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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe respiratory disease in young children. Antibodies specific for the RSV prefusion F protein have guided RSV vaccine research,and in human serum,these antibodies contribute to<90% of the neutralization response; however,detailed insight into the composition of the human B cell repertoire against RSV is still largely unknown. In order to study the B cell repertoire of three healthy donors for specificity against RSV,CD27+memory B cells were isolated and immortalized using BCL6 and Bcl-xL. Of the circulating memory B cells,0.35% recognized RSV-A2-infected cells,of which 59% were IgA-expressing cells and 41% were IgG-expressing cells. When we generated monoclonal B cells selected for high binding to RSV-infected cells,44.5% of IgG-expressing B cells and 56% of IgA-expressing B cells reacted to the F protein,while,unexpectedly,41.5% of IgG-expressing B cells and 44% of IgA expressing B cells reacted to the G protein. Analysis of the G-specific antibodies revealed that 4 different domains on the G protein were recognized. These epitopes predicted cross-reactivity between RSV strain A (RSV-A) and RSV-B and matched the potency of antibodies to neutralize RSV in HEp-2 cells and in primary epithelial cell cultures. G-specific antibodies were also able to induce antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis of RSV-A2-infected cells. However,these processes did not seem to depend on a specific epitope. In conclusion,healthy adults harbor a diverse repertoire of RSV glycoprotein-specific antibodies with a broad range of effector functions that likely play an important role in antiviral immunity.IMPORTANCEHuman RSV remains the most common cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease in premature babies,young infants,the elderly,and immunocompromised patients and plays an important role in asthma exacerbations. In developing countries,RSV lower respiratory tract disease has a high mortality. Without an effective vaccine,only passive immunization with palivizumab is approved for prophylactic treatment. However,highly potent RSV-specific monoclonal antibodies could potentially serve as a therapeutic treatment and contribute to disease control and mortality reduction. In addition,these antibodies could guide further vaccine development. In this study,we isolated and characterized several novel antibodies directed at the RSV G protein. This information can add to our understanding and treatment of RSV disease. View Publication

Human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) belongs to the genus Bocaparvovirus of the Parvoviridae family,and is an emerging human pathogenic respiratory virus. In vitro,HBoV1 infects well-differentiated/polarized primary human airway epithelium (HAE) cultured at an air-liquid interface (HAE-ALI). Although it is well known that autonomous parvovirus replication depends on the S phase of the host cells,we demonstrate here that the HBoV1 genome amplifies efficiently in mitotically quiescent airway epithelial cells of HAE-ALI cultures. Analysis of HBoV1 DNA in infected HAE-ALI revealed that HBoV1 amplifies its ssDNA genome following a typical parvovirus rolling-hairpin DNA replication mechanism. Notably,HBoV1 infection of HAE-ALI initiates a DNA damage response (DDR) with activation of all three phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases (PI3KKs). We found that the activation of the three PI3KKs is required for HBoV1 genome amplification; and,more importantly,we identified that two Y-family DNA polymerases,Pol eta and Pol kappa,are involved in HBoV1 genome amplification. Overall,we have provided an example of de novo DNA synthesis (genome amplification) of an autonomous parvovirus in non-dividing cells,which is dependent on the cellular DNA damage and repair pathways. View Publication

Human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) is a human parvovirus that causes acute respiratory tract infections in young children. In this study,we confirmed that,when polarized/well-differentiated human airway epithelia are infected with HBoV1in vitro,they develop damage characterized by barrier function disruption and cell hypotrophy. Cell death mechanism analyses indicated that the infection induced pyroptotic cell death characterized by caspase-1 activation. Unlike infections with other parvoviruses,HBoV1 infection did not activate the apoptotic or necroptotic cell death pathway. When the NLRP3-ASC-caspase-1 inflammasome-induced pathway was inhibited by short hairpin RNA (shRNA),HBoV1-induced cell death dropped significantly; thus,NLRP3 mediated by ASC appears to be the pattern recognition receptor driving HBoV1 infection-induced pyroptosis. HBoV1 infection induced steady increases in the expression of interleukin 1α (IL-1α) and IL-18. HBoV1 infection was also associated with the marked expression of the antiapoptotic genesBIRC5andIFI6When the expression ofBIRC5and/orIFI6was inhibited by shRNA,the infected cells underwent apoptosis rather than pyroptosis,as indicated by increased cleaved caspase-3 levels and the absence of caspase-1.BIRC5and/orIFI6gene inhibition also significantly reduced HBoV1 replication. Thus,HBoV1 infection of human airway epithelial cells activates antiapoptotic proteins that suppress apoptosis and promote pyroptosis. This response may have evolved to confer a replicative advantage,thus allowing HBoV1 to establish a persistent airway epithelial infection. This is the first report of pyroptosis in airway epithelia infected by a respiratory virus.IMPORTANCEMicrobial infection of immune cells often induces pyroptosis,which is mediated by a cytosolic protein complex called the inflammasome that senses microbial pathogens and then activates the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 and IL-18. While virus-infected airway epithelia often activate NLRP3 inflammasomes,studies to date suggest that these viruses kill the airway epithelial cells via the apoptotic or necrotic pathway; involvement of the pyroptosis pathway has not been reported previously. Here,we show for the first time that virus infection of human airway epithelia can also induce pyroptosis. Human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1),a human parvovirus,causes lower respiratory tract infections in young children. This study indicates that HBoV1 kills airway epithelial cells by activating genes that suppress apoptosis and thereby promote pyroptosis. This strategy appears to promote HBoV1 replication and may have evolved to allow HBoV1 to establish persistent infection of human airway epithelia. View Publication

Little is known about monocyte differentiation in the lung mucosal environment and about how the epithelium shapes monocyte function. We studied the role of the soluble component of bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) obtained under basal culture conditions in innate and adaptive monocyte responses. Monocytes cultured in bronchial epithelial cell-conditioned media (BEC-CM) specifically upregulate CD141,CD123,and DC-SIGN surface levels andFLT3expression,as well as the release of IL-1β,IL-6,and IL-10. BEC-conditioned monocytes stimulate naive T cells to produce IL-17 through IL-1β mechanism and also trigger IL-10 production by memory T cells. Furthermore,monocytes cultured in an inflammatory environment induced by the cytokines IL-6,IL-8,IL-1β,IL-15,TNF-α,and GM-CSF also upregulate CD123 and DC-SIGN expression. However,only inflammatory cytokines in the epithelial environment boost the expression of CD141. Interestingly,we identified a CD141/CD123/DC-SIGN triple positive population in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with different inflammatory conditions,demonstrating that this monocyte population existsin vivo. The frequency of this monocyte population was significantly increased in patients with sarcoidosis,suggesting a role in inflammatory mechanisms. Overall,these data highlight the specific role that the epithelium plays in shaping monocyte responses. Therefore,the unraveling of these mechanisms contributes to the understanding of the function that the epithelium may playin vivo. View Publication

Bio-engineered organs for transplantation may ultimately provide a personalized solution for end-stage organ failure,without the risk of rejection. Building upon the process of whole organ perfusion decellularization,we aimed to develop novel,translational methods for the recellularization and regeneration of transplantable lung constructs. We first isolated a proliferative KRT5+TP63+ basal epithelial stem cell population from human lung tissue and demonstrated expansion capacity in conventional 2D culture. We then repopulated acellular rat scaffolds in ex vivo whole organ culture and observed continued cell proliferation,in combination with primary pulmonary endothelial cells. To show clinical scalability,and to test the regenerative capacity of the basal cell population in a human context,we then recellularized and cultured isolated human lung scaffolds under biomimetic conditions. Analysis of the regenerated tissue constructs confirmed cell viability and sustained metabolic activity over 7 days of culture. Tissue analysis revealed extensive recellularization with organized tissue architecture and morphology,and preserved basal epithelial cell phenotype. The recellularized lung constructs displayed dynamic compliance and rudimentary gas exchange capacity. Our results underline the regenerative potential of patient-derived human airway stem cells in lung tissue engineering. We anticipate these advances to have clinically relevant implications for whole lung bioengineering and ex vivo organ repair. View Publication

Nonsense mutations are present in 10{\%} of patients with CF,produce a premature termination codon in CFTR mRNA causing early termination of translation,and lead to lack of CFTR function. There are no currently available animal models which contain a nonsense mutation in the endogenous Cftr locus that can be utilized to test nonsense mutation therapies. In this study,we create a CF mouse model carrying the G542X nonsense mutation in Cftr using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. The G542X mouse model has reduced Cftr mRNA levels,demonstrates absence of CFTR function,and displays characteristic manifestations of CF mice such as reduced growth and intestinal obstruction. Importantly,CFTR restoration is observed in G542X intestinal organoids treated with G418,an aminoglycoside with translational readthrough capabilities. The G542X mouse model provides an invaluable resource for the identification of potential therapies of CF nonsense mutations as well as the assessment of in vivo effectiveness of these potential therapies targeting nonsense mutations. View Publication

Lgr5-expressing intestinal stem cells (ISCs) maintain continuous and rapid generation of the intestinal epithelium. Here we present evidence that dedifferentiation of committed enteroendocrine cells (EECs) contributes to maintenance of the epithelium under both basal conditions and in response to injury. Lineage tracing studies identified a subset of EECs that reside at +4 position for more than 2 weeks,most of which were BrdU-label-retaining cells. Under basal conditions,cells derived from these EECs grow from the bottom of the crypt to generate intestinal epithelium according to neutral drift kinetics that is consistent with dedifferentiation of mature EECs to ISCs. The lineage tracing of EECs demonstrated reserve stem cell properties in response to radiation-induced injury with the generation of reparative EEC-derived epithelial patches. Finally,the enterochromaffin (EC) cell was the predominant EEC type participating in these stem cell dynamics. These results provide novel insights into the +4 reserve ISC hypothesis,stem cell dynamics of the intestinal epithelium and novel insight in the development of EC-derived small intestinal tumors. View Publication

BACKGROUND & AIMS Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) increase risk for colorectal cancer. Mutations in the Mediterranean fever gene (MEFV or pyrin) are associated with hereditary autoinflammatory disease and severe IBD. Expression of MEFV,a sensor protein that the initiates assembly of the inflammasome complex,is increased in colon biopsies from patients with IBD. We investigated the role of pyrin in intestinal homeostasis in mice. METHODS Mefv-/- mice and C57/BL6 mice (controls) were given azoxymethane followed by multiple rounds of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to induce colitis and tumorigenesis. In some experiments,Mefv-/- mice were given injections of recombinant interleukin 18 (rIL18) or saline (control) during DSS administration. Colon tissues were collected at different time points during colitis development and analyzed by histology,immunohistochemistry,immunoblots,or ELISAs (to measure cytokines). Spleen and mesenteric lymph node were collected,processed,and analyzed by flow cytometry. Colon epithelial permeability was measured in mice with colitis by gavage of fluorescent dextran and quantification of serum levels. RESULTS MEFV was expressed in colons of control mice and expression increased during chronic and acute inflammation; high levels were detected in colon tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Mefv-/- mice developed more severe colitis than control mice,with a greater extent of epithelial hyperplasia and a larger tumor burden. Levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL6) and chemokines were significantly higher in colons of Mefv-/- mice than control mice following colitis induction,whereas the level IL18,which depends on the inflammasome for maturation and release,was significantly lower in colons of Mefv-/- mice. Mefv-/- mice had increased epithelial permeability following administration of DSS than control mice,and loss of the tight junction proteins occludin and claudin-2 from intercellular junctions. STAT3 was activated (phosphorylated) in inflamed colon tissues from Mefv-/-,which also had increased expression of stem cell markers (OLFM4,BMI1,and MSI1) compared with colons from control mice. Administration of rIL18 to Mefv-/- mice reduced epithelial permeability,intestinal inflammation,the severity of colitis,and colon tumorigenesis. CONCLUSIONS In studies with DSS-induced colitis,we found that pyrin (MEFV) is required for inflammasome activation and IL18 maturation,which promote intestinal barrier integrity and prevent colon inflammation and tumorigenesis. Strategies to increase activity of MEFV or IL18 might be developed for the treatment of IBD and prevention of colitis-associated tumorigenesis. View Publication

Dietary microRNAs (miRNAs) modulation could be important for health and wellbeing. Part of the healthful activities of polyphenols might be due to a modulation of miRNAs' expression. Among the most biologically active polyphenols,hydroxytyrosol (HT) has never been studied for its actions on miRNAs. We investigated whether HT could modulate the expression of miRNAs in vivo. We performed an unbiased intestinal miRNA screening in mice supplemented (for 8 weeks) with nutritionally relevant amounts of HT. HT modulated the expression of several miRNAs. Analysis of other tissues revealed consistent HT-induced modulation of only few miRNAs. Also,HT administration increased triglycerides levels. Acute treatment with HT and in vitro experiments provided mechanistic insights. The HT-induced expression of one miRNA was confirmed in healthy volunteers supplemented with HT in a randomized,double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. HT consumption affects specific miRNAs' expression in rodents and humans. Our findings suggest that the modulation of miRNAs' action through HT consumption might partially explain its healthful activities and might be pharmanutritionally exploited in current therapies targeting endogenous miRNAs. However,the effects of HT on triglycerides warrant further investigations. View Publication

Many natural prion diseases of humans and animals are considered to be acquired through oral consumption of contaminated food or pasture. Determining the route by which prions establish host infection will identify the important factors that influence oral prion disease susceptibility and to which intervention strategies can be developed. After exposure,the early accumulation and replication of prions within small intestinal Peyer's patches is essential for the efficient spread of disease to the brain. To replicate within Peyer's patches,the prions must first cross the gut epithelium. M cells are specialised epithelial cells within the epithelia covering Peyer's patches that transcytose particulate antigens and microorganisms. M cell-development is dependent upon RANKL-RANK-signalling,and mice in which RANK is deleted only in the gut epithelium completely lack M cells. In the specific absence of M cells in these mice,the accumulation of prions within Peyer's patches and the spread of disease to the brain was blocked,demonstrating a critical role for M cells in the initial transfer of prions across the gut epithelium in order to establish host infection. Since pathogens,inflammatory stimuli and aging can modify M cell-density in the gut,these factors may also influence oral prion disease susceptibility. Mice were therefore treated with RANKL to enhance M cell density in the gut. We show that prion uptake from the gut lumen was enhanced in RANKL-treated mice,resulting in shortened survival times and increased disease susceptibility,equivalent to a 10-fold higher infectious titre of prions. Together these data demonstrate that M cells are the critical gatekeepers of oral prion infection,whose density in the gut epithelium directly limits or enhances disease susceptibility. Our data suggest that factors which alter M cell-density in the gut epithelium may be important risk factors which influence host susceptibility to orally acquired prion diseases. View Publication

The current in vitro or in vivo intestinal fibrosis models have many limitations. Recent advancements in the isolation and culturing of organoids has led to development of various three-dimensional (3D) intestinal disease models with in vivo physiology. In this study,we generated an organoid-based epithelial to mesenchymal transition (OEMT) model,which could be used as a novel intestinal fibrosis model. Intestinal epithelial organoids (IEOs) were isolated and cultured from the small intestines of normal mice. IEOs were treated with transforming growth factor- β1 (TGF-β1) or Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) to evaluate their phenotypic change. Raw 264.7 cells (macrophage) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide were co-cultured with IEOs in growth media with or without TGF-β1. TGF-β1 alone slightly induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the IEOs but mainly disrupted them. Macrophage released cytokines synergistically induced mesenchymal phenotypic changes in TGF-β1 stimulated intestinal organoids. TNF-α and TGF-β1 synergistically induced proliferation of mesenchymal cells as well as EMT in the IEOs. We generated a novel OEMT model based on our finding that TNF-α and TGF-β synergistically induce type 2 EMT in IEOs. This 3D EMT model with in vivo physiology could be used to study EMT associated intestinal fibrosis. View Publication