Biology subjects

Nelson, J. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Nelson, J. A..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Viral microRNA regulation of Akt is necessary for reactivation of Human Cytomegalovirus from latency in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells and humanized mice

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) actively manipulates cellular signaling pathways to benefit viral replication. Phosphatidyl-inositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling is an important negative regulator of HCMV replication, and during lytic infection the virus utilizes pUL38 to limit Akt phosphorylation and activation. During latency, PI3K/Akt signaling also limits virus replication, but how this is overcome at the time of reactivation is unknown. Virally encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) are a key component of the virus arsenal used to alter signaling during latency and reactivation. In the present study we show that three HCMV miRNAs (miR-UL36, miR-UL112 and miR-UL148D) downregulate Akt expression and attenuate downstream signaling, resulting in the activation of FOXO3a and enhanced internal promoter-driven IE transcription. A virus lacking expression of all three miRNAs is unable to reactivate from latency both in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells and in a humanized mouse model of HCMV infection, however downregulating Akt restores the ability of the mutant virus to replicate. These findings highlight the negative role Akt signaling plays in HCMV replication in lytic and latent infection and how the virus has evolved miRNA-mediated countermeasures to promote successful reactivation. AUTHOR SUMMARYHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection results in lifelong persistence of the virus through the establishment of latency, and viral reactivation is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in solid organ and stem cell transplant patients. HCMV latency is established in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) where the virus manipulates cell signaling pathways to maintain the viral genome and remain poised to reinitiate gene expression under the appropriate conditions, although the molecular mechanisms surrounding these processes are poorly understood. HCMV encodes microRNAs (miRNAs) that modulate expression of hundreds of cellular and viral genes and play important roles in regulating signaling in HPCs. In this study, we show that HCMV miR-UL36, miR-UL112, and miR-UL148D coordinately inhibit Akt expression, activation, and downstream signaling through nonconventional mechanisms. A mutant lacking these miRNAs is unable to reactivate from latency, yet complementing Akt regulation restores the ability of the mutant virus to reactivate, pointing to an important role for miRNA-mediated inhibition of Akt to promote HCMV reactivation.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Human Cytomegalovirus UL138 Interaction with USP1 Activates STAT1 in infection

Innate immune responses are crucial for limiting virus infection. However, viruses often hijack our best defenses for viral objectives. Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a beta herpesvirus which establishes a life-long latent infection. Defining the virus-host interactions controlling latency and reactivation is vital to the control of viral disease risk posed by virus reactivation. We defined an interaction between UL138, a pro-latency HCMV gene, and the host deubiquintase complex, UAF1-USP1. UAF1 is a scaffold protein pivotal for the activity of ubiquitin specific peptidases (USP), including USP1. UAF1-USP1 sustains an innate immune response through the phosphorylation and activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (pSTAT1), as well as regulates the DNA damage response. After the onset of viral DNA synthesis, pSTAT1 levels are elevated and this depends upon UL138 and USP1. pSTAT1 localizes to viral centers of replication, binds to the viral genome, and influences UL138 expression. Inhibition of USP1 results in a failure to establish latency, marked by increased viral genome replication and production of viral progeny. Inhibition of Jak-STAT signaling also results in increased viral genome synthesis in hematopoietic cells, consistent with a role for USP1-mediated regulation of STAT1 signaling in the establishment of latency. These findings demonstrate the importance of the UL138-UAF1-USP1 virus-host interaction in regulating HCMV latency establishment through the control of innate immune signaling. It will be important going forward to distinguish roles of UAF1-USP1 in regulating pSTAT1 relative to its role in the DNA damage response in HCMV infection. ImportanceHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is one of nine herpesviruses that infect humans. Following a primary infection, HCMV establishes a life-long latent infection that is marked by sporadic, and likely frequent reactivation events. While these reactivation events are asymptomatic in the immune competent host, they pose important disease risks for the immune compromised, including solid organ or stem cell transplant recipients. Its complex interactions with host biology and deep coding capacity make it an excellent model for defining mechanisms important for viral latency and reactivation. Here we define an interaction with host proteins that commandeer typically antiviral innate immune signaling for the establishment of latency.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Cytomegaloviral determinants of CD8+ T cell programming and RhCMV/SIV vaccine efficacy

Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) insert-expressing, 68-1 Rhesus Cytomegalovirus (RhCMV/SIV) vectors elicit major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-E- and -II-restricted, SIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses, but the basis of these unconventional responses and their contribution to demonstrated vaccine efficacy against SIV challenge in the rhesus monkeys (RMs) has not been characterized. We demonstrate that these unconventional responses resulted from a chance genetic rearrangement in 68-1 RhCMV that abrogated the function of eight distinct immunomodulatory gene products encoded in two RhCMV genomic regions (Rh157.5/.4 and Rh158-161). Differential repair of these genes with either RhCMV-derived or orthologous human CMV (HCMV)-derived sequences (UL128/130; UL146/147) leads to either of two distinct CD8+ T cell response types - MHC-Ia-restricted-only, or a mix of MHC-II- and MHC-Ia-restricted CD8+ T cells. Despite response magnitude and functional differentiation being similar to RhCMV 68-1, neither alternative response type mediated protection against SIV challenge. These findings implicate MHC-E-restricted CD8+ T cell responses as mediators of anti-SIV efficacy and indicate that translation of RhCMV/SIV vector efficacy to humans will likely require deletion of all the genes that inhibit these responses from the HCMV/HIV vector. One-sentence summaryEight genes in two spatially distinct RhCMV gene regions control induction of unconventionally restricted CD8+ T cell responses and the efficacy of RhCMV/SIV vaccine vectors against SIV challenge.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2020

E-scape: consumer specific landscapes of energetic resources derived from stable isotope analysis and remote sensing

Energy and habitat distribution are inherently linked. Energy is a major driver of the distribution of consumers, but estimating how much specific habitats contribute to the energetic needs of a consumer can be problematic. We present a new approach that combines remote sensing information and stable isotope ecology to produce maps of energetic resources (E-scapes). E-scapes project species specific resource use information onto the landscape to classify areas based on energetic importance and successfully predict the biomass and energy density of a consumer in salt marsh habitats in coastal Louisiana, USA. Our E-scape maps can be used alone or in combination with existing models to improve habitat management and restoration practices and have potential to be used to test fundamental movement theory.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

EGR1 transcriptional control of human cytomegalovirus latency

Sustained phosphotinositide3-kinase (PI3K) signaling is critical to the maintenance of herpesvirus latency. We have previously shown that the beta-herpesvirus, human cytomegalovirus (CMV), regulates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), upstream of PI3K, to control states of latency and reactivation. Inhibition of EGFR signaling enhances CMV reactivation from latency and increases viral replication, but the mechanisms by which EGFR impacts replication and latency is not known. We demonstrate that HCMV downregulates MEK/ERK and AKT phosphorylation, but not STAT3 or PLC{gamma} for productive replication. Similarly, inhibition of either MEK/ERK or PI3K/AKT, but not STAT or PLC{gamma}, pathways increases viral reactivation from latently infected CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), defining a role for these pathways in latency. We hypothesized that CMV modulation of EGFR signaling might impact viral transcription. Indeed, EGF-stimulation increased expression of the UL138 latency gene, but not immediate early or early viral genes, suggesting that EGFR signaling promotes latent gene expression. The early growth response-1 (EGR1) transcription factor is induced downstream of EGFR signaling through both PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways. EGR1 expression is important for the maintenance of HPC stemness and its downregulation drives HPC differentiation and mobilization. We demonstrate that EGR1 binds upstream of UL138 and is sufficient to promote UL138 expression. Further, disruption of EGR1 binding upstream of UL138 prevented CMV from establishing a latent infection in CD34+ HPCs. Our results indicate a model whereby UL138 modulation of EGFR signaling feeds back to promote UL138 expression and suppression of replication to establish or maintain viral quiescence.\n\nAUTHOR SUMMARYCMV regulates EGFR signaling to balance states of viral latency and replication. CMV blocks downstream PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling pathways through down-regulation of EGFR at the plasma membrane. PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling increases expression of the EGR1 transcription factor that is necessary for the maintenance of stem cell stemness. A decrease in EGR1 expression promotes HPC mobilization to the periphery and differentiation, a known stimulus for CMV reactivation. We identified functional EGR1 binding sites upstream of the UL138 gene and EGR-1 binding stimulates UL138 expression. Additionally, down-regulation of EGR1 by CMV miR-US22 decreases UL138 expression emphasizing the importance of this transcription factor in expression of this latency gene. Lastly, we demonstrate that a CMV mutant virus lacking an upstream EGR1 binding site is unable to establish latency in CD34+ HPCs. This study defines one mechanism by which EGFR signaling impacts viral gene expression to promote CMV latency.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2019

HCMV miR-US22 down-regulation of EGR-1 regulates CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cell proliferation and viral reactivation

Reactivation of latent Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) is closely linked to hematopoiesis. Viral latency requires maintenance of the progenitor cell quiescence, while reactivation initiates following mobilization of HPCs to the periphery and differentiation into CD14+ macrophages. Early growth response gene 1 (EGR-1) is a transcription factor activated by Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling that is essential for the maintenance of CD34+ HPC self-renewal in the bone marrow niche. Down-regulation of EGR-1 results in mobilization and differentiation of CD34+ HPC from the bone marrow to the periphery. In the current study we demonstrate that the transcription factor EGR-1 is directly targeted for down-regulation by HCMV miR-US22 that results in decreased proliferation of CD34+ HPCs and a decrease in total hematopoietic colony formation. We also show that an HCMV miR-US22 mutant fails to reactivate in CD34+ HPCs, indicating that expression of EGR-1 inhibits viral reactivation during latency. Since EGR-1 promotes CD34+ HPC self-renewal in the bone marrow niche, HCMV miR-US22 down-regulation of EGR-1 is a necessary step to block HPC self-renewal and proliferation to induce a cellular differentiation pathway necessary to promote reactivation of virus.\n\nAuthor summaryHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread herpesvirus that persists in the host and remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in solid organ and stem cell transplant patients. HCMV latency is complex, and the molecular mechanisms for establishment, maintenance, and reactivation from latency are poorly understood.\n\nQuiescent stem cells in the bone marrow represent a critical reservoir of latent HCMV, and the mobilization and differentiation of these cells is closely linked to viral reactivation from latency. HCMV encodes small regulatory RNAs, called miRNAs that play important roles in the regulation of viral and cellular gene expression. In this study, we show that HCMV miR-US22 targets Early growth response gene 1 (EGR-1) a host transcription factor that is necessary for stem cell quiescence and self-renewal in the bone marrow. Expression of this miR-US22 down-regulates expression of EGR-1 that reduces CD34+ HPCs proliferation and total hematopoietic colony formation. An HCMV miR-US22 mutant is unable to reactivate from latency suggesting that the ability of the miRNA to disrupt CD34+ HPC renewal in the bone marrow niche to initiate a differentiation pathway is critical for viral reactivation.

microbiology↗