Project description:HIV-1 infections of women are mainly acquired through female reproductive tract where cervical and vaginal epithelial cells are the first line of defense. Although HIV-1 does not directly infect epithelial cells, HIV-1 obligatorily interacts with and crosses over epithelial layer to infect susceptible target cells, mainly CD4+ T cells, in the lamina propria to initiate an infection. However, the mechanism and ramification of the interaction of HIV-1 and epithelial cells in vaginal transmission of HIV-1 remain to be elucidated. We hypothesized that cervical epithelial cells are not a passive barrier, but actively respond to HIV-1 to change mucosal milieu and facilitate HIV-1 transmission. We tested this hypothesis by studying the responses of cervical epithelial cells to HIV-1 through profiling genome-wide transcription. We found 1) cervical epithelial cells actively respond to HIV-1. Five hundred forty-three transcripts/genes in cervical epithelial cells were significantly altered in expression at four hours post exposure to HIV-1, of which many relate to important signaling pathways, such as innate immune responses, pattern recognition receptors, apoptosis, biosynthesis, and energy production, 2) HIV-1 increases the expression of CXC Chemokines (IL-8, CXCL1 and CXCL3) in cervical epithelial cells. IL-8 and CXCL1 are potent chemotactic for multinuclear neutrophils (MNP), monocytes and a minority of lymphocytes, and CXCL3 is predominant chemotactic for monocytes, 3) HIV-1 increases the expression of key inflammatory enzymes-COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is responsible for the production of prostaglandins that are important for homeostatic functions, and COX-2 is a key enzyme to convert arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, key inflammatory mediators, and 4) the increased expression of IL-8 and COX-2 revealed using microarray analysis was mapped into the endocervical epithelial cells of macaques inoculated with inactivated SIV in vivo. Our date lead to a role model of epithelial cells in HIV-1 vaginal transmission, that is the axis of HIV-1, epithelial cells, proinflammatory molecules (IL-8, CXCL1, CXCL3, COX-1 and COX-2), cell recruitment (MNP, monocytes and T cells), and inflammation. This model implies that moderating epithelial proinflammatory response to HIV-1 may be utilized in prevention of HIV vaginal transmission. Human endocervical epithelial cell line, CRL-2615, was inoculated with HIV-1 ME1 and collected 4hrs post exposure. Biologically duplicated mRNAs were prepared after exposure.
Project description:HIV-1 infections of women are mainly acquired through female reproductive tract where cervical and vaginal epithelial cells are the first line of defense. Although HIV-1 does not directly infect epithelial cells, HIV-1 obligatorily interacts with and crosses over epithelial layer to infect susceptible target cells, mainly CD4+ T cells, in the lamina propria to initiate an infection. However, the mechanism and ramification of the interaction of HIV-1 and epithelial cells in vaginal transmission of HIV-1 remain to be elucidated. We hypothesized that cervical epithelial cells are not a passive barrier, but actively respond to HIV-1 to change mucosal milieu and facilitate HIV-1 transmission. We tested this hypothesis by studying the responses of cervical epithelial cells to HIV-1 through profiling genome-wide transcription. We found 1) cervical epithelial cells actively respond to HIV-1. Five hundred forty-three transcripts/genes in cervical epithelial cells were significantly altered in expression at four hours post exposure to HIV-1, of which many relate to important signaling pathways, such as innate immune responses, pattern recognition receptors, apoptosis, biosynthesis, and energy production, 2) HIV-1 increases the expression of CXC Chemokines (IL-8, CXCL1 and CXCL3) in cervical epithelial cells. IL-8 and CXCL1 are potent chemotactic for multinuclear neutrophils (MNP), monocytes and a minority of lymphocytes, and CXCL3 is predominant chemotactic for monocytes, 3) HIV-1 increases the expression of key inflammatory enzymes-COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 is responsible for the production of prostaglandins that are important for homeostatic functions, and COX-2 is a key enzyme to convert arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, key inflammatory mediators, and 4) the increased expression of IL-8 and COX-2 revealed using microarray analysis was mapped into the endocervical epithelial cells of macaques inoculated with inactivated SIV in vivo. Our date lead to a role model of epithelial cells in HIV-1 vaginal transmission, that is the axis of HIV-1, epithelial cells, proinflammatory molecules (IL-8, CXCL1, CXCL3, COX-1 and COX-2), cell recruitment (MNP, monocytes and T cells), and inflammation. This model implies that moderating epithelial proinflammatory response to HIV-1 may be utilized in prevention of HIV vaginal transmission.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.
Project description:During sexual transmission of HIV-1 from male to female partners, the vagina is the initial site of contact with HIV infected semen. The mechanism of HIV traversing the CD4 negative multi-layered stratified squamous epithelial barrier of the vagina to infect sub-epithelial susceptible immune cells, is hitherto unknown. HIV gp120 binds to several host proteins on vaginal epithelial cells. To gain an insight into the physiologic changes that may occur in vaginal epithelial cells in response to interactions with HIV gp120, and obtain an understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which HIV breaches the vaginal epithelium, a global snap shot of gene expression profiles in the vaginal epithelial cell line Vk2/E6E7, treated with HIV gp120 was determined. The vaginal epithelial cell line Vk2/E6E7 was treated with HIV gp120 (83nM) for 24 hr, and Agilent one colour, microarrays were performed.