Mutant mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) can be viewed as selfish genetic elements that persist in a state of heteroplasmy despite having potentially deleterious metabolic consequences. We sought to ...study regulation of selfish mtDNA dynamics. We establish that the large 3.1-kb deletion-bearing mtDNA variant uaDf5 is a selfish genome in Caenorhabditis elegans. Next, we show that uaDf5 mutant mtDNA replicates in addition to, not at the expense of, wild-type mtDNA. These data suggest the existence of a homeostatic copy-number control that is exploited by uaDf5 to “hitchhike” to high frequency. We also observe activation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) in uaDf5 animals. Loss of UPRmt causes a decrease in uaDf5 frequency, whereas its constitutive activation increases uaDf5 levels. UPRmt activation protects uaDf5 from mitophagy. Taken together, we propose that mtDNA copy-number control and UPRmt represent two homeostatic response mechanisms that play important roles in regulating selfish mitochondrial genome dynamics.
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•Mutant mtDNA uaDf5 behaves as a selfish genetic element in C. elegans•Mutant mtDNA exploit mtDNA copy-number homeostasis to hitchhike to high frequency•Mitochondrial proteostasis defects in heteroplasmic animals induce UPRmt•UPRmt protects mutant mtDNA from parkin-mediated mitophagy
Using genetic and molecular approaches in C. elegans, Gitschlag et al. show that mutant mtDNA exploits copy-number control to achieve high levels. At high levels, mutant mtDNA causes mitochondrial stress and activates UPRmt. By alleviating this stress, UPRmt promotes proliferation of mutant mtDNA.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Checkpoint inhibitors produce durable responses in numerous metastatic cancers, but immune-related adverse events (irAEs) complicate and limit their benefit. IrAEs can affect organ systems ...idiosyncratically; presentations range from mild and self-limited to fulminant and fatal. The molecular mechanisms underlying irAEs are poorly understood. Here, we report a fatal case of encephalitis arising during anti-programmed cell death receptor 1 therapy in a patient with metastatic melanoma. Histologic analyses revealed robust T cell infiltration and prominent programmed death ligand 1 expression. We identified 209 reported cases in global pharmacovigilance databases (across multiple cancer types) of encephalitis associated with checkpoint inhibitor regimens, with a 19% fatality rate. We performed further analyses from the index case and two additional cases to shed light on this recurrent and fulminant irAE. Spatial and multi-omic analyses pinpointed activated memory CD4
T cells as highly enriched in the inflamed, affected region. We identified a highly oligoclonal T cell receptor repertoire, which we localized to activated memory cytotoxic (CD45RO
GZMB
Ki67
) CD4 cells. We also identified Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cell receptors and EBV
lymphocytes in the affected region, which we speculate contributed to neural inflammation in the index case. Collectively, the three cases studied here identify CD4
and CD8
T cells as culprits of checkpoint inhibitor-associated immune encephalitis.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Severe injury to the lining of the stomach leads to changes in the epithelium (reprogramming) that protect and promote repair of the tissue, including development of spasmolytic ...polypeptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM) and tuft and foveolar cell hyperplasia. Acute gastric damage elicits a type-2 inflammatory response that includes production of type-2 cytokines and infiltration by eosinophils and alternatively activated macrophages. Stomachs of mice that lack interleukin 33 (IL33) or interleukin 13 (IL13) did not undergo epithelial reprogramming after drug-induced injury. We investigated the role of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) in gastric epithelial repair.
Acute gastric injury was induced in C57BL/6J mice (wild-type and RAG1 knockout) by administration of L635. We isolated ILC2s by flow cytometry from stomachs of mice that were and were not given L635 and performed single-cell RNA sequencing. ILC2s were depleted from wild-type and RAG1-knockout mice by administration of anti-CD90.2. We assessed gastric cell lineages, markers of metaplasia, inflammation, and proliferation. Gastric tissue microarrays from patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were analyzed by immunostaining.
There was a significant increase in the number of GATA3-positive ILC2s in stomach tissues from wild-type mice after L635-induced damage, but not in stomach tissues from IL33-knockout mice. We characterized a marker signature of gastric mucosal ILC2s and identified a transcription profile of metaplasia-associated ILC2s, which included changes in expression of Il5, Il13, Csf2, Pd1, and Ramp3; these changes were validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry. Depletion of ILC2s from mice blocked development of metaplasia after L635-induced injury in wild-type and RAG1-knockout mice and prevented foveolar and tuft cell hyperplasia and infiltration or activation of macrophages after injury. Numbers of ILC2s were increased in stomach tissues from patients with SPEM compared with patients with normal corpus mucosa.
In analyses of stomach tissues from mice with gastric tissue damage and patients with SPEM, we found evidence of type 2 inflammation and increased numbers of ILC2s. Our results suggest that ILC2s coordinate the metaplastic response to severe gastric injury.
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Characterization of single antibody lineages within infected individuals has provided insights into the development of Env-specific antibodies. However, a systems-level understanding of the humoral ...response against HIV-1 is limited. Here, we interrogated the antibody repertoires of multiple HIV-infected donors from an infection-naive state through acute and chronic infection using next-generation sequencing. This analysis revealed the existence of “public” antibody clonotypes that were shared among multiple HIV-infected individuals. The HIV-1 reactivity for representative antibodies from an identified public clonotype shared by three donors was confirmed. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of publicly available antibody repertoire sequencing datasets revealed antibodies with high sequence identity to known HIV-reactive antibodies, even in repertoires that were reported to be HIV naive. The discovery of public antibody clonotypes in HIV-infected individuals represents an avenue of significant potential for better understanding antibody responses to HIV-1 infection, as well as for clonotype-specific vaccine development.
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•Within-donor longitudinal antibody repertoire to HIV-1 infection was analyzed by NGS•Public antibody clonotypes shared among multiple HIV-infected individuals were uncovered•A public antibody clonotype shared by three donors was confirmed to be HIV reactive•Antibody sequences from HIV-naive repertoires are similar to known HIV antibodies
The overall antibody repertoires of HIV-infected subjects are considered to be unique. Setliff et al. analyze the longitudinal antibody repertoire of HIV-1-infected individuals to uncover the existence of “public” HIV-reactive antibodies in multiple subjects. Antibody sequences with high identity to known HIV-reactive antibodies were identified even in HIV-naive repertoires.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
People living with HIV have a 1.5- to 2-fold increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Despite treatment with highly effective antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV have chronic ...inflammation that makes them susceptible to multiple comorbidities. Several factors, including the HIV reservoir, coinfections, clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), microbial translocation, and antiretroviral therapy, may contribute to the chronic state of inflammation. Within the innate immune system, macrophages harbor latent HIV and are among the prominent immune cells present in atheroma during the progression of atherosclerosis. They secrete inflammatory cytokines such as IL (interleukin)-6 and tumor necrosis-α that stimulate the expression of adhesion molecules on the endothelium. This leads to the recruitment of other immune cells, including cluster of differentiation (CD)8
and CD4
T cells, also present in early and late atheroma. As such, cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems contribute to both systemic inflammation and vascular inflammation. On a molecular level, HIV-1 primes the NLRP3 (NLR family pyrin domain containing 3) inflammasome, leading to an increased expression of IL-1β, which is important for cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, activation of TLRs (toll-like receptors) by HIV, gut microbes, and substance abuse further activates the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Finally, HIV proteins such as Nef (negative regulatory factor) can inhibit cholesterol efflux in monocytes and macrophages through direct action on the cholesterol transporter ABCA1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter A1), which promotes the formation of foam cells and the progression of atherosclerotic plaque. Here, we summarize the stages of atherosclerosis in the context of HIV, highlighting the effects of HIV, coinfections, and antiretroviral therapy on cells of the innate and adaptive immune system and describe current and future interventions to reduce residual inflammation and improve cardiovascular outcomes among people living with HIV.
RATIONALE:Accumulating evidence supports a role of adaptive immunity and particularly T cells in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Formation of memory T cells, which requires the costimulatory ...molecule CD70 on antigen-presenting cells, is a cardinal feature of adaptive immunity.
OBJECTIVE:To test the hypothesis that CD70 and immunologic memory contribute to the blood pressure elevation and renal dysfunction mediated by repeated hypertensive challenges.
METHODS AND RESULTS:We imposed repeated hypertensive challenges using either N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME)/high salt or repeated angiotensin II stimulation in mice. During these challenges effector memory T cells (TEM) accumulated in the kidney and bone marrow. In the L-NAME/high-salt model, memory T cells of the kidney were predominant sources of interferon-γ and interleukin-17A, known to contribute to hypertension. L-NAME/high salt increased macrophage and dendritic cell surface expression of CD70 by 3- to 5-fold. Mice lacking CD70 did not accumulate TEM cells and did not develop hypertension to either high salt or the second angiotensin II challenge and were protected against renal damage. Bone marrow–residing TEM cells proliferated and redistributed to the kidney in response to repeated salt feeding. Adoptively transferred TEM cells from hypertensive mice homed to the bone marrow and spleen and expanded on salt feeding of the recipient mice.
CONCLUSIONS:Our findings illustrate a previously undefined role of CD70 and long-lived TEM cells in the development of blood pressure elevation and end-organ damage that occur on delayed exposure to mild hypertensive stimuli. Interventions to prevent repeated hypertensive surges could attenuate formation of hypertension-specific TEM cells.
Allergic reactions to drugs are a serious public health concern. In 2013, the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ...sponsored a workshop on drug allergy. International experts in the field of drug allergy with backgrounds in allergy, immunology, infectious diseases, dermatology, clinical pharmacology, and pharmacogenomics discussed the current state of drug allergy research. These experts were joined by representatives from several National Institutes of Health institutes and the US Food and Drug Administration. The participants identified important advances that make new research directions feasible and made suggestions for research priorities and for development of infrastructure to advance our knowledge of the mechanisms, diagnosis, management, and prevention of drug allergy. The workshop summary and recommendations are presented herein.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in the residual disease (RD) of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) are associated with improved survival, but insight into ...tumor cell-autonomous molecular pathways affecting these features are lacking.
We analyzed TILs in the RD of clinically and molecularly characterized TNBCs after NAC and explored therapeutic strategies targeting combinations of MEK inhibitors with PD-1/PD-L1-targeted immunotherapy in mouse models of breast cancer.
Presence of TILs in the RD was significantly associated with improved prognosis. Genetic or transcriptomic alterations in Ras-MAPK signaling were significantly correlated with lower TILs. MEK inhibition upregulated cell surface MHC expression and PD-L1 in TNBC cells both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, combined MEK and PD-L1/PD-1 inhibition enhanced antitumor immune responses in mouse models of breast cancer.
These data suggest the possibility that Ras-MAPK pathway activation promotes immune-evasion in TNBC, and support clinical trials combining MEK- and PD-L1-targeted therapies. Furthermore, Ras/MAPK activation and MHC expression may be predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a significant health care burden. Immune-mediated adverse drug reactions (IM-ADRs) are responsible for one-fifth of ADRs but contribute a disproportionately high ...amount of that burden due to their severity. Variation in human leukocyte antigen (
HLA
) genes has emerged as a potential preprescription screening strategy for the prevention of previously unpredictable IM-ADRs. Immunopharmacogenomics combines the disciplines of immunogenomics and pharmacogenomics and focuses on the effects of immune-specific variation on drug disposition and IM-ADRs. In this review, we present the latest evidence for HLA associations with IM-ADRs, ongoing research into biological mechanisms of IM-ADRs, and the translation of clinical actionable biomarkers for IM-ADRs, with a focus on T cell-mediated ADRs.
Despite recent scientific inquiry, idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS) remains an enigmatic disease. The consistent demographics of the affected population suggest genetic factors may contribute to ...disease susceptibility. Given the inflammation observed in the affected proximal airway mucosa, we interrogated disease association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) polymorphisms. Polymorphisms in the HLA locus have previously been shown to influence individuals' susceptibility to distinct inflammatory diseases.
High-resolution HLA typing of 37 iSGS patients was compared with 1,242,890 healthy Caucasian controls of European ancestry from the USA National Marrow Donor Program and 281 patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA).
Complete HLA genotyping of an iSGS population showed no significant associations when compared to a North American Caucasian control population. Unlike GPA patients, iSGS was not associated with allele DPB1*04:01 nor did allele homozygosity correlate with disease severity.
There was not a detectable HLA association observed in iSGS. These results support the concept that iSGS possesses a distinct genetic architecture from GPA. If genetic susceptibility exists in iSGS, it likely lies outside the HLA locus.
N/A, basic science Laryngoscope, 2023.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK