Dissecting human population variation in single-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2.

Humans display substantial interindividual clinical variability after SARS-CoV-2 infection1-3, the genetic and immunological basis of which has begun to be deciphered4. However, the extent and drivers of population differences in immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 remain unclear. Here we report single-cell RNA-sequencing data for peripheral blood mononuclear cells-from 222 healthy donors of diverse ancestries-that were stimulated with SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A virus. We show that SARS-CoV-2 induces weaker, but more heterogeneous, interferon-stimulated gene activity compared with influenza A virus, and a unique pro-inflammatory signature in myeloid cells. Transcriptional responses to viruses display marked population differences, primarily driven by changes in cell abundance including increased lymphoid differentiation associated with latent cytomegalovirus infection. Expression quantitative trait loci and mediation analyses reveal a broad effect of cell composition on population disparities in immune responses, with genetic variants exerting a strong effect on specific loci. Furthermore, we show that natural selection has increased population differences in immune responses, particularly for variants associated with SARS-CoV-2 response in East Asians, and document the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which Neanderthal introgression has altered immune functions, such as the response of myeloid cells to viruses. Finally, colocalization and transcriptome-wide association analyses reveal an overlap between the genetic basis of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 severity, providing insights into the factors contributing to current disparities in COVID-19 risk.

Corrigendum: XAV-19, a swine glyco-humanized polyclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain, targets multiple epitopes and broadly neutralizes variants.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.761250.].

Age-related seroprevalence trajectories of seasonal coronaviruses in children including neonates in Guangzhou, China.

OBJECTIVES: Four seasonal coronaviruses, including human coronavirus (HCoV)-229E and HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1 cause approximately 15-30% of common colds in adults. However, the full landscape of the immune trajectory to these viruses that covers the whole childhood period is still not well understood. METHODS: We evaluated the serological responses against the four seasonal coronaviruses in 1886 children aged under 18 years by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The optical density values against each HCoV were determined from each sample. Generalized additive models were constructed to determine the relationship between age and seroprevalence throughout the whole childhood period. The specific antibody levels against the four seasonal coronaviruses were also tested from the plasma samples of 485 pairs of postpartum women and their newborn babies. RESULTS: The immunoglobulin (Ig) G levels of the four seasonal coronaviruses in the mother and the newborn babies were highly correlated (229E: r = 0.63; OC43: r = 0.65; NL63: r = 0.69; HKU1: r = 0.63). The seroprevalences in children showed a similar trajectory in that the levels of IgG in the neonates dropped significantly and reached the lowest level after the age of around 1 year (229E: 1.18 years; OC43: 0.97 years; NL63: 1.01 years; HKU1: 1.02 years) and then resurgence in the children who aged older than 1 year. Using the lowest level from the generalized additive models as our cutoff, the seroprevalences for HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1 were 98.11%, 96.23%, 96.23% and 94.34% at the age of 16-18 years. CONCLUSION: Mothers share HCoV-specific IgGs with their newborn babies and the level of maternal IgGs waned at around 1 year after birth. The resurgence of the HCoV-specific IgGs was found thereafter with the increase in age suggesting repeated infection occurred in children.

Multi-cohort analysis of depression-associated gut bacteria sheds insight on bacterial biomarkers across populations.

Gut microbes are associated with the development of depression based on extensive evidence. However, previous studies have led to conflicting reports on this association, posing challenges to the application of gut bacteria in the diagnostics and treatment of depression. To minimise heterogenicity in data analysis, the present meta-analysis adopted a standardised bioinformatics and statistical pipeline to analyse 16S rRNA sequences of 1827 samples from eight different cohorts. Although changes in the overall bacterial community were identified by our meta-analysis, depressive-correlated changes in alpha-diversity were absent. Enrichment of Bacteroidetes, Parabacteroides, Barnesiella, Bacteroides, and Bacteroides vulgatus, along with depletion in Firmicutes, Dialister, Oscillospiraceae UCG 003 and UCG 002, and Bacteroides plebeius, were observed in depressive-associated bacteria. By contrast, elevated L-glutamine degradation, and reduced L-glutamate and L-isoleucine biosynthesis were identified in depressive-associated microbiomes. After systemically reviewing the data of these collected cohorts, we have established a bacterial classifier to identify depressive symptoms with AUC 0.834 and 0.685 in the training and external validation dataset, respectively. Moreover, a low-risk bacterial cluster for depressive symptoms was identified, which was represented by a lower abundance of Escherichia-Shigella, and a higher abundance of Faecalibacterium, Oscillospiraceae UCG 002, Ruminococcus, and Christensenellaceae R.7 group.

Egg-adaptive mutations of human influenza H3N2 virus are contingent on natural evolution.

Egg-adaptive mutations in influenza hemagglutinin (HA) often emerge during the production of egg-based seasonal influenza vaccines, which contribute to the largest share in the global influenza vaccine market. While some egg-adaptive mutations have minimal impact on the HA antigenicity (e.g. G186V), others can alter it (e.g. L194P). Here, we show that the preference of egg-adaptive mutation in human H3N2 HA is strain-dependent. In particular, Thr160 and Asn190, which are found in many recent H3N2 strains, restrict the emergence of L194P but not G186V. Our results further suggest that natural amino acid variants at other HA residues also play a role in determining the preference of egg-adaptive mutation. Consistently, recent human H3N2 strains from different clades acquire different mutations during egg passaging. Overall, these results demonstrate that natural mutations in human H3N2 HA can influence the preference of egg-adaptation mutation, which has important implications in seed strain selection for egg-based influenza vaccine.

XAV-19, a Swine Glyco-Humanized Polyclonal Antibody Against SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain, Targets Multiple Epitopes and Broadly Neutralizes Variants.

Amino acid substitutions and deletions in the Spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants can reduce the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In contrast, heterologous polyclonal antibodies raised against S protein, through the recognition of multiple target epitopes, have the potential to maintain neutralization capacities. XAV-19 is a swine glyco-humanized polyclonal neutralizing antibody raised against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Wuhan-Hu-1 Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. XAV-19 target epitopes were found distributed all over the RBD and particularly cover the receptor binding motives (RBMs), in direct contact sites with the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2). Therefore, in Spike/ACE-2 interaction assays, XAV-19 showed potent neutralization capacities of the original Wuhan Spike and of the United Kingdom (Alpha/B.1.1.7) and South African (Beta/B.1.351) variants. These results were confirmed by cytopathogenic assays using Vero E6 and live virus variants including the Brazil (Gamma/P.1) and the Indian (Delta/B.1.617.2) variants. In a selective pressure study on Vero E6 cells conducted over 1 month, no mutation was associated with the addition of increasing doses of XAV-19. The potential to reduce viral load in lungs was confirmed in a human ACE-2 transduced mouse model. XAV-19 is currently evaluated in patients hospitalized for COVID-19-induced moderate pneumonia in phase 2a-2b (NCT04453384) where safety was already demonstrated and in an ongoing 2/3 trial (NCT04928430) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of XAV-19 in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Owing to its polyclonal nature and its glyco-humanization, XAV-19 may provide a novel safe and effective therapeutic tool to mitigate the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) including the different variants of concern identified so far.

High neutralizing potency of swine glyco-humanized polyclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Heterologous polyclonal antibodies might represent an alternative to the use of convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by targeting multiple antigen epitopes. However, heterologous antibodies trigger human natural xenogeneic antibody responses particularly directed against animal-type carbohydrates, mainly the N-glycolyl form of the neuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) and the α1,3-galactose, potentially leading to serum sickness or allergy. Here, we immunized cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase and α1,3-galactosyl-transferase (GGTA1) double KO pigs with the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike receptor binding domain to produce glyco-humanized polyclonal neutralizing antibodies lacking Neu5Gc and α1,3-galactose epitopes. Animals rapidly developed a hyperimmune response with anti-SARS-CoV-2 end-titers binding dilutions over one to a million and end-titers neutralizing dilutions of 1:10 000. The IgG fraction purified and formulated following clinical Good Manufacturing Practices, named XAV-19, neutralized spike/angiotensin converting enzyme-2 interaction at a concentration <1 µg/mL, and inhibited infection of human cells by SARS-CoV-2 in cytopathic assays. We also found that pig GH-pAb Fc domains fail to interact with human Fc receptors, thereby avoiding macrophage-dependent exacerbated inflammatory responses and a possible antibody-dependent enhancement. These data and the accumulating safety advantages of using GH-pAbs in humans warrant clinical assessment of XAV-19 against COVID-19.

Lyn kinase regulates egress of flaviviruses in autophagosome-derived organelles.

Among the various host cellular processes that are hijacked by flaviviruses, few mechanisms have been described with regard to viral egress. Here we investigate how flaviviruses exploit Src family kinases (SFKs) for exit from infected cells. We identify Lyn as a critical component for secretion of Dengue and Zika infectious particles and their corresponding virus like particles (VLPs). Pharmacological inhibition or genetic depletion of the SFKs, Lyn in particular, block virus secretion. Lyn-/- cells are impaired in virus release and are rescued when reconstituted with wild-type Lyn, but not a kinase- or palmitoylation-deficient Lyn mutant. We establish that virus particles are secreted in two distinct populations - one as free virions and the other enclosed within membranes. Lyn is critical for the latter, which consists of proteolytically processed, infectious virus progenies within autophagosome-derived vesicles. This process depends on Ulk1, Rab GTPases and SNARE complexes implicated in secretory but not degradative autophagy and occur with significantly faster kinetics than the conventional secretory pathway. Our study reveals a previously undiscovered Lyn-dependent exit route of flaviviruses in LC3+ secretory organelles that enables them to evade circulating antibodies and might affect tissue tropism.

High neutralizing potency of swine glyco-humanized polyclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Perfusion of convalescent plasma (CP) has demonstrated a potential to improve the pneumonia induced by SARS-CoV-2, but procurement and standardization of CP are barriers to its wide usage. Many monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been developed but appear insufficient to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 unless two or three of them are being combined. Therefore, heterologous polyclonal antibodies of animal origin, that have been used for decades to fight against infectious agents might represent a highly efficient alternative to the use of CP or mAbs in COVID-19 by targeting multiple antigen epitopes. However, conventional heterologous polyclonal antibodies trigger human natural xenogeneic antibody responses particularly directed against animal-type carbohydrate epitopes, mainly the N-glycolyl form of the neuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) and the Gal α1,3-galactose (αGal), ultimately forming immune complexes and potentially leading to serum sickness or allergy. To circumvent these drawbacks, we engineered animals lacking the genes coding for the cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH) and α1,3-galactosyl-transferase (GGTA1) enzymes to produce glyco-humanized polyclonal antibodies (GH-pAb) lacking Neu5Gc and α-Gal epitopes. We found that pig IgG Fc domains fail to interact with human Fc receptors and thereby should confer the safety advantage to avoiding macrophage dependent exacerbated inflammatory responses, a drawback possibly associated with antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 or to avoiding a possible antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). Therefore, we immunized CMAH/GGTA1 double knockout (DKO) pigs with the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) to elicit neutralizing antibodies. Animals rapidly developed a hyperimmune response with anti-SARS-CoV-2 end-titers binding dilutions over one to a million and end-titers neutralizing dilutions of 1:10,000. The IgG fraction purified and formulated following clinical Good Manufacturing Practices, named XAV-19, neutralized Spike/angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) interaction at a concentration < 1µg/mL and inhibited infection of human cells by SARS-CoV-2 in cytopathic assays. These data and the accumulating safety advantages of using glyco-humanized swine antibodies in humans warranted clinical assessment of XAV-19 to fight against COVID-19.

Breaking Bad: How Viruses Subvert the Cell Cycle.

Interactions between the host and viruses during the course of their co-evolution have not only shaped cellular function and the immune system, but also the counter measures employed by viruses. Relatively small genomes and high replication rates allow viruses to accumulate mutations and continuously present the host with new challenges. It is therefore, no surprise that they either escape detection or modulate host physiology, often by redirecting normal cellular pathways to their own advantage. Viruses utilize a diverse array of strategies and molecular targets to subvert host cellular processes, while evading detection. These include cell-cycle regulation, major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen presentation, intracellular protein transport, apoptosis, cytokine-mediated signaling, and humoral immune responses. Moreover, viruses routinely manipulate the host cell cycle to create a favorable environment for replication, largely by deregulating cell cycle checkpoints. This review focuses on our current understanding of the molecular aspects of cell cycle regulation that are often targeted by viruses. Further study of their interactions should provide fundamental insights into cell cycle regulation and improve our ability to exploit these viruses.

Antiviral Properties of Chemical Inhibitors of Cellular Anti-Apoptotic Bcl-2 Proteins.

Viral diseases remain serious threats to public health because of the shortage of effective means of control. To combat the surge of viral diseases, new treatments are urgently needed. Here we show that small-molecules, which inhibit cellular anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins (Bcl-2i), induced the premature death of cells infected with different RNA or DNA viruses, whereas, at the same concentrations, no toxicity was observed in mock-infected cells. Moreover, these compounds limited viral replication and spread. Surprisingly, Bcl-2i also induced the premature apoptosis of cells transfected with viral RNA or plasmid DNA but not of mock-transfected cells. These results suggest that Bcl-2i sensitizes cells containing foreign RNA or DNA to apoptosis. A comparison of the toxicity, antiviral activity, and side effects of six Bcl-2i allowed us to select A-1155463 as an antiviral lead candidate. Thus, our results pave the way for the further development of Bcl-2i for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases.

Cell Cycle-independent Role of Cyclin D3 in Host Restriction of Influenza Virus Infection.

To identify new host factors that modulate the replication of influenza A virus, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen using the cytoplasmic tail of matrix protein 2 from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain. The screen revealed a high-score interaction with cyclin D3, a key regulator of cell cycle early G1 phase. M2-cyclin D3 interaction was validated through GST pull-down and recapitulated in influenza A/WSN/33-infected cells. Knockdown of Ccnd3 by small interfering RNA significantly enhanced virus progeny titers in cell culture supernatants. Interestingly, the increase in virus production was due to cyclin D3 deficiency per se and not merely a consequence of cell cycle deregulation. A combined knockdown of Ccnd3 and Rb1, which rescued cell cycle progression into S phase, failed to normalize virus production. Infection by influenza A virus triggered redistribution of cyclin D3 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, followed by its proteasomal degradation. When overexpressed in HEK 293T cells, cyclin D3 impaired binding of M2 with M1, which is essential for proper assembly of progeny virions, lending further support to its role as a putative restriction factor. Our study describes the identification and characterization of cyclin D3 as a novel interactor of influenza A virus M2 protein. We hypothesize that competitive inhibition of M1-M2 interaction by cyclin D3 impairs infectious virion formation and results in attenuated virus production. In addition, we provide mechanistic insights into the dynamic interplay of influenza virus with the host cell cycle machinery during infection.

CLEC5A-Mediated Enhancement of the Inflammatory Response in Myeloid Cells Contributes to Influenza Virus Pathogenicity In Vivo.

Human infections with influenza viruses exhibit mild to severe clinical outcomes as a result of complex virus-host interactions. Induction of inflammatory mediators via pattern recognition receptors may dictate subsequent host responses for pathogen clearance and tissue damage. We identified that human C-type lectin domain family 5 member A (CLEC5A) interacts with the hemagglutinin protein of influenza viruses expressed on lentiviral pseudoparticles through lectin screening. Silencing CLEC5A gene expression, blocking influenza-CLEC5A interactions with anti-CLEC5A antibodies, or dampening CLEC5A-mediated signaling using a spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor consistently reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines produced by human macrophages without affecting the replication of influenza A viruses of different subtypes. Infection of bone marrow-derived macrophages from CLEC5A-deficient mice showed reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IP-10 but elevated alpha interferon (IFN-α) compared to those of wild-type mice. The heightened type I IFN response in the macrophages of CLEC5A-deficient mice was associated with upregulated TLR3 mRNA after treatment with double-stranded RNA. Upon lethal challenges with a recombinant H5N1 virus, CLEC5A-deficient mice showed reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, decreased immune cell infiltration in the lungs, and improved survival compared to the wild-type mice, despite comparable viral loads noted throughout the course of infection. The survival difference was more prominent at a lower dose of inoculum. Our results suggest that CLEC5A-mediated enhancement of the inflammatory response in myeloid cells contributes to influenza pathogenicity in vivo and may be considered a therapeutic target in combination with effective antivirals. Well-orchestrated host responses together with effective viral clearance are critical for optimal clinical outcome after influenza infections. IMPORTANCE: Multiple pattern recognition receptors work in synergy to sense viral RNA or proteins synthesized during influenza replication and mediate host responses for viral control. Well-orchestrated host responses may help to maintain the inflammatory response to minimize tissue damage while inducing an effective adaptive immune response for viral clearance. We identified that CLEC5A, a C-type lectin receptor which has previously been reported to mediate flavivirus-induced inflammatory responses, enhanced induction of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in myeloid cells after influenza infections. CLEC5A-deficient mice infected with influenza virus showed reduced inflammation in the lungs and improved survival compared to that of the wild-type mice despite comparable viral loads. The survival difference was more prominent at a lower dose of inoculum. Collectively, our results suggest that dampening CLEC5A-mediated inflammatory responses in myeloid cells reduces immunopathogenesis after influenza infections.

Usp12 stabilizes the T-cell receptor complex at the cell surface during signaling.

Posttranslational modifications are central to the spatial and temporal regulation of protein function. Among others, phosphorylation and ubiquitylation are known to regulate proximal T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Here we used a systematic and unbiased approach to uncover deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) that participate during TCR signaling in primary mouse T lymphocytes. Using a C-terminally modified vinyl methyl ester variant of ubiquitin (HA-Ub-VME), we captured DUBs that are differentially recruited to the cytosol on TCR activation. We identified ubiquitin-specific peptidase (Usp) 12 and Usp46, which had not been previously described in this pathway. Stimulation with anti-CD3 resulted in phosphorylation and time-dependent translocation of Usp12 from the nucleus to the cytosol. Usp12(-/-) Jurkat cells displayed defective NFκB, NFAT, and MAPK activities owing to attenuated surface expression of TCR, which were rescued on reconstitution of wild type Usp12. Proximity-based labeling with BirA-Usp12 revealed several TCR adaptor proteins acting as interactors in stimulated cells, of which LAT and Trat1 displayed reduced expression in Usp12(-/-) cells. We demonstrate that Usp12 deubiquitylates and prevents lysosomal degradation of LAT and Trat1 to maintain the proximal TCR complex for the duration of signaling. Our approach benefits from the use of activity-based probes in primary cells without any previous genome modification, and underscores the importance of ubiquitin-mediated regulation to refine signaling cascades.

Fc receptors in antibody-dependent enhancement of viral infections.

Sensitization of the humoral immune response to invading viruses and production of antiviral antibodies forms part of the host antiviral repertoire. Paradoxically, for a number of viral pathogens, under certain conditions, antibodies provide an attractive means of enhanced virus entry and replication in a number of cell types. Known as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection, the phenomenon occurs when virus-antibody immunocomplexes interact with cells bearing complement or Fc receptors, promoting internalization of the virus and increasing infection. Frequently associated with exacerbation of viral disease, ADE of infection presents a major obstacle to the prevention of viral disease by vaccination and is thought to be partly responsible for the adverse effects of novel antiviral therapeutics such as intravenous immunoglobulins. There is a growing body of work examining the intracellular signaling pathways and epitopes responsible for mediating ADE, with a view to aiding rational design of antiviral strategies. With in vitro studies also confirming ADE as a feature of infection for a growing number of viruses, challenges remain in understanding the multilayered molecular mechanisms of ADE and its effect on viral pathogenesis.

The double life of connexin channels: single is a treat.

Although several genetic diseases are caused by mutations in channels made by connexin family members, there has been little progress in the development and validation of therapeutic options. An in vitro study in this issue of JID suggests that an anti-malarial drug may be beneficial in keratitis-ichthyosis deafness, a severe conexin channel disease associated with potentially fatal recurrent infections.

KDEL Receptors Assist Dengue Virus Exit from the Endoplasmic Reticulum.

Membrane receptors at the surface of target cells are key host factors for virion entry; however, it is unknown whether trafficking and secretion of progeny virus requires host intracellular receptors. In this study, we demonstrate that dengue virus (DENV) interacts with KDEL receptors (KDELR), which cycle between the ER and Golgi apparatus, for vesicular transport from ER to Golgi. Depletion of KDELR by siRNA reduced egress of both DENV progeny and recombinant subviral particles (RSPs). Coimmunoprecipitation of KDELR with dengue structural protein prM required three positively charged residues at the N terminus, whose mutation disrupted protein interaction and inhibited RSP transport from the ER to the Golgi. Finally, siRNA depletion of class II Arfs, which results in KDELR accumulation in the Golgi, phenocopied results obtained with mutagenized prME and KDELR knockdown. Our results have uncovered a function for KDELR as an internal receptor involved in DENV trafficking.