scholarly journals HHV-6A infection induces amyloid-beta expression and activation of microglial cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria Bortolotti ◽  
Valentina Gentili ◽  
Antonella Rotola ◽  
Elisabetta Caselli ◽  
Roberta Rizzo

Abstract Background The control of viral infections in the brain involves the activation of microglial cells, the macrophages of the brain that are constantly surveying the central nervous system, and the production of amyloid-beta (Aβ) as an anti-microbial molecule. Recent findings suggest a possible implication of HHV-6A in AD. We evaluated the effect of HHV-6A infection on microglial cell expression Aβ and the activation status, determined by TREM2, ApoE, cytokines, and tau expression. Methods We have infected microglial cells (HMC3, ATCC®CRL-3304), in monolayer and human peripheral blood monocyte-derived microglia (PBM-microglia) spheroid 3D model, with HHV-6A (strain U1102) cell-free virus inocula with 100 genome equivalents per 1 cell. We collected the cells 1, 3, 7, and 14 days post-infection (d.p.i.) and analyzed them for viral DNA and RNA, ApoE, Aβ (1-40, 1-42), tau, and phospho-tau (Threonine 181) by real-time immunofluorescence and cytokines by immunoenzymatic assay. Results We observed a productive infection by HHV-6A. The expression of Aβ 1-42 increased from 3 d.p.i., while no significant induction was observed for Aβ 1-40. The HHV-6A infection induced the activation (TREM2, IL-1beta, ApoE) and migration of microglial cells. The secretion of tau started from 7 d.p.i., with an increasing percentage of the phosphorylated form. Conclusions In conclusion, microglial cells are permissive to HHV-6A infection that induces the expression of Aβ and an activation status. Meanwhile, we hypothesize a paracrine effect of HHV-6A infection that activates and induces microglia migration to the site of infection.

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-37
Author(s):  
Oscar Solís-Salgado ◽  
José Luis López-Payares ◽  
Mauricio Ayala-González

Las vías de drenaje solutos del sistema nervioso central (SNC) participan en el recambio de liquido intersticial con el líquido cefalorraquídeo (LIT-LCR), generando un estado de homeostasis. Las alteraciones dentro de este sistema homeostático afectará la eliminación de solutos del espacio intersticial (EIT) como el péptido βa y proteína tau, los cuales son sustancias neurotóxicas para el SNC. Se han utilizado técnicas experimentales para poder analizar el intercambio LIT-LCR, las cuales revelan que este intercambio tiene una estructura bien organizada. La eliminación de solutos del SNC no tiene una estructura anatómica propiamente, se han descubierto vías de eliminación de solutos a través de marcadores florecentes en el espacio subaracnoideo, cisternas de la base y sistema ventricular que nos permiten observar una serie de vías ampliamente distribuidas en el cerebro. El LCR muestra que tiene una función linfática debido a su recambio con el LIT a lo largo de rutas paravasculares. Estos espacios que rodean la superficie arterial así como los espacios de Virchow-Robin y el pie astrocitico junto con la AQP-4, facilitan la entrada de LCR para-arterial y el aclaramiento de LIT para-venoso dentro del cerebro. El flujo y dirección que toma el LCR por estas estructuras, es conducido por la pulsación arterial. Esta función será la que finalmente llevara a la eliminación de estas sustancias neurotóxicas. En base a la dependencia de este flujo para la eliminación de sustancias se propone que el sistema sea llamado “ la Vía Glinfática”. La bibliografía así como las limitaciones que se encuentran en esta revisión están dadas por la metodología de búsqueda que ha sido realizada principalmente en PubMed utilizando los siguientes términos Mesh: Cerebral Arterial Pulsation, the brain via paravascular, drainage of amyloid-beta, bulk flow of brain interstitial fluid, radiolabeled polyethylene glycols and albumin, amyloid-β, the perivascular astroglial sheath, Brain Glymphatic Transport.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1468
Author(s):  
Yashika S. Kamte ◽  
Manisha N. Chandwani ◽  
Alexa C. Michaels ◽  
Lauren A. O’Donnell

Viruses that infect the central nervous system (CNS) are associated with developmental abnormalities as well as neuropsychiatric and degenerative conditions. Many of these viruses such as Zika virus (ZIKV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) demonstrate tropism for neural stem cells (NSCs). NSCs are the multipotent progenitor cells of the brain that have the ability to form neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Viral infections often alter the function of NSCs, with profound impacts on the growth and repair of the brain. There are a wide spectrum of effects on NSCs, which differ by the type of virus, the model system, the cell types studied, and the age of the host. Thus, it is a challenge to predict and define the consequences of interactions between viruses and NSCs. The purpose of this review is to dissect the mechanisms by which viruses can affect survival, proliferation, and differentiation of NSCs. This review also sheds light on the contribution of key antiviral cytokines in the impairment of NSC activity during a viral infection, revealing a complex interplay between NSCs, viruses, and the immune system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 2775-2789
Author(s):  
Ludwig Stenz

AbstractThe 300 bp dimeric repeats digestible by AluI were discovered in 1979. Since then, Alu were involved in the most fundamental epigenetic mechanisms, namely reprogramming, pluripotency, imprinting and mosaicism. These Alu encode a family of retrotransposons transcribed by the RNA Pol III machinery, notably when the cytosines that constitute their sequences are de-methylated. Then, Alu hijack the functions of ORF2 encoded by another transposons named L1 during reverse transcription and integration into new sites. That mechanism functions as a complex genetic parasite able to copy-paste Alu sequences. Doing that, Alu have modified even the size of the human genome, as well as of other primate genomes, during 65 million years of co-evolution. Actually, one germline retro-transposition still occurs each 20 births. Thus, Alu continue to modify our human genome nowadays and were implicated in de novo mutation causing diseases including deletions, duplications and rearrangements. Most recently, retrotransposons were found to trigger neuronal diversity by inducing mosaicism in the brain. Finally, boosted during viral infections, Alu clearly interact with the innate immune system. The purpose of that review is to give a condensed overview of all these major findings that concern the fascinating physiology of Alu from their discovery up to the current knowledge.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Murakawa-Hirachi ◽  
Yoshito Mizoguchi ◽  
Masahiro Ohgidani ◽  
Yoshinori Haraguchi ◽  
Akira Monji

AbstractThe pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is related to neuroinflammatory responses mediated by microglia. Memantine, an antagonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors used as an anti-Alzheimer’s drug, protects from neuronal death accompanied by suppression of proliferation and activation of microglial cells in animal models of AD. However, it remains to be tested whether memantine can directly affect microglial cell function. In this study, we examined whether pretreatment with memantine affects intracellular NO and Ca2+ mobilization using DAF-2 and Fura-2 imaging, respectively, and tested the effects of memantine on phagocytic activity by human β-Amyloid (1–42) phagocytosis assay in rodent microglial cells. Pretreatment with memantine did not affect production of NO or intracellular Ca2+ elevation induced by TNF in rodent microglial cells. Pretreatment with memantine also did not affect the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory (TNF, IL-1β, IL-6 and CD45) or anti-inflammatory (IL-10, TGF-β and arginase) phenotypes in rodent microglial cells. In addition, pretreatment with memantine did not affect the amount of human β-Amyloid (1–42) phagocytosed by rodent microglial cells. Moreover, we observed that pretreatment with memantine did not affect 11 major proteins, which mainly function in the phagocytosis and degradation of β-Amyloid (1–42), including TREM2, DAP12 and neprilysin in rodent microglial cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to suggest that memantine does not directly modulate intracellular NO and Ca2+ mobilization or phagocytic activity in rodent microglial cells. Considering the neuroinflammation hypothesis of AD, the results might be important to understand the effect of memantine in the brain.


Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Andréia Veras Gonçalves ◽  
Demócrito de B. Miranda-Filho ◽  
Líbia Cristina Rocha Vilela ◽  
Regina Coeli Ferreira Ramos ◽  
Thalia V. B. de Araújo ◽  
...  

Congenital viral infections and the occurrence of septo-optic dysplasia, which is a combination of optic nerve hypoplasia, abnormal formation of structures along the midline of the brain, and pituitary hypofunction, support the biological plausibility of endocrine dysfunction in Zika-related microcephaly. In this case series we ascertained the presence and describe endocrine dysfunction in 30 children with severe Zika-related microcephaly from the MERG Pediatric Cohort, referred for endocrinological evaluation between February and August 2019. Of the 30 children, 97% had severe microcephaly. The average age at the endocrinological consultation was 41 months and 53% were female. The most frequently observed endocrine dysfunctions comprised short stature, hypothyroidism, obesity and variants early puberty. These dysfunctions occurred alone 57% or in combination 43%. We found optic nerve hypoplasia (6/21) and corpus callosum hypoplasia (20/21). Seizure crises were reported in 86% of the children. The most common—and clinically important—endocrine dysfunctions were pubertal dysfunctions, thyroid disease, growth impairment, and obesity. These dysfunctions require careful monitoring and signal the need for endocrinological evaluation in children with Zika-related microcephaly, in order to make early diagnoses and implement appropriate treatment when necessary.


2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ti-Fei Yuan ◽  
Gonglin Hou ◽  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Oscar Arias-Carrion

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-296
Author(s):  
Adriana Wawer ◽  
Agnieszka Piechal

Objective. Some viral infections can have a harmful effect on the functioning of the nervous system and can even cause serious neurological damage. This work aims to review the results of studies published so far concerning neurological complications in people infected with coronaviruses, especially SARS-CoV-2, and possible mechanisms responsible for nervous system damage. Literature review. Recently, there have been reports that coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), cause acute respiratory disease, exhibit neurotropic properties and can also cause neurological symptoms. There are studies published showing that these viruses may penetrate to the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. Conclusions. Coronaviruses are still poorly understood, so it seems important to study the potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 infections on the nervous system. It seems appropriate that patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 should be early evaluated for neurological symptoms, including headache and impaired consciousness.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shachar Sherman ◽  
Koichi Kawakami ◽  
Herwig Baier

The brain is assembled during development by both innate and experience-dependent mechanisms1-7, but the relative contribution of these factors is poorly understood. Axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) connect the eye to the brain, forming a bottleneck for the transmission of visual information to central visual areas. RGCs secrete molecules from their axons that control proliferation, differentiation and migration of downstream components7-9. Spontaneously generated waves of retinal activity, but also intense visual stimulation, can entrain responses of RGCs10 and central neurons11-16. Here we asked how the cellular composition of central targets is altered in a vertebrate brain that is depleted of retinal input throughout development. For this, we first established a molecular catalog17 and gene expression atlas18 of neuronal subpopulations in the retinorecipient areas of larval zebrafish. We then searched for changes in lakritz (atoh7-) mutants, in which RGCs do not form19. Although individual forebrain-expressed genes are dysregulated in lakritz mutants, the complete set of 77 putative neuronal cell types in thalamus, pretectum and tectum are present. While neurogenesis and differentiation trajectories are overall unaltered, a greater proportion of cells remain in an uncommitted progenitor stage in the mutant. Optogenetic stimulation of a pretectal area20,21 evokes a visual behavior in blind mutants indistinguishable from wildtype. Our analysis shows that, in this vertebrate visual system, neurons are produced more slowly, but specified and wired up in a proper configuration in the absence of any retinal signals.


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