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Dupont, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Dupont, M..

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Influenza A virus-induced production of PI4P at the endoplasmic reticulum involves ATG16L1 and promotes the egress of viral ribonucleoproteins

The genomic RNAs of influenza A viruses (IAVs) are replicated in the nucleus of infected cells in the form of viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNP) before being exported to the cytoplasm. The small GTPase RAB11A is involved in the transport of vRNPs to the sites of viral assembly at the plasma membrane, but the molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. Here we show that IAV infection remodels the architecture of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) sheets, where vRNPs tend to accumulate in the absence of RAB11A. To decipher the interplay between RAB11A, vRNPs and the ER, we investigated viral-induced perturbations of RAB11A proximity interactome. To this end, we generated cells stably expressing a TurboID-RAB11A fusion protein and performed biotin-based proximity labeling upon viral infection. We found that cellular regulators of phophatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) homeostasis, including the autophagic and stress response protein ATG16L1, are significantly enriched at the vicinity of RAB11A in infected cells. Infection induces an increase in cellular PI4P levels in an ATG16L1-dependent manner, while ATG16L1 relocalizes to ER membranes upon infection. Depletion of ATG16L1 decreases the co-distribution of vRNPs with PI4P punctae on ER membranes, and reduces the accumulation of vRNPs at the plasma membrane as well as the production of IAV infectious particles. Our data extend to IAVs the notion that viruses can modulate the metabolism and localization of phosphoinositides to control host membrane dynamics and point to the ER as an essential platform for vRNP transport. They provide evidence for a pivotal role of ATG16L1 in regulating the identity of endomembranes and coordinating RAB11A and PI4P-enriched membranes to ensure delivery of vRNPs to the plasma membrane.

microbiology↗

Mechanism of Co-Transcriptional Cap-Snatching by Influenza Polymerase

Influenza virus mRNA is stable and competent for nuclear export and translation because it receives a 5' cap(1) structure in a process called cap-snatching1. During cap-snatching, the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (FluPol) binds to host RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and the emerging transcript2,3. The FluPol endonuclease then cleaves a capped RNA fragment that sub-sequently acts as a primer for the transcription of viral genes4,5. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of FluPol bound to a transcribing Pol II in complex with the elongation factor DSIF in the pre-cleavage state. The structure shows that FluPol directly interacts with both Pol II and DSIF, which position the FluPol endonuclease domain near the RNA exit channel of Pol II. These interactions are important for the endonuclease activity of FluPol and FluPol activity in cells. A second structure trapped after cap-snatching shows that cleavage rearranges the capped RNA primer within the FluPol, directing the capped RNA 3'-end towards the FluPol polymerase active site for viral transcription initiation. Altogether, our results provide the molecular mechanisms of co-transcriptional cap-snatching by FluPol.

biochemistry↗

Transcranial direct current stimulation modulates primate brain dynamics across states of consciousness.

The resting primate brain is traversed by spontaneous functional connectivity patterns that show striking differences between conscious and unconscious states. Transcranial direct current stimulation, a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique, can improve signs of consciousness in disorders of consciousness; however, can it influence both conscious and unconscious dynamic functional connectivity? We investigated the modulatory effect of prefrontal cortex (PFC) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on brain dynamics in awake and anesthetized non-human primates using functional MRI. In awake macaques receiving either anodal or cathodal tDCS, we found that cathodal stimulation robustly disrupted the repertoire of functional connectivity patterns, increased structure-function correlation, decreased Shannon entropy, and favored transitions towards anatomically-based patterns. Under deep sedation, anodal tDCS significantly altered brain pattern distribution and reduced structure-function correlation. The prefrontal stimulation also modified dynamic connectivity arrangements typically associated with consciousness and unconsciousness. Our findings offer compelling evidence that PFC tDCS induces striking modifications in the fMRI-based dynamic organization of the brain across different states of consciousness. This study contributes to an enhanced understanding of tDCS neuromodulation mechanisms and has important clinical implications for disorders of consciousness.

neuroscience↗

The RBPome of influenza A virus mRNA reveals a role for TDP-43 in viral replication

Recent technical advances have significantly improved our understanding of the RNA-binding protein (RBP) repertoire present within eukaryotic cells, with a particular focus on the RBPs that interact with cellular polyadenylated mRNAs. However, recent studies utilising the same technologies have begun to tease apart the RBP interactome of viral mRNAs, notably SARS-CoV-2, revealing both similarities and differences between the RBP profiles of viral and cellular mRNAs. Herein, we comprehensively identified the RBPs that associate with the NP mRNA of an influenza A virus. Moreover, we provide evidence that the viral polymerase is essential for the recruitment of RPBs to viral mRNAs through direct polymerase-RBP interactions during transcription. We show that loss of TDP-43, which associates with the viral mRNAs, results in lower levels of viral mRNAs within infected cells, and a decreased yield of infectious viral particles. Overall, our results uncover an important role for TDP-43 in the influenza A virus replication cycle via a direct interaction with viral mRNAs, and point to a role of the viral polymerase in orchestrating the assembly of viral mRNPs.

microbiology↗

Brain mechanisms of reversible symbolic reference:a potential singularity of the human brain

The emergence of symbolic thinking has been proposed as a dominant cognitive criterion to distinguish humans from other primates during hominization. Although the proper definition of a symbol has been the subject of much debate, one of its simplest features is bidirectional attachment: the content is accessible from the symbol, and vice versa. Behavioural observations scattered over the past four decades suggest that this criterion might not be met in non-human primates, as they fail to generalise an association learned in one temporal order (A to B) to the reverse order (B to A). Here, we designed an implicit fMRI test to investigate the neural mechanisms of arbitrary audio-visual and visual-visual pairing in monkeys and humans and probe their spontaneous reversibility. After learning a unidirectional association, humans showed surprise signals when this learned association was violated. Crucially, this effect occurred spontaneously in both learned and reversed directions, within an extended network of high-level brain areas, including, but also going beyond, the language network. In monkeys, by contrast, violations of association effects occurred solely in the learned direction and were largely confined to sensory areas. We propose that a human-specific brain network may have evolved the capacity for reversible symbolic reference.

neuroscience↗

Increased frequencies of IgH locus suicide recombination points on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with low rate of AID related somatic mutations, cMYC overexpression and short telomeres

In normal activated B-cells, Activation Induced-cytidine deaminase (AID) is absolutely required for immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR) and IGHV somatic hypermutation (SHM). AID is also implicated in the Locus Suicide Recombination (LSR) of the Ig heavy (IgH) locus, resulting in the deletion of the IgH constant part. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an indolent non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma characterized by tumor CLL B-cells that weakly express a B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface. The great majority of CLL tumor B-cells are non class-switched. Searching for abnormalities of IgH locus recombination in CLL, we investigated CSR and LSR in samples from CLL patients (N=47) with high blood tumor cell infiltration (>98%) and in healthy volunteers (HV) as controls (N=9). LSR was detectable at comparable levels in both HV and CLL groups. CSR counts were decreased in CLL samples as expected. As distribution of LSR counts was bimodal, we separated CLL patients in two groups so called LSRHigh and LSRLow. LSRHigh CLLs exhibited very weak AID expression and low mutation rate of IgHV region and of the AID off-target PIM1 gene. LSR junction diversity, evaluated using the Shannon index, was increased in LSRHigh CLLs suggesting that LSR was on-going in these cells. Also, shorter telomeres were observed in LSRHigh CLLs suggesting an increased number of past mitosis. Consistently, increased levels of cMYC expression were detected in LSRHigh CLLs and treatment free survival of these cases was markedly decreased. We hypothesized that LSR in LSRHigh CLLs is AID independent and could be due to DNA lesion and inaccurate DSB repair within the IgH locus, which could be accessible to recombination machinery due to increased IgH locus transcription. Altogether, our results indicate the accessibility of IgH locus and the proliferation increase LSR rate in LSRHigh CLLs could be related to cMYC resulting in shorter treatment free survival of patients and point on an AID independent mechanism of IgH recombination.

cancer biology↗

A δ-cell subpopulation with a pro-β-cell identity confers efficient age-independent recovery in a zebrafish model of diabetes

Restoring damaged {beta}-cells in diabetic patients by harnessing the plasticity of other pancreatic cells raises the questions of the efficiency of the process and of the functionality of the new Insulin-expressing cells. To overcome the weak regenerative capacity of mammals, we used regeneration-prone zebrafish to study {beta}-cells arising following destruction. We show that most new insulin cells differ from the original {beta}-cells as they are Somatostatin+ Insulin+, but are nevertheless functional and normalize glycemia. These bihormonal cells are transcriptionally close to a subset of {delta}-cells in normal islets characterized by the expression of somatostatin 1.1 (sst1.1), the {beta}-cell genes pdx1, slc2a2 and gck, and the machinery for glucose-induced Insulin secretion. {beta}-cell destruction triggers massive sst1.1 {delta}-cell conversion to bihormonal cells. Our work shows that their pro- {beta}-cell identity predisposes this zebrafish {delta}-cell subpopulation to efficient age-independent neogenesis of Insulin-producing cells and provides clues to restoring functional {beta}-cells in mammalian diabetes models.

cell biology↗

The RNA sensor MDA5 detects SARS-CoV-2 infection

Human cells respond to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by producing cytokines including type I and III interferons (IFNs) and proinflammatory factors such as IL6 and TNF. IFNs can limit SARS-CoV-2 replication but cytokine imbalance contributes to severe COVID-19. We studied how cells detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. We report that the cytosolic RNA sensor MDA5 was required for type I and III IFN induction in the lung cancer cell line Calu-3 upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. Type I and III IFN induction further required MAVS and IRF3. In contrast, induction of IL6 and TNF was independent of the MDA5-MAVS-IRF3 axis in this setting. We further found that SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibited the ability of cells to respond to IFNs. In sum, we identified MDA5 as a cellular sensor for SARS-CoV-2 infection that induced type I and III IFNs.

immunology↗

Selective LXR agonist, DMHCA, corrects the retina-bone marrow axis in type 2 diabetes

In diabetic dyslipidemia, cholesterol accumulates in the plasma membrane, decreasing fluidity and thereby suppressing the ability of cells to transduce ligand-activated signaling pathways. Liver X receptors (LXRs) are the main cellular mechanism by which intracellular cholesterol is regulated and play important roles in inflammation and disease pathogenesis. N,N-dimethyl-3{beta}-hydroxy-cholenamide (DMHCA), a selective LXR agonist, specifically activates the cholesterol efflux arm of the LXR pathway without stimulating triglyceride synthesis. Thus, DMHCA possesses superior clinical potential as a cholesterol lowering agent than current LXR pan-agonist. In this study, we use a multi-systems approach to understand the effects and molecular mechanisms of DMHCA treatment in type 2 diabetic db/db mice and human -derived circulating angiogenic cells (CACs), which are vascular reparative cells. We find that DMHCA is sufficient to correct the retina-bone marrow (BM) axis in diabetes, thereby restoring retinal structure, function, and cholesterol homeostasis, rejuvenating membrane fluidity in circulating vascular reparative cells, hampering systemic inflammation, and correcting BM dysfunction. Using single-cell RNA-seq on lineage-sca1+cKit+ (LSK) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from untreated and DMHCA-treated diabetic mice, we provide novel insights into hematopoiesis and reveal DMHCAs mechanism of action in correcting diabetic HSCs by reducing myeloidosis and increasing CACs and erythrocyte progenitors. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the broad and pleiotropic effects of DMHCA treatment, which has exciting potential to correct the retina-BM axis in diabetic subjects.

cell biology↗

Pharmacological and fasting-induced activation of SIRT1/LXRα signaling alleviates diabetes-induced retinopathy.

In diabetes, the retina, a tissue with unique metabolic needs, demonstrates dysregulation of the intricate balance between nutrient availability and utilization. This results in cholesterol accumulation, pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic changes, and consequently neurovascular damage. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a nutrient sensing deacetylase, is downregulated in the diabetic retina. In this study, the effect of SIRT1 stimulation by fasting or by pharmacological activation using SRT1720, was evaluated on retinal cholesterol metabolism, inflammation and neurovascular damage. SIRT1 activation, in retinal endothelial cells (REC) and neuronal retinal progenitor cells (R28), led to Liver X Receptor alpha (LXR) deacetylation and subsequent increased activity, as measured by increased ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1 and G1 mRNA expression. In turn, increased cholesterol export resulted in decreased REC cholesterol levels. SIRT1 activation also led to decreased inflammation. SIRT1 activation, in vivo, prevented diabetes-induced inflammation and vascular and neural degeneration. Diabetes-induced visual function impairment, as measured by electroretinogram and optokinetic response, was significantly improved as a result of SIRT1 activation. Taken together, activation of SIRT1 signaling is an effective therapeutic strategy that provides a mechanistic link between the advantageous effects associated with fasting regimes and prevention of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

cell biology↗

Tuberculosis-associated IFN-I induces Siglec-1 on tunneling nanotubes and favors HIV-1 spread in macrophages

While tuberculosis (TB) is a risk factor in HIV-1-infected individuals, the mechanisms by which Mycobacterium tuberculosis worsens HIV-1 pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Recently, we showed that HIV-1 infection and spread are exacerbated in macrophages exposed to TB-associated microenvironments due to tunneling nanotube (TNT) formation. To identify molecular factors associated with TNT function, we performed a transcriptomic analysis in these macrophages, and revealed the up-regulation of the lectin receptor Siglec-1. We demonstrate Siglec-1 expression depends on TB-mediated production of type I interferon. In co-infected non-human primates, Siglec-1 is highly expressed by alveolar macrophages, whose abundance correlates with pathology and activation of the type I interferon/STAT1 pathway. Intriguingly, Siglec-1 expression localizes exclusively on microtubule-containing TNT that are long and carry HIV-1 cargo. Siglec-1 depletion in macrophages decreases TNT length, diminishes HIV-1 capture and cell-to-cell transfer, and abrogates TB-driven exacerbation of HIV-1 infection. Altogether, we uncover a deleterious role for Siglec-1 in TB-HIV-1 co-infection, and its localization on TNT opens new avenues to understand cell-to-cell viral spread.

cell biology↗