Project description:Mycobacterium avium is the most common nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) species causing infectious disease. Here, we characterized a M. avium infection model in zebrafish larvae, and compared it to M. marinum infection, a model of tuberculosis. Using RNAseq analysis, we found a distinct transcriptome response in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction for M. avium and M. marinum infection. In addition, we found substantial differences in gene expression in metabolic pathways, phagosome formation, matrix remodeling, and apoptosis in response to these mycobacterial infections.
Project description:To understand nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pathogenesis, we evaluated immune responses to Mycobacterium avium (Mav) in asymptomatic individuals with a previous history of M. avium complex lung disease (MACDZ). We analyzed global gene expression in paired Mav-infected and uninfected peripheral blood monocytes from 17 MACDZ and 17 healthy controls.
Project description:We performed Spatial transcriptomics (Visium) using the 10X Genomics platform to investigate the role of the autophagy-related protein ATG7 in the context of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection. ATG7 in innate immune cells plays a critical role in controlling NTM infection and protecting lung tissue from pathological inflammation. This study represents single-cell analysis of Mice deletion of Atg7 in innate immune cells and reveals the importance of ATG7 in mediating antimicrobial responses during infection and its essential role in host defense mechanisms against NTM.
Project description:We identified 18 patients with the distinct clinical phenotype of disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infections, viral infections, especially with human papillomaviruses, and fungal infections, primarily histoplasmosis and molds. This syndrome typically had its onset in adulthood and was characterized by profound circulating monocytopenia, B lymphocytopenia, and NK lymphocytopenia. T lymphocytes were variably affected. Despite these peripheral cytopenias, all patients had macrophages and plasma cells at sites of inflammation and normal immunoglobulin levels. This novel clinical syndrome links mycobacterial, viral, and fungal susceptibility with malignancy and is transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern. In order to elucidate the possible genetic defect that results in this novel clinical syndrome, we performed microarray expression analysis on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) isolated from affected patients and healthy controls. Keywords: healthy donor vs affected patient
