Biology subjects

Kuroda, M. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Kuroda, M. J..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Characterization of immunosenescent alveolar macrophages in rhesus macaques

As the global population ages, understanding the mechanisms underlying age-related diseases becomes increasingly important. Inflammaging, a state of chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation, is a key feature of aging. Macrophages, as master regulators of inflammation, are critical to this process. However, the effects of natural aging on alveolar macrophages (AMs) in the lungs remain poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated AM biology in older compared with young rhesus macaques. We compared cytokine profiles in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid between young and aged macaques and performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to characterize age-related transcriptional and functional changes in AMs. Compared to young animals, AMs from aged animals exhibited similar cytokine inflammaging profile observed in the plasma of elderly humans. However, the general decrease of chemokine levels in BAL fluid relative to plasma suggest BAL may not reflect AM status in the lung tissues of rhesus macaques. scRNA-seq data corroborated plasma inflammaging findings, revealing increased inflammatory cytokine responses in AMs from older macaques. The consistent elevation of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) across plasma, AMs, and BAL fluid marks it as a promising biomarker and potential therapeutic target for age-associated inflammation. scRNA-seq further identified genes and pathways linked to macrophage senescence and turnover, suggesting potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Overall, our findings highlight the essential role of tissue-resident macrophages in pulmonary aging and underscores the need to further investigate their role in age-associated lung disease.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

CD34-positive monocytes are highly susceptible to HIV-1

HIV-1 persists in cellular reservoirs despite effective combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). CD4+ T cells are a well-known reservoir, but there is evidence suggesting that myeloid cells, including circulating monocytes, are also a clinically relevant reservoir. However, it is not fully understood which subsets of monocytes are preferentially infected in vivo. Here, we show that a monocyte fraction expressing a stem cell marker CD34 is more susceptible to HIV-1 infection than the CD34-negative major subset. In cART-untreated viremic individuals, the CD34+ fraction increased in the percentage in total monocytes, and harbored higher copies of proviral DNA than the major subset. Consistent with this, the CD34+ fraction expressed HIV-1 receptors CD4 and CCR5 at higher levels and HIV-1 restriction factors MX2 and SAMHD1 at lower levels. Interestingly, proviral DNA was still detectable in the CD34+ fraction of cART-treated virologically suppressed individuals. CD34+ monocytes were also present in lymph nodes, and expressed CD4 and CCR5 at higher levels than the major subset, as observed in peripheral blood. Moreover, CD34+ monocytes present in peripheral blood and lymph nodes highly expressed CCR7 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1), critical regulators of in vivo cellular trafficking. Collectively, our findings raise the new possibility that lymph node CD34+ monocytes, which originate from the circulation, are infected with HIV-1 owing to their high susceptibility to HIV-1, and return to circulation, which explains the detection of proviral DNA in peripheral CD34+ monocytes even after long-term cART.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2021

Phenotypic and Kinetic Changes of Myeloid Lineage Cells in Innate Response to Chikungunya Infection in Cynomolgus Macaques

Chikungunya is an emerging threat, spreading across multiple continents. The immune response to infection can lead to protection and convalescence, or result in long term sequelae such as arthritis. Early innate immune events during acute infection have been characterized for some cell types, but more must be elucidated with respect to cellular responses of monocytes and other myeloid lineage cells. In addition to their roles in protection and inflammation resolution, monocytes and macrophages are sites for viral replication and reservoirs for the virus. They are also found in joints post-infection, possibly playing a role in long term CHIKV-induced pathology. We examined kinetic and phenotypic changes in myeloid lineage cells, including monocytes, in cynomolgus macaques early after infection with CHIKV. We found increased turnover of monocytes and mDCs early during infection, with an accompanying decreases in both cell types, as well as a simultaneous increase in pDC number. An increase in CD16 and CD14 was seen along with a decrease in monocyte HLA-DR expression within 3 days of infection, potentially indicating monocyte deactivation. A transient decrease in T cells, B cells and NK cells correlates with lymphocytopenia observed during human infections with CHIKV. CD4+ T cell turnover decreased in blood, indicating relocation of cells to effector sites. This data indicates CHIKV influences turnover rates and kinetics of myeloid lineage cells early during infection, and may prove useful in development of therapeutics and evaluation of infection-induced pathogenesis.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2019

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↗