scholarly journals The CXCL12/CXCR4 signalling axis retains neutrophils at inflammatory sites in zebrafish

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah M. Isles ◽  
Kimberly Herman ◽  
Anne L. Robertson ◽  
Catherine A. Loynes ◽  
Lynne R. Prince ◽  
...  

AbstractThe inappropriate retention of neutrophils in the lung is a major driver of the excessive tissue damage characteristic of respiratory inflammatory diseases including COPD, ARDS and cystic fibrosis. The molecular programmes which orchestrate neutrophil recruitment to inflammatory sites through chemotactic guidance have been well studied. However, how neutrophil sensitivity to these cues is modulated during inflammation resolution is not understood. The identification of neutrophil reverse migration as a mechanism of inflammation resolution and the ability to modulate this therapeutically has identified a new target to treat inflammatory disease. Here we investigate the role of the CXCL12/CXCR4 signalling axis in modulating neutrophil retention at inflammatory sites. We used an in vivo tissue injury model to study inflammation using transgenic zebrafish larvae. Expression of cxcl12a and cxcr4b during the tissue damage response was assessed using in situ hybridisation and analysis of RNA sequencing data. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to knockdown cxcl12a and cxcr4b in zebrafish larvae. The CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 was used to block the Cxcl12/Cxcr4 signalling axis pharmacologically. We identified that cxcr4b and cxcl12a are expressed at the wound site in zebrafish larvae during the inflammatory response. Following tail-fin transection, removal of neutrophils from inflammatory sites is significantly increased in cxcr4b and cxcl12a CRISPR knockdown larvae. Pharmacological inhibition of the Cxcl12/Cxcr4 signalling axis accelerates inflammation resolution, an effect caused by an increase in neutrophil reverse migration. The findings of this study suggest that CXCR4/CXCL12 signalling may play an important role in neutrophil retention at inflammatory sites, identifying a potential new target for the therapeutic removal of neutrophils from the lung in chronic inflammatory disease.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Loynes ◽  
Jou A. Lee ◽  
Anne L. Robertson ◽  
Michael JG. Steel ◽  
Felix Ellett ◽  
...  

AbstractNeutrophils are the first immune cells recruited to a site of injury or infection, where they perform many functions. Having completed their role, neutrophils must be removed from the inflammatory site - either by apoptosis and efferocytosis or by reverse migration away from the wound - for restoration of normal tissue homeostasis. Disruption of these tightly controlled physiological processes of neutrophil removal can lead to a range of inflammatory diseases. We used an in vivo zebrafish model to understand the role of lipid mediator production in neutrophil removal. Following tailfin amputation in the absence of macrophages, neutrophillic inflammation does not resolve. This is due to loss of macrophage-dependent production of eicosanoid prostaglandin E2, which drives neutrophil removal via promotion of reverse migration. Knockdown of endogenous prostaglandin E synthase gene reveals PGE2 as essential for neutrophil inflammation resolution. Furthermore, PGE2 is able to signal through EP4 receptors to enhance Alox15 production, causing a switch towards anti-inflammatory eicosanoid signalling, specifically Lipoxin A4. Our data confirm regulation of neutrophil migration by PGE2 and LXA4 in an in vivo model of inflammation resolution. This pathway may contain therapeutic targets for driving inflammation resolution in chronic inflammatory disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 220 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth A. Houseright ◽  
Veronika Miskolci ◽  
Oscar Mulvaney ◽  
Valeriu Bortnov ◽  
Deane F. Mosher ◽  
...  

Neutrophil recruitment to tissue damage is essential for host defense but can also impede tissue repair. The cues that differentially regulate neutrophil responses to tissue damage and infection remain unclear. Here, we report that the paracrine factor myeloid-derived growth factor (MYDGF) is induced by tissue damage and regulates neutrophil motility to damaged, but not infected, tissues in zebrafish larvae. Depletion of MYDGF impairs wound healing, and this phenotype is rescued by depleting neutrophils. Live imaging and photoconversion reveal impaired neutrophil reverse migration and inflammation resolution in mydgf mutants. We found that persistent neutrophil inflammation in tissues of mydgf mutants was dependent on the HIF-1α pathway. Taken together, our data suggest that MYDGF is a damage signal that regulates neutrophil interstitial motility and inflammation through a HIF-1α pathway in response to tissue damage.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Iervolino ◽  
Tim Lange ◽  
Florian Siegerist ◽  
Maximilian Schindler ◽  
Giovambattista Capasso ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims The zebrafish is a powerful animal model to study the glomerular morphology and the function of the permselectivity of the glomerular filtration barrier. Since zebrafish larvae develop quickly and can be bred to transparency, in vivo observation of these animals is possible. At 48 hours post fertilization (dpf), zebrafish develop a single filtering glomerulus which is attached to a pair of renal tubules. Like in mammals, the glomerular filtration barrier consists of a fenestrated endothelium, the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and interdigitating podocyte foot processes bridged by a molecularly conserved slit diaphragm. By the use of genetically modified zebrafish strains with fluorescently labeled podocytes, it is possible to study alterations of the glomerulus during the development of renal disease directly in vivo and in vitro. As an injury model we used the nitroreductase/metronidazole (NTR/MTZ) zebrafish line to induce podocyte apoptosis and detachment from the GBM. Moreover, treatment of these larvae with MTZ induces glomerular injury that mimics focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The aim of our study was to establish a glomeruli isolation method which allows us to identify deregulation of miRNAs and mRNAs in the injured glomeruli by sequencing. Method The transgenic zebrafish strain Cherry (Tg(nphs2:Eco.nfsB-mCherry); mitfaw2/w2; mpv17a9/a9) which expresses the prokaryotic enzyme nitroreductase (NTR) fused to mCherry, a red fluorescent protein, under the control of the podocyte-specific podocin (nphs2) promoter in a transparent zebrafish strain, was used. The NTR/MTZ is a model of cell ablation to mimic podocyte injury. The prodrug MTZ (80 µM) is converted into a cytotoxin by NTR leading to a dose-dependent apoptosis exclusively in NTR-expressing podocytes. To induce podocyte injury, we treated Cherry larvae at 4 days post fertilization with MTZ (80 µM) freshly dissolved in 0.1% DMSO-E3 medium for 48 hours. Control larvae were treated with 0.1% DMSO-E3 medium. The treatment was stopped by a MTZ washout at 6 dpf. In order to perform the miRNA and mRNA sequencing on glomeruli isolated from MTZ-treated and control larvae we tried to establish a method to obtain total RNA samples of good quality. For this purpose, three different approaches were tested and validated: 1) Sieving method, 2) Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting method (FACS), and 3) manual isolation of glomeruli by using a micropipette. Results Zebrafish larvae developed a glomerular damage similar to FSGS after MTZ-treatment. MTZ-treated larvae showed severe pericardial edema, a reduction of the nephrin and podocin expression, proteinuria and an increased mortality rate at 8 dpf. After many tests we showed that glomeruli isolation using the sieving method and FACS were not efficient due to contaminations with other organs (sieving) and a loss of a large amount of cells per sample (FACS), respectively. Samples of the required quality for sequencing resulted only from the manual glomeruli isolation. Conclusion Here we describe methods to isolate fluorescent glomeruli from transgenic zebrafish larvae. For our studies, we used the NTZ/MTR kidney disease model in order to identify mRNAs and miRNAs regulated in response to glomerular damage. This technique will further allow to screen for healing drugs in high-throughput experiments.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (7) ◽  
pp. F783-F797 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Zuk ◽  
M. Gershenovich ◽  
Y. Ivanova ◽  
R. T. MacFarland ◽  
S. P. Fricker ◽  
...  

We examined whether antagonism of the CXCR4 receptor ameliorates the loss of renal function following ischemia-reperfusion. CXCR4 is ubiquitously expressed on leukocytes, known mediators of renal injury, and on bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Plerixafor (AMD3100, Mozobil) is a small-molecule CXCR4 antagonist that mobilizes HSCs into the peripheral blood and also modulates the immune response in in vivo rodent models of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment with plerixafor before and after ischemic clamping ameliorated kidney injury in a rat model of bilateral renal ischemia-reperfusion. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were significantly reduced 24 h after reperfusion, as were tissue injury and cell death. Plerixafor prevented the renal increase in the proinflammatory chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL5 and the cytokine IL-6. Flow cytometry of kidney homogenates confirmed the presence of significantly fewer leukocytes with plerixafor treatment; additionally, myeloperoxidase activity was reduced. AMD3465, a monocyclam analog of plerixafor, was similarly renoprotective. Four weeks postreperfusion, long-term effects included diminished fibrosis, inflammation, and ongoing renal injury. The mechanism by which CXCR4 inhibition ameliorates AKI is due to modulation of leukocyte infiltration and expression of proinflammatory chemokines/cytokines, rather than a HSC-mediated effect. The data suggest that CXCR4 antagonism with plerixafor may be a potential option to prevent AKI.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 712-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip M. Elks ◽  
Fredericus J. van Eeden ◽  
Giles Dixon ◽  
Xingang Wang ◽  
Constantino Carlos Reyes-Aldasoro ◽  
...  

Abstract The oxygen-sensing transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) plays a critical role in the regulation of myeloid cell function. The mechanisms of regulation are not well understood, nor are the phenotypic consequences of HIF modulation in the context of neutrophilic inflammation. Species conservation across higher metazoans enables the use of the genetically tractable and transparent zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo to study in vivo resolution of the inflammatory response. Using both a pharmacologic approach known to lead to stabilization of HIF-1α, and selective genetic manipulation of zebrafish HIF-1α homologs, we sought to determine the roles of HIF-1α in inflammation resolution. Both approaches reveal that activated Hif-1α delays resolution of inflammation after tail transection in zebrafish larvae. This delay can be replicated by neutrophil-specific Hif activation and is a consequence of both reduced neutrophil apoptosis and increased retention of neutrophils at the site of tissue injury. Hif-activated neutrophils continue to patrol the injury site during the resolution phase, when neutrophils would normally migrate away. Site-directed mutagenesis of Hif in vivo reveals that hydroxylation of Hif-1α by prolyl hydroxylases critically regulates the Hif pathway in zebrafish neutrophils. Our data demonstrate that Hif-1α regulates neutrophil function in complex ways during inflammation resolution in vivo.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 7191
Author(s):  
Yun-Mi Jeong ◽  
Tae-Ik Choi ◽  
Kyu-Seok Hwang ◽  
Jeong-Soo Lee ◽  
Robert Gerlai ◽  
...  

Olfaction is an important neural system for survival and fundamental behaviors such as predator avoidance, food finding, memory formation, reproduction, and social communication. However, the neural circuits and pathways associated with the olfactory system in various behaviors are not fully understood. Recent advances in optogenetics, high-resolution in vivo imaging, and reconstructions of neuronal circuits have created new opportunities to understand such neural circuits. Here, we generated a transgenic zebrafish to manipulate olfactory signal optically, expressing the Channelrhodopsin (ChR2) under the control of the olfactory specific promoter, omp. We observed light-induced neuronal activity of olfactory system in the transgenic fish by examining c-fos expression, and a calcium indicator suggesting that blue light stimulation caused activation of olfactory neurons in a non-invasive manner. To examine whether the photo-activation of olfactory sensory neurons affect behavior of zebrafish larvae, we devised a behavioral choice paradigm and tested how zebrafish larvae choose between two conflicting sensory cues, an aversive odor or the naturally preferred phototaxis. We found that when the conflicting cues (the preferred light and aversive odor) were presented together simultaneously, zebrafish larvae swam away from the aversive odor. However, the transgenic fish with photo-activation were insensitive to the aversive odor and exhibited olfactory desensitization upon optical stimulation of ChR2. These results show that an aversive olfactory stimulus can override phototaxis, and that olfaction is important in decision making in zebrafish. This new transgenic model will be useful for the analysis of olfaction related behaviors and for the dissection of underlying neural circuits.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Iervolino ◽  
Tim Lange ◽  
Sabrina Siccardi ◽  
Florian Siegerist ◽  
Francesca Pia Caruso ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Aims The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a powerful animal model to study glomerular morphology and the function of the permselectivity of the glomerular filtration barrier. Since zebrafish larvae develop quickly and can be bred to become transparent, in vivo observation of these animals is possible. At 48 hours post fertilization, zebrafish larvae develop a single glomerulus which is attached to a pair of tubules. Like in mammals, the glomerular filtration barrier consists of a fenestrated endothelium, the glomerular basement membrane and interdigitating podocyte foot processes bridged by a slit diaphragm. By using genetically modified zebrafish strains with fluorescently labeled podocytes, it is possible to study alterations of the glomerulus during the development of renal disease like focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) directly in vivo. FSGS is characterized by podocyte loss, the effacement of their foot processes as well as scarring of the glomerulus. To study FSGS in zebrafish larvae, we induced podocyte detachment by the use of a zebrafish strain expressing the enzyme nitroreductase converting metronidazole into a toxic substance specifically in podocytes. The aim of our study was to collect glomeruli for the identification of mRNAs as well as miRNAs by RNA_Seq that are up- and down-regulated in the glomeruli of this FSGS-like disease model. Method The transgenic zebrafish strain Cherry (Tg(nphs2:GAL4); Tg(UAS:Eco.nfsB-mCherry); mitfaw2/w2; mpv17a9/a9) which expresses the prokaryotic enzyme nitroreductase (NTR) fused to mCherry, a red fluorescent protein, under the control of the podocyte-specific podocin (nphs2) promoter in a transparent zebrafish strain, was utilized. After addition of metronidazole (MTZ) into the tank water, MTZ is converted into a cytotoxin by NTR leading to dose-dependent apoptosis exclusively in podocytes. Cherry larvae were treated at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) for 48 h with 80 µM MTZ. MTZ-treated and control larvae were homogenized at 6 dpf. The cell suspension was diluted, and red-fluorescent glomeruli were collected using a micropipette and a microscope. Total RNA was isolated, and integrity was checked by a Bioanalyzer. Libraries were generated with a MACE kit and True Quant small RNA seq kit by GenXPro. Constructs were amplified by PCR and sequenced on an Illumina Hiseq 2000. Normalization and statistical analysis for differential gene expression were done using DESeq2. Results Zebrafish larvae showed severe whole-body edema, proteinuria, loss of podocytes and an increased mortality rate after MTZ-treatment. The glomerular histology resembled mammalian FSGS. We found that only the RNA of manually collected glomeruli had an excellent quality. Using RNA_Seq, we identified a total of 16941 genes. DESeq2 analysis showed 494 up-regulated and 473 down-regulated genes. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of up-regulated genes revealed a total of 167 that are significantly enriched in GO terms (e.g. metabolic processes, immune response and ion transport). Down-regulated genes were enriched in 14 GO terms and most of them are linked to normal glomerular function and the slit diaphragm. DESeq2 analysis identified 200 miRNAs of 777 small RNAs. Some of these miRNA are already described to be regulated in different glomerular diseases like FSGS, lupus nephritis, IgA nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy. Conclusion We analyzed isolated glomeruli from transgenic zebrafish larvae that developed a FSGS-like disease. By sequencing, we have found mRNAs and miRNAs that were significantly regulated after the onset of disease. Detailed knowledge of these mRNAs and miRNA-based gene regulation will help to uncover the pathomechanism as well as to develop therapeutics for the treatment of FSGS.


eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah M Isles ◽  
Catherine A Loynes ◽  
Sultan Alasmari ◽  
Fu Chuen Kon ◽  
Katherine M Henry ◽  
...  

Neutrophils are rapidly recruited to inflammatory sites where their coordinated migration forms clusters, a process termed neutrophil swarming. The factors that modulate early stages of neutrophil swarming are not fully understood, requiring the development of new in vivo models. Using transgenic zebrafish larvae to study endogenous neutrophil migration in a tissue damage model, we demonstrate that neutrophil swarming is a conserved process in zebrafish immunity, sharing essential features with mammalian systems. We show that neutrophil swarms initially develop around an individual pioneer neutrophil. We observed the violent release of extracellular cytoplasmic and nuclear fragments by the pioneer and early swarming neutrophils. By combining in vitro and in vivo approaches to study essential components of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), we provide in-depth characterisation and high-resolution imaging of the composition and morphology of these release events. Using a photoconversion approach to track neutrophils within developing swarms, we identify that the fate of swarm-initiating pioneer neutrophils involves extracellular chromatin release and that the key NET components gasdermin, neutrophil elastase, and myeloperoxidase are required for the swarming process. Together our findings demonstrate that release of cellular components by pioneer neutrophils is an initial step in neutrophil swarming at sites of tissue injury.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Macarena A Varas ◽  
Alonso Fariña ◽  
Francisco Díaz-Pascual ◽  
Javiera Ortíz-Severín ◽  
Andrés E Marcoleta ◽  
...  

Surrogate host models have been employed to study bacterial virulence mechanisms of important human pathogens. Particularly, zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been used to determine the role of vertebrate innate immunity during bacterial infections. The easy-to-obtain large number of embryos and optical transparency of larvae allow live cell imaging of the infection progress and the major cellular types of the innate immune system that develop during the first days of embryogenesis. In zebrafish model, microinjecting bacteria into embryos and/or larvae can cause infection. Alternatively, an infection can be generated by static immersion of larvae on a microbial suspension. Both methods differ in the mode and time of infection, inoculum size and host response. In this work, we compare the in vivo immune response induced by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) inoculated by immersion and microinjection in zebrafish larvae. To this end, an immersion protocol using transgenic zebrafish larvae was developed for in vivo monitoring of GFP-tagged S. Typhimurium infection progress and immune response during 72 h. The infection progress was compared to that of zebrafish larvae inoculated by microinjection. Our results in zebrafish corroborate previous Salmonella virulence studies in murine models and reveal that host-pathogen interaction not only depends on the virulence of the strain, but also on the inoculation method and host conditions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Feliz-Norberto ◽  
Cassia Michael ◽  
Sofia de Oliveira

AbstractInflammation is a hallmark in the progression of nonalcoholic-fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Patients with NAFLD are characterized by a chronic low-grade systemic metabolic inflammation (i.e., metainflammation), which contributes to exacerbated however dysfunctional immune response. Neutrophils play an important pathological role in NAFLD progression to NASH; however, how NASH and associated chronic systemic inflammation impact overall the neutrophil response to injury is completely unexplored. Here, we investigated how neutrophil response to tissue injury is altered by the presence of NASH. We used a diet-induced NASH zebrafish model combined with tailfin transection in transgenic zebrafish larvae to study neutrophilic inflammation. Live non-invasive confocal microscopy was used to investigate neutrophil recruitment to tailfin injury through time. Photoconvertion of neutrophils at the liver area followed by time-lapse microscopy was performed to evaluate migration of neutrophils from liver to tailfin injury. Metformin and Pentoxifylline were used to pharmacologically reduce NASH and liver inflammation. We found that larvae with NASH display systemic inflammation and increased myelopoiesis. NASH larvae display a dysfunctional and exacerbated neutrophil response to tailfin injury, characterized by increased neutrophil recruitment, and delayed resolution of inflammation. Interestingly, we showed that neutrophils undergo reverse migration from the NASH liver to the wounded tailfin area. Finally, pharmacological treatment of NASH with Pentoxifylline and Metformin significantly reduced systemic chronic inflammation and the exacerbated recruitment of neutrophils to tissue injury. Taken together, our findings suggest that NASH exacerbates neutrophilic inflammation probably via neutrophil priming at the liver, which can further undergo reverse migration and respond to secondary inflammatory triggers such as tissue injury. Reverse migration of primed neutrophils from the liver might be an important mechanism that fuels the exacerbated neutrophil response observed in NASH conditions and associated metainflammation contributing to poor prognosis and increasing death in patients with metabolic syndrome.


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