Biology subjects

Powell, P. P.

Publications and source records attributed to Powell, P. P..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

ATG16L1 WD domain regulates lipid trafficking to maintain plasma membrane integrity to limit influenza virus infection

The non-canonical functions of autophagy protein ATG16L1 are dependent on a C-terminal WD domain. Recent studies show that the WD domain is required for conjugation of LC3 to single membranes during endocytosis and phagocytosis, where it is thought to promote fusion with lysosomes. Studies in cells lacking the WD domain suggest additional roles in the regulation of cytokine receptor recycling and plasma membrane repair. The WD domain also protects mice against lethal influenza virus in vivo. Here, analysis of mice lacking the WD domain ({Delta}WD) shows enrichment of cholesterol in brain tissue suggesting a role for the WD domain in cholesterol transport. Brain tissue and cells from {Delta}WD mice showed reduced cholesterol and phosphatidylserine (PS) in the plasma membrane. Cells from {Delta}WD mice also showed an intracellular accumulation of cholesterol predominantly in late endosomes in cell culture. Infection studies using IAV suggest that the loss of cholesterol and PS from the plasma membrane in cells from {Delta}WD mice results in increased endocytosis and nuclear delivery of IAV, as well as increased IFN{beta} and ISG expression. Upregulation of IL-6, IFN{beta} and ISG mRNA were observed in ex vivo precision cut lung slices from {Delta}WD mice both at rest and in response to IAV infection. Overall, we present evidence that regulation of lipid transport by the WD domain of ATG16L1 may have downstream implications in attenuating viral infection and limiting lethal cytokine signaling.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2020

The WD and linker domains of ATG16L1 required for non canonical autophagy limit lethal influenza A virus infection at epithelial surfaces.

Respiratory viruses such as influenza A virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) cause pandemic infections where cytokine storm syndrome, lung inflammation and pneumonia lead to high mortality. Given the high social and economic cost of these viruses, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of how the airways defend against virus infection. Viruses entering cells by endocytosis are killed when delivered to lysosomes for degradation. Lysosome delivery is facilitated by non-canonical autophagy pathways that conjugate LC3 to endo-lysosome compartments to enhance lysosome fusion. Here we use mice lacking the WD and linker domains of ATG16L1 to demonstrate that non-canonical autophagy protects mice from lethal IAV infection of the airways. Mice with systemic loss of non-canonical autophagy are exquisitely sensitive to low-pathogenicity murine-adapted IAV where extensive viral replication throughout the lungs, coupled with cytokine amplification mediated by plasmacytoid dendritic cells, leads to fulminant pneumonia, lung inflammation and high mortality. IAV infection was controlled within epithelial barriers where non-canonical autophagy slowed fusion of IAV with endosomes and reduced activation of interferon signalling. This was consistent with conditional mouse models and ex vivo analysis showing that protection against IAV infection of lung was independent of phagocytes and other leukocytes. This establishes non-canonical autophagy pathways in airway epithelial cells as a novel innate defence mechanism that can restrict IAV infection and lethal inflammation at respiratory surfaces.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Identification of master regulators in goblet cells and Paneth cells using transcriptomics profiling of gut organoids and multi-layered networks

The epithelial lining of the small intestine consists of multiple cell types, including Paneth cells and goblet cells, that work in cohort to maintain gut health. 3D in vitro cultures of human primary epithelial cells, called organoids, have become a key model to study the functions of Paneth cells and goblet cells in normal and diseased conditions. Advances in these models include the ability to skew differentiation to particular lineages, providing a useful tool to study cell type specific function/dysfunction in the context of the epithelium. Here, we use comprehensive profiling of mRNA, microRNA and long non-coding RNA expression to confirm that Paneth cell and goblet cell enrichment of murine small intestinal organoids (enteroids) establishes a physiologically accurate model. We employ network analysis to infer the regulatory landscape altered by skewing differentiation, and using knowledge of cell type specific markers, we predict key regulators of cell type specific functions: Cebpa, Jun, Nr1d1 and Rxra specific to Paneth cells, Gfi1b and Myc specific for goblet cells and Ets1, Nr3c1 and Vdr shared between them. Links identified between these regulators and cellular phenotypes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suggest that global regulatory rewiring during or after differentiation of Paneth cells and goblet cells could contribute to IBD aetiology. Future application of cell type enriched enteroids combined with the presented computational workflow can be used to disentangle multifactorial mechanisms of these cell types and propose regulators whose pharmacological targeting could be advantageous in treating IBD patients with Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis.\n\nTable of contentsWe demonstrate the application of network biology techniques to increase understanding of intestinal dysbiosis through studying transcriptomics data from Paneth and goblet cell enriched enteroids.\n\n\n\nO_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=100 SRC=\"FIGDIR/small/575845v4_ufig1.gif\" ALT=\"Figure 1\">\nView larger version (25K):\norg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16637e5org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1dfaa77org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1307c00org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d16e0_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

systems biology↗