Biology subjects

Kariyawasam, U.

Publications and source records attributed to Kariyawasam, U..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

IL-27 Reduces Cell-Surface LDLR in Human Macrophages and Restricts VSV-G-Pseudotyped HIV infection

The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) is a major cellular receptor for vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G), which is widely used to pseudotyped virus vectors. A replication incompetent VSV-G-pseudotyped HIV (VSV-G-HIVLuc) has been used in HIV infection studies. Although IL-27-polarized macrophages induce multiple antiviral genes and resist replication-competent HIV infection, their impact on VSV-GHIVLuc infection has not been studied. Here, we evaluated the role of IL-27 polarization on VSV-G-HIVLuc infection. Infection was monitored by luciferase activity. Cell-surface LDLR was analyzed by flow cytometry. LDLR transcripts and protein expression were quantified by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Viral binding was assessed by measuring cell-associated p24 antigen, while post-entry events were evaluated by quantifying late reverse-transcription products. VSV-G-HIVLuc infection in IL-27-polarized M-CSF-induced macrophages (27M-Mac) and IL-27-polarized GM-CSFinduced macrophages (27GM-Mac) was reduced to 5.8{+/-}0.4% and 5.9{+/-}2.1%, respectively (both p<0.0001), compared to unpolarized macrophages. 27M-Mac and 27GM-Mac reduced cell-surface LDLR to 38.3{+/-}2.6% (p<0.01) and 31.4{+/-}3.2% (p<0.01). Western blotting showed that total LDLR protein decreased to 48{+/-}0.8% in 27M-Mac (p<0.01), whereas 27GM-Mac showed no significant change. However, LDLR transcripts increased approximately 1.6-1.9-fold following IL-27 treatment in both macrophage types (p<0.01). Viral binding to 27M-Mac decreased modestly, while binding to 27GM-Mac decreased significantly to 67.5 {+/-} 7.5% of that to GM-Mac (p<0.05, n=3). In contrast, late reverse-transcription products decreased to 23{+/-}2.1% (p<0.0001) and 44{+/-}1.5% (p<0.0001). These findings demonstrate that IL-27 downregulates cell-surface LDLR expression in macrophages despite increasing LDLR transcript abundance, suggesting that IL-27 restricts VSV-G-pseudotyped Lentiviral infection through both receptor-associated and additional post-entry mechanisms.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2026

A Metabolic Enzyme, Pyruvate Carboxylase, Functions as a Sequence-Selective Small RNA Sensor for Antiviral Immunity

Interleukin-27 (IL-27) is an anti-HIV cytokine that induces 14 novel microRNAs (miRNAs) in primary CD4(+) T cells. We previously reported that transfection of two of these miRNA mimics, miRTC10 and miRTC14 into human primary macrophages, differentially induced interferon (IFN)-2, -8, -13, and -{lambda}1 expression. However, the mechanism underlying this activation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that miRTC14 does not directly target canonical IFN-regulatory genes but instead engages with pyruvate carboxylase (PC) and laboratory of genetics and physiology-2 (LGP2/DHX58) as direct binding partner proteins. Functional analysis revealed that miRTC14 transfection induces IFN expression by more than 100-fold (p<0.001), whereas PC or LGP2 depletion by siRNAs markedly attenuated this response (50-100-fold reduction, p<0.01). Reconstitution of PC and LGP2 in deficient HEK293 cells restored miRTC14-driven IFN induction. Notably, IFN activation depended on sequence features at the duplex termini. However, PC-miRTC14-LGP2 axis activates TBK1-dependent phosphorylation of IRF3/7, similarly to canonical RNA sensors (RIG-I/MDA5), but this process induced differential IFN subtype. These findings establish PC as a miRNA-binding protein and define a previously unrecognized RNA-sensing mechanism, linking metabolic enzymes to RNA sequence-dependent innate immunity. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=189 SRC="FIGDIR/small/735367v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (42K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@ea70d3org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1953a73org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@305f16org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1b2daff_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG O_FLOATNOGraphical Abstract:C_FLOATNO microRNA sequence-dependent activation of innate immunity by pyruvate carboxylase (PC). PC-miRTC14-LGP2 axis induces TBK1 phosphorylation via an as-yet-unidentified adapter(s). The activated TBK1 (p-TBK1) subsequently phosphorylates IRF3 and/or IRF7 leading to selective IFN subtypes (IFN-2, IFN-8, IFN-13, and IFN-{lambda}1). (Created in BioRender. Kariyawasam, U. (2027) https://BioRender.com/u82s04p) C_FIG

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Human resistin is critical to activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages

Elevated levels of human resistin (hResistin) have been associated with diverse inflammatory diseases, but the precise mechanisms through which hResistins many inflammatory effects contribute to the progression of these diseases remain poorly understood. NLRP3 inflammasome activation is essential in many of these inflammatory conditions; however, there is an unmet explanation connecting hResistin with the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway. Here we describe a unique role of hResistin and its rodent homolog, resistin-like molecule alpha (RELM) in priming and activating the NLRP3 inflammasome. Through qPCR and western blot analysis, we found that hResistin-dependent expression and secretion of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in human macrophages primes the expression of NLRP3, pro-capsase-1, pro-interleukin(IL)-1{beta}, and pro-IL-18. Co-immunoprecipitation showed that hResistin binds to Brutons tyrosine kinase (BTK), which causes the kinase to autophosphorylate, allowing BTK to phosphorylate NLRP3, leading to its assembly and activation with subsequent cleavage of pro-caspase-1, pro-IL-1{beta}, and pro-IL-18, causing initiation of the inflammasome cascade. The hResistin-dependent activation and secretion of IL-1{beta} and IL-18 was critical to the proliferation of human pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells. For confirmation in vivo, we studied rodent and human pulmonary hypertension (PH). Chronic hypoxia-induced PH in wild-type and RELM KO mice showed RELM-dependent upregulation of HMGB1, BTK, and NLRP3 in mouse lung and was linked to vascular remodeling pathways. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the majority of NLRP3-expressing cells were macrophages and the colocalization of hResistin, BTK, and NLRP3 in macrophages was increased in PH patients lungs. Our work reveals a novel immune mechanism demonstrating hResistin is essential to the priming and activation of NLRP3. Inhibiting NLRP3 activation by blocking hResistin with a human monoclonal antibody suggests a likely therapeutic pathway for NLRP3-driven inflammatory diseases.

immunology↗