SARS-CoV-2 spike-induced syncytia are senescent and contribute to exacerbated heart failure.

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SARS-2-S) induced cell-cell fusion in uninfected cells may occur in long COVID-19 syndrome, as circulating SARS-2-S or extracellular vesicles containing SARS-2-S (S-EVs) were found to be prevalent in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) for up to 12 months after diagnosis. Although isolated recombinant SARS-2-S protein has been shown to increase the SASP in senescent ACE2-expressing cells, the direct linkage of SARS-2-S syncytia with senescence in the absence of virus infection and the degree to which SARS-2-S syncytia affect pathology in the setting of cardiac dysfunction are unknown. Here, we found that the senescent outcome of SARS-2-S induced syncytia exacerbated heart failure progression. We first demonstrated that syncytium formation in cells expressing SARS-2-S delivered by DNA plasmid or LNP-mRNA exhibits a senescence-like phenotype. Extracellular vesicles containing SARS-2-S (S-EVs) also confer a potent ability to form senescent syncytia without de novo synthesis of SARS-2-S. However, it is important to note that currently approved COVID-19 mRNA vaccines do not induce syncytium formation or cellular senescence. Mechanistically, SARS-2-S syncytia provoke the formation of functional MAVS aggregates, which regulate the senescence fate of SARS-2-S syncytia by TNFα. We further demonstrate that senescent SARS-2-S syncytia exhibit shrinked morphology, leading to the activation of WNK1 and impaired cardiac metabolism. In pre-existing heart failure mice, the WNK1 inhibitor WNK463, anti-syncytial drug niclosamide, and senolytic dasatinib protect the heart from exacerbated heart failure triggered by SARS-2-S. Our findings thus suggest a potential mechanism for COVID-19-mediated cardiac pathology and recommend the application of WNK1 inhibitor for therapy especially in individuals with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

A mutation-mediated evolutionary adaptation of Zika virus in mosquito and mammalian host.

Zika virus (ZIKV) caused millions of infections during its rapid and expansive spread from Asia to the Americas from 2015 to 2017. Here, we compared the infectivity of ZIKV mutants with individual stable substitutions which emerged throughout the Asian ZIKV lineage and were responsible for the explosive outbreaks in the Americas. A threonine (T) to alanine (A) mutation at the 106th residue of the ZIKV capsid (C) protein facilitated the transmission by its mosquito vector, as well as infection in both human cells and immunodeficient mice. A mechanistic study showed that the T106A substitution rendered the C a preferred substrate for the NS2B-NS3 protease, thereby facilitating the maturation of structural proteins and the formation of infectious viral particles. Over a complete "mosquito-mouse-mosquito" cycle, the ZIKV C-T106A mutant showed a higher prevalence of mosquito infection than did the preepidemic strain, thus promoting ZIKV dissemination. Our results support the contribution of this evolutionary adaptation to the occasional widespread reemergence of ZIKV in nature.

A lung-selective delivery of mRNA encoding broadly neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The respiratory system, especially the lung, is the key site of pathological injury induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Given the low feasibility of targeted delivery of antibodies into the lungs by intravenous administration and the short half-life period of antibodies in the lungs by intranasal or aerosolized immunization, mRNA encoding broadly neutralizing antibodies with lung-targeting capability can perfectly provide high-titer antibodies in lungs to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we firstly identify a human monoclonal antibody, 8-9D, with broad neutralizing potency against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The neutralization mechanism of this antibody is explained by the structural characteristics of 8-9D Fabs in complex with the Omicron BA.5 spike. In addition, we evaluate the efficacy of 8-9D using a safe and robust mRNA delivery platform and compare the performance of 8-9D when its mRNA is and is not selectively delivered to the lungs. The lung-selective delivery of the 8-9D mRNA enables the expression of neutralizing antibodies in the lungs which blocks the invasion of the virus, thus effectively protecting female K18-hACE2 transgenic mice from challenge with the Beta or Omicron BA.1 variant. Our work underscores the potential application of lung-selective mRNA antibodies in the prevention and treatment of infections caused by circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Host immunity and vaccine development against Dengue virus.

Dengue is one of the most prevalent and influential mosquito-borne viral infections in the world. According to 1 modeling estimate, the World Health Organization indicated that the annual cases of dengue virus (DENV) infection are as high as 390 million, placing more than half of the global population at risk. Despite its overwhelming prevalence, there is still no effective control method for containing this rapidly spreading disease. The only vaccine currently licensed for use is Dengvaxia, a tetravalent chimeric vaccine developed by Sanofi Pasteur in 2019. However, this vaccine fails to elicit a balanced immune response against all 4 serotypes of DENV and causes severe side effects in seronegative vaccine recipients. Vaccines naturally stimulate cellular and humoral immune responses, which are crucial for vaccine immunogenicity and clinical protection. This article focuses on these 2 immune responses triggered by DENV and their relationship with the efficacy of various vaccine candidates. This information will help us understand the vaccine immune response and relevant clinical protective efficacy further, providing insights into the development of new vaccines. Finally, we summarize feasible approaches for future vaccine development.

A glucose-like metabolite deficient in diabetes inhibits cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2.

The severity and mortality of COVID-19 are associated with pre-existing medical comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus. However, the underlying causes for increased susceptibility to viral infection in patients with diabetes is not fully understood. Here we identify several small-molecule metabolites from human blood with effective antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, one of which, 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5-AG), is associated with diabetes mellitus. The serum 1,5-AG level is significantly lower in patients with diabetes. In vitro, the level of SARS-CoV-2 replication is higher in the presence of serum from patients with diabetes than from healthy individuals and this is counteracted by supplementation of 1,5-AG to the serum from patients. Diabetic (db/db) mice undergo SARS-CoV-2 infection accompanied by much higher viral loads and more severe respiratory tissue damage when compared to wild-type mice. Sustained supplementation of 1,5-AG in diabetic mice reduces SARS-CoV-2 loads and disease severity to similar levels in nondiabetic mice. Mechanistically, 1,5-AG directly binds the S2 subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, thereby interrupting spike-mediated virus-host membrane fusion. Our results reveal a mechanism that contributes to COVID-19 pathogenesis in the diabetic population and suggest that 1,5-AG supplementation may be beneficial to diabetic patients against severe COVID-19.

GP73 is a glucogenic hormone contributing to SARS-CoV-2-induced hyperglycemia.

Severe cases of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are associated with elevated blood glucose levels and metabolic complications. However, the molecular mechanisms for how SARS-CoV-2 infection alters glycometabolic control are incompletely understood. Here, we connect the circulating protein GP73 with enhanced hepatic gluconeogenesis during SARS-CoV-2 infection. We first demonstrate that GP73 secretion is induced in multiple tissues upon fasting and that GP73 stimulates hepatic gluconeogenesis through the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. We further show that GP73 secretion is increased in cultured cells infected with SARS-CoV-2, after overexpression of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike proteins and in lungs and livers of mice infected with a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 strain. GP73 blockade with an antibody inhibits excessive glucogenesis stimulated by SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and lowers elevated fasting blood glucose levels in infected mice. In patients with COVID-19, plasma GP73 levels are elevated and positively correlate with blood glucose levels. Our data suggest that GP73 is a glucogenic hormone that likely contributes to SARS-CoV-2-induced abnormalities in systemic glucose metabolism.

Interaction of Viruses with the Insect Intestine.

In nature, insects face a constant threat of infection by numerous exogeneous viruses, and their intestinal tracts are the predominant ports of entry. Insects can acquire these viruses orally during either blood feeding by hematophagous insects or sap sucking and foliage feeding by insect herbivores. However, the insect intestinal tract forms several physical and immunological barriers to defend against viral invasion, including cell intrinsic antiviral immunity, the peritrophic matrix and the mucin layer, and local symbiotic microorganisms. Whether an infection can be successfully established in the intestinal tract depends on the complex interactions between viruses and those barriers. In this review, we summarize recent progress on virus-intestinal tract interplay in insects, in which various underlying mechanisms derived from nutritional status, dynamics of symbiotic microorganisms, and virus-encoded components play intricate roles in the regulation of virus invasion in the intestinal tract, either directly or indirectly.

GP73 is a TBC-domain Rab GTPase-activating protein contributing to the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease without obesity.

The prevalence of non-obese nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide with unclear etiology and pathogenesis. Here, we show GP73, a Golgi protein upregulated in livers from patients with a variety of liver diseases, exhibits Rab GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity regulating ApoB export. Upon regular-diet feeding, liver-GP73-high mice display non-obese NAFLD phenotype, characterized by reduced body weight, intrahepatic lipid accumulation, and gradual insulin resistance development, none of which can be recapitulated in liver-GAP inactive GP73-high mice. Common and specific gene expression signatures associated with GP73-induced non-obese NAFLD and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese NAFLD are revealed. Notably, metformin inactivates the GAP activity of GP73 and alleviates GP73-induced non-obese NAFLD. GP73 is pathologically elevated in NAFLD individuals without obesity, and GP73 blockade improves whole-body metabolism in non-obese NAFLD mouse model. These findings reveal a pathophysiological role of GP73 in triggering non-obese NAFLD and may offer an opportunity for clinical intervention.