy acquisition pathways were stimulated by grazing. In addition, transcripts of genes associated with the production of extracellular polysaccharides and gas vesicles significantly increased in abundance. These genes have been associated with colony formation and may have been invoked to deter grazers. Collectively, this study demonstrates that daphnid grazers induce a significant transcriptomic response in Microcystis, suggesting this cyanobacterium upregulates specific biochemical pathways to adapt to predation. IMPORTANCE This work explores the transcriptomic responses of Microcystis aeruginosa following exposure to grazing by two cladocerans, Daphnia magna and D. pulex. Contrary to previous hypotheses, Microcystis did not employ putative grazing deterrent secondary metabolites in response to the cladocerans, suggesting they may have other roles within the cell, such as oxidative stress protection. The transcriptional metabolic signature during intense grazing was largely reflective of a growth and stress response, although increasing abundances of transcripts encoding extracellular polysaccharides and gas vesicles were potentially related to predator avoidance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. E8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Womeldorff ◽  
David Gillespie ◽  
Randy L. Jensen

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with an exceptionally poor patient outcome despite aggressive therapy including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. This aggressive phenotype may be associated with intratumoral hypoxia, which probably plays a key role in GBM tumor growth, development, and angiogenesis. A key regulator of cellular response to hypoxia is the protein hypoxia-inducible factor–1 (HIF-1). An examination of upstream hypoxic and nonhypoxic regulation of HIF-1 as well as a review of the downstream HIF-1–regulated proteins may provide further insight into the role of this transcription factor in GBM pathophysiology. Recent insights into upstream regulators that intimately interact with HIF-1 could provide potential therapeutic targets for treatment of this tumor. The same is potentially true for HIF-1–mediated pathways of glycolysis-, angiogenesis-, and invasion-promoting proteins. Thus, an understanding of the relationship between HIF-1, its upstream protein regulators, and its downstream transcribed genes in GBM pathogenesis could provide future treatment options for the care of patients with these tumors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-194
Author(s):  
Richard D Bowen ◽  
William HC Martin ◽  
Charles E Hudson ◽  
David J McAdoo

The question of whether [CH2OH]+ should be described as the hydroxymethyl cation, +CH2OH, or protonated formaldehyde, CH2=OH+, is reconsidered in the light of experimental information and new computational evidence. Previous arguments that the charge distribution in [CH2OH]+ may be probed by considering the incremental stabilisation of [CH2OH]+ induced by homologation on carbon (to give [CH3CHOH]+) or oxygen (to produce [CH2OCH3]+) are critically examined. Cation stabilisation energies are shown to be better indicators of the nature of these oxonium ions. Further insight into the structure of larger CnH2n+1O+ oxonium ions is obtained by considering the site of protonation of enol ethers and related species. Computational information, including AIM (Atoms and Molecules) and NBA (Natural Bond Analysis) charges on the carbon and oxygen atoms in [CH2OH]+ and related species, is considered critically. Particular attention is focused on the calculated bond lengths and barriers to rotation about the C–O bond(s) in [CH2OH]+, [CH3CHOH]+, [(CH3)2COH]+, CH3OH and [CH2OCH3]+ and the C–N bond in [CH2NH2]+. Trends in these data are consistent with appreciable π-bonding only in the C–O connections which correspond to the C=O bond in the parent aldehyde or ketone from which the oxonium ion may be considered to be derived by protonation or alkyl cationation.


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