Project description:Rare cases of non-hepatotropic virus (NHV) infection in humans can cause severe hepatitis and even acute liver failure. Clinically relevant animal models of NHV-induced hepatitis are limited, contributing to the incomplete understanding of pathological mechanisms. Murine norovirus (MNV) elicits hepatosplenomegaly in mice lacking the antiviral immune effector Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-1 (STAT1), providing a model to investigate mechanisms of NHV-induced hepatic pathology. STAT1-sufficient and -deficient (Stat1Het, Stat1KO) littermates infected intravenously (i.v.) with MNV strain CR6 were assessed for hepatic inflammation and viral burden. Cell types and molecular pathways associated with hepatic pathology in CR6-infected Stat1KO mice were identified by flow cytometry and RNAseq of liver tissue. The relative importance of hematopoietic vs non-hematopoietic expression of STAT1 in restricting CR6 replication and maintaining tissue homeostasis was assessed in bone marrow chimeras. MNV CR6 Stat1KO mice developed severe hepatitis with patchy hepatocellular necrosis and localized enrichment of CR6-infected myeloid cells, particularly macrophages. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of hepatic biopsies isolated from CR6-infected Stat1KO mice suggested dysregulated myeloid cell activation and indicated similarities between murine and human hepatic pathologies. STAT1 expression in hematopoietic cells was protective against hepatic viral dissemination, but hematopoietic STAT1-deficiency permitted persistent hepatic MNV infection, facilitating dysregulated myeloid cell activation and hepatic fibrosis. These results demonstrate that the role of STAT1 extends beyond restricting MNV dissemination and suggest that STAT1-dependent regulation of myeloid cell activation prevents acute hepatic necroinflammation and secondary fibrosis. This model of MNV-induced hepatitis may prove valuable in elucidating mechanisms of rare clinical complications.
Project description:Murine norovirus is genetically similar to human norovirus, and offers both an efficient in vitro cell culture system and animal model by which to investigate the molecular basis of replication. Here, we present a detailed global view of host alterations to cellular pathways that occur during the progression of a norovirus infection. This was accomplished for both RAW264.7 (RAW) cells, an immortalized cell line widely used in in vitro replication studies, and primary bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM), representing a permissive in vivo target cell in the host. Murine norovirus replicated in both cell types, although detected genome copies were approximately one log lower in BMDM compared to RAW cells. RAW and BMDM cells shared an IRF3/7-based IFN response that occurred early in infection. In RAW264.7 cells, transcriptional upregulation and INF-ß expression were not coupled, in that a significant delay in the detection of secreted INF-ß was observed. In contrast, primary BMDM showed an early upregulation of transcripts and immediate release of INF-ß that might account for lower virus yield. Differences in the transcriptional pathway responses included a marked decrease in expression of key genes in the cell cycle and lipid synthesis pathways in RAW264.7 cells compared to that of BMDM. Our comparative analysis indicates the existence of varying host responses to virus infection in populations of permissive cells. Awareness of these differences at the gene level will be important in the application of a given permissive cell culture system to the study of norovirus immunity, pathogenesis, and drug development.
Project description:The norovirus VPg protein is covalently linked to the viral genome in place of a 5' cap, and functions as a cap-substitute, capable of interacting with translation initiation factors. Following on from our previous study (Chung et. al. 2014, J. BIol. Chem.) we wished to determine the interactome of human norovirus VPg, and compare that of murine norovirus VPg. We had previously demonstrated that mutation of the penultimate C-terminal phenylalanine residue in murine norovirus VPg greatly reduced initiation factor binding (F123A). Insertion of the equivalent mutation into human norovirus (F137A) also reduced initiation factor binding. Affinity purification of wild-type of mutant human and murine norovirus VPg was accomplished using GFP-tagged VPg transfected into SILAC-labelled human HEK-293T cells.
Project description:RAW264.7 macrophages infected with MNV-1 and mock infected gene expression measured by microarray. To be published in Waugh, E. Chen, A. Baird, M. Fleming, S. Brown, C.M. and V K. Ward (2014) Characterization of the chemokine response of RAW264.7 cells to infection by murine norovirus. Virus Genes Four Samples, two mock and two MNV-1 infected.
Project description:RAW264.7 macrophages infected with MNV-1 and mock infected gene expression measured by microarray. To be published in Waugh, E. Chen, A. Baird, M. Fleming, S. Brown, C.M. and V K. Ward (2014) Characterization of the chemokine response of RAW264.7 cells to infection by murine norovirus. Virus Genes
Project description:Murine norovirus (MNV) is genetically similar to human norovirus (HuNoV), and offers both an efficient in vitro cell culture system and animal model by which to investigate the molecular basis of replication. Here, we present a detailed global view of the cellular alterations that occur during the progression of a norovirus infection. The transcriptome of a synchronously infected population of MNV-infected murine macrophage-like cell line (RAW264.7) was determined at 8, 14, and 20 hours post infection. The cellular genetic response was analyzed both globally and by specific pathways. Viral replication was monitored by RNA-seq and quantitative real-time PCR in context of the cellular phenotypic response. The majority of transcriptionally up regulated genes were related to the IFN response. Additionally, there was a global increase in gene transcripts associated with immune response and inflammation. A transcriptional decrease was observed across many cellular processes, but particularly for genes involved in lipid homeostasis and cell cycle. The peak of the transcriptional immune response correlated with detected viral genome copies and changes in cellular phenotype including nuclear condensation. A more complete understanding of host response to norovirus infection will help to highlight the cellular pathways critical for a more effective immune response as well as those that may be exploited by the virus for therapeutic development.
Project description:SILAC-labelling analysis of murine BV-2 cells infected at high multiplicity of infection (10 TCID50/cell) and harvested at 4h or 9h post-infection. Lysates were then suject to m7GTP-sepharose affinity purification to enrich for translation initiation factors. As norovirus translation uses a VPg protein covalently linked to the 5' of its RNAs for initiation factor recruitment it was hypothesised that norovirus infection could modify initiation factor complexes. A paired dataset investigates the effects of MNV infection on total protein levels in infected cells (PXD004015).