Project description:To define adaptive immune signatures associated to protection from hospitalized dengue, we performed in depth immunoprofiling, single cell T cell receptor (TCR) and B cell receptor (BCR) analysis and quantified DENV-specific T cells in Cambodian children with subclinical infection or hospitalized dengue.
Project description:Dengue viruses cause two severe diseases that alter vascular fluid barrier functions, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). While the mechanisms that lead to vascular permeability are unknown, the endothelium plays a central role in regulating fluid and cellular efflux from capillaries. Thus, dysregulation of endothelial cells functions by dengue virus infection may contribute to pathogenesis and severe disease. We used microarrays to investigate the effect of dengue virus infection on gene expression within primary human endothelial cells at various times post infection and identified numerous upregulated antiviral and immune response genes. Early passage primary endothelial cells (HUVECs) were mock infected (no virus) or infected with dengue virus and total RNA collected at 3 timepoints: 12, 24, and 48 hours post infection. Multiple timepoints were analyzed to identify changes in gene expression levels over time. Gene expression from both mock infected and dengue virus infected endothelial cells was evaluated to determine fold induction at each timepoint.
Project description:There are 19 differentially expressed microRNAs among new HIV-infected cases, old HIV-infected cases and healthy controls. Five microRNAs show trends in healthy controls, new HIV-infected cases and old HIV-infected cases, they are hsa-miR-1291, and hsa-miR-3609 with up-trends, and hsa-miR-3162-3p, hsa-miR-874-5p and hsa-miR-4258 with down-trends.
Project description:The goal of this study was to compare the transcriptional profile (RNA-seq) of Dengue virus 2 and mock infected cells at 24 and 36 hours post infection. Dengue virus NS5 protein plays multiple functions in the cytoplasm of infected cells, enabling viral RNA replication and counteracting host antiviral responses. Here, we demonstrate a novel function of NS5 in the nucleus where it interferes with cellular splicing. Using global proteomic analysis of infected cells together with functional studies, we found that NS5 binds spliceosome complexes and modulates endogenous splicing. In particular, we show that NS5 alone, or in the context of viral infection, interacts with core components of the U5 snRNP particle, CD2BP2 and DDX23, alters the inclusion/exclusion ratio of alternative splicing events, and changes mRNA isoform abundance of known antiviral factors. Interestingly, a genome wide transcriptome analysis, using recently developed bioinformatics tools, revealed an increase of intron retention upon dengue virus infection, and viral replication was improved by silencing specific U5 components. Different mechanistic studies indicate that binding of NS5 to the spliceosome reduces the efficiency of pre-mRNA processing, independently of NS5 enzymatic activities. We propose that NS5 binding to U5 snRNP proteins hijacks the splicing machinery resulting in a less restrictive environment for viral replication. A549 cells where infected with Dengue virus 2 or mock and after 24 and 36 hours post infection mRNA was purified. Then the transcriptional profile of these cells was analyzed using RNA-seq.
Project description:The goal of this study was to compare the transcriptional profile (RNA-seq) of Dengue virus 2 and mock infected cells at 24 and 36 hours post infection. Dengue virus NS5 protein plays multiple functions in the cytoplasm of infected cells, enabling viral RNA replication and counteracting host antiviral responses. Here, we demonstrate a novel function of NS5 in the nucleus where it interferes with cellular splicing. Using global proteomic analysis of infected cells together with functional studies, we found that NS5 binds spliceosome complexes and modulates endogenous splicing. In particular, we show that NS5 alone, or in the context of viral infection, interacts with core components of the U5 snRNP particle, CD2BP2 and DDX23, alters the inclusion/exclusion ratio of alternative splicing events, and changes mRNA isoform abundance of known antiviral factors. Interestingly, a genome wide transcriptome analysis, using recently developed bioinformatics tools, revealed an increase of intron retention upon dengue virus infection, and viral replication was improved by silencing specific U5 components. Different mechanistic studies indicate that binding of NS5 to the spliceosome reduces the efficiency of pre-mRNA processing, independently of NS5 enzymatic activities. We propose that NS5 binding to U5 snRNP proteins hijacks the splicing machinery resulting in a less restrictive environment for viral replication.
Project description:Infection with dengue viruses (DENVs) leads to a spectrum of disease outcomes. The pathophysiology of severe versus non-severe manifestations of DENV infection may be driven by host responses, which could be reflected in the transcriptional profiles of peripheral blood immune cells. We conducted genome-wide microarray analysis of whole blood RNA from 34 DENV-infected children in Nicaragua collected on days 3–6 of illness, with different disease manifestations. Gene expression analysis identified genes that are differentially regulated between clinical subgroups. The most striking transcriptional differences were observed between dengue patients with and without shock, especially in the expression of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins associated with protein biosynthesis. In the dengue hemorrhagic fever patients, one subset of differentially expressed genes encode neutrophil-derived anti-microbial peptides associated with innate immunity. We analyzed 44 HEEBO arrays on which were hybridized RNA amplified from whole blood collected into PAXgene tubes. 34 samples were collected from DENV-infected patients who presented between days 3-6 of illness. Six convalescent samples collected 14-19 days after onset of symptoms were from two dengue fever patients, one dengue hemorrhagic fever patient and three dengue shock syndrome patients. Additionally, samples from four normal healthy individuals were also analyzed.
Project description:Use of the bacterium Wolbachia is an innovative new strategy designed to break the cycle of dengue transmission. There are two main mechanisms by which Wolbachia could achieve this: by reducing the level of dengue virus in the mosquito and/or by shortening the host mosquito's lifespan. However, although Wolbachia shortens the lifespan, it also gives a breeding advantage which results in complex population dynamics. This study focuses on the development of a mathematical model to quantify the effect on human dengue cases of introducing Wolbachia into the mosquito population. The model consists of a compartment-based system of first-order differential equations; seasonal forcing in the mosquito population is introduced through the adult mosquito death rate. The analysis focuses on a single dengue outbreak typical of a region with a strong seasonally-varying mosquito population. We found that a significant reduction in human dengue cases can be obtained provided that Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes persist when competing with mosquitoes without Wolbachia. Furthermore, using the Wolbachia strain WMel reduces the mosquito lifespan by at most 10% and allows them to persist in competition with non-Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carrying the WMelPop strain, however, are not likely to persist as it reduces the mosquito lifespan by up to 50%. When all other effects of Wolbachia on the mosquito physiology are ignored, cytoplasmic incompatibility alone results in a reduction in the number of human dengue cases. A sensitivity analysis of the parameters in the model shows that the transmission probability, the biting rate and the average adult mosquito death rate are the most important parameters for the outcome of the cumulative proportion of human individuals infected with dengue.