RESUMO
In response to the 2022 outbreak of mpox driven by unprecedented human-to-human monkeypox virus (MPXV) transmission, we designed BNT166, aiming to create a highly immunogenic, safe, accessible, and scalable next-generation vaccine against MPXV and related orthopoxviruses. To address the multiple viral forms and increase the breadth of immune response, two candidate multivalent mRNA vaccines were evaluated pre-clinically: a quadrivalent vaccine (BNT166a; encoding the MPXV antigens A35, B6, M1, H3) and a trivalent vaccine (BNT166c; without H3). Both candidates induced robust T cell responses and IgG antibodies in mice, including neutralizing antibodies to both MPXV and vaccinia virus. In challenge studies, BNT166a and BNT166c provided complete protection from vaccinia, clade I, and clade IIb MPXV. Furthermore, immunization with BNT166a was 100% effective at preventing death and at suppressing lesions in a lethal clade I MPXV challenge in cynomolgus macaques. These findings support the clinical evaluation of BNT166, now underway (NCT05988203).
Assuntos
Monkeypox virus , Mpox , Vacina Antivariólica , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Macaca fascicularis , Monkeypox virus/genética , Mpox/imunologia , Mpox/prevenção & controle , Vacinas Combinadas , Vaccinia virus/genéticaRESUMO
We sequenced and assembled using multiple long-read sequencing technologies the genomes of chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan, gibbon, macaque, owl monkey, and marmoset. We identified 1,338,997 lineage-specific fixed structural variants (SVs) disrupting 1,561 protein-coding genes and 136,932 regulatory elements, including the most complete set of human-specific fixed differences. We estimate that 819.47 Mbp or â¼27% of the genome has been affected by SVs across primate evolution. We identify 1,607 structurally divergent regions wherein recurrent structural variation contributes to creating SV hotspots where genes are recurrently lost (e.g., CARD, C4, and OLAH gene families) and additional lineage-specific genes are generated (e.g., CKAP2, VPS36, ACBD7, and NEK5 paralogs), becoming targets of rapid chromosomal diversification and positive selection (e.g., RGPD gene family). High-fidelity long-read sequencing has made these dynamic regions of the genome accessible for sequence-level analyses within and between primate species.
Assuntos
Genoma , Primatas , Animais , Humanos , Sequência de Bases , Primatas/classificação , Primatas/genética , Evolução Biológica , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Variação Estrutural do GenomaRESUMO
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. Its symptoms are typically treated with levodopa or dopamine receptor agonists, but its action lacks specificity due to the wide distribution of dopamine receptors in the central nervous system and periphery. Here, we report the development of a gene therapy strategy to selectively manipulate PD-affected circuitry. Targeting striatal D1 medium spiny neurons (MSNs), whose activity is chronically suppressed in PD, we engineered a therapeutic strategy comprised of a highly efficient retrograde adeno-associated virus (AAV), promoter elements with strong D1-MSN activity, and a chemogenetic effector to enable precise D1-MSN activation after systemic ligand administration. Application of this therapeutic approach rescues locomotion, tremor, and motor skill defects in both mouse and primate models of PD, supporting the feasibility of targeted circuit modulation tools for the treatment of PD in humans.
Assuntos
Terapia Genética , Doença de Parkinson , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Corpo Estriado/metabolismo , Levodopa/uso terapêutico , Levodopa/genética , Neurônios/metabolismo , Doença de Parkinson/genética , Doença de Parkinson/terapia , Primatas , Receptores de Dopamina D1/metabolismo , Modelos Animais de DoençasRESUMO
Neural tube (NT) defects arise from abnormal neurulation and result in the most common birth defects worldwide. Yet, mechanisms of primate neurulation remain largely unknown due to prohibitions on human embryo research and limitations of available model systems. Here, we establish a three-dimensional (3D) prolonged in vitro culture (pIVC) system supporting cynomolgus monkey embryo development from 7 to 25 days post-fertilization. Through single-cell multi-omics analyses, we demonstrate that pIVC embryos form three germ layers, including primordial germ cells, and establish proper DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility through advanced gastrulation stages. In addition, pIVC embryo immunofluorescence confirms neural crest formation, NT closure, and neural progenitor regionalization. Finally, we demonstrate that the transcriptional profiles and morphogenetics of pIVC embryos resemble key features of similarly staged in vivo cynomolgus and human embryos. This work therefore describes a system to study non-human primate embryogenesis through advanced gastrulation and early neurulation.
Assuntos
Defeitos do Tubo Neural , Neurulação , Técnicas de Cultura de Tecidos , Animais , Humanos , Blastocisto , Embrião de Mamíferos , Desenvolvimento Embrionário , Macaca fascicularis , Defeitos do Tubo Neural/genética , Defeitos do Tubo Neural/patologia , Técnicas de Cultura de Tecidos/métodosRESUMO
Several ebolaviruses cause outbreaks of severe disease. Vaccines and monoclonal antibody cocktails are available to treat Ebola virus (EBOV) infections, but not Sudan virus (SUDV) or other ebolaviruses. Current cocktails contain antibodies that cross-react with the secreted soluble glycoprotein (sGP) that absorbs virus-neutralizing antibodies. By sorting memory B cells from EBOV infection survivors, we isolated two broadly reactive anti-GP monoclonal antibodies, 1C3 and 1C11, that potently neutralize, protect rodents from disease, and lack sGP cross-reactivity. Both antibodies recognize quaternary epitopes in trimeric ebolavirus GP. 1C11 bridges adjacent protomers via the fusion loop. 1C3 has a tripartite epitope in the center of the trimer apex. One 1C3 antigen-binding fragment anchors simultaneously to the three receptor-binding sites in the GP trimer, and separate 1C3 paratope regions interact differently with identical residues on the three protomers. A cocktail of both antibodies completely protected nonhuman primates from EBOV and SUDV infections, indicating their potential clinical value.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Neutralizantes , Anticorpos Antivirais , Ebolavirus , Doença pelo Vírus Ebola , Animais , Epitopos , Glicoproteínas/química , Subunidades ProteicasRESUMO
SARS-CoV-2-induced hypercytokinemia and inflammation are critically associated with COVID-19 severity. Baricitinib, a clinically approved JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, is currently being investigated in COVID-19 clinical trials. Here, we investigated the immunologic and virologic efficacy of baricitinib in a rhesus macaque model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Viral shedding measured from nasal and throat swabs, bronchoalveolar lavages, and tissues was not reduced with baricitinib. Type I interferon (IFN) antiviral responses and SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses remained similar between the two groups. Animals treated with baricitinib showed reduced inflammation, decreased lung infiltration of inflammatory cells, reduced NETosis activity, and more limited lung pathology. Importantly, baricitinib-treated animals had a rapid and remarkably potent suppression of lung macrophage production of cytokines and chemokines responsible for inflammation and neutrophil recruitment. These data support a beneficial role for, and elucidate the immunological mechanisms underlying, the use of baricitinib as a frontline treatment for inflammation induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Assuntos
Anti-Inflamatórios/administração & dosagem , Azetidinas/administração & dosagem , Tratamento Farmacológico da COVID-19 , COVID-19/imunologia , Macaca mulatta , Infiltração de Neutrófilos/efeitos dos fármacos , Purinas/administração & dosagem , Pirazóis/administração & dosagem , Sulfonamidas/administração & dosagem , Animais , COVID-19/fisiopatologia , Morte Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Degranulação Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Inflamação/tratamento farmacológico , Inflamação/genética , Inflamação/imunologia , Janus Quinases/antagonistas & inibidores , Pulmão/efeitos dos fármacos , Pulmão/imunologia , Pulmão/patologia , Ativação Linfocitária/efeitos dos fármacos , Macrófagos Alveolares/imunologia , SARS-CoV-2/fisiologia , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Linfócitos T/imunologia , Replicação Viral/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Electrical stimulation is a promising tool for modulating brain networks. However, it is unclear how stimulation interacts with neural patterns underlying behavior. Specifically, how might external stimulation that is not sensitive to the state of ongoing neural dynamics reliably augment neural processing and improve function? Here, we tested how low-frequency epidural alternating current stimulation (ACS) in non-human primates recovering from stroke interacted with task-related activity in perilesional cortex and affected grasping. We found that ACS increased co-firing within task-related ensembles and improved dexterity. Using a neural network model, we found that simulated ACS drove ensemble co-firing and enhanced propagation of neural activity through parts of the network with impaired connectivity, suggesting a mechanism to link increased co-firing to enhanced dexterity. Together, our results demonstrate that ACS restores neural processing in impaired networks and improves dexterity following stroke. More broadly, these results demonstrate approaches to optimize stimulation to target neural dynamics.
Assuntos
Potenciais de Ação/fisiologia , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/fisiopatologia , Animais , Comportamento Animal/fisiologia , Fenômenos Biomecânicos/fisiologia , Estimulação Elétrica , Haplorrinos , Córtex Motor/fisiopatologia , Redes Neurais de Computação , Neurônios/fisiologia , Análise e Desempenho de Tarefas , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Molecular mechanisms of ovarian aging and female age-related fertility decline remain unclear. We surveyed the single-cell transcriptomic landscape of ovaries from young and aged non-human primates (NHPs) and identified seven ovarian cell types with distinct gene-expression signatures, including oocyte and six types of ovarian somatic cells. In-depth dissection of gene-expression dynamics of oocytes revealed four subtypes at sequential and stepwise developmental stages. Further analysis of cell-type-specific aging-associated transcriptional changes uncovered the disturbance of antioxidant signaling specific to early-stage oocytes and granulosa cells, indicative of oxidative damage as a crucial factor in ovarian functional decline with age. Additionally, inactivated antioxidative pathways, increased reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis were observed in granulosa cells from aged women. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the cell-type-specific mechanisms underlying primate ovarian aging at single-cell resolution, revealing new diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for age-related human ovarian disorders.
Assuntos
Envelhecimento/genética , Ovário/fisiologia , Análise de Célula Única/métodos , Transcriptoma , Idoso , Animais , Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Apoptose/fisiologia , Atlas como Assunto , Biomarcadores , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Feminino , Células da Granulosa/metabolismo , Humanos , Macaca fascicularis , Oócitos/metabolismo , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologiaRESUMO
There is pressing urgency to understand the pathogenesis of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus clade 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the disease COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein binds angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and in concert with host proteases, principally transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), promotes cellular entry. The cell subsets targeted by SARS-CoV-2 in host tissues and the factors that regulate ACE2 expression remain unknown. Here, we leverage human, non-human primate, and mouse single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets across health and disease to uncover putative targets of SARS-CoV-2 among tissue-resident cell subsets. We identify ACE2 and TMPRSS2 co-expressing cells within lung type II pneumocytes, ileal absorptive enterocytes, and nasal goblet secretory cells. Strikingly, we discovered that ACE2 is a human interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) in vitro using airway epithelial cells and extend our findings to in vivo viral infections. Our data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 could exploit species-specific interferon-driven upregulation of ACE2, a tissue-protective mediator during lung injury, to enhance infection.
Assuntos
Células Epiteliais Alveolares/metabolismo , Enterócitos/metabolismo , Células Caliciformes/metabolismo , Interferon Tipo I/metabolismo , Mucosa Nasal/citologia , Peptidil Dipeptidase A/genética , Adolescente , Células Epiteliais Alveolares/imunologia , Enzima de Conversão de Angiotensina 2 , Animais , Betacoronavirus/fisiologia , COVID-19 , Linhagem Celular , Células Cultivadas , Criança , Infecções por Coronavirus/virologia , Enterócitos/imunologia , Células Caliciformes/imunologia , Infecções por HIV/imunologia , Humanos , Influenza Humana/imunologia , Interferon Tipo I/imunologia , Pulmão/citologia , Pulmão/patologia , Macaca mulatta , Camundongos , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Mucosa Nasal/imunologia , Pandemias , Peptidil Dipeptidase A/metabolismo , Pneumonia Viral/virologia , Receptores Virais/genética , SARS-CoV-2 , Serina Endopeptidases/metabolismo , Análise de Célula Única , Tuberculose/imunologia , Regulação para CimaRESUMO
There is an urgent need for vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) because of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Among all approaches, a messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccine has emerged as a rapid and versatile platform to quickly respond to this challenge. Here, we developed a lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA (mRNA-LNP) encoding the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 as a vaccine candidate (called ARCoV). Intramuscular immunization of ARCoV mRNA-LNP elicited robust neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 as well as a Th1-biased cellular response in mice and non-human primates. Two doses of ARCoV immunization in mice conferred complete protection against the challenge of a SARS-CoV-2 mouse-adapted strain. Additionally, ARCoV is manufactured as a liquid formulation and can be stored at room temperature for at least 1 week. ARCoV is currently being evaluated in phase 1 clinical trials.
Assuntos
RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Viral/genética , Vacinas Sintéticas/imunologia , Vacinas Virais/imunologia , Animais , Anticorpos Neutralizantes/imunologia , Sítios de Ligação , Vacinas contra COVID-19 , Chlorocebus aethiops , Infecções por Coronavirus/genética , Infecções por Coronavirus/imunologia , Infecções por Coronavirus/prevenção & controle , Feminino , Células HEK293 , Células HeLa , Humanos , Imunogenicidade da Vacina , Injeções Intramusculares , Macaca fascicularis , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos ICR , Nanopartículas/química , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , RNA Viral/metabolismo , Glicoproteína da Espícula de Coronavírus/química , Glicoproteína da Espícula de Coronavírus/genética , Glicoproteína da Espícula de Coronavírus/metabolismo , Células Th1/imunologia , Potência de Vacina , Vacinas Sintéticas/administração & dosagem , Vacinas Sintéticas/genética , Células Vero , Vacinas Virais/administração & dosagem , Vacinas Virais/genéticaRESUMO
The assembly of organized colonies is the earliest manifestation in the derivation or induction of pluripotency in vitro. However, the necessity and origin of this assemblance is unknown. Here, we identify human pluripotent founder cells (hPFCs) that initiate, as well as preserve and establish, pluripotent stem cell (PSC) cultures. PFCs are marked by N-cadherin expression (NCAD+) and reside exclusively at the colony boundary of primate PSCs. As demonstrated by functional analysis, hPFCs harbor the clonogenic capacity of PSC cultures and emerge prior to commitment events or phenotypes associated with pluripotent reprogramming. Comparative single-cell analysis with pre- and post-implantation primate embryos revealed hPFCs share hallmark properties with primitive endoderm (PrE) and can be regulated by non-canonical Wnt signaling. Uniquely informed by primate embryo organization in vivo, our study defines a subset of founder cells critical to the establishment pluripotent state.
Assuntos
Antígenos CD/metabolismo , Caderinas/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/citologia , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular , Linhagem da Célula , Desenvolvimento Embrionário , Células-Tronco Embrionárias/metabolismo , Endoderma/metabolismo , Expressão Gênica/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento/genética , Humanos , Análise de Célula Única , Via de Sinalização WntRESUMO
The development of interventions to prevent congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) has been limited by the lack of an established nonhuman primate model. Here we show that infection of female rhesus monkeys early in pregnancy with Zika virus (ZIKV) recapitulates many features of CZS in humans. We infected 9 pregnant monkeys with ZIKV, 6 early in pregnancy (weeks 6-7 of gestation) and 3 later in pregnancy (weeks 12-14 of gestation), and compared findings with uninfected controls. 100% (6 of 6) of monkeys infected early in pregnancy exhibited prolonged maternal viremia and fetal neuropathology, including fetal loss, smaller brain size, and histopathologic brain lesions, including microcalcifications, hemorrhage, necrosis, vasculitis, gliosis, and apoptosis of neuroprogenitor cells. High-resolution MRI demonstrated concordant lesions indicative of deep gray matter injury. We also observed spinal, ocular, and neuromuscular pathology. Our data show that vascular compromise and neuroprogenitor cell dysfunction are hallmarks of CZS pathogenesis, suggesting novel strategies to prevent and to treat this disease.
Assuntos
Feto/virologia , Neurônios/patologia , Infecção por Zika virus/patologia , Zika virus/patogenicidade , Animais , Animais Recém-Nascidos , Apoptose , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/patologia , Calcinose/patologia , Calcinose/veterinária , Feminino , Idade Gestacional , Macaca mulatta , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Necrose , Células-Tronco Neurais/citologia , Células-Tronco Neurais/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Neurais/virologia , Neurônios/virologia , Gravidez , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Vasculite/patologia , Vasculite/veterinária , Infecção por Zika virus/veterinária , Infecção por Zika virus/virologiaRESUMO
The absence of cancer-restricted surface markers is a major impediment to antigen-specific immunotherapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. For example, targeting the canonical myeloid marker CD33 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) results in toxicity from destruction of normal myeloid cells. We hypothesized that a leukemia-specific antigen could be created by deleting CD33 from normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), thereby generating a hematopoietic system resistant to CD33-targeted therapy and enabling specific targeting of AML with CAR T cells. We generated CD33-deficient human HSPCs and demonstrated normal engraftment and differentiation in immunodeficient mice. Autologous CD33 KO HSPC transplantation in rhesus macaques demonstrated long-term multilineage engraftment of gene-edited cells with normal myeloid function. CD33-deficient cells were impervious to CD33-targeting CAR T cells, allowing for efficient elimination of leukemia without myelotoxicity. These studies illuminate a novel approach to antigen-specific immunotherapy by genetically engineering the host to avoid on-target, off-tumor toxicity.
Assuntos
Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/citologia , Imunoterapia/métodos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/terapia , RNA Guia de Cinetoplastídeos/genética , Lectina 3 Semelhante a Ig de Ligação ao Ácido Siálico/genética , Linfócitos T/imunologia , Animais , Diferenciação Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Linhagem da Célula , Eletroporação , Feminino , Hematopoese , Humanos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/imunologia , Macaca mulatta , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos NOD , Camundongos Knockout , Camundongos SCID , Transplante de Neoplasias , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio , Linfócitos T/citologiaRESUMO
Generation of genetically uniform non-human primates may help to establish animal models for primate biology and biomedical research. In this study, we have successfully cloned cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). We found that injection of H3K9me3 demethylase Kdm4d mRNA and treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A at one-cell stage following SCNT greatly improved blastocyst development and pregnancy rate of transplanted SCNT embryos in surrogate monkeys. For SCNT using fetal monkey fibroblasts, 6 pregnancies were confirmed in 21 surrogates and yielded 2 healthy babies. For SCNT using adult monkey cumulus cells, 22 pregnancies were confirmed in 42 surrogates and yielded 2 babies that were short-lived. In both cases, genetic analyses confirmed that the nuclear DNA and mitochondria DNA of the monkey offspring originated from the nucleus donor cell and the oocyte donor monkey, respectively. Thus, cloning macaque monkeys by SCNT is feasible using fetal fibroblasts.
Assuntos
Clonagem de Organismos , Técnicas de Transferência Nuclear , Animais , Blastocisto/citologia , Blastocisto/metabolismo , Feminino , Ácidos Hidroxâmicos/farmacologia , Histona Desmetilases com o Domínio Jumonji/antagonistas & inibidores , Histona Desmetilases com o Domínio Jumonji/metabolismo , Macaca fascicularis , GravidezRESUMO
Primates recognize complex objects such as faces with remarkable speed and reliability. Here, we reveal the brain's code for facial identity. Experiments in macaques demonstrate an extraordinarily simple transformation between faces and responses of cells in face patches. By formatting faces as points in a high-dimensional linear space, we discovered that each face cell's firing rate is proportional to the projection of an incoming face stimulus onto a single axis in this space, allowing a face cell ensemble to encode the location of any face in the space. Using this code, we could precisely decode faces from neural population responses and predict neural firing rates to faces. Furthermore, this code disavows the long-standing assumption that face cells encode specific facial identities, confirmed by engineering faces with drastically different appearance that elicited identical responses in single face cells. Our work suggests that other objects could be encoded by analogous metric coordinate systems. PAPERCLIP.
Assuntos
Reconhecimento Facial , Modelos Neurológicos , Lobo Temporal/fisiologia , Animais , Humanos , Macaca , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Neurônios/citologia , Lobo Temporal/citologiaRESUMO
Gene-editing technologies have made it feasible to create nonhuman primate models for human genetic disorders. Here, we report detailed genotypes and phenotypes of TALEN-edited MECP2 mutant cynomolgus monkeys serving as a model for a neurodevelopmental disorder, Rett syndrome (RTT), which is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the human MECP2 gene. Male mutant monkeys were embryonic lethal, reiterating that RTT is a disease of females. Through a battery of behavioral analyses, including primate-unique eye-tracking tests, in combination with brain imaging via MRI, we found a series of physiological, behavioral, and structural abnormalities resembling clinical manifestations of RTT. Moreover, blood transcriptome profiling revealed that mutant monkeys resembled RTT patients in immune gene dysregulation. Taken together, the stark similarity in phenotype and/or endophenotype between monkeys and patients suggested that gene-edited RTT founder monkeys would be of value for disease mechanistic studies as well as development of potential therapeutic interventions for RTT.
Assuntos
Proteína 2 de Ligação a Metil-CpG/genética , Síndrome de Rett/genética , Animais , Encéfalo/fisiologia , Cromossomos Humanos X , Ritmo Circadiano , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Eletrocardiografia , Feminino , Edição de Genes , Humanos , Macaca fascicularis , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Mutação , Dor , Síndrome de Rett/fisiopatologia , Sono , Nucleases dos Efetores Semelhantes a Ativadores de Transcrição/metabolismo , TranscriptomaRESUMO
Current influenza vaccines predominantly induce immunity to the hypervariable hemagglutinin (HA) head, requiring frequent vaccine reformulation. Conversely, the immunosubdominant yet conserved HA stem harbors a supersite that is targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), representing a prime target for universal vaccines. Here, we showed that the co-immunization of two HA stem immunogens derived from group 1 and 2 influenza A viruses elicits cross-group protective immunity and neutralizing antibody responses in mice, ferrets, and nonhuman primates (NHPs). Immunized mice were protected from multiple group 1 and 2 viruses, and all animal models showed broad serum-neutralizing activity. A bnAb isolated from an immunized NHP broadly neutralized and protected against diverse viruses, including H5N1 and H7N9. Genetic and structural analyses revealed strong homology between macaque and human bnAbs, illustrating common biophysical constraints for acquiring cross-group specificity. Vaccine elicitation of stem-directed cross-group-protective immunity represents a step toward the development of broadly protective influenza vaccines.
Assuntos
Virus da Influenza A Subtipo H5N1 , Subtipo H7N9 do Vírus da Influenza A , Vacinas contra Influenza , Influenza Humana , Infecções por Orthomyxoviridae , Animais , Camundongos , Humanos , Hemaglutininas , Anticorpos Amplamente Neutralizantes , Glicoproteínas de Hemaglutininação de Vírus da Influenza , Anticorpos Antivirais , Furões , Anticorpos Neutralizantes , ImunizaçãoRESUMO
All species continuously evolve short open reading frames (sORFs) that can be templated for protein synthesis and may provide raw materials for evolutionary adaptation. We analyzed the evolutionary origins of 7,264 recently cataloged human sORFs and found that most were evolutionarily young and had emerged de novo. We additionally identified 221 previously missed sORFs potentially translated into peptides of up to 15 amino acids-all of which are smaller than the smallest human microprotein annotated to date. To investigate the bioactivity of sORF-encoded small peptides and young microproteins, we subjected 266 candidates to a mass-spectrometry-based interactome screen with motif resolution. Based on these interactomes and additional cellular assays, we can associate several candidates with mRNA splicing, translational regulation, and endocytosis. Our work provides insights into the evolutionary origins and interaction potential of young and small proteins, thereby helping to elucidate this underexplored territory of the human proteome.
Assuntos
Peptídeos , Biossíntese de Proteínas , Humanos , Fases de Leitura Aberta , Peptídeos/genética , Proteômica , MicropeptídeosRESUMO
The generation of neurons in the developing neocortex is a major determinant of neocortex size. Crucially, the increase in cortical neuron numbers in the primate lineage, notably in the upper-layer neurons, contributes to increased cognitive abilities. Here, we review major evolutionary changes affecting the apical progenitors in the ventricular zone and focus on the key germinal zone constituting the foundation of neocortical neurogenesis in primates, the outer subventricular zone (OSVZ). We summarize characteristic features of the OSVZ and its key stem cell type, the basal (or outer) radial glia. Next, we concentrate on primate-specific and human-specific genes, expressed in OSVZ-progenitors, the ability of which to amplify these progenitors by targeting the regulation of the cell cycle ultimately underlies the evolutionary increase in upper-layer neurons. Finally, we address likely differences in neocortical development between present-day humans and Neanderthals that are based on human-specific amino acid substitutions in proteins operating in cortical progenitors.
Assuntos
Neocórtex , Neuroglia , Animais , Humanos , Neuroglia/metabolismo , Neocórtex/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Células-Tronco , Primatas/genética , Neurogênese/genéticaRESUMO
Chromatin organization undergoes drastic reconfiguration during gametogenesis. However, the molecular reprogramming of three-dimensional chromatin structure in this process remains poorly understood for mammals, including primates. Here, we examined three-dimensional chromatin architecture during spermatogenesis in rhesus monkey using low-input Hi-C. Interestingly, we found that topologically associating domains (TADs) undergo dissolution and reestablishment in spermatogenesis. Strikingly, pachytene spermatocytes, where synapsis occurs, are strongly depleted for TADs despite their active transcription state but uniquely show highly refined local compartments that alternate between transcribing and non-transcribing regions (refined-A/B). Importantly, such chromatin organization is conserved in mouse, where it remains largely intact upon transcription inhibition. Instead, it is attenuated in mutant spermatocytes, where the synaptonemal complex failed to be established. Intriguingly, this is accompanied by the restoration of TADs, suggesting that the synaptonemal complex may restrict TADs and promote local compartments. Thus, these data revealed extensive reprogramming of higher-order meiotic chromatin architecture during mammalian gametogenesis.