RESUMEN
Copper is an essential trace element for the human body, and its requirement for optimistic immune functions has been recognized for decades. How copper is involved in the innate immune pathway, however, remains to be clarified. Here, we report that copper serves as a signal molecule to regulate the kinase activity of alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1), a cytosolic pattern-recognition receptor (PRR), and therefore promotes host cell defense against bacterial infection. We show that in response to infection, host cells actively accumulate copper in the cytosol, and the accumulated cytosolic copper enhances host cell defense against evading pathogens, including intracellular and, unexpectedly, extracellular bacteria. Subsequently, we demonstrate that copper activates the innate immune pathway of host cells in an ALPK1-dependent manner. Further mechanistic studies reveal that copper binds to ALPK1 directly and is essential for the kinase activity of this cytosolic PRR. Moreover, the binding of copper to ALPK1 enhances the sensitivity of ALPK1 to the bacterial metabolite ADP-heptose and eventually prompts host cells to elicit an enhanced immune response during bacterial infection. Finally, using a zebrafish in vivo model, we show that a copper-treated host shows an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, enhanced recruitment of phagosome cells, and promoted bacterial clearance. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognized role of copper in the modulation of host innate immune response against bacterial pathogens and advance our knowledge on the cross talk between cytosolic copper homeostasis and immune system.
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Infecciones Bacterianas , Cobre , Animales , Humanos , Pez Cebra , Inmunidad Innata , Citocinas , Receptores de Reconocimiento de PatronesRESUMEN
Isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) mutations occur in more than 15% of cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) but comparative studies of their roles in leukemogenesis have been scarce. We generated zebrafish models of IDH2R172K and IDH2R140Q AML and reported their pathologic, functional and transcriptomic features and therapeutic responses to target therapies. Transgenic embryos co-expressing FLT3ITD and IDH2 mutations showed accentuation of myelopoiesis. As these embryos were raised to adulthood, full-blown leukemia ensued with multi-lineage dysplasia, increase in myeloblasts and marrow cellularity and splenomegaly. The leukemia cells were transplantable into primary and secondary recipients and resulted in more aggressive disease. Tg(Runx1:FLT3ITDIDH2R172K) but not Tg(Runx1:FLT3ITDIDH2R140Q) zebrafish showed an increase in T-cell development at embryonic and adult stages. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed increased myeloid skewing, differentiation blockade and enrichment of leukemia-associated gene signatures in both zebrafish models. Tg(Runx1:FLT3ITDIDH2R172K) but not Tg(Runx1:FLT3ITDIDH2R140Q) zebrafish showed an increase in interferon signals at the adult stage. Leukemic phenotypes in both zebrafish could be ameliorated by quizartinib and enasidenib. In conclusion, the zebrafish models of IDH2 mutated AML recapitulated the morphologic, clinical, functional and transcriptomic characteristics of human diseases, and provided the prototype for developing zebrafish leukemia models of other genotypes that would become a platform for high throughput drug screening.
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Leucemia Mieloide Aguda , Pez Cebra , Adulto , Animales , Humanos , Pez Cebra/genética , Subunidad alfa 2 del Factor de Unión al Sitio Principal/genética , Nucleofosmina , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/tratamiento farmacológico , Genotipo , Mutación , Animales Modificados Genéticamente , Isocitrato Deshidrogenasa/genética , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/genéticaRESUMEN
Purpose: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of follistatin (FST) on hepatic steatosis in NAFLD and the underlying mechanism, which has rarely been reported before. Methods: Liver samples from NAFLD patients and normal liver samples (from liver donors) were collected to investigate hepatic FST expression in humans. Additionally, human liver cells (LO2) were treated with free fatty acid (FFA) to induce lipid accumulation. Furthermore, lentivirus with FST overexpression or knockdown vectors were used to generate stable cell lines, which were subsequently treated with FFA or FFA and rapamycin. In the animal experiments, male C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce NAFLD, after which the adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene vectors for FST overexpression were administered. In both cell culture and mice, we evaluated morphological changes and the protein expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein1 (SREBP1), acetyl-CoA carboxylase1 (ACC1), carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP), fatty acid synthase (FASN), and Akt/mTOR signaling. The body weight and serum parameters of the mice were also measured. Results: Hepatic FST expression level was higher in NAFLD patients compared to normal samples. In LO2 cells, FST overexpression alleviated lipid accumulation and lipogenesis, whereas FST knockdown aggravated hepatic steatosis. FST could regulate Akt/mTOR signaling, and the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin abolished the effect of FST knockdown on hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL). Furthermore, FST expression was increased in HFD mice compared to the corresponding controls. FST overexpression in mice reduced body weight gain, hyperlipidemia, hepatic DNL, and suppressed Akt/mTOR signaling. Conclusion: Hepatic FST expression increases in NAFLD and plays a protective role in hepatic steatosis. FST overexpression gene therapy alleviates hepatic steatosis via the mTOR pathway.Therefore, gene therapy for FST is a promising treatment in NAFLD.
RESUMEN
ADP-ribosylation factor-like 4aa (Arl4aa) is a member of the ADP-ribosylation factor family. It is expressed in hematopoietic tissue during embryonic development, but its function was unknown. Zebrafish arl4aa is preferentially expressed in the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta (VDA) at 24 and 36 hpf and in caudal hematopoietic tissue at 48 hpf. Morpholino knockdown and transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) knockout of arl4aa significantly reduced expression of genes associated with definitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Golgi complex integrity in VDA was disrupted as shown by transmission electron microscopy and immunostaining of Golgi membrane Giantin. Mechanistically, arl4aa knockdown reduced Notch signaling in the VDA and its target gene expression. Protein expression of NICD was also reduced. Effects of arl4aa knockdown on definitive hematopoiesis could be restored by NICD expression. This study identified arl4aa as a factor regulating initiation of definitive HSCs by maintaining the integrity of Golgi complex and, secondarily, maturation of the Notch receptor.
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Aparato de Golgi/metabolismo , Hemangioblastos/metabolismo , Hematopoyesis , Proteínas de Pez Cebra/metabolismo , Pez Cebra/metabolismo , Animales , Secuencia de Bases , Secuencia Conservada , Cruzamientos Genéticos , Regulación hacia Abajo , Células Endoteliales/metabolismo , Células Endoteliales/ultraestructura , Humanos , Modelos Biológicos , Mutación/genética , Receptores Notch/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal , Nucleasas de los Efectores Tipo Activadores de la TranscripciónRESUMEN
Internal tandem duplication of Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3/ITD) occurs in about 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is associated with poor response to conventional treatment and adverse outcome. Here, we reported that human FLT3/ITD expression led to axis duplication and dorsalization in about 50% of zebrafish embryos. The morphologic phenotype was accompanied by ectopic expression of a morphogen follistatin (fst) during early embryonic development. Increase in fst expression also occurred in adult FLT3/ITD-transgenic zebrafish, Flt3/ITD knock-in mice, and human FLT3/ITD AML cells. Overexpression of human FST317 and FST344 isoforms enhanced clonogenicity and leukemia engraftment in xenotransplantation model via RET, IL2RA, and CCL5 upregulation. Specific targeting of FST by shRNA, CRISPR/Cas9, or antisense oligo inhibited leukemic growth in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, serum FST positively correlated with leukemia engraftment in FLT3/ITD AML patient-derived xenograft mice and leukemia blast percentage in primary AML patients. In FLT3/ITD AML patients treated with FLT3 inhibitor quizartinib, serum FST levels correlated with clinical response. These observations supported FST as a novel therapeutic target and biomarker in FLT3/ITD AML.
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Folistatina , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/genética , Animales , Animales Modificados Genéticamente , Benzotiazoles/farmacología , Biomarcadores/sangre , Embrión no Mamífero , Folistatina/sangre , Duplicación de Gen , Humanos , Ratones , Mutación , Trasplante de Neoplasias , Compuestos de Fenilurea/farmacología , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas , Pez Cebra/embriologíaRESUMEN
The recent advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has greatly accelerated identification of gene mutations in myeloid malignancies at unprecedented speed that will soon outpace their functional validation by conventional laboratory techniques and animal models. A high-throughput whole-organism model is useful for the functional validation of new mutations. We recently reported the use of zebrafish to evaluate the hematopoietic function of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and the effects of expressing human IDH1-R132H that is frequently identified in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in myelopoiesis, with a view to develop zebrafish as a model of AML. Here, we use IDH1 as an example to describe a comprehensive approach to evaluate hematopoietic gene function and the effects of mutations using zebrafish as a model.
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Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Embrión no Mamífero/metabolismo , Isocitrato Deshidrogenasa/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Mutación , Animales , Embrión no Mamífero/citología , Hematopoyesis , Secuenciación de Nucleótidos de Alto Rendimiento , Humanos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Mutagénesis Sitio-Dirigida , Fenotipo , Pez CebraRESUMEN
An in vitro drug-screening platform on patient samples was developed and validated to design personalized treatment for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Unbiased clustering and correlation showed that homoharringtonine (HHT), also known as omacetaxine mepesuccinate, exhibited preferential antileukemia effect against AML carrying internal tandem duplication of fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-ITD). It worked synergistically with FLT3 inhibitors to suppress leukemia growth in vitro and in xenograft mouse models. Mechanistically, the effect was mediated by protein synthesis inhibition and reduction of short-lived proteins, including total and phosphorylated forms of FLT3 and its downstream signaling proteins. A phase 2 clinical trial of sorafenib and HHT combination treatment in FLT3-ITD AML patients resulted in complete remission (true or with insufficient hematological recovery) in 20 of 24 patients (83.3%), reduction of ITD allelic burden, and median leukemia-free and overall survivals of 12 and 33 weeks. The regimen has successfully bridged five patients to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and was well tolerated in patients unfit for conventional chemotherapy, including elderly and heavily pretreated patients. This study validated the principle and clinical relevance of in vitro drug testing and identified an improved treatment for FLT3-ITD AML. The results provided the foundation for phase 2/3 clinical trials to ascertain the clinical efficacy of FLT3 inhibitors and HHT in combination.
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Duplicación de Gen , Harringtoninas/uso terapéutico , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/tratamiento farmacológico , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/genética , Adulto , Anciano , Animales , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Antineoplásicos/uso terapéutico , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/farmacología , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapéutico , Médula Ósea/efectos de los fármacos , Médula Ósea/patología , Técnicas de Cultivo de Célula , Línea Celular Tumoral , Análisis por Conglomerados , Evaluación Preclínica de Medicamentos , Sinergismo Farmacológico , Femenino , Harringtoninas/farmacología , Homoharringtonina , Humanos , Masculino , Ratones , Persona de Mediana Edad , Modelos Biológicos , Niacinamida/análogos & derivados , Compuestos de Fenilurea , Biosíntesis de Proteínas/efectos de los fármacos , Inducción de Remisión , Sorafenib , Resultado del Tratamiento , Adulto Joven , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/química , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/metabolismoRESUMEN
Recent advent in next generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics has generated an unprecedented amount of genetic information in myeloidmalignancies. This information may shed lights to the pathogenesis, diagnosis and prognostication of these diseases and provide potential targets for therapeutic intervention. However, the rapid emergence of genetic information will quickly outpace their functional validation by conventional laboratory platforms. Foundational knowledge about zebrafish hematopoiesis accumulated over the past two decades and novel genomeediting technologies and research strategies in thismodel organismhavemade it a unique and timely research tool for the study of human blood diseases. Recent studies modeling human myeloid malignancies in zebrafish have also highlighted the technical feasibility and clinical relevance of thesemodels. Careful validation of experimental protocols and standardization among laboratorieswill further enhance the application of zebrafish in the scientific communities and provide important insights to the personalized treatment ofmyeloid malignancies.
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Estudios de Asociación Genética , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad , Trastornos Mieloproliferativos/genética , Animales , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Descubrimiento de Drogas , Secuenciación de Nucleótidos de Alto Rendimiento , Humanos , Mutación , Trastornos Mieloproliferativos/tratamiento farmacológico , Fenotipo , Medicina de Precisión , Pez CebraRESUMEN
Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 mutation (IDH1-R132H) was recently identified in acute myeloid leukemia with normal cytogenetics. The mutant enzyme is thought to convert α-ketoglutarate to the pathogenic 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) that affects DNA methylation via inhibition of ten-eleven translocation 2. However, the role of wild-type IDH1 in normal hematopoiesis and its relevance to acute myeloid leukemia is unknown. Here we showed that zebrafish idh1 (zidh1) knockdown by morpholino and targeted mutagenesis by transcription activator-like effector nuclease might induce blockade in myeloid differentiation, as evident by an increase in pu.1 and decrease in mpo, l-plastin, and mpeg1 expression, and significantly reduce definitive hematopoiesis. Morpholino knockdown of zidh2 also induced a blockade in myeloid differentiation but definitive hematopoiesis was not affected. The hematopoietic phenotype of zidh1 knockdown was not rescuable by zidh2 messenger RNA, suggesting nonredundant functions. Overexpression of human IDH1-R132H or its zebrafish ortholog resulted in 2-HG elevation and expansion of myelopoiesis in zebrafish embryos. A human IDH1-R132H-specific inhibitor (AGI-5198) significantly ameliorated both hematopoietic and 2-HG responses in human but not zebrafish IDH1 mutant expression. The results provided important insights to the role of zidh1 in myelopoiesis and definitive hematopoiesis and of IDH1-R132H in leukemogenesis.
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Embrión no Mamífero/metabolismo , Hematopoyesis/fisiología , Isocitrato Deshidrogenasa/genética , Isocitrato Deshidrogenasa/metabolismo , Mutación/genética , Mielopoyesis/fisiología , Pez Cebra/crecimiento & desarrollo , Animales , Animales Modificados Genéticamente , Bencenoacetamidas/farmacología , Western Blotting , Células Cultivadas , Embrión no Mamífero/citología , Embrión no Mamífero/efectos de los fármacos , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Citometría de Flujo , Cromatografía de Gases y Espectrometría de Masas , Glutaratos/metabolismo , Humanos , Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador , Imidazoles/farmacología , Técnicas para Inmunoenzimas , Isocitrato Deshidrogenasa/antagonistas & inhibidores , Mutagénesis Sitio-Dirigida , ARN Mensajero/genética , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la Polimerasa , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa de Transcriptasa Inversa , Pez Cebra/genética , Pez Cebra/metabolismoRESUMEN
UNLABELLED: Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is the type species of the Megalocytivirus genus, Iridoviridae family, causing a severe systemic disease with high mortality in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) in China and Southeast Asia. At present, the pathogenesis of ISKNV infection is still not fully understood. Based on a genome-wide bioinformatics analysis of ISKNV-encoded proteins, we found that ISKNV open reading frame 119L (ORF119L) is predicted to encode a three-ankyrin-repeat (3ANK)-domain-containing protein, which shows high similarity to the dominant negative form of integrin-linked kinase (ILK); i.e., viral ORF119L lacks the ILK kinase domain. Thus, we speculated that viral ORF119L might affect the host ILK complex. Here, we demonstrated that viral ORF119L directly interacts with particularly interesting Cys-His-rich protein (PINCH) and affects the host ILK-PINCH interaction in vitro in fathead minnow (FHM) cells. In vivo ORF119L overexpression in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos resulted in myocardial dysfunctions with disintegration of the sarcomeric Z disk. Importantly, ORF119L overexpression in zebrafish highly resembles the phenotype of endogenous ILK inhibition, either by overexpressing a dominant negative form of ILK or by injecting an ILK antisense morpholino oligonucleotide. Intriguingly, ISKNV-infected mandarin fish develop disorganized sarcomeric Z disks in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, phosphorylation of AKT, a downstream effector of ILK, was remarkably decreased in ORF119L-overexpressing zebrafish embryos. With these results, we show that ISKNV ORF119L acts as a domain-negative inhibitor of the host ILK, providing a novel mechanism for the megalocytivirus pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE: Our work is the first to show the role of a dominant negative inhibitor of the host ILK from ISKNV (an iridovirus). Mechanistically, the viral ORF119L directly binds to the host PINCH, attenuates the host PINCH-ILK interaction, and thus impairs ILK signaling. Intriguingly, ORF119L-overexpressing zebrafish embryos and ISKNV-infected mandarin fish develop similar disordered sarcomeric Z disks in cardiomyocytes. These findings provide a novel mechanism for megalocytivirus pathogenesis.
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Interacciones Huésped-Patógeno , Iridoviridae/fisiología , Proteínas Musculares/metabolismo , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas Virales/metabolismo , Proteínas de Pez Cebra/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas de Pez Cebra/metabolismo , Animales , Línea Celular , Cyprinidae , Infecciones por Virus ADN/patología , Infecciones por Virus ADN/virología , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Miocardio/patologíaRESUMEN
Activating mutations in FLT3 confer poor prognosis for individuals with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Clinically active investigational FLT3 inhibitors can achieve complete remissions but their utility has been hampered by acquired resistance and myelosuppression attributed to a 'synthetic lethal toxicity' arising from simultaneous inhibition of FLT3 and KIT. We report a novel chemical strategy for selective FLT3 inhibition while avoiding KIT inhibition with the staurosporine analog, Star 27. Star 27 maintains potency against FLT3 in proliferation assays of FLT3-transformed cells compared with KIT-transformed cells, shows no toxicity towards normal human hematopoiesis at concentrations that inhibit primary FLT3-mutant AML blast growth, and is active against mutations that confer resistance to clinical inhibitors. As a more complete understanding of kinase networks emerges, it may be possible to define anti-targets such as KIT in the case of AML to allow improved kinase inhibitor design of clinical agents with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity.
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Antineoplásicos/toxicidad , Enfermedades de la Médula Ósea/inducido químicamente , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/tratamiento farmacológico , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/efectos de los fármacos , Animales , Antineoplásicos/química , Antineoplásicos/uso terapéutico , Línea Celular Tumoral , Humanos , Modelos Biológicos , Mutación , Relación Estructura-Actividad , Pez Cebra , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/genéticaRESUMEN
FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is expressed in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) but its role during embryogenesis is unclear. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), internal tandem duplication (ITD) of FLT3 at the juxtamembrane (JMD) and tyrosine kinase (TKD) domains (FLT3-ITD(+)) occurs in 30% of patients and is associated with inferior clinical prognosis. TKD mutations (FLT3-TKD(+)) occur in 5% of cases. We made use of zebrafish to examine the role of flt3 in developmental hematopoiesis and model human FLT3-ITD(+) and FLT3-TKD(+) AML. Zebrafish flt3 JMD and TKD were remarkably similar to their mammalian orthologs. Morpholino knockdown significantly reduced the expression of l-plastin (pan-leukocyte), csf1r, and mpeg1 (macrophage) as well as that of c-myb (definitive HSPCs), lck, and rag1 (T-lymphocyte). Expressing human FLT3-ITD in zebrafish embryos resulted in expansion and clustering of myeloid cells (pu.1(+), mpo(+), and cebpα(+)) which were ameliorated by AC220 and associated with stat5, erk1/2, and akt phosphorylation. Human FLT3-TKD (D835Y) induced significant, albeit modest, myeloid expansion resistant to AC220. This study provides novel insight into the role of flt3 during hematopoiesis and establishes a zebrafish model of FLT3-ITD(+) and FLT3-TKD(+) AML that may facilitate high-throughput screening of novel and personalized agents.
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Hematopoyesis/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Proteínas de Pez Cebra/fisiología , Pez Cebra/fisiología , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/fisiología , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Animales Modificados Genéticamente , Secuencia Conservada , Embrión no Mamífero , Humanos , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Estructura Terciaria de Proteína/genética , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido , Secuencias Repetidas en Tándem , Transcriptoma , Pez Cebra/embriología , Proteínas de Pez Cebra/química , Tirosina Quinasa 3 Similar a fms/químicaRESUMEN
Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is the type species of the Megalocytivirus genus of the Iridoviridae family. It causes a serious and potentially pandemic disease in wild and cultured fishes. ISKNV infection induces evident apoptosis in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) and zebrafish (Danio renio). However, the mechanism is still unknown. After a genome-wide bioinformatics analysis of ISKNV-encoded proteins, the ISKNV open reading frame 111L (ORF111L) shows a high similarity to the tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF) encoded by fish, mice and mammals, which is essential for apoptotic signal transduction. Moreover, ORF111L was verified to directly interact with the zebrafish TNF receptor type 1 associated death domain protein (TRADD). A recombinant plasmid containing the DNA sequence of ORF111L was constructed and microinjected into zebrafish embryos at the 1-2 cell stage to investigate its biological function in vivo. ORF111L overexpression in the embryos resulted in increased apoptosis. ORF111L-induced apoptosis was clearly associated with significant caspase 8 upregulation and activation. The knockdown of zebrafish caspase 8 expression effectively blocked the apoptosis induced by ORF111L overexpression. Significantly, ORF111L overexpression resulted in much stronger effect on caspase 8 and caspase 3 upregulation compared to zebrafish TRAF2. This is the first report of a viral protein similar to TRAF that interacts with TRADD and induces caspase 8-mediated apoptosis, which may provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of ISKNV infection.
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Apoptosis/fisiología , Caspasa 8/metabolismo , Iridoviridae/metabolismo , Péptidos y Proteínas Asociados a Receptores de Factores de Necrosis Tumoral/genética , Péptidos y Proteínas Asociados a Receptores de Factores de Necrosis Tumoral/metabolismo , Animales , Caspasa 3/genética , Caspasa 3/metabolismo , Caspasa 8/genética , Biología Computacional/métodos , ADN Viral/genética , Enfermedades de los Peces/genética , Enfermedades de los Peces/metabolismo , Enfermedades de los Peces/virología , Iridoviridae/genética , Sistemas de Lectura Abierta , Proteína de Dominio de Muerte Asociada a Receptor de TNF/genética , Proteína de Dominio de Muerte Asociada a Receptor de TNF/metabolismo , Proteínas Virales/genética , Proteínas Virales/metabolismo , Pez CebraRESUMEN
Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) causes a pandemic and serious disease in fish. Infection by ISKNV causes epidermal lesions, in which petechial hemorrhages and abdominal edema are prominent features. ISKNV ORF48R contains a domain similar to that of the platelet-derived growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) families of proteins. ISKNV ORF48R showed higher similarity to the VEGFs encoded by Megalocytivirus and Parapoxvirus than to those encoded in fish and mammals. We used zebrafish as a model and constructed a recombinant plasmid containing the DNA sequence of ISKNV ORF48R to study ISKNV infection. The plasmid was microinjected into zebrafish embryos at the one-cell stage. Overexpression of the ISKNV ORF48R gene results in pericardial edema and dilation at the tail region of zebrafish embryos, suggesting that ISKNV ORF48R induces vascular permeability. ISKNV ORF48R is also able to stimulate a striking expression of flk1 in the zebrafish dorsal aorta and the axial vein. Furthermore, ISKNV ORF48R, while cooperating with zebrafish VEGF(121), can stimulate more striking expression of flk1 than can either ISKNV ORF48R or zebrafish VEGF(121) alone. However, decreased expression of FLK-1 by gene knockdown results in the disappearance of pericardial edema and dilation at the tail region of zebrafish embryos induced by overexpression of ISKNV ORF48R in the early stages of embryonic development.