Delivery of Anticancer Drugs Using Microbubble-Assisted Ultrasound in a 3D Spheroid Model.

Tumor spheroids are promising three-dimensional (3D) in vitro tumor models for the evaluation of drug delivery methods. The design of noninvasive and targeted drug methods is required to improve the intratumoral bioavailability of chemotherapeutic drugs and reduce their adverse off-target effects. Among such methods, microbubble-assisted ultrasound (MB-assisted US) is an innovative modality for noninvasive targeted drug delivery. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of this US modality for the delivery of bleomycin, doxorubicin, and irinotecan in colorectal cancer (CRC) spheroids. MB-assisted US permeabilized the CRC spheroids to propidium iodide, which was used as a drug model without affecting their growth and viability. Histological analysis and electron microscopy revealed that MB-assisted US affected only the peripheral layer of the CRC spheroids. The acoustically mediated bleomycin delivery induced a significant decrease in CRC spheroid growth in comparison to spheroids treated with bleomycin alone. However, this US modality did not improve the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin and irinotecan on CRC spheroids. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that tumor spheroids are a relevant approach to evaluate the efficacy of MB-assisted US for the delivery of chemotherapeutics.

The KxGxYR and DxE motifs in the C-tail of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus membrane protein are crucial for infectious virus assembly.

The coronavirus' (CoV) membrane (M) protein is the driving force during assembly, but this process remains poorly characterized. Previously, we described two motifs in the C-tail of the Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV) M protein involved in its endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit (211DxE213) and trans-Golgi network (TGN) retention (199KxGxYR204). Here, their function in virus assembly was investigated by two different virus-like particle (VLP) assays and by mutating both motifs in an infectious MERS-CoV cDNA clone. It was shown that the 199KxGxYR204 motif was essential for VLP and infectious virus assembly. Moreover, the mislocalization of the M protein induced by mutation of this motif prevented M-E interaction. Hampering the ER export of M by mutating its 211DxE213 motif still allowed the formation of nucleocapsid-empty VLPs, but prevented the formation of fully assembled VLPs and infectious particles. Taken together, these data show that the MERS-CoV assembly process highly depends on the correct intracellular trafficking of its M protein, and hence that not only specific protein-protein interacting motifs but also correct subcellular localization of the M protein in infected cells is essential for virus formation and should be taken into consideration when studying the assembly process.

Reform of the first year of medical studies and diversification of student profiles in France: an unmet need?

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the reform of the first year of medical studies implemented in September 2020 in France met its objective of diversifying the profiles of students admitted to second year at the faculty of medicine at the University of Tours. METHODS: Single-centered, retrospective study, covering students who passed the first year of medical studies between 2018 and 2022. Student profiles originating from three different entry gateways (PACES, PASS and L.AS) to the second year of medical studies were compared. RESULTS: One thousand four hundred and seventy-nine students over five promotions were included (806 in PACES, 329 in PASS, 198 in L.AS). The ratio of students who had obtained a baccalaureate with high or highest honors was significantly higher in PACES (85%) and PASS (96%) compared to L.AS (66%; p < 0.001). These differences were related to increased student intake via a standard pass in L.AS (21% compared to 3.2% in PACES and 0.9% in PASS) (p < 0.001). In terms of geographical origin, the proportion of students residing in regions outside the University City area increased significantly in L.AS (11%) compared to PACES (1.7%) and PASS (3.3%) (p < 0.001). The mean number of parents from the white-collar and knowledge professional category was significantly higher in PACES (0.91) and PASS (1.06) compared to L.AS (0.80; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Students with a scientific background and who obtained highest honors in their high school diploma, remain the standard in PACES and PASS. Diversification of student profiles was achieved only within the L.AS gateway, which represented 42% of total second year admissions during the post-reform year. Student profile diversification was therefore a partially achieved objective and follow up studies of future promotions is needed to assess the medium and long-term impact of the reform. Particular attention should be paid to the future of these students who have different profiles between L.AS and PASS to determine whether these changes will have any impact in the quality of healthcare for the French population.

The double-membrane vesicle (DMV): a virus-induced organelle dedicated to the replication of SARS-CoV-2 and other positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses.

Positive single-strand RNA (+ RNA) viruses can remodel host cell membranes to induce a replication organelle (RO) isolating the replication of their genome from innate immunity mechanisms. Some of these viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), induce double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) for this purpose. Viral non-structural proteins are essential for DMV biogenesis, but they cannot form without an original membrane from a host cell organelle and a significant supply of lipids. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the initial mechanisms of autophagic processes have been shown to be essential for the biogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 DMVs. However, by analogy with other DMV-inducing viruses, it seems likely that the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and lipid droplets are also involved. As for hepatitis C virus (HCV), pores crossing both membranes of SARS-CoV-2-induced DMVs have been identified. These pores presumably allow the supply of metabolites essential for viral replication within the DMV, together with the export of the newly synthesized viral RNA to form the genome of future virions. It remains unknown whether, as for HCV, DMVs with open pores can coexist with the fully sealed DMVs required for the storage of large amounts of viral RNA. Interestingly, recent studies have revealed many similarities in the mechanisms of DMV biogenesis and morphology between these two phylogenetically distant viruses. An understanding of the mechanisms of DMV formation and their role in the infectious cycle of SARS-CoV-2 may be essential for the development of new antiviral approaches against this pathogen or other coronaviruses that may emerge in the future.

A morphometric analysis of hepatitis B subviral particles shows no correlation of filament proportion and length with clinical stage and genotype.

It was recently suggested that the composition of circulating hepatitis B subviral particles (SVPs) could be used to differentiate the various stages in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, with significantly lower proportions of L and M proteins in inactive carriers than in individuals with chronic hepatitis. L protein is abundant in virions and filamentous SVPs but almost absent from spherical SVPs. We, therefore, performed a morphometric analysis of SVPs in these two groups of patients, by conducting a retrospective analysis on sera from 15 inactive carriers and 11 patients with chronic hepatitis infected with various HBV genotypes. Subviral particles were concentrated by centrifugation on a sucrose cushion, with monitoring by transmission electron microscopy. The percentage of filamentous SVPs and filament length for 100 SVPs was determined with a digital camera. The L protein PreS1 promoter was sequenced from viral genomes by the Sanger method. No marked differences were found between patients, some of whom had only spherical SVPs, whereas others had variable percentages of filamentous SVPs (up to 28%), of highly variable length. High filament percentages were not associated with a particular sequence of the L protein promoter, HBV genotype or even disease stage. High levels of circulating filamentous SVPs are probably more strongly related to individual host factors than to viral strain characteristics or disease stage.

Alternative splicing creates a pseudo-strictosidine ß-d-glucosidase modulating alkaloid synthesis in Catharanthus roseus.

Deglycosylation is a key step in the activation of specialized metabolites involved in plant defense mechanisms. This reaction is notably catalyzed by ß-glucosidases of the glycosyl hydrolase 1 (GH1) family such as strictosidine ß-d-glucosidase (SGD) from Catharanthus roseus. SGD catalyzes the deglycosylation of strictosidine, forming a highly reactive aglycone involved in the synthesis of cytotoxic monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) and in the crosslinking of aggressor proteins. By exploring C. roseus transcriptomic resources, we identified an alternative splicing event of the SGD gene leading to the formation of a shorter isoform of this enzyme (shSGD) that lacks the last 71-residues and whose transcript ratio with SGD ranges from 1.7% up to 42.8%, depending on organs and conditions. Whereas it completely lacks ß-glucosidase activity, shSGD interacts with SGD and causes the disruption of SGD multimers. Such disorganization drastically inhibits SGD activity and impacts downstream MIA synthesis. In addition, shSGD disrupts the metabolic channeling of downstream biosynthetic steps by hampering the recruitment of tetrahydroalstonine synthase in cell nuclei. shSGD thus corresponds to a pseudo-enzyme acting as a regulator of MIA biosynthesis. These data shed light on a peculiar control mechanism of ß-glucosidase multimerization, an organization common to many defensive GH1 members.

Annulate lamellae and intracellular pathogens.

Annulate lamellae (AL) have been observed many times over the years on electron micrographs of rapidly dividing cells, but little is known about these unusual organelles consisting of stacked sheets of endoplasmic reticulum-derived membranes with nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Evidence is growing for a role of AL in viral infection. AL have been observed early in the life cycles of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and, more recently, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), suggesting a specific induction of mechanisms potentially useful to these pathogens. Like other positive-strand RNA viruses, these viruses induce host cells membranes rearrangements. The NPCs of AL could potentially mediate exchanges between these partially sealed compartments and the cytoplasm. AL may also be involved in regulating Ca2+ homeostasis or cell cycle control. They were recently observed in cells infected with Theileria annulata, an intracellular protozoan parasite inducing cell proliferation. Further studies are required to clarify their role in intracellular pathogen/host-cell interactions.

Ultrastructural modifications induced by SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cells: a kinetic analysis of viral factory formation, viral particle morphogenesis and virion release.

Many studies on SARS-CoV-2 have been performed over short-time scale, but few have focused on the ultrastructural characteristics of infected cells. We used TEM to perform kinetic analysis of the ultrastructure of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. Early infection events were characterized by the presence of clusters of single-membrane vesicles and stacks of membrane containing nuclear pores called annulate lamellae (AL). A large network of host cell-derived organelles transformed into virus factories was subsequently observed in the cells. As previously described for other RNA viruses, these replication factories consisted of double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) located close to the nucleus. Viruses released at the cell surface by exocytosis harbored the typical crown of spike proteins, but viral particles without spikes were also observed in intracellular compartments, possibly reflecting incorrect assembly or a cell degradation process.

BK Polyomavirus Hijacks Extracellular Vesicles for En Bloc Transmission.

Most people are asymptomatic carriers of the BK polyomavirus (BKPyV), but the mechanisms of persistence and immune evasion remain poorly understood. Furthermore, BKPyV is responsible for nephropathies in kidney transplant recipients. Unfortunately, the sole therapeutic option is to modulate immunosuppression, which increases the risk of transplant rejection. Using iodixanol density gradients, we observed that Vero and renal proximal tubular epithelial infected cells release two populations of infectious particles, one of which cosediments with extracellular vesicles (EVs). Electron microscopy confirmed that a single vesicle could traffic tens of viral particles. In contrast to naked virions, the EV-associated particles (eBKPyVs) were not able to agglutinate red blood cells and did not use cell surface sialylated glycans as an attachment factor, demonstrating that different entry pathways were involved for each type of infectious particle. However, we also observed that naked BKPyV and eBKPyV were equally sensitive to neutralization by the serum of a seropositive patient or commercially available polyvalent immunoglobulin preparations, which occurred at a postattachment step, after endocytosis. In conclusion, our work shows a new mechanism that likely plays a critical role during the primary infection and in the persistence, but also the reactivation, of BKPyV.IMPORTANCE Reactivation of BKPyV is responsible for nephropathies in kidney transplant recipients, which frequently lead to graft loss. The mechanisms of persistence and immune evasion used by this virus remain poorly understood, and a therapeutic option for transplant patients is still lacking. Here, we show that BKPyV can be released into EVs, enabling viral particles to infect cells using an alternative entry pathway. This provides a new view of BKPyV pathogenesis. Even though we did not find any decreased sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies when comparing EV-associated particles and naked virions, our study also raises important questions about developing prevention strategies based on the induction or administration of neutralizing antibodies. Deciphering this new release pathway could enable the identification of therapeutic targets to prevent BKPyV nephropathies. It could also lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of other polyomaviruses that are associated with human diseases.

Clinical spectrum of MTOR-related hypomelanosis of Ito with neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

PURPOSE: Hypomelanosis of Ito (HI) is a skin marker of somatic mosaicism. Mosaic MTOR pathogenic variants have been reported in HI with brain overgrowth. We sought to delineate further the pigmentary skin phenotype and clinical spectrum of neurodevelopmental manifestations of MTOR-related HI. METHODS: From two cohorts totaling 71 patients with pigmentary mosaicism, we identified 14 patients with Blaschko-linear and one with flag-like pigmentation abnormalities, psychomotor impairment or seizures, and a postzygotic MTOR variant in skin. Patient records, including brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) were reviewed. Immunostaining (n = 3) for melanocyte markers and ultrastructural studies (n = 2) were performed on skin biopsies. RESULTS: MTOR variants were present in skin, but absent from blood in half of cases. In a patient (p.[Glu2419Lys] variant), phosphorylation of p70S6K was constitutively increased. In hypopigmented skin of two patients, we found a decrease in stage 4 melanosomes in melanocytes and keratinocytes. Most patients (80%) had macrocephaly or (hemi)megalencephaly on MRI. CONCLUSION: MTOR-related HI is a recognizable neurocutaneous phenotype of patterned dyspigmentation, epilepsy, intellectual deficiency, and brain overgrowth, and a distinct subtype of hypomelanosis related to somatic mosaicism. Hypopigmentation may be due to a defect in melanogenesis, through mTORC1 activation, similar to hypochromic patches in tuberous sclerosis complex.

Hepatitis B virus entry into HepG2-NTCP cells requires clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide, with 250 million individuals chronically infected. Many stages of the HBV infectious cycle have been elucidated, but the mechanisms of HBV entry remain poorly understood. The identification of the sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) as an HBV receptor and the establishment of NTCP-overexpressing hepatoma cell lines susceptible to HBV infection opens up new possibilities for investigating these mechanisms. We used HepG2-NTCP cells, and various chemical inhibitors and RNA interference (RNAi) approaches to investigate the host cell factors involved in HBV entry. We found that HBV uptake into these cells was dependent on the actin cytoskeleton and did not involve macropinocytosis or caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Instead, entry occurred via the clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway. HBV internalisation was inhibited by pitstop-2 treatment and RNA-mediated silencing (siRNA) of the clathrin heavy chain, adaptor protein AP-2 and dynamin-2. We were able to visualise HBV entry in clathrin-coated pits and vesicles by electron microscopy (EM) and cryo-EM with immunogold labelling. These data demonstrating that HBV uses a clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway to enter HepG2-NTCP cells increase our understanding of the complete HBV life cycle.

Virus detection by transmission electron microscopy: Still useful for diagnosis and a plus for biosafety.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is the only imaging technique allowing the direct visualization of viruses, due to its nanometer-scale resolution. Between the 1960s and 1990s, TEM contributed to the discovery of many types of viruses and served as a diagnostic tool for identifying viruses directly in biological samples, either in suspension or in sections of tissues or mammalian cells grown in vitro in contact with clinical samples. The diagnosis of viral infections improved considerably during the 1990s, with the advent of highly sensitive techniques, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and PCR, rendering TEM obsolete for this purpose. However, the last 20 years have demonstrated the utility of this technique in particular situations, due to its "catch-all" nature, making diagnosis possible through visualization of the virus, without the need of prior assumptions about the infectious agent sought. Thus, in several major outbreaks in which molecular techniques failed to identify the infectious agent, TEM provided the answer. TEM is also still occasionally used in routine diagnosis to characterize infections not diagnosed by molecular assays. It is also used to check the microbiological safety of biological products. Many biopharmaceuticals are produced in animal cells that might contain little-known, difficult-to-detect viruses. In this context, the "catch-all" properties of TEM make it possible to document the presence of viruses or virus-like particles in these products.

[An atypical case of lipoid proteinosis]. / Un cas atypique de protéinose lipoïde.

The lipoid proteinosis is a rare autosomic recessive genodermatosis characterized histologically by deposits of hyaline-like eosinophilic material of characteristic distribution. We herein report the case of a 56-year-old man admitted for progressive aggravated dementia associated with a late-onset dysphonia. Histologic examination of cutaneous and laryngeal biopsies showed deposits of an amorphous and eosinophilic material arranged around vessels, and adnexal structures, stained by PAS and congo red negative. The detection of a mutation in the ECM1 gene confirmed the diagnosis of lipoid proteinosis of atypical clinical presentation.

Virus-induced double-membrane vesicles.

Many viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm compartmentalize their genome replication and transcription in specific subcellular microenvironments or organelle-like structures, to increase replication efficiency and protect against host cell defences. Recent studies have investigated the complex membrane rearrangements induced by diverse positive-strand RNA viruses, which are of two morphotypes : membrane invagination towards the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or other specifically targeted organelles and double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) formed by extrusion of the ER membrane. DMVs resemble small autophagosomes and the viruses inducing these intriguing organelles are known to promote autophagy, suggesting a potential link between DMVs and the autophagic pathway. In this review, we summarize recent findings concerning the biogenesis, architecture and role of DMVs in the life cycle of viruses from different families and discuss their possible connection to autophagy or other related pathways.

The neonatal Fc receptor does not modulate hepatitis C virus neutralization.

The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is the only receptor known to be able to transport IgG across cell barriers and may therefore modulate virus infection. FcRn is expressed efficiently in hepatocytes. We therefore investigated the possible involvement of an FcRn-dependent mechanism in hepatitis C virus (HCV) neutralization. Our study, in both HCV pseudoparticles and HCV in cell-culture models, showed that FcRn was not involved in the intracellular neutralization of HCV, in contrast to the situation observed for influenza A virus.

Sequence and functional analysis of the envelope glycoproteins of hepatitis C virus variants selectively transmitted to a new host.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a challenging public health problem worldwide. The identification of viral variants establishing de novo infections and definition of the phenotypic requirements for transmission would facilitate the design of preventive strategies. We explored the transmission of HCV variants in three cases of acute hepatitis following needlestick accidents. We used single-genome amplification of glycoprotein E1E2 gene sequences to map the genetic bottleneck upon transmission accurately. We found that infection was likely established by a single variant in two cases and six variants in the third case. Studies of donor samples showed that the transmitted variant E1E2 amino acid sequences were identical or closely related to those of variants from the donor virus populations. The transmitted variants harbored a common signature site at position 394, within hypervariable region 1 of E2, together with additional signature amino acids specific to each transmission pair. Surprisingly, these E1E2 variants conferred no greater capacity for entry than the E1E2 derived from nontransmitted variants in lentiviral pseudoparticle assays. Mutants escaping the antibodies of donor sera did not predominate among the transmitted variants either. The fitness parameters affecting the selective outgrowth of HCV variants after transmission in an immunocompetent host may thus be more complex than those suggested by mouse models. Human antibodies directed against HCV envelope effectively cross-neutralized the lentiviral particles bearing E1E2 derived from transmitted variants. These findings provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying HCV transmission and suggest that viral entry is a potential target for the prevention of HCV infection.

Sequential biogenesis of host cell membrane rearrangements induced by hepatitis C virus infection.

Like most positive-strand RNA viruses, hepatitis C virus (HCV) forms a membrane-associated replication complex consisting of replicating RNA, viral and host proteins anchored to altered cell membranes. We used a combination of qualitative and quantitative electron microscopy (EM), immuno-EM, and the 3D reconstruction of serial EM sections to analyze the host cell membrane alterations induced by HCV. Three different types of membrane alteration were observed: vesicles in clusters (ViCs), contiguous vesicles (CVs), and double-membrane vesicles (DMVs). The main ultrastructural change observed early in infection was the formation of a network of CVs surrounding the lipid droplets. Later stages in the infectious cycle were characterized by a large increase in the number of DMVs, which may be derived from the CVs. These DMVs are thought to constitute the membranous structures harboring the viral replication complexes in which viral replication is firmly and permanently established and to protect the virus against double-stranded RNA-triggered host antiviral responses.