Project description:Viral pneumonia has been frequently reported during early stages of influenza virus pandemics and in many human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus infection. To better understand the pathogenesis of this disease, we produced non-lethal viral pneumonia in rhesus macaques by using an HPAI H5N1 virus (A/Anhui/2/2005; referred to as Anhui/2). Infected macaques were monitored for 14 days, and tissue samples were collected at 6 time points for virologic, histopathologic and transcriptomic analyses.
Project description:While infection of chickens with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 subtypes often leads to complete mortality within 24 to 48 h, infection of ducks in contrast causes mild or no clinical signs. Rapid onsets of fatal disease in chickens, but with no evidence of severe clinical symptoms in ducks, suggest underlying differences in their innate immune mechanisms. To understand the molecular basis for such difference, chicken and duck primary lung cells, infected with a low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) and two HPAI H5N1 viruses, were subjected to RNA expression profiling using Affymetrix Chicken GeneChip arrays. We used microarrays to analyze the gene expression profiles of primary chicken and duck lung cells infected with H2N3 LPAI and two H5N1 influenza virus subtypes to understand the molecular basis of host susceptibility and resistance. We have identified a set of key genes and pathways that could play an important role in mediating innate host resistance to avian influenza in chickens and ducks.
Project description:Background Clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses are widely circulating in North America with unprecedented transmission into novel host species. A high incidence of neurologic disease is observed in carnivores infected with clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1 viruses and historical outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 in humans are also associated with neurologic complications, raising concerns about neurotropism and neurovirulence of clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1 viruses. Methods We analyzed virus replication kinetics, cellular tropism, and host responses to infection in human cerebral organoids (hCOs) inoculated with clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1 viruses compared to a historical clade 1 HPAI H5N1 virus and a seasonal influenza A virus. Results HPAI H5N1 viruses replicated to high titers in hCOs, but replication of the seasonal influenza A virus was not detected. Viral antigen and RNA were detected primarily in neuron- and astrocyte-like cells. Interferon responses to infection with HPAI H5N1 viruses were observed in a small population of bystander cells. Higher levels of cell death and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines were observed in organoids inoculated with the historical HPAI H5N1 isolate. Conclusions Clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1 viruses exhibit similar neurotropism compared to a historical clade 1 HPAI H5N1 virus. Lower levels of cell death and inflammatory cytokine production induced by clade 2.3.4.4b viruses may indicate reduced neuropathogenic potential of these viruses in humans.
Project description:Ducks and wild aquatic birds are the natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses. However, the host proteome response that causes disease in vivo during infection by the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus is still not well understood. In the present study, we compared the proteome response in Muscovy duck lung tissue during 3 day of infection with either a highly virulent or an avirulent H5N1 virus. During infection, proteins involved in immune response of neutrophils and size of cells were increased markedly in the lung by the virulent strain, while the avirulent strain evoked a distinct response, characterized by an increase in proteins involved in cell movement, maturation of dendritic cells, adhesion of phagocytes, and immune response of macrophages.
Project description:Over the last decade, more than half of humans infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses have died, and yet virus-induced host signaling has yet to be clearly elucidated. Airway epithelia are known to produce inflammatory mediators that contribute to HPAI H5N1-mediated pathogenicity, but a comprehensive analysis of the host response in this cell type is lacking. Here, we leveraged a systems biology method called weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify and statistically validate signaling sub-networks that define the dynamic transcriptional response of human bronchial epithelial cells after infection with influenza A/Vietnam/1203/2004 (H5N1, VN1203). A detailed examination of two sub-networks involved in the immune response and keratin filament formation revealed potential novel mediators of HPAI H5N1 pathogenesis, and additional experiments validated upregulation of these transcripts in response to VN1203 infection in C57BL/6 mice. Using emergent network properties, we provide fresh insight into the host response to HPAI H5N1 virus infection, and identify novel avenues for perturbation studies and potential therapeutic intervention of fatal HPAI H5N1 disease. Calu-3 cells were infected with VN1203 influenza virus and profiled at 0, 3, 7, 12, 18, and 24 hours post infection. There are 3 mock and infected replicates for each time point.
Project description:Over the last decade, more than half of humans infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses have died, and yet virus-induced host signaling has yet to be clearly elucidated. Airway epithelia are known to produce inflammatory mediators that contribute to HPAI H5N1-mediated pathogenicity, but a comprehensive analysis of the host response in this cell type is lacking. Here, we leveraged a systems biology method called weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify and statistically validate signaling sub-networks that define the dynamic transcriptional response of human bronchial epithelial cells after infection with influenza A/Vietnam/1203/2004 (H5N1, VN1203). A detailed examination of two sub-networks involved in the immune response and keratin filament formation revealed potential novel mediators of HPAI H5N1 pathogenesis, and additional experiments validated upregulation of these transcripts in response to VN1203 infection in C57BL/6 mice. Using emergent network properties, we provide fresh insight into the host response to HPAI H5N1 virus infection, and identify novel avenues for perturbation studies and potential therapeutic intervention of fatal HPAI H5N1 disease.
Project description:While infection of chickens with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 subtypes often leads to complete mortality within 24 to 48 h, infection of ducks in contrast causes mild or no clinical signs. Rapid onsets of fatal disease in chickens, but with no evidence of severe clinical symptoms in ducks, suggest underlying differences in their innate immune mechanisms. To understand the molecular basis for such difference, chicken and duck primary lung cells, infected with a low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) and two HPAI H5N1 viruses, were subjected to RNA expression profiling using Affymetrix Chicken GeneChip arrays. We used microarrays to analyze the gene expression profiles of primary chicken and duck lung cells infected with H2N3 LPAI and two H5N1 influenza virus subtypes to understand the molecular basis of host susceptibility and resistance. We have identified a set of key genes and pathways that could play an important role in mediating innate host resistance to avian influenza in chickens and ducks. 24 hours following infection, total RNA from cells was extracted. Replicate RNA samples from each of the virus-infected (H2N3, H5N1 50-92, or H5N1 ty-Ty) or mock-infected chicken and duck cells (4 treatment groups for each species) were used for microarray analysis. Each of the RNA samples was hybridized to one GeneChipM-BM-. Chicken Genome Array (Affymetrix), and a total of 16 array chips were used.
Project description:Human disease caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 can lead to a rapidly progressive viral pneumonia leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome. There is increasing evidence suggests a role for virus-induced cytokine dysregulation in contributing to the pathogenesis of human H5N1 disease. The key target cells for the virus in the lung are the alveolar epithelium and alveolar macrophages, and previous data has shown that compared to seasonal human influenza viruses, equivalent infecting doses of H5N1 viruses markedly up-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines in both primary cell types in vitro. The dysregulation of H5N1-induced host responses is therefore important for understanding the viral pathogenesis. We used microarrays to analyze and compare the gene expression profiles in primary human macrophages after influenza A virus infection.
Project description:Current prophylactic and therapeutic strategies targeting human influenza viruses include vaccines and antivirals. Given variable rates of vaccine efficacy and antiviral resistance, alternative strategies are urgently required to improve disease outcomes. Here we describe the use of HiSeq deep sequencing to analyze host gene expression in primary human alveolar epithelial type II (ATII) cells infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus. We employed primary human ATII cells isolated from normal human lung tissue donated by patients that underwent lung resection. Human host gene expression following HPAI H5N1 virus (A/Chicken/Vietnam/0008/04) infection of primary ATII cells was analyzed using Illumina HiSeq deep sequencing.