Project description:The respiratory epithelium is the body’s most exposed internal surface to airborne antigens and pathogens. Beyond serving as a physical barrier, epithelial cells actively work to expel threats by secreting mucus and cough-mediated pressure dynamics and orchestrating an immune response1. However, the mechanisms by which epithelial cells transduce mechanical changes in the airway during allergic immune activation remain unclear. We demonstrated that pulmonary endocrine cells (PNECs), a specialized rare cell population, sense airway pressure fluctuations via the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo2 and promote eosinophilic inflammation by secreting secretoneurin, a chromogranin family neuropeptide. Piezo2-expressing PNECs form clusters at bronchial bifurcation sites, and their anatomical locations tend to experience maximal mechanical stress2. PNECs actively secrete secretoneurin in response to positive pressure ventilation in vivo. Intratracheal administration of secretoneurin induces massive infiltration of eosinophils and eosinophil extracellular trap cell death (EETosis), a pathological process central to airway inflammation3. In a murine model of Aspergillus-induced severe asthma, conditional deletion of Piezo2 or secretoneurin-encoding Scg2 specifically in PNECs, significantly ameliorated eosinophilic inflammation in the lungs. Unbiased proteoliposome screening identified sodium-dependent ascorbate transporter SLC23A2 as a binding partner of secretoneurin in eosinophils. In human respiratory tissues, a spatial transcriptome analysis and immunohistochemistry confirmed the expression of both PIEZO2 and SCG2 in PNECs. Furthermore, patients with lung eosinophilic inflammation showed significantly higher secretoneurin concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid than other patients. These results revealed a previously unrecognized epithelial mechanosensory pathway that drives eosinophilic inflammation via the PIEZO2-secretoneurin-SLC23A2-EETosis axis, thereby providing potential therapeutic targets for eosinophilic airway diseases.
Project description:Particulate matter10 (PM10) can induce airway inflammation and fibrosis. Chitinase-1 is recently known to have key roles in inflammation and fibrosis. We aimed to investigate the effects of chitinase-1 inhibitor in PM10-treated murine models. PM10 and/or OVA-induced airway inflammation and fibrosis murine models were well established. CPX and dexamethasone ameliorated PM10 or PM10/OVA-induced airway hyper-responsiveness, airway inflammation, and fibrosis. CPX and dexamethasone also reduced levels of various inflammatory markers including chitinase-1 in lung homogenates. PM10 and OVA also induced extreme changes of mRNA expression. CPX and dexamethasone decreased levels of mRNA expression especially associated with inflammation and immune regulation. They also significantly regulated asthma and asthma related pathway including JACK-STAT signaling pathway.Chitinase-1 suppression by CPX can regulate PM10-induced and aggravated airway inflammation and fibrosis via various signaling pathway.
Project description:N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been implicated in many cell processes and diseases. YTHDF1, a translation-facilitating m6A reader, is not previously shown to be related to allergic airway inflammation. Here, we report that YTHDF1 is highly expressed in allergic airway epithelial cells (AECs) and asthmatic patients, and influences proinflammatory responses. CLOCK, a subunit of the circadian clock pathway, is the direct target of YTHDF1. YTHDF1 augments CLOCK translation in an m6A-dependent manner. Allergens enhance the liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS) of YTHDF1 and drive the formation of a complex comprising dimeric YTHDF1 and CLOCK mRNA, which is distributed to stress granules (SGs). Moreover, YTHDF1 strongly activates NLRP3 inflammasome production and IL-1β secretion, leading to airway inflammatory responses, but these phenotypes are abolished by deleting CLOCK. These findings demonstrate that YTHDF1 is an important regulator of asthmatic airway inflammation, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for allergic airway inflammation.
Project description:N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been implicated in many cell processes and diseases. YTHDF1, a translation-facilitating m6A reader, is not previously shown to be related to allergic airway inflammation. Here, we report that YTHDF1 is highly expressed in allergic airway epithelial cells (AECs) and asthmatic patients, and influences proinflammatory responses. CLOCK, a subunit of the circadian clock pathway, is the direct target of YTHDF1. YTHDF1 augments CLOCK translation in an m6A-dependent manner. Allergens enhance the liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS) of YTHDF1 and drive the formation of a complex comprising dimeric YTHDF1 and CLOCK mRNA, which is distributed to stress granules (SGs). Moreover, YTHDF1 strongly activates NLRP3 inflammasome production and IL-1β secretion, leading to airway inflammatory responses, but these phenotypes are abolished by deleting CLOCK. These findings demonstrate that YTHDF1 is an important regulator of asthmatic airway inflammation, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for allergic airway inflammation.
Project description:Molecular profiling studies in asthma cohorts have identified a Th2-driven asthma subtype, characterized by elevated lower airway expression of POSTN, CLCA1 and SERPINB2. To assess upper airway gene expression as a potential biomarker for lower airway Th2 inflammation, we assayed upper airway (nasal) and lower airway (bronchial) epithelial gene expression, serum total IgE, blood eosinophils and serum periostin in a cohort of 54 allergic asthmatics and 30 matched healthy controls. 23 of 51 asthmatics in our cohort were classified as âTh2 highâ based on lower airway Th2 gene signature expression. Consistent with this classification, âTh2 highâ subjects displayed elevated total IgE and blood eosinophil levels relative to âTh2 lowâ subjects. Upper airway Th2 signature expression was significantly correlated with lower airway Th2 signature expression (r=0.44), with similar strength of association as serum total IgE and blood eosinophils, known biomarkers of Th2 inflammation. In an unbiased genome-wide scan, we identified 8 upper airway genes more strongly correlated with lower airway Th2 gene signature expression (r=0.58), including Eotaxin-3 (CCL26), Galectin-10 (CLC) and Cathepsin-C (CTSC). Asthmatics classified as âTh2 highâ using this 8-gene signature show similar serum total IgE and blood eosinophil levels as âTh2 highâ asthmatics classified using lower airway Th2 gene signature expression. We have identified an 8-gene upper airway signature correlated with lower airway Th2 inflammation, which may be used as a diagnostic biomarker for Th2-driven asthma. Upper airway (nasal) and lower airway (bronchial) epithelial brushings obtained from a cohort of 54 allergic asthmatics and 30 matched healthy controls were profiled by gene expression by microarray. Subjects were assayed for gene expression, serum total IgE, blood eosinophils and serum periostin.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE35979: Gene expression data from IL13-induced allergic airway inflammation of mice lungs GSE35980: MicroRNA expression data from IL13-induced allergic airway inflammation of mice lungs GSE37079: Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) microarray data from IL13-induced allergic airway inflammation of mouse lungs Refer to individual Series
Project description:Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) have emerged as critical mediators in driving allergic airway inflammation. Here, we identified angiotensin (Ang) II as a positive regulator of ILC2s. ILC2s expressed higher levels of the Ang II receptor AT1a, and colocalized with lung epithelial cells expressing angiotensinogen. Administration of Ang II significantly enhanced ILC2 responses both in vivo and in vitro, which were almost completely abrogated in AT1a-deficient mice. Deletion of AT1a or pharmacological inhibition of the Ang II - AT1 axis resulted in a remarkable remission of airway inflammation. The regulation of ILC2s by Ang II was cell-intrinsic and dependent on interleukin (IL)-33, and was associated with marked changes in transcriptional profiling and upregulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, higher levels of plasma Ang II correlated positively with the abundance of circulating ILC2s as well as disease severity in asthmatic patients. These observations reveal a critical role for Ang II in regulating ILC2 responses and airway inflammation.
Project description:Fungal spores, abundant in the environment, are a major cause of asthma. But the precise host response that triggers fungal allergic airway inflammation remains unclear. We found that CD11c+ DCs and CD4+ T cells are essential for development of airway inflammation in mice when repeatedly exposed to inhaled spores. To delinate which DC subsets are mediating fungal allergic inflammation we undertook single cell RNAseq of DCs isolated from the lungs of mice exposed to fungal spores. This identified precise subsets altered upon spore exposure and following targeted removal identified distinct DC subsets (Mgl2+ cDC2s) that are essential for fungal allergic airway inflammation.
Project description:Systemic inflammation is reported to be associated with neutrophilic airway inflammation in asthma, this study aimed to examine the molecular mechanisms of the neutrophilia that is associated with systemic inflammation, and hypothesized that asthma patients with systemic inflammation have a group of genes that are differentially expressed and are assciated with airway inflammation. 50 asthma patients were recruited and grouped as asthmatics with systemic inflammation (n=18) and asthamtics without systemic inflammation (n=16) accroding to the levels of serum CRP and IL-6. RNA was extracted from induced sputum and was reverse-transcribed into cDNA. Gene profiling was performed using Illumina Sentrix HumanRef-8 Version 2 Expression BeadChips, and genes that were differentially expressed between asthmatics with systemic inflammation and asthmatics without systemic inflammation were compared and valided using qPCR.