• Martin Shepard posted an update 1 month, 3 weeks ago

    Feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection initiates monocyte-associated viremia and viral persistence. Virus-infected, -activated monocytes also trigger feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a fatal systemic disease of felids typified by granulomatous (peri)phlebitis. Currently, the exact mechanisms inducing monocyte activation and FIP are unknown. This study attempted to identify the potential immediate effect of virulent FCoV on colony-stimulating factor (CSF) (granulocyte (G)-CSF, monocyte (M)-CSF and granulocyte-monocyte (GM)-CSF levels through in vitro assessment, alongside prototypical pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators (interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-12p40, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-10); this was assessed alongside the in vivo situation in the hemolymphatic tissues of cats euthanized with natural end-stage FIP. For the in vitro work, isolated monocytes from SPF cats were cultured short-term and infected with the FIP virus (FIPV) strain DF2. Mediator transcription was assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) at 3, 6 and 9 h post infection (hpi), and in the post-mortem samples of bone marrow, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) of cats with FIP. We observed limited and transient changes in cytokine transcription in monocytes after infection, i.e., a significant increase of IL-6 at 3 hpi and of GM-CSF over the 3 and 6 hpi period, whereas M-CSF was significantly decreased at 9 hpi, with a limited effect of age. The findings indicate that the infection induces expansion of the monocyte/macrophage population, which would ensure the sufficient supply of cells for consistent viral replication. In natural disease, the only upregulation was of G-CSF in the MLN, suggesting either immune exhaustion or an active downregulation by the host as part of its viral response.High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) uses massive parallel sequencing technology, allowing the unbiased analysis of genome-wide transcription levels and tumor mutation status. Immunoglobulin G4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) is a fibroinflammatory disease characterized by the enlargement of the ocular adnexal tissues. We analyzed RNA expression levels via RNA-seq in the biopsy specimens of three patients diagnosed with IgG4-ROD. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH), normal lacrimal gland tissue, and adjacent adipose tissue were used as the controls (n = 3 each). RNA-seq was performed using the NextSeq 500 system, and genes with |fold change| ≥ 2 and p less then 0.05 relative to the controls were defined as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in IgG4-ROD. To validate the results of RNA-seq, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed in 30 IgG4-ROD and 30 orbital MALT lymphoma tissue samples. RNA-seq identified 35 up-regulated genes, including matrix metallopeptidase 12 (MMP12) and secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), in IgG4-ROD tissues when compared to all the controls. Many pathways related to the immune system were included when compared to all the controls. Expressions of MMP12 and SPP1 in IgG4-ROD tissues were confirmed by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, we identified novel DEGs, including those associated with extracellular matrix degradation, fibrosis, and inflammation, in IgG4-ROD biopsy specimens. These data provide new insights into molecular pathogenetic mechanisms and may contribute to the development of new biomarkers for diagnosis and molecular targeted drugs.’Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas) is the pathogenic bacterium that causes the disease Huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus and some model plants, such as Nicotiana benthamiana. After infection, CLas releases a set of effectors to modulate host responses. One of these critical effectors is Sec-delivered effector 1 (SDE1), which induces chlorosis and cell death in N. benthamiana. In this study, we revealed the DEAD-box RNA helicase (DDX3) interacts with SDE1. Gene silencing study revealed that knockdown of the NbDDX3 gene triggers leaf chlorosis, mimicking the primary symptom of CLas infection in N. Ivacaftor benthamiana. The interactions between SDE1 and NbDDX3 were localized in the cell membrane. Overexpression of SDE1 resulted in suppression of NbDDX3 gene expression in N. benthamiana, which suggests a critical role of SDE1 in modulating NbDDX3 expression. Furthermore, we verified the interaction of SDE1 with citrus DDX3 (CsDDX3), and demonstrated that the expression of the CsDDX3 gene was significantly reduced in HLB-affected yellowing and mottled leaves of citrus. Thus, we provide molecular evidence that the downregulation of the host DDX3 gene is a crucial mechanism of leaf chlorosis in HLB-affected plants. The identification of CsDDX3 as a critical target of SDE1 and its association with HLB symptom development indicates that the DDX3 gene is an important target for gene editing, to interrupt the interaction between DDX3 and SDE1, and therefore interfere host susceptibility.Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent in 9.1% of the global population and is a significant public health problem associated with increased morbidity and mortality. CKD is associated with highly prevalent physiological and metabolic disturbances such as hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and aging, which are also risk factors for CKD pathogenesis and progression. Podocytes and proximal tubular cells of the kidney strongly express AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK plays essential roles in glucose and lipid metabolism, cell survival, growth, and inflammation. Thus, metabolic disease-induced renal diseases like obesity-related and diabetic chronic kidney disease demonstrate dysregulated AMPK in the kidney. Activating AMPK ameliorates the pathological and phenotypical features of both diseases. As a metabolic sensor, AMPK regulates active tubular transport and helps renal cells to survive low energy states. AMPK also exerts a key role in mitochondrial homeostasis and is known to regulate autophagy in mammalian cells. While the nutrient-sensing role of AMPK is critical in determining the fate of renal cells, the role of AMPK in kidney autophagy and mitochondrial quality control leading to pathology in metabolic disease-related CKD is not very clear and needs further investigation. This review highlights the crucial role of AMPK in renal cell dysfunction associated with metabolic diseases and aims to expand therapeutic strategies by understanding the molecular and cellular processes underlying CKD.