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Breaking down the cellular responses to type I interferon neurotoxicity in the brain.

ABSTRACT: Since their original discovery, type I interferons (IFN-Is) have been closely associated with antiviral immune responses. However, their biological functions go far beyond this role, with balanced IFN-I activity being critical to maintain cellular and tissue homeostasis. Recent findings have uncovered a darker side of IFN-Is whereby chronically elevated levels induce devastating neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative pathologies. The underlying causes of these 'interferonopathies' are diverse and include monogenetic syndromes, autoimmune disorders, as well as chronic infections. The prominent involvement of the CNS in these disorders indicates a particular susceptibility of brain cells to IFN-I toxicity. Here we will discuss the current knowledge of how IFN-Is mediate neurotoxicity in the brain by analyzing the cell-type specific responses to IFN-Is in the CNS, and secondly, by exploring the spectrum of neurological disorders arising from increased IFN-Is. Understanding the nature of IFN-I neurotoxicity is a crucial and fundamental step towards development of new therapeutic strategies for interferonopathies.

SUBMITTER: Viengkhou B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9936317 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Breaking down the cellular responses to type I interferon neurotoxicity in the brain.

Viengkhou Barney B Hofer Markus J MJ

Frontiers in immunology 20230203

Since their original discovery, type I interferons (IFN-Is) have been closely associated with antiviral immune responses. However, their biological functions go far beyond this role, with balanced IFN-I activity being critical to maintain cellular and tissue homeostasis. Recent findings have uncovered a darker side of IFN-Is whereby chronically elevated levels induce devastating neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative pathologies. The underlying causes of these 'interferonopathies' are diverse a ...[more]

PMID: 36817430

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Interferon ? (IFN?) is a cytokine whose production is increased endogenously in response to viral infection and in autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). An elevated IFN? signature has been associated with clinically observed neuro-behavioural deficits such as mild cognitive impairment, fatigue, depression and psychosis in these diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying these neuropsychiatric symptoms remain largely unknown, and it is as yet unclear how IFN? signalling might influence central nervous system (CNS) function. Aberrant microglia-mediated synaptic pruning and function has recently been implicated in several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases, but whether and how IFN? modulates these functions are not well defined. METHODS:Using a model of peripheral IFN? administration, we investigated gene expression changes due to IFNAR signalling in microglia. Bulk RNA sequencing on sorted microglia from wild type and microglia-specific Ifnar1 conditional knockout mice was performed to evaluate IFN? and IFNAR signalling-dependent changes in gene expression. Furthermore, the effects of IFN? on microglia morphology and synapse engulfment were assessed, via immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. RESULTS:We found that IFN? exposure through the periphery induces a unique gene signature in microglia that includes the expected upregulation of multiple interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), as well as the complement component C4b. We additionally characterized several IFN?-dependent changes in microglial phenotype, including expression of CD45 and CD68, cellular morphology and presynaptic engulfment, that reveal subtle brain region-specific differences. Finally, by specifically knocking down expression of IFNAR1 on microglia, we show that these changes are largely attributable to direct IFNAR signalling on microglia and not from indirect signalling effects through other CNS parenchymal cell types which are capable of IFN?-IFNAR signal transduction. CONCLUSIONS:Peripheral IFN? induces unique genetic and phenotypic changes in microglia that are largely dependent on direct signalling through microglial IFNAR. The IFN?-induced upregulation of C4b could play important roles in the context of aberrant synaptic pruning in neuropsychiatric disease.

Dataset Information

Breaking down the cellular responses to type I interferon neurotoxicity in the brain.

Publications

Breaking down the cellular responses to type I interferon neurotoxicity in the brain.

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