C-C motif ligand 5 (CCL5) facilitates induction of chemotaxis in immune cells and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) at sites of liver inflammation during chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) ...infection. Importantly, CCL5 participates in the establishment of T-helper 1 responses crucial in controlling liver disease and HCV infection outcome and demonstrates distinct gene expression patterns between the blood and the liver, stressing the importance of immunoregulatory networks differentially functioning between these compartments. This review illustrates the significance of CCL5-dependent pathways in HCV-related immunopathogenesis by elaborating on biological mechanisms interconnecting peripheral and tissue immunology, liver pathology, HSC activation, and interferon-α immunotherapy.
We have previously demonstrated that IL-27 is a novel anti-HIV cytokine, which inhibits HIV replication in CD4 T cells and macrophages as interferon (IFN)-α does. To further understand the mechanism ...of the antiviral effect, we performed Affymetrix DNA microarray and gene functional annotation analysis using DAVID (the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery). DAVID is a web-based bioinformatics application that systematically identifies enriched biology associated with large gene list(s) derived from high-throughput genomic experiments, such as microarray. The enriched annotation terms identified by DAVID will give important insights into understanding the biological themes under study. Having used the DAVID bioinformatics tools, we have shown that IL-27 differentially regulates the gene expression between T cells and macrophages. IL-27 significantly induces IFN-inducible genes including antiviral genes in macrophages as does IFN-α, suggesting that IL-27 inhibits HIV replication in macrophages via a mechanism similar to that of IFN-α.
The presence of HIV-1 in latently infected, resting CD4+T cells has been clearly demonstrated in infected individuals; however, the extent of viral expression and the underlying mechanisms of the ...persistence of HIV-1 in this viral reservoir have not been fully delineated. Here, we show that resting CD4+T cells from the majority of viremic patients are capable of producing cell-free HIV-1 spontaneously ex vivo. The levels of HIV-1 released by resting CD4+T cells were not significantly reduced in the presence of inhibitors of cellular proliferation and viral replication. However, resting CD4+T cells from the majority of aviremic patients failed to produce virions, despite levels of HIV-1 proviral DNA and cell-associated HIV-1 RNA comparable to viremic patients. The DNA microarray analysis demonstrated that a number of genes involving transcription regulation, RNA processing and modification, and protein trafficking and vesicle transport were significantly upregulated in resting CD4+T cells of viremic patients compared to those of aviremic patients. These results suggest that active viral replication has a significant impact on the physiologic state of resting CD4+T cells in infected viremic patients and, in turn, allows release of HIV-1 without exogenous activation stimuli. In addition, given that no quantifiable virions were produced by the latent viral reservoir in the majority of aviremic patients despite the presence of cell-associated HIV-1 RNA, evidence for transcription of HIV-1 RNA in resting CD4+T cells of aviremic patients should not necessarily be taken as direct evidence for ongoing viral replication during effective therapy.
It is known that retinoid receptor function is attenuated during T cell activation, a phenomenon that involves actin remodeling, suggesting that actin modification may play a role in such inhibition. ...Here we have investigated the role of actin dynamics and the effect of actin cytoskeleton modifying agents on retinoid receptor-mediated transactivation.
Agents that disturb the F-actin assembly or disassembly attenuated receptor-mediated transcription indicating that actin cytoskeletal homeostasis is important for retinoid receptor function. Overexpression or siRNA-induced knockdown of cofilin-1 (CFL1), a key regulator of F-actin assembly, induced the loss of receptor function. In addition, expression of either constitutively active or inactive/dominant-negative mutants of CFL1or CFL1 kinase LIMK1 induced loss of receptor function suggesting a critical role of the LIMK1-mediated CFL1 pathway in receptor-dependent transcription. Further evidence of the role of LMK1/CFL1-mediated actin dynamics, was provided by studying the effect of Nef, an actin modifying HIV-1 protein, on receptor function. Expression of Nef induced phosphorylation of CFL1 at serine 3 and LIMK1 at threonine 508, inhibited retinoid-receptor mediated reporter activity, and the expression of a number of genes that contain retinoid receptor binding sites in their promoters. The results suggest that the Nef-mediated inhibition of receptor function encompasses deregulation of actin filament dynamics by LIMK1 activation and phosphorylation of CFL1.
We have identified a critical role of LIMK1-mediated CFL1 pathway and actin dynamics in modulating retinoid receptor mediated function and shown that LIMK1-mediated phosphocycling of CFL1 plays a crucial role in maintaining actin homeostasis and receptor activity. We suggest that T cell activation-induced repression of nuclear receptor-dependent transactivation is in part through the modification of actin dynamics.
Human pygmy populations inhabit different regions of the world, from Africa to Melanesia. In Asia, short-statured populations are often referred to as “negritos.” Their short stature has been ...interpreted as a consequence of thermoregulatory, nutritional, and/or locomotory adaptations to life in tropical forests. A more recent hypothesis proposes that their stature is the outcome of a life history trade-off in high-mortality environments, where early reproduction is favored and, consequently, early sexual maturation and early growth cessation have coevolved. Some serological evidence of deficiencies in the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis have been previously associated with pygmies' short stature. Using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotype data, we first tested whether different negrito groups living in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea are closely related and then investigated genomic signals of recent positive selection in African, Asian, and Papuan pygmy populations. We found that negritos in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea are genetically more similar to their nonpygmy neighbors than to one another and have experienced positive selection at different genes. These results indicate that geographically distant pygmy groups are likely to have evolved their short stature independently. We also found that selection on common height variants is unlikely to explain their short stature and that different genes associated with growth, thyroid function, and sexual development are under selection in different pygmy groups.
, a major opportunistic pathogen in patients with a broad range of immunodeficiencies, contains abundant surface proteins encoded by a multicopy gene family, termed the major surface glycoprotein ...(Msg) gene superfamily. This superfamily has been identified in all
species characterized to date, highlighting its important role in
biology. In this report, through a comprehensive and in-depth characterization of 459
genes from 7
species, we demonstrate, for the first time, the phylogeny and evolution of conserved domains in Msg proteins and provide a detailed description of the classification, unique characteristics, and phylogenetic relatedness of five Msg families. We further describe, for the first time, the relative expression levels of individual
families in two rodent
species, the substantial variability of the
repertoires in
from laboratory and wild rats, and the distinct features of the expression site for the classic
genes in
from 8 mammalian host species. Our analysis suggests multiple functions for this superfamily rather than just conferring antigenic variation to allow immune evasion as previously believed. This study provides a rich source of information that lays the foundation for the continued experimental exploration of the functions of the Msg superfamily in
biology.
continues to be a major cause of disease in humans with immunodeficiency, especially those with HIV/AIDS and organ transplants, and is being seen with increasing frequency worldwide in patients treated with immunodepleting monoclonal antibodies. Annual health care associated with
pneumonia costs ∼$475 million dollars in the United States alone. In addition to causing overt disease in immunodeficient individuals,
can cause subclinical infection or colonization in healthy individuals, which may play an important role in species preservation and disease transmission. Our work sheds new light on the diversity and complexity of the
superfamily and strongly suggests that the versatility of this superfamily reflects multiple functions, including antigenic variation to allow immune evasion and optimal adaptation to host environmental conditions to promote efficient infection and transmission. These findings are essential to consider in developing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Certain HIV-encoded proteins modify host-cell gene expression in a manner that facilitates viral replication. These activities may contribute to low-level viral replication in nonproliferating cells. ...Through the use of oligonucleotide microarrays and high-throughput Western blotting we demonstrate that one of these proteins, gp120, induces the expression of cytokines, chemokines, kinases, and transcription factors associated with antigen-specific T cell activation in the absence of cellular proliferation. Examination of transcriptional changes induced by gp120 in freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocyte-derived-macrophages reveals a broad and complex transcriptional program conducive to productive infection with HIV. Observations include the induction of nuclear factor of activated T cells, components of the RNA polymerase II complex including TFII D, proteins localized to the plasma membrane, including several syntaxins, and members of the Rho protein family, including Cdc 42. These observations provide evidence that envelope-mediated signaling contributes to the productive infection of HIV in suboptimally activated T cells.
We previously showed that HIV infection leads to expansion of a rapidly proliferating pool (s1) of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes. In the current study, we used in vivo labeling with bromodeoxyuridine to ...characterize the kinetics of naive, memory, and activated (HLA-DR+/CD38+) subpopulations of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, and to examine the relationship between kinetic parameters and baseline CD4 counts, HIV viral load, potential markers of microbial translocation, and cytokine levels. Activated cells showed the highest proliferation rates, followed by effector and central memory cells, with naive cells showing the lowest rates, for both CD4 and CD8 T cells. HIV viral load correlated with s1 of CD4 and CD8 effector memory cells, as well as CD8 naive cells, whereas CD4 cell counts correlated inversely with naive CD4 s1. Endotoxin levels showed a weak negative association with CD4 but not CD8 s1. INF-γ and TNF-α were associated with s1 for CD4 and CD8 cells, respectively. Thus, HIV is the primary driving force behind the activation and proliferation of most subsets of both CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, whereas naive CD4 cell proliferation likely represents a homeostatic response. Microbial translocation does not appear to play an important role in this proliferation.
Background. Although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) affect mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content and function, comprehensive evaluations of their effects on ...mitochondria in muscle, adipose tissue, and blood cells are limited. Methods. Mitochondrial DNA quantification, mitochondrial genome sequencing, and gene expression analysis were performed on muscle, adipose tissue, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from untreated HIV-positive patients, HIV-positive patients receiving nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)—based ART, and HIV-negative controls. Results. The adipose tissue mtDNA/nuclear DNA (nDNA) ratio was increased in untreated HIV-infected patients (ratio, 353) and decreased in those receiving ART (ratio, 162) compared with controls (ratio, 255; P < .05 for both comparisons); the difference between the 2 HIV-infected groups was also significant (P = .002). In HIV-infected participants, mtDNA/nDNA in adipose tissue correlated with the level of activation (CD38 + /HLA-DR + ) for CD4 + and CD8 + lymphocytes. No significant differences in mtDNA content were noted in muscle or PMBCs among groups. Exploratory DNA microarray analysis identified differential gene expression between patient groups, including a subset of adipose tissue genes. Conclusions. HIV infection and ART have opposing effects on mtDNA content in adipose tissue; immune activation may mediate the effects of HIV, whereas NRTIs likely mediate the effects of ART.
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