Chikungunya Virus Infects the Heart and Induces Heart-Specific Transcriptional Changes in an Immunodeficient Mouse Model of Infection

Author(s):  
Rose M. Langsjoen ◽  
Yiyang Zhou ◽  
Richard J. Holcomb ◽  
Andrew L. Routh

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted pathogen in family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus. Although CHIKV is well known for its ability to cause debilitating rheumatoid-like arthritis, it has been also been observed to cause cardiovascular symptoms such as arrhythmias. Here, using samples from a previous study, we sequenced RNA from serum, kidney, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle from CHIKV- and mock-infected IFN-αR−/− mice using two sequencing techniques to investigate heart-specific changes in virus mutational profiles and host gene expression. Mutation rates were similar across muscle tissues although heart tissue carried heart-specific CHIKV minority variants, one of which had a coding change in the nsP3 gene and another in the 3′UTR. Importantly, heart-specific transcriptional changes included differential expression of genes critical for ion transport and muscle contraction. These results demonstrate that CHIKV replicates in the hearts of immunodeficient mice and induce heart-specific mutations and host responses with implications for cardiac pathologies.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Miles W DeAngelis ◽  
Joseph D Coolon ◽  
Ruth I Johnson

Abstract Tissue function is dependent on correct cellular organization and behavior. As a result, the identification and study of genes that contribute to tissue morphogenesis is of paramount importance to the fields of cell and developmental biology. Many of the genes required for tissue patterning and organization are highly conserved between phyla. This has led to the emergence of several model organisms and developmental systems that are used to study tissue morphogenesis. One such model is the Drosophila melanogaster pupal eye that has a highly stereotyped arrangement of cells. In addition, the pupal eye is postmitotic that allows for the study of tissue morphogenesis independent from any effects of proliferation. While the changes in cell morphology and organization that occur throughout pupal eye development are well documented, less is known about the corresponding transcriptional changes that choreograph these processes. To identify these transcriptional changes, we dissected wild-type Canton S pupal eyes and performed RNA-sequencing. Our analyses identified differential expression of many loci that are documented regulators of pupal eye morphogenesis and contribute to multiple biological processes including signaling, axon projection, adhesion, and cell survival. We also identified differential expression of genes not previously implicated in pupal eye morphogenesis such as components of the Toll pathway, several non-classical cadherins, and components of the muscle sarcomere, which could suggest these loci function as novel patterning factors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen P. Wong ◽  
Urszula T. Iwaniec ◽  
Russell T. Turner

AbstractSixteen-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were sacrificed aboard the International Space Station after 37 days of flight (RR-1 mission) and frozen carcasses returned to Earth. RNA was isolated from interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) and gonadal white adipose tissue (WAT). Spaceflight resulted in differential expression of genes in BAT consistent with increased non-shivering thermogenesis and differential expression of genes in WAT consistent with increased glucose uptake and metabolism, adipogenesis, and β-oxidation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Selman ◽  
Nicola D. Kerrison ◽  
Anisha Cooray ◽  
Matthew D. W. Piper ◽  
Steven J. Lingard ◽  
...  

Caloric restriction (CR) increases healthy life span in a range of organisms. The underlying mechanisms are not understood but appear to include changes in gene expression, protein function, and metabolism. Recent studies demonstrate that acute CR alters mortality rates within days in flies. Multitissue transcriptional changes and concomitant metabolic responses to acute CR have not been described. We generated whole genome RNA transcript profiles in liver, skeletal muscle, colon, and hypothalamus and simultaneously measured plasma metabolites using proton nuclear magnetic resonance in mice subjected to acute CR. Liver and muscle showed increased gene expressions associated with fatty acid metabolism and a reduction in those involved in hepatic lipid biosynthesis. Glucogenic amino acids increased in plasma, and gene expression for hepatic gluconeogenesis was enhanced. Increased expression of genes for hormone-mediated signaling and decreased expression of genes involved in protein binding and development occurred in hypothalamus. Cell proliferation genes were decreased and cellular transport genes increased in colon. Acute CR captured many, but not all, hepatic transcriptional changes of long-term CR. Our findings demonstrate a clear transcriptional response across multiple tissues during acute CR, with congruent plasma metabolite changes. Liver and muscle switched gene expression away from energetically expensive biosynthetic processes toward energy conservation and utilization processes, including fatty acid metabolism and gluconeogenesis. Both muscle and colon switched gene expression away from cellular proliferation. Mice undergoing acute CR rapidly adopt many transcriptional and metabolic changes of long-term CR, suggesting that the beneficial effects of CR may require only a short-term reduction in caloric intake.


2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 707-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Yu. Oparina ◽  
A. V. Snezhkina ◽  
A. F. Sadritdinova ◽  
V. A. Veselovskii ◽  
A. A. Dmitriev ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Anna Wardowska ◽  
Żaneta Smoleńska ◽  
Katarzyna A. Lisowska ◽  
Zbigniew Zdrojewski ◽  
Michał Pikuła

The systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease related to a loss of immune tolerance against autoantigens that leads to tissue inflammation and organ dysfunction. Constant stimulation of dendritic cells (DC) with autoantigens is hypothesized to increase the B cells’ activity which are involved in production of autoantibodies that play an essential role in the SLE development. We focused our study on detecting alterations in DCs at the cellular and molecular levels in patients with treated SLE, depending on the disease activity and treatment. In order to phenotype subpopulations of DCs, multicolor flow cytometry was used. Transcriptional changes were identified with quantitative PCR, while soluble cytokine receptors were assessed with the Luminex technology. We show that SLE patients display a higher percentage of activated myeloid DCs (mDCs) when compared to healthy people. Both, the mDCs and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) of SLE patients were characterized by changes in expression of genes associated with their maturation, functioning and signalling, which was especially reflected by low expression of regulatory factor ID2 and increased expression of IRF5. pDCs of SLE patients also showed increased expression of IRF1. There were also significant changes in the expression of APRIL, MBD2, and E2-2 in mDCs that significantly correlated with some serum components, i.e. anti-dsDNA antibodies or complement components. However, we did not find any significant differences depending on the disease activity. While the majority of available studies focuses mainly on the role of pDCs in the disease development, our results show significant disturbances in the functioning of mDCs in SLE patients, thus confirming mDCs’ importance in SLE pathogenesis.


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