Article
|
Open Access
Featured
-
-
Article
| Open AccessDevelopment of a nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine against clade 2.3.4.4b H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses from H5 clade 2.3.4.4b are circulating widely in birds and have recently caused large outbreaks in mammals. Here, Furey et al. develop a clade 2.3.4.4b HA-expressing mRNA-LNP vaccine and show that it elicits strong protective immune responses in mice and ferrets.
- Colleen Furey
- , Gabrielle Scher
- & Scott E. Hensley
-
Article
| Open AccessThe matrisome landscape controlling in vivo germ cell fates
The developmental fate of cells is regulated by the delicate environment created by the extracellular matrix. Here, authors investigate the impact of the full complement of conserved matrisome genes in germ cell development and gamete health in C. elegans.
- Aqilah Amran
- , Lara Pigatto
- & Sandeep Gopal
-
Article
| Open AccessGene editing for latent herpes simplex virus infection reduces viral load and shedding in vivo
The main challenge for anti-HSV therapy is to target latent virus in ganglionic neurons. Here, the authors report a well-tolerated anti-HSV gene editing approach against HSV which targets latent HSV genomes and leads to reductions of ganglionic viral loads, and viral shedding upon reactivation in mouse models.
- Martine Aubert
- , Anoria K. Haick
- & Keith R. Jerome
-
Article
| Open AccessIdentification of a family of species-selective complex I inhibitors as potential anthelmintics
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are major pathogens. Here the authors screen 480 structural families of natural products to find compounds that kill Caenorhabditis elegans specifically when they require rhodoquinone (RQ)-dependent metabolism: they identify several classes of compounds and show some compounds kill adult STHs.
- Taylor Davie
- , Xènia Serrat
- & Andrew G. Fraser
-
Article
| Open AccessThe miR-144/Hmgn2 regulatory axis orchestrates chromatin organization during erythropoiesis
Differentiation of stem and progenitor cells is a highly regulated process. Here, the authors uncover miR-144 and its target Hmgn2 as the backbone of the genetic regulatory circuit that controls the terminal differentiation of erythrocytes in vertebrates.
- Dmitry A. Kretov
- , Leighton Folkes
- & Daniel Cifuentes
-
Article
| Open AccessAntigen presentation plays positive roles in the regenerative response to cardiac injury in zebrafish
An adequate immune response is necessary to promote heart regeneration. Here, the authors identified a link between antigen presentation, immune cells, and endocardial cells during the regenerative response to cardiac injury in the adult zebrafish.
- João Cardeira-da-Silva
- , Qianchen Wang
- & Didier Y. R. Stainier
-
Article
| Open AccessBat-borne H9N2 influenza virus evades MxA restriction and exhibits efficient replication and transmission in ferrets
In this study, the authors report that bat H9N2 influenza A virus replicates and transmits in ferrets, efficiently infects human lung explant cultures, evades MxA antiviral activity in mice, and has low antigenic similarity to seasonal N2, meeting pre-pandemic criteria.
- Nico Joel Halwe
- , Lea Hamberger
- & Martin Beer
-
Article
| Open AccessCross-species spill-over potential of the H9N2 bat influenza A virus
In this study, the authors report that a bat influenza A (H9N2) virus shows receptor binding features similar to avian influenza viruses, efficiently infects ex-vivo human respiratory cells and replicates in the lungs of mice and upper respiratory tract of ferrets following airborne transmission.
- Rabeh El-Shesheny
- , John Franks
- & Richard J. Webby
-
Article
| Open AccessPersistent TFIIH binding to non-excised DNA damage causes cell and developmental failure
Hereditary nucleotide excision repair deficiencies cause different cancerous and progeroid disorders of which the exact etiology is not understood. This study finds that prolonged binding of DNA repair factor TFIIH to DNA damage contributes to a more severe phenotype caused by DNA repair deficiency.
- Alba Muniesa-Vargas
- , Carlota Davó-Martínez
- & Hannes Lans
-
Article
| Open AccessSynergistic effect of two human-like monoclonal antibodies confers protection against orthopoxvirus infection
In this study, the authors show that a single dose of a combination of two human-like monoclonal antibodies protect mice in therapeutic treatment against challenges with ectromelia virus and monkeypox virus. Combination treatment provided more effective viral clearance than single antibody treatment.
- Hadas Tamir
- , Tal Noy-Porat
- & Tomer Israely
-
Article
| Open AccessPheromone-based communication influences the production of somatic extracellular vesicles in C. elegans
Extracellular vesicles are fundamental in cellular communication. Here, authors show how C. elegans pheromones regulate vesicle production, showcasing the impact of social behaviors on cellular mechanisms.
- Agata Szczepańska
- , Katarzyna Olek
- & Michał Turek
-
Article
| Open AccessCell-fate conversion of intestinal cells in adult Drosophila midgut by depleting a single transcription factor
The mechanisms underlying cell plasticity remain poorly understood. Here, Guo et.al discover that intestinal cells in the fly gut can alter their fates through the loss of a single gene, and identify several molecular barriers to cell reprogramming.
- Xingting Guo
- , Chenhui Wang
- & Rongwen Xi
-
Article
| Open AccessPrior infection with unrelated neurotropic virus exacerbates influenza disease and impairs lung T cell responses
Co-infections are much less studied than single pathogen infections. Here, the authors show that co-infection with two unrelated viruses, neurotropic Semliki Forest virus and influenza A virus, exacerbates influenza-related lung pathology and prolongs lung virus replication in a mouse model.
- Isabelle Jia-Hui Foo
- , Brendon Y. Chua
- & Lukasz Kedzierski
-
Article
| Open AccessSingle cell atlas of Xenoturbella bocki highlights limited cell-type complexity
Recent phylogenetic analyses have identified orphan clades, including Xenacoelomorphs, that can offer insights into bilaterian evolution. Here they generate a cell type atlas of Xenoturbella bockithat highlights cellular diversity in the nervous system and other tissues, reinforcing the idea of parallel evolution of cell types across animals.
- Helen E. Robertson
- , Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- & Heather Marlow
-
Article
| Open AccessEvolutionary origin of Hoxc13-dependent skin appendages in amphibians
Hair is the main skin appendage of mammals. Here, the authors show that claws of clawed frogs and hair contain homologous keratins and depend on the same transcription factor, Hoxc13, suggesting a common evolutionary origin of these skin appendages.
- Marjolein Carron
- , Attila Placido Sachslehner
- & Leopold Eckhart
-
Article
| Open AccessTemporospatial hierarchy and allele-specific expression of zygotic genome activation revealed by distant interspecific urochordate hybrids
Wei et al. report a unique interspecific ascidian hybrid system and single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal the temporal hierarchy, spatial heterogeneity, and allele-specific expression of zygotic genome activation in urochordates.
- Jiankai Wei
- , Wei Zhang
- & Bo Dong
-
Article
| Open AccessInhalation of ACE2-expressing lung exosomes provides prophylactic protection against SARS-CoV-2
Inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 interaction with ACE2 is a promising antiviral strategy. Here, the authors show that exosomes derived from human lung spheroid cells expressing hACE2 accumulate in the lung following prophylactic inhalation to bind and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and protect mice from SARS-CoV-2-induced disease.
- Zhenzhen Wang
- , Shiqi Hu
- & Ke Cheng
-
Article
| Open AccessKey homeobox transcription factors regulate the development of the firefly’s adult light organ and bioluminescence
Adult firefly light organs exhibit flashing signals important for courtship, though how these organs form during development is largely unknown. Here the authors demonstrate that homeobox transcription factors play a patterning role in the development of the adult light organs.
- Xinhua Fu
- & Xinlei Zhu
-
Article
| Open AccessNeuronal miR-9 promotes HSV-1 epigenetic silencing and latency by repressing Oct-1 and Onecut family genes
Here, the authors identify neuron-specific miR-9 that potentially blocks HSV-1 neuronal replication by targeting host OCT-1 and ONECUT transcription factors involved in epigenetic activation of HSV-1 productive-cycle genes. Thus miR-9 promotes viral epigenetic silencing and latent infection in neurons.
- Yue Deng
- , Yuqi Lin
- & Dongli Pan
-
Article
| Open AccessA humanized mouse model for adeno-associated viral gene therapy
All natural AAV serotypes transduce murine hepatocytes more efficiently than their human counterparts in human liver chimeric mouse models. Here the authors developed a novel humanized mouse were human transduction of AAV can be studied.
- Mercedes Barzi
- , Tong Chen
- & Karl-Dimiter Bissig
-
Article
| Open AccessPolycomb-mediated silencing of miR-8 is required for maintenance of intestinal stemness in Drosophila melanogaster
Intestinal physiology requires a balance between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Here, the authors show that this balance is regulated epigenetically by a dynamic relationship between the evolutionarily conserved PRC2, miR-8 and Notch signaling.
- Zoe Veneti
- , Virginia Fasoulaki
- & Aristides G. Eliopoulos
-
Article
| Open AccessComparative transcriptomics coupled to developmental grading via transgenic zebrafish reporter strains identifies conserved features in neutrophil maturation
Maturation of innate immune cells is a graded stereotypic process which is often conserved across species. Here authors label distinct neutrophil leukocyte developmental stages via generating combinations of transgenic zebrafish reporter strains, followed by transcriptome analysis of different neutrophil maturation stages and comparison to the gene expression profile of developing neutrophils from humans and mice.
- Stefanie Kirchberger
- , Mohamed R. Shoeb
- & Martin Distel
-
Article
| Open AccessThe emergence of circadian timekeeping in the intestine
Circadian rhythms are present in cells throughout the body but how these develop is poorly understood. Here, using Drosophila genetics and single cell analysis, authors find that the intestinal clock emerges after development is complete, and that differentiation disrupts its function.
- Kathyani Parasram
- , Amy Zuccato
- & Phillip Karpowicz
-
Article
| Open AccessNucleocapsid protein-specific monoclonal antibodies protect mice against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
There are limited treatment options for infection with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in humans. Here, the authors show that a monoclonal antibody targeting the highly conserved viral nucleocapsid protein provides protective effects in a mouse model of infection.
- Aura R. Garrison
- , Vanessa Moresco
- & Joseph W. Golden
-
Article
| Open AccessEvolutionarily related host and microbial pathways regulate fat desaturation in C. elegans
Fatty acid desaturation is central to metazoan lipid metabolism. Here, using C. elegans as a model, the authors show that both endogenous and microbiota-dependent small molecule signals converge to promote lipid desaturation via the nuclear receptor NHR-49/PPARα.
- Bennett W. Fox
- , Maximilian J. Helf
- & Frank C. Schroeder
-
Article
| Open AccessUltrastructure of macromolecular assemblies contributing to bacterial spore resistance revealed by in situ cryo-electron tomography
Bacterial endospores are among the most resilient forms of life. Here, authors reveal ultrastructural details of the spore chromosome and the multiprotein, multilayered extracellular coat, shedding light on mechanisms contributing to spore resistance.
- Elda Bauda
- , Benoit Gallet
- & Cecile Morlot
-
Article
| Open AccessDrug repurposing screen identifies lonafarnib as respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein inhibitor
There is a need for effective antiviral drugs against RSV infection. Conducting an RSV repurposing screen using the ReFRAME library Sake et al. identify lonafarnib as an RSV fusion protein inhibitor, characterize its binding site within the viral protein and show its antiviral effects in a mouse model.
- Svenja M. Sake
- , Xiaoyu Zhang
- & Thomas Pietschmann
-
Article
| Open AccessEvolution of chemosensory tissues and cells across ecologically diverse Drosophilids
Chemosensory tissues are remarkably variable between species but the cause of this diversity is unclear. Here, the authors conduct transcriptomic analyses of chemosensory tissues from diverse Drosophila species, revealing evidence of stabilizing selection and recent species- and sex-specific changes.
- Gwénaëlle Bontonou
- , Bastien Saint-Leandre
- & J. Roman Arguello
-
Article
| Open AccessIsolation and characterization of a pangolin-borne HKU4-related coronavirus that potentially infects human-DPP4-transgenic mice
Pangolins are a potential reservoir for viruses with cross-species infection potential. Here, the authors characterize a HKU4-related coronavirus isolated from pangolin and demonstrate its ability to infect human cell lines as well as its potential to infect transgenic mice expressing the human receptor DPP4.
- Luo-Yuan Xia
- , Zhen-Fei Wang
- & Wu-Chun Cao
-
Article
| Open AccessAn intranasal live-attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine limits virus transmission
In this study, the authors evaluated the protective capacity of a mucosal, live-attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and show that it induces systemic and mucosal humoral immunity, protects from clinical disease symptoms, and prevents virus transmission in hamsters more efficiently than an intramuscular mRNA vaccine.
- Julia M. Adler
- , Ricardo Martin Vidal
- & Jakob Trimpert
-
Article
| Open AccessIdentification of a highly conserved neutralizing epitope within the RBD region of diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants
Most recent SARS-CoV-2 variants showed exceptional immune evasion properties. Here, the authors identify a highly conserved epitope within the RBD targeted by a broad spectrum neutralizing antibody BA7535 that shows therapeutic antiviral potency in mouse studies.
- Yanqun Wang
- , An Yan
- & Jincun Zhao
-
Article
| Open AccessHuman coronavirus OC43-elicited CD4+ T cells protect against SARS-CoV-2 in HLA transgenic mice
The origin of SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive T cells in unexposed humans is unclear. Here, the authors use HLA transgenic mouse models of sequential infections with human coronavirus OC43 and SARSCoV-2 and show that OC43 elicits cross-protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2, which partially depends on CD4 + T cells.
- Rúbens Prince dos Santos Alves
- , Julia Timis
- & Sujan Shresta
-
Article
| Open AccessEmbryos assist morphogenesis of others through calcium and ATP signaling mechanisms in collective teratogen resistance
The collective activity of cells enables embryos to overcome various perturbations. Here, authors show that at the higher (population) level, embryos also communicate. This enables larger groups to resist chemical and molecular-genetic teratogens.
- Angela Tung
- , Megan M. Sperry
- & Michael Levin
-
Article
| Open AccessReprogramming mechanism dissection and trophoblast replacement application in monkey somatic cell nuclear transfer
Somatic cloning of rhesus monkey has not been successful until now. Here, authors report epigenetic abnormalities in SCNT embryos and placentas and develop a trophoblast replacement method that enables them to successful clone of a healthy male rhesus monkey.
- Zhaodi Liao
- , Jixiang Zhang
- & Qiang Sun
-
Article
| Open AccessDrosophila activins adapt gut size to food intake and promote regenerative growth
While activins are critical regulators of early development, their role in maintaining adult tissue homeostasis remains obscure. Here the authors explore the role of activins in promoting intestinal regeneration and nutrient-dependent gut resizing in Drosophila.
- Christian F. Christensen
- , Quentin Laurichesse
- & Ditte S. Andersen
-
Article
| Open AccessInnate immune and proinflammatory signals activate the Hippo pathway via a Tak1-STRIPAK-Tao axis
The evolutionally conserved Hippo pathway regulates essential developmental, homeostatic and regenerative processes, and is involved in the host defense against pathogens. Here authors show that in Drosophila Melanogaster and mammalian cells, innate immune stimuli activate Hippo via a pathway emanating from the Tak1 kinase and cascading down to Hippo via STRIPAK-Tao-Hpo signaling.
- Yinan Yang
- , Huijing Zhou
- & Bo Liu
-
Article
| Open AccessShuttle peptide delivers base editor RNPs to rhesus monkey airway epithelial cells in vivo
Gene editing strategies for cystic fibrosis are challenging. Here the authors improve on their previously reported shuttle peptide noncovalently combined with Cas ribonucleoprotein (RNP), and derive the S315 peptide for delivery: they show base editing in the respiratory tract of the rhesus macaques.
- Katarina Kulhankova
- , Soumba Traore
- & Paul B. McCray Jr.
-
Article
| Open AccessInteraction dynamics between innate and adaptive immune cells responding to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in non-human primates
Innate immune responses to mRNA vaccines are less well understood than adaptive immunity. Here, the authors comprehensively characterize the innate and adaptive immune responses to mRNA-1273 vaccinations in rhesus macaques and show how the vaccine activates interactions among components of the two systems.
- Chaim A. Schramm
- , Damee Moon
- & Daniel C. Douek
-
Article
| Open AccessAncient diversity in host-parasite interaction genes in a model parasitic nematode
Host-parasite interactions can lead to negative frequency-dependent selection. Here, the authors sequence the genomes of H. bakeri and H. polygyrus, parasites of house and wood mice, respectively, and find that proteins that interact with the host immune response are often highly diverse.
- Lewis Stevens
- , Isaac Martínez-Ugalde
- & Mark Blaxter
-
Article
| Open AccessSis2 regulates yeast replicative lifespan in a dose-dependent manner
Using a microfluidic single-cell aging platform, the authors report how single-cell lifespan varies across more than 300 yeast strains, each missing a single gene. Their top hit, Sis2, was found to regulate yeast lifespan in a dose-dependent fashion.
- Tolga T. Ölmez
- , David F. Moreno
- & Murat Acar
-
Article
| Open AccessN-terminal acetylation shields proteins from degradation and promotes age-dependent motility and longevity
The most common protein modification in eukaryotes is N-terminal acetylation, but its functional impact has remained enigmatic. Here, the authors find that a key role for N-terminal acetylation is shielding proteins from ubiquitin ligase-mediated degradation, mediating motility and longevity.
- Sylvia Varland
- , Rui Duarte Silva
- & Thomas Arnesen
-
Article
| Open AccessProlonging somatic cell proliferation through constitutive hox gene expression in C. elegans
Somatic cells in C. elegans stop dividing after completing their normal lineage at the end of development. Here, Heinze et al. show that constitutive expression of a hox gene prolongs proliferation beyond the restriction imposed by the cell lineage.
- Svenia D. Heinze
- , Simon Berger
- & Alex Hajnal
-
Article
| Open AccessFHL1 promotes chikungunya and o’nyong-nyong virus infection and pathogenesis with implications for alphavirus vaccine design
FHL1A is a crucial host factor for alphavirus infection but its impact on pathogenesis is unclear. Here, the authors use a FHL1−/− knockout mouse model to show that the FHL1 splice variant impacts arthritis and myositis after chikungunya or o’nyong-nyong infections but not Ross River or mayaro virus infection.
- Wern Hann Ng
- , Xiang Liu
- & Suresh Mahalingam
-
Article
| Open AccessIDH1 mutation impairs antiviral response and potentiates oncolytic virotherapy in glioma
The role of human glioma IDH1 mutations in regulation of antiviral response is unclear. Here, the authors show that D2HG produced by mutant IDH1 inhibits IFN antiviral responses in glioma cells, which confers sensitivity to oncolytic virotherapy.
- Xueqin Chen
- , Jun Liu
- & Haipeng Zhang
-
Article
| Open AccessAn interferon-integrated mucosal vaccine provides pan-sarbecovirus protection in small animal models
Here, the authors report the generation of a live but defective SARS-CoV-2 virus that is envelope-deficient and expresses human interferon beta. They show that nasal vaccination enhances mucosal and lung T cell response and provides pan-sarbecovirus protection in small animals.
- Chun-Kit Yuen
- , Wan-Man Wong
- & Kin-Hang Kok
-
Article
| Open AccessThe endoribonuclease Arlr is required to maintain lipid homeostasis by downregulating lipolytic genes during aging
Fat is generally considered to have a negative effect on longevity but lipids can be beneficial for longevity. Here the authors show that fly Arlr endoribonuclease affects lipid metabolism by degrading the mRNAs of lipolysis genes.
- Xiaowei Sun
- , Jie Shen
- & Dan Wang
-
Article
| Open AccessReactivation of a somatic errantivirus and germline invasion in Drosophila ovaries
Yoth et al. report that some mobile retrovirus-like genetic elements, errantiviruses, pose a threat to genome integrity when reactivated in somatic gonadal tissue, showing that they can infect the oocyte and transpose into the germline genome.
- Marianne Yoth
- , Stéphanie Maupetit-Méhouas
- & Emilie Brasset
-
Article
| Open AccessPrevious infection with seasonal coronaviruses does not protect male Syrian hamsters from challenge with SARS-CoV-2
Here, the authors analysed immune response to two consecutive coronavirus infections and observed that hamsters infected with seasonal coronaviruses were not protected from COVID-19 despite cross-reactive antibodies. Antiviral and germinal center B cell responses were suppressed but not during SARS-CoV-2 variant infections.
- Magen E. Francis
- , Ethan B. Jansen
- & Alyson A. Kelvin
-
Article
| Open AccessmRNA vaccines encoding fusion proteins of monkeypox virus antigens protect mice from vaccinia virus challenge
The authors report mRNA vaccines encoding a fusion protein of MPXV A35R extracellular domain and full-length M1R and observe improved anti-M1R antibody response. The vaccines show enhanced active and passive protection in female mice challenged with a lethal dose of vaccinia virus.
- Fujun Hou
- , Yuntao Zhang
- & Xiaoming Yang