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Zhang Y, Zhang X. Virus-Induced Histone Lactylation Promotes Virus Infection in Crustacean. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2401017. [PMID: 38874057 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
As "non-cellular organisms", viruses need to infect living cells to survive themselves. The virus infection must alter host's metabolisms. However, the influence of the metabolites from the altered metabolisms of virus-infected host cells on virus-host interactions remains largely unclear. To address this issue, shrimp, a representative species of crustaceans, is challenged with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in this study. The in vivo results presented that the WSSV infection enhanced shrimp glycolysis, leading to the accumulation of lactate. The lactate accumulation in turn promoted the site-specific histone lactylation (H3K18la and H4K12la) in a p300/HDAC1/HDAC3-dependent manner. H3K18la and H4K12la are enriched in the promoters of 75 target genes, of which the H3K18la and H4K12la modification upregulated the expression of ribosomal protein S6 kinases 2 (S6K2) in the virus-infected hosts to promote the virus infection. Further data revealed that the virus-encoded miR-N20 targeted hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) to inhibit the host glycolysis, leading to the suppression of H3K18la and H4K12la. Therefore, the findings contributed novel insights into the effects and the underlying mechanism of the virus-induced histone lactylation on the virus-host interactions, providing new targets for the control of virus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Cancer Center, Westlake University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, P. R. China
| | - Xiaobo Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology of Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, 266003, P. R. China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, P. R. China
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Fernández-de-las-Peñas C, Raveendran AV, Giordano R, Arendt-Nielsen L. Long COVID or Post-COVID-19 Condition: Past, Present and Future Research Directions. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2959. [PMID: 38138102 PMCID: PMC10745830 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of symptoms after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection (long-COVID) has become a worldwide healthcare emergency but remains underestimated and undertreated due to a lack of recognition of the condition and knowledge of the underlying mechanisms. In fact, the prevalence of post-COVID symptoms ranges from 50% during the first months after the infection up to 20% two-years after. This perspective review aimed to map the existing literature on post-COVID symptoms and to identify gaps in the literature to guide the global effort toward an improved understanding of long-COVID and suggest future research directions. There is a plethora of symptomatology that can be due to COVID-19; however, today, there is no clear classification and definition of this condition, termed long-COVID or post-COVID-19 condition. The heterogeneity in the symptomatology has led to the presence of groups/clusters of patients, which could exhibit different risk factors and different mechanisms. Viral persistence, long-lasting inflammation, immune dysregulation, autoimmune reactions, reactivation of latent infections, endothelial dysfunction and alteration in gut microbiota have been proposed as potential mechanisms explaining the complexity of long-COVID. In such an equation, viral biology (e.g., re-infections, SARS-CoV-2 variants), host biology (e.g., genetics, epigenetics) and external factors (e.g., vaccination) should be also considered. These various factors will be discussed in the current perspective review and future directions suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Fernández-de-las-Peñas
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28922 Madrid, Spain
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark; (R.G.); (L.A.-N.)
| | | | - Rocco Giordano
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark; (R.G.); (L.A.-N.)
| | - Lars Arendt-Nielsen
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark; (R.G.); (L.A.-N.)
- Department of Medical Gastroenterology, Mech-Sense, Aalborg University Hospital, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center North Denmark, Clinical Institute, Aalborg University Hospital, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark
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Castaldo M, Ebbesen BD, Fernández-DE-Las-Peñas C, Arendt-Nielsen L, Giordano R. COVID-19 and musculoskeletal pain: an overview of the current knowledge. Minerva Anestesiol 2023; 89:1134-1142. [PMID: 38019176 DOI: 10.23736/s0375-9393.23.17471-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has provoked billions of infections worldwide. Several meta-analyses have observed that up to 50% of individuals who had survived to a SARS-CoV-2 acute infection suffer from post-COVID symptoms lasting for weeks or months and up to one year after infection. The prevalence of post-COVID pain ranges between 10% to 20% when assessed with other overall post-COVID symptoms and can reach up to 50% to 60% when investigated specifically. The most common musculoskeletal manifestations of post-COVID-19 condition include fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia or back pain. Despite pain of musculoskeletal origin is one of the most prevalent post-COVID pain symptoms, the exact pathophysiological mechanisms of musculoskeletal post-COVID pain are not completely understood. Studies have reported the complexity of post-COVID pain including immune, biological, and psychological factors, and more recently, they have suggested that genetic and epigenetic factors may also play a potential role, highlighting the need for further investigation into these mechanisms. Its management is still controversial, as no specific guideline for treating musculoskeletal post-COVID pain has been proposed with only general consideration about the relevance of multidisciplinary and multimodal treatment approaches. In this paper we will highlight the clinical features, the mechanism, and the management possibilities of musculoskeletal post-COVID pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Castaldo
- School of Medicine, Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark -
| | - Brian D Ebbesen
- School of Medicine, Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mech-Sense, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - César Fernández-DE-Las-Peñas
- School of Medicine, Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Lars Arendt-Nielsen
- School of Medicine, Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mech-Sense, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center North Denmark, Clinical Institute, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Rocco Giordano
- School of Medicine, Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
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4
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Dey A, Vaishak K, Deka D, Radhakrishnan AK, Paul S, Shanmugam P, Daniel AP, Pathak S, Duttaroy AK, Banerjee A. Epigenetic perspectives associated with COVID-19 infection and related cytokine storm: an updated review. Infection 2023; 51:1603-1618. [PMID: 36906872 PMCID: PMC10008189 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-023-02017-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has put the world in a medical crisis for the past three years; nearly 6.3 million lives have been diminished due to the virus outbreak. This review aims to update the recent findings on COVID-19 infections from an epigenetic scenario and develop future perspectives of epi-drugs to treat the disease. METHODS Original research articles and review studies related to COVID-19 were searched and analyzed from the Google Scholar/PubMed/Medline databases mainly between 2019 and 2022 to brief the recent work. RESULTS Numerous in-depth studies of the mechanisms used by SARS-CoV-2 have been going on to minimize the consequences of the viral outburst. Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 receptors and Transmembrane serine protease 2 facilitate viral entry to the host cells. Upon internalization, it uses the host machinery to replicate viral copies and alter the downstream regulation of the normal cells, causing infection-related morbidities and mortalities. In addition, several epigenetic regulations such as DNA methylation, acetylation, histone modifications, microRNA, and other factors (age, sex, etc.) are responsible for the regulations of viral entry, its immune evasion, and cytokine responses also play a major modulatory role in COVID-19 severity, which has been discussed in detail in this review. CONCLUSION Findings of epigenetic regulation of viral pathogenicity open a new window for epi-drugs as a possible therapeutical approach against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Dey
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Kelambakkam, Chennai, TN, 603103, India
| | - K Vaishak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Kelambakkam, Chennai, TN, 603103, India
| | - Dikshita Deka
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Kelambakkam, Chennai, TN, 603103, India
| | - Arun Kumar Radhakrishnan
- Department of Pharmacology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chennai, TN, India
| | - Sujay Paul
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Campus Queretaro, Av. Epigmenio Gonzalez, No.500 Fracc., CP 76130, San Pablo, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Priyadarshini Shanmugam
- Department of Microbiology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chennai, TN, 603103, India
| | - Alice Peace Daniel
- Department of Microbiology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chennai, TN, 603103, India
| | - Surajit Pathak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Kelambakkam, Chennai, TN, 603103, India
| | - Asim K Duttaroy
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Antara Banerjee
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Kelambakkam, Chennai, TN, 603103, India.
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5
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Malvankar S, Singh A, Ravi Kumar YS, Sahu S, Shah M, Murghai Y, Seervi M, Srivastava RK, Verma B. Modulation of various host cellular machinery during COVID-19 infection. Rev Med Virol 2023; 33:e2481. [PMID: 37758688 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) emerged in December 2019, causing a range of respiratory infections from mild to severe. This resulted in the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a significant impact on public health. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020. Viruses are intracellular pathogens that rely on the host's machinery to establish a successful infection. They exploit the gene expression machinery of host cells to facilitate their own replication. Gaining a better understanding of gene expression modulation in SARS-CoV2 is crucial for designing and developing effective antiviral strategies. Efforts are currently underway to understand the molecular-level interaction between the host and the pathogen. In this review, we describe how SARS-CoV2 infection modulates gene expression by interfering with cellular processes, including transcription, post-transcription, translation, post-translation, epigenetic modifications as well as processing and degradation pathways. Additionally, we emphasise the therapeutic implications of these findings in the development of new therapies to treat SARS-CoV2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Malvankar
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Anjali Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Y S Ravi Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, India
| | - Swetangini Sahu
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Megha Shah
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Yamini Murghai
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Mahendra Seervi
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rupesh K Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Bhupendra Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Jahankhani K, Ahangari F, Adcock IM, Mortaz E. Possible cancer-causing capacity of COVID-19: Is SARS-CoV-2 an oncogenic agent? Biochimie 2023; 213:130-138. [PMID: 37230238 PMCID: PMC10202899 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has shown diverse life-threatening effects, most of which are considered short-term. In addition to its short-term effects, which has claimed many millions of lives since 2019, the long-term complications of this virus are still under investigation. Similar to many oncogenic viruses, it has been hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 employs various strategies to cause cancer in different organs. These include leveraging the renin angiotensin system, altering tumor suppressing pathways by means of its nonstructural proteins, and triggering inflammatory cascades by enhancing cytokine production in the form of a "cytokine storm" paving the way for the emergence of cancer stem cells in target organs. Since infection with SARS-CoV-2 occurs in several organs either directly or indirectly, it is expected that cancer stem cells may develop in multiple organs. Thus, we have reviewed the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the vulnerability and susceptibility of specific organs to cancer development. It is important to note that the cancer-related effects of SARS-CoV-2 proposed in this article are based on the ability of the virus and its proteins to cause cancer but that the long-term consequences of this infection will only be illustrated in the long run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasra Jahankhani
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Ahangari
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ian M Adcock
- Airways Disease, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Immune Health Program at Hunter Medical Research Institute and the College of Health and Medicine at the University of Newcastle, Australia
| | - Esmaeil Mortaz
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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7
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Gupta MK, Peng H, Li Y, Xu CJ. The role of DNA methylation in personalized medicine for immune-related diseases. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 250:108508. [PMID: 37567513 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics functions as a bridge between host genetic & environmental factors, aiding in human health and diseases. Many immune-related diseases, including infectious and allergic diseases, have been linked to epigenetic mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation. In this review, we summarized an updated overview of DNA methylation and its importance in personalized medicine, and demonstrated that DNA methylation has excellent potential for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in a personalized manner. The future implications and limitations of the DNA methylation study have also been well-discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar Gupta
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), a joint venture between the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany; TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - He Peng
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), a joint venture between the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany; TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Yang Li
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), a joint venture between the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany; TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Institute for Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Cheng-Jian Xu
- Centre for Individualised Infection Medicine (CiiM), a joint venture between the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany; TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Institute for Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Locatelli M, Faure-Dupuy S. Virus hijacking of host epigenetic machinery to impair immune response. J Virol 2023; 97:e0065823. [PMID: 37656959 PMCID: PMC10537592 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00658-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA hypermethylation, histone acetylation/methylation, or nucleosome positioning, result in differential gene expression. These modifications can have an impact on various pathways, including host antiviral immune responses. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of epigenetic modifications induced by viruses to counteract host antiviral immune responses, which are crucial for establishing and maintaining infection of viruses. Finally, we provide insights into the potential use of epigenetic modulators in combating viral infections and virus-induced diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Locatelli
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Suzanne Faure-Dupuy
- Université de Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016-CNRS UMR8104, Paris, France
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9
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Yedidya Y, Davis D, Drier Y. SARS-CoV-2 infection perturbs enhancer mediated transcriptional regulation of key pathways. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011397. [PMID: 37561814 PMCID: PMC10443870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive studies on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is still a lack of understanding of the downstream epigenetic and regulatory alterations in infected cells. In this study, we investigated changes in enhancer acetylation in epithelial lung cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 and their influence on transcriptional regulation and pathway activity. To achieve this, we integrated and reanalyzed data of enhancer acetylation, ex-vivo infection and single cell RNA-seq data from human patients. Our findings revealed coordinated changes in enhancers and transcriptional networks. We found that infected cells lose the WT1 transcription factor and demonstrate disruption of WT1-bound enhancers and of their associated target genes. Downstream targets of WT1 are involved in the regulation of the Wnt signaling and the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade, which indeed exhibit increased activation levels. These findings may provide a potential explanation for the development of pulmonary fibrosis, a lethal complication of COVID-19. Moreover, we revealed over-acetylated enhancers associated with upregulated genes involved in cell adhesion, which could contribute to cell-cell infection of SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, we demonstrated that enhancers may play a role in the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and contribute to excessive inflammation in the lungs, a typical complication of COVID-19. Overall, our analysis provided novel insights into the cell-autonomous dysregulation of enhancer regulation caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, a step on the path to a deeper molecular understanding of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahel Yedidya
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, IMRIC, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Daniel Davis
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, IMRIC, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yotam Drier
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, IMRIC, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
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10
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Li D, Tian T, Ko CN, Yang C. Prospect of targeting lysine methyltransferase NSD3 for tumor therapy. Pharmacol Res 2023; 194:106839. [PMID: 37400043 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 3 (NSD3) has recently been recognized as a new epigenetic target in the fight against cancer. NSD3, which is amplified, overexpressed or mutated in a variety of tumors, promotes tumor development by regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA repair and EMT. Therefore, the inhibition, silencing or knockdown of NSD3 are highly promising antitumor strategies. This paper summarizes the structure and biological functions of NSD3 with an emphasis on its carcinogenic or cancer-promoting activity. The development of NSD3-specific inhibitors or degraders is also discussed and reviewed in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Tiantian Tian
- Center for Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, 519087, China
| | - Chung-Nga Ko
- C-MER Dennis Lam and Partners Eye Center, Hong Kong International Eye Care Group, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Chao Yang
- National Engineering Research Center For Marine Aquaculture, Institute of Innovation & Application, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province 316022, China.
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Gu H, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Qu H, Li Y, Ahmed AA, Liu HY, Hu P, Cai D. Hepatic Anti-Oxidative Genes CAT and GPX4 Are Epigenetically Modulated by RORγ/NRF2 in Alphacoronavirus-Exposed Piglets. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1305. [PMID: 37372035 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12061305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As a member of alpha-coronaviruses, PEDV could lead to severe diarrhea and dehydration in newborn piglets. Given that lipid peroxides in the liver are key mediators of cell proliferation and death, the role and regulation of endogenous lipid peroxide metabolism in response to coronavirus infection need to be illuminated. The enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT, mitochondrial complex-I, complex-III, and complex-V, along with the glutathione and ATP contents, were significantly decreased in the liver of PEDV piglets. In contrast, the lipid peroxidation biomarkers, malondialdehyde, and ROS were markedly elevated. Moreover, we found that the peroxisome metabolism was inhibited by the PEDV infection using transcriptome analysis. These down-regulated anti-oxidative genes, including GPX4, CAT, SOD1, SOD2, GCLC, and SLC7A11, were further validated by qRT-PCR and immunoblotting. Because the nuclear receptor RORγ-driven MVA pathway is critical for LPO, we provided new evidence that RORγ also controlled the genes CAT and GPX4 involved in peroxisome metabolism in the PEDV piglets. We found that RORγ directly binds to these two genes using ChIP-seq and ChIP-qPCR analysis, where PEDV strongly repressed the binding enrichments. The occupancies of histone active marks such as H3K9/27ac and H3K4me1/2, together with active co-factor p300 and polymerase II at the locus of CAT and GPX4, were significantly decreased. Importantly, PEDV infection disrupted the physical association between RORγ and NRF2, facilitating the down-regulation of the CAT and GPX4 genes at the transcriptional levels. RORγ is a potential factor in modulating the CAT and GPX4 gene expressions in the liver of PEDV piglets by interacting with NRF2 and histone modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haotian Gu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yaya Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yahui Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Huan Qu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yanhua Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Abdelkareem A Ahmed
- Biomedical Research Institute, Darfur University College, Nyala 56022, Sudan
| | - Hao-Yu Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory in Universities of Jiangsu Province of China for Domestic Animal Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Ping Hu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory in Universities of Jiangsu Province of China for Domestic Animal Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Demin Cai
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory in Universities of Jiangsu Province of China for Domestic Animal Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Yangzhou 225009, China
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12
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Luo H, Chen J, Jiang Q, Yu Y, Yang M, Luo Y, Wang X. Comprehensive DNA methylation profiling of COVID-19 and hepatocellular carcinoma to identify common pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:100. [PMID: 37309005 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01515-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be more complex and severe in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as compared to other cancers. This is due to several factors, including pre-existing conditions such as viral hepatitis and cirrhosis, which are commonly associated with HCC. METHODS We conducted an analysis of epigenomics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and HCC patients, and identified common pathogenic mechanisms using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and other analyses. Hub genes were identified and analyzed using LASSO regression. Additionally, drug candidates and their binding modes to key macromolecular targets of COVID-19 were identified using molecular docking. RESULTS The epigenomic analysis of the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and HCC patients revealed that the co-pathogenesis was closely linked to immune response, particularly T cell differentiation, regulation of T cell activation and monocyte differentiation. Further analysis indicated that CD4+ T cells and monocytes play essential roles in the immunoreaction triggered by both conditions. The expression levels of hub genes MYLK2, FAM83D, STC2, CCDC112, EPHX4 and MMP1 were strongly correlated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and the prognosis of HCC patients. In our study, mefloquine and thioridazine were identified as potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19 in combined with HCC. CONCLUSIONS In this research, we conducted an epigenomics analysis to identify common pathogenetic processes between SARS-CoV-2 infection and HCC patients, providing new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of HCC patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyan Luo
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jixin Chen
- The Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiyin Jiang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yifan Yu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Miaolun Yang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuehua Luo
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiongwen Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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13
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Yılmaz B, Çakmak Genç G, Karakaş Çelik S, Pişkin N, Horuz E, Dursun A. The 3'UTR region of the DNA repair gene PARP-1 May increase the severity of COVID-19 by altering the binding of antiviral miRNAs. Virology 2023; 583:29-35. [PMID: 37087842 PMCID: PMC10110933 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 may cause the release of systemic inflammatory cytokines resulting in severe inflammation. PARP-1 has been identified as a nuclear enzyme that is activated by DNA strand breaks. It has been suggested that PARP-1 has a role in the cytokine storm shown as a cause of mortality in COVID-19, and its inhibition may adversely affect the replication of SARS -CoV-2. We aimed to investigate the relationship between PARP-1 gene polymorphisms and the clinical severity of COVID-19. rs8679 TT genotype was found to increase with the COVID-19 disease severity. The 3'UTR polymorphism rs8679 may cause PARP-1 activity as a result of viral replication increase by changing the binding site of antiviral or anti-inflammatory miRNAs. PARP-1 may affect the severity of COVID-19 by cytokine release and maybe a possible treatment target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Büşra Yılmaz
- Department of Medical Genetics, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
| | - Güneş Çakmak Genç
- Department of Medical Genetics, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Sevim Karakaş Çelik
- Department of Medical Genetics, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Nihal Pişkin
- Department of Infectious Disease, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Emre Horuz
- Department of Infectious Disease, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Dursun
- Department of Medical Genetics, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey
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14
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Basha NJ. Small Molecules as Anti‐inflammatory Agents: Molecular Mechanisms and Heterocycles as Inhibitors of Signaling Pathways. ChemistrySelect 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202204723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Jeelan Basha
- Department of Chemistry Indian Academy Degree College-Autonomous Bengaluru Karnataka-560043 India
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15
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Behura A, Naik L, Patel S, Das M, Kumar A, Mishra A, Nayak DK, Manna D, Mishra A, Dhiman R. Involvement of epigenetics in affecting host immunity during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2023; 1869:166634. [PMID: 36577469 PMCID: PMC9790847 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is caused by a highly contagious RNA virus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), originated in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Since then, it has become a global public health concern and leads the disease table with the highest mortality rate, highlighting the necessity for a thorough understanding of its biological properties. The intricate interaction between the virus and the host immune system gives rise to diverse implications of COVID-19. RNA viruses are known to hijack the host epigenetic mechanisms of immune cells to regulate antiviral defence. Epigenetics involves processes that alter gene expression without changing the DNA sequence, leading to heritable phenotypic changes. The epigenetic landscape consists of reversible modifications like chromatin remodelling, DNA/RNA methylation, and histone methylation/acetylation that regulates gene expression. The epigenetic machinery contributes to many aspects of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, like global DNA methylation and receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) methylation determines the viral entry inside the host, viral replication, and infection efficiency. Further, it is also reported to epigenetically regulate the expression of different host cytokines affecting antiviral response. The viral proteins of SARS-CoV-2 interact with various host epigenetic enzymes like histone deacetylases (HDACs) and bromodomain-containing proteins to antagonize cellular signalling. The central role of epigenetic factors in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is now exploited as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets against COVID-19. This review article highlights the ability of SARS-CoV-2 in regulating the host epigenetic landscape during infection leading to immune evasion. It also discusses the ongoing therapeutic approaches to curtail and control the viral outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assirbad Behura
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Lincoln Naik
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Salina Patel
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Mousumi Das
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Ashish Kumar
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Abtar Mishra
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Dev Kiran Nayak
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Debraj Manna
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Amit Mishra
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342011, India
| | - Rohan Dhiman
- Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
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16
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Sharma SB, Melvin WJ, Audu CO, Bame M, Rhoads N, Wu W, Kanthi Y, Knight JS, Adili R, Holinstat MA, Wakefield TW, Henke PK, Moore BB, Gallagher KA, Obi AT. The histone methyltransferase MLL1/KMT2A in monocytes drives coronavirus-associated coagulopathy and inflammation. Blood 2023; 141:725-742. [PMID: 36493338 PMCID: PMC9743412 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022015917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus-associated coagulopathy (CAC) is a morbid and lethal sequela of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. CAC results from a perturbed balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis and occurs in conjunction with exaggerated activation of monocytes/macrophages (MO/Mφs), and the mechanisms that collectively govern this phenotype seen in CAC remain unclear. Here, using experimental models that use the murine betacoronavirus MHVA59, a well-established model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we identify that the histone methyltransferase mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1/KMT2A) is an important regulator of MO/Mφ expression of procoagulant and profibrinolytic factors such as tissue factor (F3; TF), urokinase (PLAU), and urokinase receptor (PLAUR) (herein, "coagulopathy-related factors") in noninfected and infected cells. We show that MLL1 concurrently promotes the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines while suppressing the expression of interferon alfa (IFN-α), a well-known inducer of TF and PLAUR. Using in vitro models, we identify MLL1-dependent NF-κB/RelA-mediated transcription of these coagulation-related factors and identify a context-dependent, MLL1-independent role for RelA in the expression of these factors in vivo. As functional correlates for these findings, we demonstrate that the inflammatory, procoagulant, and profibrinolytic phenotypes seen in vivo after coronavirus infection were MLL1-dependent despite blunted Ifna induction in MO/Mφs. Finally, in an analysis of SARS-CoV-2 positive human samples, we identify differential upregulation of MLL1 and coagulopathy-related factor expression and activity in CD14+ MO/Mφs relative to noninfected and healthy controls. We also observed elevated plasma PLAU and TF activity in COVID-positive samples. Collectively, these findings highlight an important role for MO/Mφ MLL1 in promoting CAC and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriganesh B. Sharma
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - William J. Melvin
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Christopher O. Audu
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Monica Bame
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Nicole Rhoads
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Weisheng Wu
- Bioinformatics Core, Biomedical Research Core Facilities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Yogendra Kanthi
- Laboratory of Vascular Thrombosis & Inflammation, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jason S. Knight
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Reheman Adili
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Michael A. Holinstat
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Thomas W. Wakefield
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Peter K. Henke
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Bethany B. Moore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Katherine A. Gallagher
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Andrea T. Obi
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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17
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Zhang S, Xue X, Qiao S, Jia L, Wen X, Wang Y, Wang C, Li H, Cui J. Umifenovir Epigenetically Targets the IL-10 Pathway in Therapy against Coxsackievirus B4 Infection. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0424822. [PMID: 36541788 PMCID: PMC9927110 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04248-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Umifenovir, a broad-spectrum nonnucleoside antiviral drug, has a promising efficacy against coxsackievirus B4 (CVB4) infection, but its mechanism remains unclear. CVB4 is a common human single-stranded RNA virus that belongs to the Picornaviridae family and the Enterovirus genus. Enterovirus can cause severe diseases, such as meningitis, myocarditis, pancreatitis, insulin-dependent diabetes, and several other diseases, in both adults and children. We have previously demonstrated the critical role of interleukin 10 (IL-10) in promoting CVB4 infection and the downregulation of IL-10 by umifenovir. To further explore the underlying mechanisms of umifenovir, we characterized the epigenetic regulation of IL-10 in IL-10 knockout RAW264.7 cells and a BALB/c mouse splenocyte model. Mechanistically, we found that umifenovir inhibited CVB4-activated IL-10 by enhancing the methylation level of the repressive histones H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 while reducing the acetylation level of the activating histone H3K9ac in the promoter region of the IL-10 gene. Furthermore, using a chromosome conformation capture approach, we discovered that CVB4 infection activated the IL-10 gene by forming an intrachromosomal interaction between the IL-10 gene promoter and an intronic enhancer of the downstream MK2 (mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK]-activated protein kinase 2 [MAPKAPK2]) gene, a critical component of the p38-MAPK signaling pathway, which is required for IL-10 gene expression. However, umifenovir treatment abolished this spatial conformation and chromatin interaction, thus reducing the continuous expression of IL-10 and subsequent CVB4 replication. In conclusion, this study reveals a novel epigenetic mechanism by which umifenovir controls CVB4 infections, thus laying a theoretical foundation for therapeutic use of umifenovir. IMPORTANCE Viral infections are major threats to human health because of their strong association with a variety of inflammation-related diseases, especially cancer. Many antiviral drugs are performing poorly in treating viral infections. This is probably due to the immunosuppressive effect of highly expressed IL-10, which is caused by viral infection. Umifenovir is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug. Our recent studies showed that umifenovir has a significant inhibitory effect on CVB4 infection and can reduce IL-10 expression caused by CVB4. However, another antiviral drug, rupintrivir, showed good antiviral activity but had no effect on the expression of IL-10. This suggests that the regulation of IL-10 expression is a key part of the antiviral mechanism of umifenovir. Therefore, due to the dual function of the inhibition of CVB4 replication and the regulation of immune antiviral pathway, the mechanism of umifenovir is of great value to study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Cancer Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao Xue
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sennan Qiao
- Institute of Frontier Medical Science of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Jia
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Cancer Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue Wen
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Cancer Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yichen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Cancer Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Cancer Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongrui Li
- Institute of Frontier Medical Science of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiuwei Cui
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Cancer Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
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18
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Huang HC, Wang SH, Fang GC, Chou WC, Liao CC, Sun CP, Jan JT, Ma HH, Ko HY, Ko YA, Chiang MT, Liang JJ, Kuo CT, Lee TA, Morales-Scheihing D, Shen CY, Chen SY, McCullough LD, Cui L, Wernig G, Tao MH, Lin YL, Chang YM, Wang SP, Lai YJ, Li CW. Upregulation of PD-L1 by SARS-CoV-2 promotes immune evasion. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28478. [PMID: 36609964 PMCID: PMC10107526 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Patients with severe COVID-19 often suffer from lymphopenia, which is linked to T-cell sequestration, cytokine storm, and mortality. However, it remains largely unknown how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces lymphopenia. Here, we studied the transcriptomic profile and epigenomic alterations involved in cytokine production by SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. We adopted a reverse time-order gene coexpression network approach to analyze time-series RNA-sequencing data, revealing epigenetic modifications at the late stage of viral egress. Furthermore, we identified SARS-CoV-2-activated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) pathways contributing to viral infection and COVID-19 severity through epigenetic analysis of H3K4me3 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. Cross-referencing our transcriptomic and epigenomic data sets revealed that coupling NF-κB and IRF1 pathways mediate programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immunosuppressive programs. Interestingly, we observed higher PD-L1 expression in Omicron-infected cells than SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. Blocking PD-L1 at an early stage of virally-infected AAV-hACE2 mice significantly recovered lymphocyte counts and lowered inflammatory cytokine levels. Our findings indicate that targeting the SARS-CoV-2-mediated NF-κB and IRF1-PD-L1 axis may represent an alternative strategy to reduce COVID-19 severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Chi Huang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Han Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Guo-Chen Fang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Cheng Chou
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Che Liao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Pu Sun
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Tsrong Jan
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Hua Ma
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ying Ko
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-An Ko
- Biomedical Translational Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Tsai Chiang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jian-Jong Liang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Tse Kuo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Te-An Lee
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Diego Morales-Scheihing
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Chen-Yang Shen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Yu Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Louise D McCullough
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lu Cui
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Gerlinde Wernig
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Mi-Hua Tao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Biomedical Translational Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ling Lin
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Biomedical Translational Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Ming Chang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Ping Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Ju Lai
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Solomont School of Nursing, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chia-Wei Li
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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19
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Epigenetic Targets and Pathways Linked to SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Pathology. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020341. [PMID: 36838306 PMCID: PMC9967649 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The scale at which the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic has spread remains enormous. Provided the genetic makeup of the virus and humans is readily available, the quest for knowing the mechanism and epidemiology continues to prevail across the entire scientific community. Several aspects, including immunology, molecular biology, and host-pathogen interaction, are continuously being dug into for preparing the human race for future pandemics. The exact reasons for vast differences in symptoms, pathophysiological implications of COVID-infections, and mortality differences remain elusive. Hence, researchers are also looking beyond traditional genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics approach, especially entrusting the environmental regulation of the genetic landscape of COVID-human interactions. In line with these questions lies a critical process called epigenetics. The epigenetic perturbations in both host and parasites are a matter of great interest to unravel the disparities in COVID-19 mortalities and pathology. This review provides a deeper insight into current research on the epigenetic landscape of SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and potential targets for augmenting the ongoing investigation. It also explores the potential targets, pathways, and networks associated with the epigenetic regulation of processes involved in SARS-CoV-2 pathology.
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20
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Chan K, Farias AG, Lee H, Guvenc F, Mero P, Brown KR, Ward H, Billmann M, Aulakh K, Astori A, Haider S, Marcon E, Braunschweig U, Pu S, Habsid A, Yan Tong AH, Christie-Holmes N, Budylowski P, Ghalami A, Mubareka S, Maguire F, Banerjee A, Mossman KL, Greenblatt J, Gray-Owen SD, Raught B, Blencowe BJ, Taipale M, Myers C, Moffat J. Survival-based CRISPR genetic screens across a panel of permissive cell lines identify common and cell-specific SARS-CoV-2 host factors. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12744. [PMID: 36597481 PMCID: PMC9800021 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 depends on host cell components for infection and replication. Identification of virus-host dependencies offers an effective way to elucidate mechanisms involved in viral infection and replication. If druggable, host factor dependencies may present an attractive strategy for anti-viral therapy. In this study, we performed genome wide CRISPR knockout screens in Vero E6 cells and four human cell lines including Calu-3, UM-UC-4, HEK-293 and HuH-7 to identify genetic regulators of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings identified only ACE2, the cognate SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor, as a common host dependency factor across all cell lines, while other host genes identified were largely cell line specific, including known factors TMPRSS2 and CTSL. Several of the discovered host-dependency factors converged on pathways involved in cell signalling, immune-related pathways, and chromatin modification. Notably, the chromatin modifier gene KMT2C in Calu-3 cells had the strongest impact in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection when perturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Chan
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Corresponding author
| | - Adrian Granda Farias
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Hunsang Lee
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Furkan Guvenc
- Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Patricia Mero
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Kevin R. Brown
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Henry Ward
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Maximilian Billmann
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kamaldeep Aulakh
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Audrey Astori
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shahan Haider
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Edyta Marcon
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Ulrich Braunschweig
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Shuye Pu
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Andrea Habsid
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Amy Hin Yan Tong
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Natasha Christie-Holmes
- Combined Containment Level 3 Unit, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
| | - Patrick Budylowski
- Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Ayoob Ghalami
- Office of Environmental Health & Safety, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samira Mubareka
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Finlay Maguire
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada,Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Arinjay Banerjee
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Karen L. Mossman
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jack Greenblatt
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Scott D. Gray-Owen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Brian Raught
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin J. Blencowe
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Mikko Taipale
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8
| | - Chad Myers
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jason Moffat
- Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1,Department of Molecular Genetics, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S1A8,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Rosebrugh Building, 164 College Street, Room 407, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3G9,Corresponding author. Donnelly Center, 160 College Street, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S3E1
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21
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Zhang S, Meng Y, Zhou L, Qiu L, Wang H, Su D, Zhang B, Chan K, Han J. Targeting epigenetic regulators for inflammation: Mechanisms and intervention therapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e173. [PMID: 36176733 PMCID: PMC9477794 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that resolution of inflammation is a critical and dynamic endogenous process for host tissues defending against external invasive pathogens or internal tissue injury. It has long been known that autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory disorders are characterized by dysregulated immune responses, leading to excessive and uncontrol tissue inflammation. The dysregulation of epigenetic alterations including DNA methylation, posttranslational modifications to histone proteins, and noncoding RNA expression has been implicated in a host of inflammatory disorders and the immune system. The inflammatory response is considered as a critical trigger of epigenetic alterations that in turn intercede inflammatory actions. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanism that dictates the outcome of targeting epigenetic regulators for inflammatory disease is required for inflammation resolution. In this article, we elucidate the critical role of the nuclear factor‐κB signaling pathway, JAK/STAT signaling pathway, and the NLRP3 inflammasome in chronic inflammatory diseases. And we formulate the relationship between inflammation, coronavirus disease 2019, and human cancers. Additionally, we review the mechanism of epigenetic modifications involved in inflammation and innate immune cells. All that matters is that we propose and discuss the rejuvenation potential of interventions that target epigenetic regulators and regulatory mechanisms for chronic inflammation‐associated diseases to improve therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Zhang
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Genomics Frontiers Science Center for Disease‐Related Molecular Network State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy West China Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Yang Meng
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Genomics Frontiers Science Center for Disease‐Related Molecular Network State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy West China Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Lian Zhou
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Genomics Frontiers Science Center for Disease‐Related Molecular Network State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy West China Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Lei Qiu
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Genomics Frontiers Science Center for Disease‐Related Molecular Network State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy West China Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Heping Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Dan Su
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Genomics Frontiers Science Center for Disease‐Related Molecular Network State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy West China Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Genomics Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery Frontiers Science Center for Disease‐Related Molecular Network West China Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Kui‐Ming Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
| | - Junhong Han
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Genomics Frontiers Science Center for Disease‐Related Molecular Network State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy West China Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu China
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22
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Wang C, Yao C, Sun Y, Chen J, Ge Y, Wang Y, Wang F, Wang L, Lin Y, Yao S. Identification and verification of a novel epigenetic-related gene signature for predicting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:897123. [DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.897123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Epigenetic dysregulation is now considered to be related to hepatocarcinogenesis. However, it is unclear how epigenetic-related genes (ERGs) contribute to the prognosis of HCC. In this study, we used the TCGA database to identify prognostic ERGs that were differentially expressed in HCC patients. Then, using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, a six-gene signature was constructed, and patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups. Validation was performed on HCC patients from the ICGC database. Patients in the high-risk group had a significantly lower chance of survival than those in the low-risk group (p < 0.001 in both databases). The predictive ability of the signature was determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The risk score was then shown to be an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival (OS) of HCC patients based on the results of univariate and multivariate analyses. We also created a practical nomogram combining the prognostic model with other clinical features. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are linked to tumor immunity. In conclusion, our findings showed that a novel six-gene signature related to epigenetics can accurately predict the occurrence and prognosis of HCC.
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23
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Foolchand A, Mazaleni S, Ghazi T, Chuturgoon AA. A Review: Highlighting the Links between Epigenetics, COVID-19 Infection, and Vitamin D. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012292. [PMID: 36293144 PMCID: PMC9603374 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The highly transmittable and infectious COVID-19 remains a major threat worldwide, with the elderly and comorbid individuals being the most vulnerable. While vaccines are currently available, therapeutic drugs will help ease the viral outbreak and prevent serious health outcomes. Epigenetic modifications regulate gene expression through changes in chromatin structure and have been linked to viral pathophysiology. Since epigenetic modifications contribute to the life cycle of the virus and host immune responses to infection, epigenetic drugs are promising treatment targets to ameliorate COVID-19. Deficiency of the multifunctional secosteroid hormone vitamin D is a global health threat. Vitamin D and its receptor function to regulate genes involved in immunity, apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. Amassed evidence also indicates the biological relations of vitamin D with reduced disease risk, while its receptor can be modulated by epigenetic mechanisms. The immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D suggest a role for vitamin D as a COVID-19 therapeutic agent. Therefore, this review highlights the epigenetic effects on COVID-19 and vitamin D while also proposing a role for vitamin D in COVID-19 infections.
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24
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Hsa_circ_0000479/Hsa-miR-149-5p/RIG-I, IL-6 Axis: A Potential Novel Pathway to Regulate Immune Response against COVID-19. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY 2022; 2022:2762582. [PMID: 36081604 PMCID: PMC9448594 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2762582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background. COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a global pandemic and mortality of people around the world. Some circular RNAs (circRNAs), one of the new types of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and compete with mRNAs for shared miRNAs, to regulate gene expression. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the expression and roles of hsa_circ_0000479/hsa-miR-149-5p/RIG-I, IL-6 in COVID-19 infection. Materials and Methods. After extraction of total RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 50 patients with symptomatic COVID-19, 50 patients with nonsymptomatic COVID-19, and 50 normal controls, cDNA synthesis was performed. Online in silico tools were applied to evaluate the interaction between the genes in the hsa_circ_0000479/hsa-miR-149-5p/RIG-I, IL-6 axis, and its role in COVID-19-related pathways. Quantification of the expression of these genes and confirmation of their interaction was done using the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) technique. Results. The expression levels of hsa_circ_0000479, RIG-I, and IL-6 were increased in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls, while hsa-miR-149-5p expression was decreased. Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between hsa-miR-149-5p and hsa_circ_0000479, RIG-I, IL-6 expressions, and also a positive expression correlation between hsa_circ_0000479 and IL-6, RIG-I. Then, bioinformatics tools revealed the role of hsa_circ_0000479/hsa-miR-149-5p/RIG-I, IL-6 axis in PI3K-AKT and STAT3 signaling pathways. Conclusion. Upregulation of hsa_circ_0000479, RIG-I, and IL-6, and downregulation of hsa-miR-149-5p, along with correlation studies, indicate that hsa_circ_0000479/hsa-miR-149-5p/RIG-I, IL-6 axis could play a role in regulating the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. However, more studies are needed in this area.
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25
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Patra SK, Szyf M. Epigenetic perspectives of COVID-19: Virus infection to disease progression and therapeutic control. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2022; 1868:166527. [PMID: 36002132 PMCID: PMC9393109 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 has caused numerous deaths as well as imposed social isolation and upheaval world-wide. Although, the genome and the composition of the virus, the entry process and replication mechanisms are well investigated from by several laboratories across the world, there are many unknown remaining questions. For example, what are the functions of membrane lipids during entry, packaging and exit of virus particles? Also, the metabolic aspects of the infected tissue cells are poorly understood. In the course of virus replication and formation of virus particles within the host cell, the enhanced metabolic activities of the host is directly proportional to viral loads. The epigenetic landscape of the host cells is also altered, particularly the expression/repression of genes associated with cellular metabolism as well as cellular processes that are antagonistic to the virus. Metabolic pathways are enzyme driven processes and the expression profile and mechanism of regulations of the respective genes encoding those enzymes during the course of pathogen invasion might be highly informative on the course of the disease. Recently, the metabolic profile of the patients' sera have been analysed from few patients. In view of this, and to gain further insights into the roles that epigenetic mechanisms might play in this scenario in regulation of metabolic pathways during the progression of COVID-19 are discussed and summarised in this contribution for ensuring best therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Kumar Patra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
| | - Moshe Szyf
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McIntyre Medical Sciences Building, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
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26
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Chen M, Ma Y, Chang W. SARS-CoV-2 and the Nucleus. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:4731-4743. [PMID: 35874947 PMCID: PMC9305274 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.72482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is caused by an RNA virus, SARS-CoV-2. The genome of SARS-CoV-2 lacks a nuclear phase in its life cycle and is replicated in the cytoplasm. However, interfering with nuclear trafficking using pharmacological inhibitors greatly reduces virus infection and virus replication of other coronaviruses is blocked in enucleated cells, suggesting a critical role of the nucleus in virus infection. Here, we summarize the alternations of nuclear pathways caused by SARS-CoV-2, including nuclear translocation pathways, innate immune responses, mRNA metabolism, epigenetic mechanisms, DNA damage response, cytoskeleton regulation, and nuclear rupture. We consider how these alternations contribute to virus replication and discuss therapeutic treatments that target these pathways, focusing on small molecule drugs that are being used in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Yue Ma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Wakam Chang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
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27
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Li A, Yang J, Qian J, Shao X, Liao J, Lu X, Fan X. Tracing the cell-type-specific modules of immune responses during COVID-19 progression using scDisProcema. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:3545-3555. [PMID: 35811838 PMCID: PMC9250167 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.06.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has caused severe threats to lives and damage to property worldwide. The immunopathology of the disease is of particular concern. Currently, researchers have used gene co-expression networks (GCNs) to deepen the study of molecular mechanisms of immune responses to COVID-19. However, most efforts have not fully explored dynamic changes of cell-type-specific molecular networks in the disease process. This study proposes a GCN construction pipeline named single-cell Disease Progression cellular module analysis (scDisProcema), which can trace dynamic changes of immune system response during disease progression using single-cell data. Here, scDisProcema considers changes in cell fate and expression patterns during disease development, identifying gene modules responsible for different immune cells. The hub genes are screened for each module by the specific expression level and the intercellular connectivity of modules. Based on functional items enriched by each gene module, we elucidate the biological processes of different cells involved in disease development and explain the molecular mechanisms underlying the process of cell depletion or proliferation caused by disease. Compared with traditional WGCNA methods, scDisProcema can make more convenient use of the heterogeneity information provided by scRNA-seq data and has great potential in exploring molecular changes during disease progression and organ development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anyao Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing 314102, China
| | - Jihong Yang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Center in Zhejiang University, State Key Laboratory of Component-Based Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Zhang Boli Intelligent Health Innovation Lab, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Jingyang Qian
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing 314102, China
| | - Xin Shao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing 314102, China
| | - Jie Liao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing 314102, China
| | - Xiaoyan Lu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing 314102, China
- Innovation Center in Zhejiang University, State Key Laboratory of Component-Based Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaohui Fan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing 314102, China
- Innovation Center in Zhejiang University, State Key Laboratory of Component-Based Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Corresponding author at: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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28
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Huoman J, Sayyab S, Apostolou E, Karlsson L, Porcile L, Rizwan M, Sharma S, Das J, Rosén A, Lerm M. Epigenetic rewiring of pathways related to odour perception in immune cells exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in vivo and in vitro. Epigenetics 2022; 17:1875-1891. [PMID: 35758003 PMCID: PMC9665140 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2022.2089471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A majority of SARS-CoV-2 recoverees develop only mild-to-moderate symptoms, while some remain completely asymptomatic. Although viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, may evade host immune responses by epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation, little is known about whether these modifications are important in defence against and healthy recovery from COVID-19 in the host. To this end, epigenome-wide DNA methylation patterns from COVID-19 convalescents were compared to uninfected controls from before and after the pandemic. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) DNA was extracted from uninfected controls, COVID-19 convalescents, and symptom-free individuals with SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell-responses, as well as from PBMCs stimulated in vitro with SARS-CoV-2. Subsequently, the Illumina MethylationEPIC 850K array was performed, and statistical/bioinformatic analyses comprised differential DNA methylation, pathway over-representation, and module identification analyses. Differential DNA methylation patterns distinguished COVID-19 convalescents from uninfected controls, with similar results in an experimental SARS-CoV-2 infection model. A SARS-CoV-2-induced module was identified in vivo, comprising 66 genes of which six (TP53, INS, HSPA4, SP1, ESR1, and FAS) were present in corresponding in vitro analyses. Over-representation analyses revealed involvement in Wnt, muscarinic acetylcholine receptor signalling, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor pathways. Furthermore, numerous differentially methylated and network genes from both settings interacted with the SARS-CoV-2 interactome. Altered DNA methylation patterns of COVID-19 convalescents suggest recovery from mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection leaves longstanding epigenetic traces. Both in vitro and in vivo exposure caused epigenetic modulation of pathways thataffect odour perception. Future studies should determine whether this reflects host-induced protective antiviral defense or targeted viral hijacking to evade host defence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Huoman
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Shumaila Sayyab
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Eirini Apostolou
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lovisa Karlsson
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lucas Porcile
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Muhammad Rizwan
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sumit Sharma
- Division of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jyotirmoy Das
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anders Rosén
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Maria Lerm
- Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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29
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Du G, Xu X, Wang J, Wang X, Ding Y, Li F, Sun Y, Tao H, Luo Y, Li H, Bo X, Chen H. The accessible promoter-mediated supplementary effect of host factors provides new insight into the tropism of SARS-CoV-2. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 28:249-258. [PMID: 35313658 PMCID: PMC8925281 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In the past year, the rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) resulted in the worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Yet our understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 tropism mechanism is still insufficient. In this study, we examined the chromatin accessibility at the promoters of host factor genes (ACE2, TMPRSS2, NRP1, BSG, CTSL, and FURIN) in 14 tissue types, 23 tumor types, and 189 cell lines. We showed that the promoters of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 were accessible in a tissue- and cell-specific pattern, which is accordant with previous clinical research on SARS-CoV-2 tropism. We were able to further verify that type I interferon (IFN) could induce angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression in Caco-2 cells by enhancing the binding of HNF1A, the transcription factor of ACE2, to ACE2 promoter without changing chromatin accessibility. We then performed transcription factor (TF)-gene interactions network and pathway analyses and discovered that the TFs regulating host factor genes are enriched in pathways associated with viral infection. Finally, we established a novel model that suggests that open chromatin at the promoter mediates the host factors’ supplementary effect and ensures SARS-CoV-2 entry. Our work uncovers the relationship between epigenetic regulation and SARS-CoV-2 tropism and provides clues for further investigation of COVID-19 pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guifang Du
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China.,Hepato-pancreato-biliary Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Junting Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Yang Ding
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Fei Li
- Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yu Sun
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Huan Tao
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Yawen Luo
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Hao Li
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Xiaochen Bo
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Hebing Chen
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
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30
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Bohlin J, Page CM, Lee Y, Pettersson JHO, Jugessur A, Magnus P, Håberg SE. Age and sex effects on DNA methylation sites linked to genes implicated in severe COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269105. [PMID: 35679253 PMCID: PMC9182232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Male sex and advanced age are associated with severe symptoms of COVID-19. Sex and age also exhibit substantial associations with genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) differences in humans. Using a random sample of Illumina EPIC-based genome-wide methylomes from peripheral whole blood of 1,976 parents, participating in The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), we explored whether DNAm in genes linked to SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry and to severe COVID-19 were associated with sex and age. This was carried out by testing 1,572 DNAm sites (CpGs) located near 45 genes for associations with age and sex. We found that DNAm in 281 and 231 of 1,572 CpGs were associated (pFDR<0.01) with sex and aging, respectively. CpGs linked to SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry genes were all associated with age and sex, except for the ACE2 receptor gene (located on the X-chromosome), which was only associated with sex (pFDR<0.01). Furthermore, we examined whether 1,487 autosomal CpGs associated with host-cell entry and severe COVID-19 were more or less associated with sex and age than what would be expected from the same number of randomly sampled genome-wide CpGs. We found that the CpGs associated with host-cell entry and severe COVID-19 were not more or less associated with sex (R2 = 0.77, p = 0.09) than the CpGs sampled from random genomic regions; age was actually found to be significantly less so (R2 = 0.36, p = 0.04). Hence, while we found wide-spread associations between sex and age at CpGs linked to genes implicated with SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry and severe COVID-19, the effect from the sum of these CpGs was not stronger than that from randomly sampled CpGs; for age it was significantly less so. These findings could suggest that advanced age and male sex may not be unsurmountable barriers for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to evolve increased infectiousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Bohlin
- Department of Method Development and analytics, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Christian M. Page
- Center for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mathematics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Yunsung Lee
- Center for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - John H.-O. Pettersson
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Astanand Jugessur
- Center for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Per Magnus
- Center for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri E. Håberg
- Center for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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Tang H, Tanaka G, Unterman T, Bursztajn H. Detoxifying the Fear of Epigenetic Changes Due to COVID Vaccination. Am J Med 2022; 135:665-666. [PMID: 35131303 PMCID: PMC8815283 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hansen Tang
- Pacific Northwest University Health Sciences, Yakima, WA
| | - Gen Tanaka
- Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, Portland, OR
| | - Terry Unterman
- Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Harold Bursztajn
- Program in Psychiatry and the Law at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Psychiatry of Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
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Wang L, Zhang W, Wu X, Liang X, Cao L, Zhai J, Yang Y, Chen Q, Liu H, Zhang J, Ding Y, Zhu F, Tang J. MIAOME: Human Microbiome Affect The Host Epigenome. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:2455-2463. [PMID: 35664224 PMCID: PMC9136154 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Besides the genetic factors having tremendous influences on the regulations of the epigenome, the microenvironmental factors have recently gained extensive attention for their roles in affecting the host epigenome. There are three major types of microenvironmental factors: microbiota-derived metabolites (MDM), microbiota-derived components (MDC) and microbiota-secreted proteins (MSP). These factors can regulate host physiology by modifying host gene expression through the three highly interconnected epigenetic mechanisms (e.g. histone modifications, DNA modifications, and non-coding RNAs). However, no database was available to provide the comprehensive factors of these types. Herein, a database entitled 'Human Microbiome Affect The Host Epigenome (MIAOME)' was constructed. Based on the types of epigenetic modifications confirmed in the literature review, the MIAOME database captures 1068 (63 genus, 281 species, 707 strains, etc.) human microbes, 91 unique microbiota-derived metabolites & components (16 fatty acids, 10 bile acids, 10 phenolic compounds, 10 vitamins, 9 tryptophan metabolites, etc.) derived from 967 microbes; 50 microbes that secreted 40 proteins; 98 microbes that directly influence the host epigenetic modification, and provides 3 classifications of the epigenome, including (1) 4 types of DNA modifications, (2) 20 histone modifications and (3) 490 ncRNAs regulations, involved in 160 human diseases. All in all, MIAOME has compiled the information on the microenvironmental factors influence host epigenome through the scientific literature and biochemical databases, and allows the collective considerations among the different types of factors. It can be freely assessed without login requirement by all users at: http://miaome.idrblab.net/ttd/
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidan Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xianglu Wu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Xiao Liang
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Lijie Cao
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Jincheng Zhai
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yiyang Yang
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Qiuxiao Chen
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Hongqing Liu
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yubin Ding
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Corresponding authors at: School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China (J. Tang).
| | - Feng Zhu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Corresponding authors at: School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China (J. Tang).
| | - Jing Tang
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproductive and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Corresponding authors at: School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China (J. Tang).
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Genetically modified mice for research on human diseases: A triumph for Biotechnology or a work in progress? THE EUROBIOTECH JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.2478/ebtj-2022-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Genetically modified mice are engineered as models for human diseases. These mouse models include inbred strains, mutants, gene knockouts, gene knockins, and ‘humanized’ mice. Each mouse model is engineered to mimic a specific disease based on a theory of the genetic basis of that disease. For example, to test the amyloid theory of Alzheimer’s disease, mice with amyloid precursor protein genes are engineered, and to test the tau theory, mice with tau genes are engineered. This paper discusses the importance of mouse models in basic research, drug discovery, and translational research, and examines the question of how to define the “best” mouse model of a disease. The critiques of animal models and the caveats in translating the results from animal models to the treatment of human disease are discussed. Since many diseases are heritable, multigenic, age-related and experience-dependent, resulting from multiple gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, it will be essential to develop mouse models that reflect these genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors from a developmental perspective. Such models would provide further insight into disease emergence, progression and the ability to model two-hit and multi-hit theories of disease. The summary examines the biotechnology for creating genetically modified mice which reflect these factors and how they might be used to discover new treatments for complex human diseases such as cancers, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Sarkar S, Sen R. Insights into Cardiovascular Defects and Cardiac Epigenome in the Context of COVID-19. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:epigenomes6020013. [PMID: 35645252 PMCID: PMC9150012 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6020013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Although few in number, studies on epigenome of the heart of COVID-19 patients show that epigenetic signatures such as DNA methylation are significantly altered, leading to changes in expression of several genes. It contributes to pathogenic cardiac phenotypes of COVID-19, e.g., low heart rate, myocardial edema, and myofibrillar disarray. DNA methylation studies reveal changes which likely contribute to cardiac disease through unknown mechanisms. The incidence of severe COVID-19 disease, including hospitalization, requiring respiratory support, morbidity, and mortality, is disproportionately higher in individuals with co-morbidities. This poses unprecedented strains on the global healthcare system. While their underlying conditions make patients more susceptible to severe COVID-19 disease, strained healthcare systems, lack of adequate support, or sedentary lifestyles from ongoing lockdowns have proved detrimental to their underlying health conditions, thus pushing them to severe risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) itself. Prophylactic vaccines against COVID-19 have ushered new hope for CHD. A common connection between COVID-19 and CHD is SARS-CoV-2’s host receptor ACE2, because ACE2 regulates and protects organs, including the heart, in various ways. ACE2 is a common therapeutic target against cardiovascular disease and COVID-19 which damages organs. Hence, this review explores the above regarding CHDs, cardiovascular damage, and cardiac epigenetics, in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Sarkar
- New Brunswick Heart Centre, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, NB E2L 4L2, Canada;
| | - Rwik Sen
- Active Motif, Inc., 1914 Palomar Oaks Way, Suite 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
- Correspondence:
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35
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Braga CL, Acquarone M, Arona VDC, Osório BS, Barreto TG, Kian RM, Pereira JPAL, Silva MDMCD, Silva BA, de Oliveira GMM, Macedo Rocco PR, Silva PL, Alencar AKN. Can Epigenetics Help Solve the Puzzle Between Concomitant Cardiovascular Injury and Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019? J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2022; 79:431-443. [PMID: 34935698 DOI: 10.1097/fjc.0000000000001201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has significant implications in patients with concomitant cardiovascular disease (CVD) because they are the population at the greatest risk of death. The treatment of such patients and complications may represent a new challenge for the fields of cardiology and pharmacology. Thus, understanding the involvement of this viral infection in CVD might help to reduce the aggressiveness of SARS-CoV-2 in causing multiorgan infection and damage. SARS-CoV-2 disturbs the host epigenome and several epigenetic processes involved in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 that can directly affect the function and structure of the cardiovascular system (CVS). Hence, it would be relevant to identify epigenetic alterations that directly impact CVS physiology after SARS-CoV-2 infection. This could contribute to the view of this virus-induced CVS injury and direct forthcoming tackles for COVID-19 treatment to reduce mortality in patients with CVD. Targeting epigenetic marks could offer strong evidence for the development of novel antiviral therapies, especially in the context of COVID-19-related CVS damage. In this review, we address some of the main signaling pathways that are currently known as being involved in COVID-19 pathophysiology and the importance of this glint on epigenetics and some of its modifiers (epidrugs) to control the unregulated epitope activity in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19, and underlying CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cássia L Braga
- Laboratório de Investigação Pulmonar, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana Acquarone
- Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis, School Clinic, Petrópolis, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Victor da C Arona
- Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis, School Clinic, Petrópolis, Brazil
| | - Brenno S Osório
- Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis, School Clinic, Petrópolis, Brazil
| | - Thiago G Barreto
- Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis, School Clinic, Petrópolis, Brazil
| | - Ruan M Kian
- Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis, School Clinic, Petrópolis, Brazil
| | | | - Marina de Moraes C da Silva
- Serviço de Radiologia do Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bagnólia A Silva
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos Bioativos, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Gláucia Maria M de Oliveira
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and
| | - Patricia Rieken Macedo Rocco
- Laboratório de Investigação Pulmonar, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pedro Leme Silva
- Laboratório de Investigação Pulmonar, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Allan K N Alencar
- Laboratório de Investigação Pulmonar, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis, School Clinic, Petrópolis, Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Muhammad A, Forcados GE, Sani H, Ndidi US, Adamu A, Katsayal BS, Sadiq IZ, Abubakar YS, Sulaiman I, Abubakar IB, Yusuf AP, Malami I, Ibrahim S, Abubakar MB. Epigenetic modifications associated with genes implicated in cytokine storm: The potential biotherapeutic effects of vitamins and minerals in COVID‐19. J Food Biochem 2022; 46:e14079. [DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.14079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aliyu Muhammad
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria
| | | | - Hadiza Sani
- Department of Medicine Kaduna State University Kaduna Nigeria
| | - Uche Samuel Ndidi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria
| | - Auwal Adamu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria
| | | | - Idris Zubairu Sadiq
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria
| | | | - Ibrahim Sulaiman
- Department of Human Physiology Federal University Dutse Dutse Nigeria
| | | | | | - Ibrahim Malami
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto Nigeria
| | - Sani Ibrahim
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria
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29 m 6A-RNA Methylation (Epitranscriptomic) Regulators Are Regulated in 41 Diseases including Atherosclerosis and Tumors Potentially via ROS Regulation - 102 Transcriptomic Dataset Analyses. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:1433323. [PMID: 35211628 PMCID: PMC8863469 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1433323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We performed a database mining on 102 transcriptomic datasets for the expressions of 29 m6A-RNA methylation (epitranscriptomic) regulators (m6A-RMRs) in 41 diseases and cancers and made significant findings: (1) a few m6A-RMRs were upregulated; and most m6A-RMRs were downregulated in sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock, and trauma; (2) half of 29 m6A-RMRs were downregulated in atherosclerosis; (3) inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis modulated m6A-RMRs more than lupus and psoriasis; (4) some organ failures shared eight upregulated m6A-RMRs; end-stage renal failure (ESRF) downregulated 85% of m6A-RMRs; (5) Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infections modulated m6A-RMRs the most among viral infections; (6) proinflammatory oxPAPC modulated m6A-RMRs more than DAMP stimulation including LPS and oxLDL; (7) upregulated m6A-RMRs were more than downregulated m6A-RMRs in cancer types; five types of cancers upregulated ≥10 m6A-RMRs; (8) proinflammatory M1 macrophages upregulated seven m6A-RMRs; (9) 86% of m6A-RMRs were differentially expressed in the six clusters of CD4+Foxp3+ immunosuppressive Treg, and 8 out of 12 Treg signatures regulated m6A-RMRs; (10) immune checkpoint receptors TIM3, TIGIT, PD-L2, and CTLA4 modulated m6A-RMRs, and inhibition of CD40 upregulated m6A-RMRs; (11) cytokines and interferons modulated m6A-RMRs; (12) NF-κB and JAK/STAT pathways upregulated more than downregulated m6A-RMRs whereas TP53, PTEN, and APC did the opposite; (13) methionine-homocysteine-methyl cycle enzyme Mthfd1 downregulated more than upregulated m6A-RMRs; (14) m6A writer RBM15 and one m6A eraser FTO, H3K4 methyltransferase MLL1, and DNA methyltransferase, DNMT1, regulated m6A-RMRs; and (15) 40 out of 165 ROS regulators were modulated by m6A eraser FTO and two m6A writers METTL3 and WTAP. Our findings shed new light on the functions of upregulated m6A-RMRs in 41 diseases and cancers, nine cellular and molecular mechanisms, novel therapeutic targets for inflammatory disorders, metabolic cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, organ failures, and cancers.
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38
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Wang M, Yang Q, Zhu L, Jin L. Investigating Impacts of CoronaVac Vaccination in Males on In Vitro Fertilization: A Propensity Score Matched Cohort Study. World J Mens Health 2022; 40:570-579. [PMID: 36047069 PMCID: PMC9482860 DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.220017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the influences of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (CoronaVac) on male fertility and investigate the impact of a history of the CoronaVac vaccination in males on gamete and embryo development and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Materials and Methods A prospective cohort study enrolled couples undergoing IVF cycles between June and August 2021 at Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. According to the history of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in males, the participants were divided into the vaccination group and the non-vaccination group. A self-controlled study of semen analyses for males before and after CoronaVac vaccination was conducted. Baseline characteristics were matched using propensity score matching. Participants were categorized into the unexposed group (non-vaccination) and exposed group (vaccination), and the population was 271 for each. Semen parameters and IVF outcomes were the main outcomes. Results Generally, no statistically significant differences were exhibited between the matched cohorts regarding embryo developmental parameters, including fertilization rate, cleavage rate, high-quality embryo rate, blastocyst formation rate, and available blastocyst rate, as well as clinical outcomes, such as implantation rate, biochemical pregnancy rate, and clinical pregnancy rate. Moreover, males after vaccination seemed to have fluctuating semen parameters including increased semen volume, lower motility, and decreased normal forms of sperm, while the motile sperm counts were similar. In addition, all semen parameters were above the lower reference limits. Conclusions Our findings suggested that CoronaVac vaccinations in males may not have adverse effects on patient performance or the gamete and embryonic development potential during assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiyu Yang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lixia Zhu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Jin
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Potential long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the pulmonary vasculature: a global perspective. Nat Rev Cardiol 2021; 19:314-331. [PMID: 34873286 PMCID: PMC8647069 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-021-00640-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The lungs are the primary target of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, with severe hypoxia being the cause of death in the most critical cases. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is extremely heterogeneous in terms of severity, clinical phenotype and, importantly, global distribution. Although the majority of affected patients recover from the acute infection, many continue to suffer from late sequelae affecting various organs, including the lungs. The role of the pulmonary vascular system during the acute and chronic stages of COVID-19 has not been adequately studied. A thorough understanding of the origins and dynamic behaviour of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the potential causes of heterogeneity in COVID-19 is essential for anticipating and treating the disease, in both the acute and the chronic stages, including the development of chronic pulmonary hypertension. Both COVID-19 and chronic pulmonary hypertension have assumed global dimensions, with potential complex interactions. In this Review, we present an update on the origins and behaviour of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and discuss the potential causes of the heterogeneity of COVID-19. In addition, we summarize the pathobiology of COVID-19, with an emphasis on the role of the pulmonary vasculature, both in the acute stage and in terms of the potential for developing chronic pulmonary hypertension. We hope that the information presented in this Review will help in the development of strategies for the prevention and treatment of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. In this Review, the authors discuss the potential causes of the heterogeneity of COVID-19 and summarize the pathobiology of the disease, with an emphasis on the role of the pulmonary vasculature in the acute stage and the potential for developing chronic pulmonary hypertension. A thorough understanding of the dynamic behaviour of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential to understanding its heterogeneous effects on the pulmonary vasculature in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The severity and clinical phenotype of COVID-19 are influenced by host factors, including socioeconomic factors and genetics. Silent hypoxia is a major and independent cause of lung damage in COVID-19; the use of modern imaging techniques is proving to be very valuable in identifying silent hypoxia. The pulmonary vascular system has a major role in the pathobiology of COVID-19. Both COVID-19 and chronic pulmonary hypertension are global diseases with a complex interaction.
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Dogra N, Ledesma-Feliciano C, Sen R. Developmental Aspects of SARS-CoV-2, Potential Role of Exosomes and Their Impact on the Human Transcriptome. J Dev Biol 2021; 9:54. [PMID: 34940501 PMCID: PMC8708617 DOI: 10.3390/jdb9040054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
With over 4.8 million deaths within 2 years, time is of the essence in combating COVID-19. The infection now shows devastating impacts on the younger population, who were not previously predicted to be vulnerable, such as in the older population. COVID-19-related complications have been reported in neonates whose mothers were infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy, and in children who get infected. Hence, a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of COVID-19 during various developmental stages and placental transmission is essential. Although a connection has not yet been established between exosomal trafficking and the placental transmission of COVID-19, reports indicate that SARS-CoV-2 components may be trafficked between cells through exosomes. As the infection spreads, the transcriptome of cells is drastically perturbed, e.g., through the severe upregulation of several immune-related genes. Consequently, a major outcome of COVID-19 is an elevated immune response and the detection of viral RNA transcripts in host tissue. In this direction, this review focuses on SARS-CoV-2 virology, its in utero transmission from infected pregnant mothers to fetuses, SARS-CoV-2 and exosomal cellular trafficking, transcriptomic impacts, and RNA-mediated therapeutics against COVID-19. Future research will establish stronger connections between the above processes to develop diagnostic and therapeutic solutions towards COVID-19 and similar viral outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navneet Dogra
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Carmen Ledesma-Feliciano
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA;
| | - Rwik Sen
- Active Motif, Incorporated, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
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Zannella C, Rinaldi L, Boccia G, Chianese A, Sasso FC, De Caro F, Franci G, Galdiero M. Regulation of m6A Methylation as a New Therapeutic Option against COVID-19. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14111135. [PMID: 34832917 PMCID: PMC8625908 DOI: 10.3390/ph14111135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting pandemic has led to a spasmodic search for approaches able to limit the diffusion of the disease. The epigenetic machinery has aroused considerable interest in the last decades, and much evidence has demonstrated that this type of modification could regulate the early stages of viral infection. Recently it was reported that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) influences SARS-CoV-2 replication, although its role remains to be further investigated. The knockdown of enzymes involved in the m6A pathway could represent an optimal strategy to deepen the epigenetic mechanism. In the present study, we blocked the catalytic activity of the fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) by using the selective inhibitor rhein. We observed a strong broad-spectrum reduction of infectivity caused by various coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. This effect could be due to the modulation of m6A levels and could allow identification of this modification as a new therapeutic target to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Zannella
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.Z.); (A.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Luca Rinaldi
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (L.R.); (F.C.S.)
| | - Giovanni Boccia
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (G.B.); (F.D.C.)
| | - Annalisa Chianese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.Z.); (A.C.); (M.G.)
| | - Ferdinando Carlo Sasso
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (L.R.); (F.C.S.)
| | - Francesco De Caro
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (G.B.); (F.D.C.)
| | - Gianluigi Franci
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (G.B.); (F.D.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Massimiliano Galdiero
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy; (C.Z.); (A.C.); (M.G.)
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Analysis of the Active Components and Mechanism of Three Prescriptions in the Treatment of COVID-19 Via Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking. Nat Prod Commun 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x211047702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Prescriptions of Han-Shi-Yu-Fei (HSYF), Han-Shi-Zu-Fei (HSZF), and Yi-Du-Bi-Fei (YDBF) were effective in treating COVID-19. Based on network pharmacology and molecular docking, overlapping Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), their active components, and core targets were explored in this study. Methods: First, the overlapping TCMs and their active components were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) by evaluating Oral Bioactivity (OB) and Drug Likeness (DL). The overlapping targets of potential components and COVID-19 were collected by SwissTargetPrediction, Gene Cards, and Venn 2.1.0 databases. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment were analyzed via DAVID6.8.1 database. Through comprehensive analysis of the “prescriptions-TCMs-components” (P-T-C), “components-targets-pathways” (C-T-P) and “protein–protein interaction” (PPI) networks constructed by Cytoscape 3.7.1 software, the active components and core targets were obtained. Finally, the binding energies of these components with ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 3CL were analyzed by AutDockTools-1.5.6 and PyMOL software. Results: In all, five overlapping TCMs, 40 potential active components, and 47 candidate targets were obtained and analyzed in these prescriptions. There were 288 GO entries ( P < 0.05), including 211 biological process (BP), 40 cell composition (CC), and 37 molecular function (MF) entries. Most of the 105 KEGG pathways ( P < 0.05) were involved with viral infection and inflammation. Through “PPI” and “C-T-P” networks, the core targets (EGFR, PTGS2, CDK2, GSK3B, PIK3R1, and MAPK3) and active components (Q27134551, acanthoside B, neohesperidin, and irisolidone) with high degrees were obtained. Molecular docking results showed that the above-mentioned four components could inhibit the binding of ACE2 and SARS-COV-2 3CL to protect against COVID-19. Conclusion: In this study, the active components and core targets of three prescriptions in the treatment of COVID-19 were elaborated by network pharmacology and molecular docking, providing a reference for their applications.
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Arumugam P, Jayaseelan VP. Implication of epitranscriptomics in trained innate immunity and COVID-19. Epigenomics 2021; 13:1077-1080. [PMID: 34225477 PMCID: PMC8276791 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2021-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paramasivam Arumugam
- Cellular & Molecular Research Centre, Saveetha Dental College & Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Vijayashree Priyadharsini Jayaseelan
- Cellular & Molecular Research Centre, Saveetha Dental College & Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, India
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Mongelli A, Barbi V, Gottardi Zamperla M, Atlante S, Forleo L, Nesta M, Massetti M, Pontecorvi A, Nanni S, Farsetti A, Catalano O, Bussotti M, Dalla Vecchia LA, Bachetti T, Martelli F, La Rovere MT, Gaetano C. Evidence for Biological Age Acceleration and Telomere Shortening in COVID-19 Survivors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116151. [PMID: 34200325 PMCID: PMC8201243 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 infection determines the COVID-19 syndrome characterized, in the worst cases, by severe respiratory distress, pulmonary and cardiac fibrosis, inflammatory cytokine release, and immunosuppression. This condition has led to the death of about 2.15% of the total infected world population so far. Among survivors, the presence of the so-called persistent post-COVID-19 syndrome (PPCS) is a common finding. In COVID-19 survivors, PPCS presents one or more symptoms: fatigue, dyspnea, memory loss, sleep disorders, and difficulty concentrating. In this study, a cohort of 117 COVID-19 survivors (post-COVID-19) and 144 non-infected volunteers (COVID-19-free) was analyzed using pyrosequencing of defined CpG islands previously identified as suitable for biological age determination. The results show a consistent biological age increase in the post-COVID-19 population, determining a DeltaAge acceleration of 10.45 ± 7.29 years (+5.25 years above the range of normality) compared with 3.68 ± 8.17 years for the COVID-19-free population (p < 0.0001). A significant telomere shortening parallels this finding in the post-COVID-19 cohort compared with COVID-19-free subjects (p < 0.0001). Additionally, ACE2 expression was decreased in post-COVID-19 patients, compared with the COVID-19-free population, while DPP-4 did not change. In light of these observations, we hypothesize that some epigenetic alterations are associated with the post-COVID-19 condition, particularly in younger patients (< 60 years).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Mongelli
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (V.B.); (M.G.Z.); (S.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Veronica Barbi
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (V.B.); (M.G.Z.); (S.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Michela Gottardi Zamperla
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (V.B.); (M.G.Z.); (S.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Sandra Atlante
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (V.B.); (M.G.Z.); (S.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Luana Forleo
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (V.B.); (M.G.Z.); (S.A.); (L.F.)
| | - Marialisa Nesta
- Foundation “Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS”, Department of Translational Medicine & Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, and Department of Cardiovascular Science, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.N.); (M.M.); (A.P.); (S.N.)
| | - Massimo Massetti
- Foundation “Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS”, Department of Translational Medicine & Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, and Department of Cardiovascular Science, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.N.); (M.M.); (A.P.); (S.N.)
| | - Alfredo Pontecorvi
- Foundation “Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS”, Department of Translational Medicine & Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, and Department of Cardiovascular Science, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.N.); (M.M.); (A.P.); (S.N.)
| | - Simona Nanni
- Foundation “Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS”, Department of Translational Medicine & Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, and Department of Cardiovascular Science, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (M.N.); (M.M.); (A.P.); (S.N.)
| | - Antonella Farsetti
- Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science “A. Ruberti” (IASI), National Research Council (CNR), 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Oronzo Catalano
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Bussotti
- Cardiorespiratory Rehabilitation Department, IRCCS Maugeri Clinical Scientific Institutes, 20097 Milan, Italy; (M.B.); (L.A.D.V.)
| | - Laura Adelaide Dalla Vecchia
- Cardiorespiratory Rehabilitation Department, IRCCS Maugeri Clinical Scientific Institutes, 20097 Milan, Italy; (M.B.); (L.A.D.V.)
| | - Tiziana Bachetti
- Scientific Direction, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 4, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.B.); (M.T.L.R.)
| | - Fabio Martelli
- Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, Policlinico San Donato IRCCS, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy;
| | - Maria Teresa La Rovere
- Scientific Direction, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 4, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (T.B.); (M.T.L.R.)
- Department of Cardiology, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27040 Montescano, Italy
| | - Carlo Gaetano
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.M.); (V.B.); (M.G.Z.); (S.A.); (L.F.)
- Department of Cardiology, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27040 Montescano, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-038-259-2262
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Balnis J, Madrid A, Hogan KJ, Drake LA, Chieng HC, Tiwari A, Vincent CE, Chopra A, Vincent PA, Robek MD, Singer HA, Alisch RS, Jaitovich A. Blood DNA methylation and COVID-19 outcomes. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:118. [PMID: 34034806 PMCID: PMC8148415 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01102-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are no prior reports that compare differentially methylated regions of DNA in blood samples from COVID-19 patients to samples collected before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic using a shared epigenotyping platform. We performed a genome-wide analysis of circulating blood DNA CpG methylation using the Infinium Human MethylationEPIC BeadChip on 124 blood samples from hospitalized COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-negative patients and compared these data with previously reported data from 39 healthy individuals collected before the pandemic. Prospective outcome measures such as COVID-19-GRAM risk-score and mortality were combined with methylation data. RESULTS Global mean methylation levels did not differ between COVID-19 patients and healthy pre-pandemic controls. About 75% of acute illness-associated differentially methylated regions were located near gene promoter regions and were hypo-methylated in comparison with healthy pre-pandemic controls. Gene ontology analyses revealed terms associated with the immune response to viral infections and leukocyte activation; and disease ontology analyses revealed a predominance of autoimmune disorders. Among COVID-19-positive patients, worse outcomes were associated with a prevailing hyper-methylated status. Recursive feature elimination identified 77 differentially methylated positions predictive of COVID-19 severity measured by the GRAM-risk score. CONCLUSION Our data contribute to the awareness that DNA methylation may influence the expression of genes that regulate COVID-19 progression and represent a targetable process in that setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Balnis
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Andy Madrid
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kirk J Hogan
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lisa A Drake
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Hau C Chieng
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Anupama Tiwari
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Catherine E Vincent
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Amit Chopra
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Peter A Vincent
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Michael D Robek
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Harold A Singer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Reid S Alisch
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Ariel Jaitovich
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA.
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Dzobo K. Coronavirus Disease 19 and Future Ecological Crises: Hopes from Epigenomics and Unraveling Genome Regulation in Humans and Infectious Agents. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2021; 25:269-278. [PMID: 33904782 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2021.0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
With coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), we have witnessed a shift from public health to planetary health and a growing recognition of the importance of systems science in developing effective solutions against pandemics in the 21st century. COVID-19 and the history of frequent infectious outbreaks in the last two decades suggest that COVID-19 is likely a dry run for future ecological crises. Now is the right time to plan ahead and deploy the armamentarium of systems science scholarship for planetary health. The science of epigenomics, which investigates both genetic and nongenetic traits regarding heritable phenotypic alterations, and new approaches to understanding genome regulation in humans and pathogens offer veritable prospects to boost the global scientific capacities to innovate therapeutics and diagnostics against novel and existing infectious agents. Several reversible epigenetic alterations, such as chromatin remodeling and histone methylation, control and influence gene expression. COVID-19 lethality is linked, in part, to the cytokine storm, age, and status of the immune system in a given person. Additionally, due to reduced human mobility and daily activities, effects of the pandemic on the environment have been both positive and negative. For example, reduction in environmental pollution and lesser extraction from nature have potential positive corollaries on water and air quality. Negative effects include pollution as plastics and other materials were disposed in unconventional places and spaces in the course of the pandemic. I discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with the science of epigenomics, specifically with an eye to inform and prevent future ecological crises and pandemics that are looming on the horizon in the 21st century. In particular, this article underscores that epigenetics of both viruses and the host may influence virus infectivity and severity of attendant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Dzobo
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Medical Biochemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Sarker H, Haimour A, Toor R, Fernandez-Patron C. The Emerging Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms in the Causation of Aberrant MMP Activity during Human Pathologies and the Use of Medicinal Drugs. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11040578. [PMID: 33920915 PMCID: PMC8071227 DOI: 10.3390/biom11040578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) cleave extracellular matrix proteins, growth factors, cytokines, and receptors to influence organ development, architecture, function, and the systemic and cell-specific responses to diseases and pharmacological drugs. Conversely, many diseases (such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, bacterial infections (tuberculosis), viral infections (COVID-19), and cancer), cholesterol-lowering drugs (such as statins), and tetracycline-class antibiotics (such as doxycycline) alter MMP activity through transcriptional, translational, and post-translational mechanisms. In this review, we summarize evidence that the aforementioned diseases and drugs exert significant epigenetic pressure on genes encoding MMPs, tissue inhibitors of MMPs, and factors that transcriptionally regulate the expression of MMPs. Our understanding of human pathologies associated with alterations in the proteolytic activity of MMPs must consider that these pathologies and their medicinal treatments may impose epigenetic pressure on the expression of MMP genes. Whether the epigenetic mechanisms affecting the activity of MMPs can be therapeutically targeted warrants further research.
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Qazi S, Sheikh K, Raza K. In silico approach to understand the epigenetic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 and its impact on the environment. Virusdisease 2021; 32:286-297. [PMID: 33842674 PMCID: PMC8020375 DOI: 10.1007/s13337-021-00655-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has led to the apex pandemic in 2020, responsible for the recent sequential spread. The 2019-nCoV has been discerned to be a Beta-BAT-SARS-CoV-2 lineage. The gene ontology (GO) identifies the virus to be localized in the Golgi apparatus with a vital molecular function of binding and viral progression. The source organism is almost all bats, further suggesting that the host of this virus is bat rather than civets or snakes, and has motifs which are perfect matches to various human and mouse genomic motifs such as—zinc fingers, DNA-binding domains, and basic helix-loop-helix factors. It has basic clusters of orthologs (COGs)—Superfamily I DNA and RNA helicases and helicase subunits and Predicted phosphatase homologous to the C-terminal domain of histone macroH2A1 respectively hinting at the epigenetic alterations which could be the reason behind the “novelty” the virus. Our study discerns that the SARS-CoV-2 endorses the epigenetic mechanism essential for its replication and reproduction in the host organism. Furthermore, we identified six non-toxic disinfectants with higher pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties, namely Quaternary Ammonium, Octanoic acid, Citric acid, Phenolics, 1,2-Hexanediol, and Thymol, that bind to lyases, nuclear receptors, fatty acids binding family, enzymes, and family AG protein-coupled receptors indicating that they target the nucleocapsid (N) protein, envelope (E) protein, membranous proteins of the novel coronavirus, thus, killing it from the surfaces when sprayed and are not harmful to the biological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Qazi
- Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025 India
| | - Kayenat Sheikh
- Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025 India
| | - Khalid Raza
- Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025 India
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Pojero F, Candore G, Caruso C, Di Bona D, Groneberg DA, Ligotti ME, Accardi G, Aiello A. The Role of Immunogenetics in COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2636. [PMID: 33807915 PMCID: PMC7961811 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is induced by SARS-CoV-2 and may arise as a variety of clinical manifestations, ranging from an asymptomatic condition to a life-threatening disease associated with cytokine storm, multiorgan and respiratory failure. The molecular mechanism behind such variability is still under investigation. Several pieces of experimental evidence suggest that genetic variants influencing the onset, maintenance and resolution of the immune response may be fundamental in predicting the evolution of the disease. The identification of genetic variants behind immune system reactivity and function in COVID-19 may help in the elaboration of personalized therapeutic strategies. In the frenetic look for universally shared treatment plans, those genetic variants that are common to other diseases/models may also help in addressing future research in terms of drug repurposing. In this paper, we discuss the most recent updates about the role of immunogenetics in determining the susceptibility to and the history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We propose a narrative review of available data, speculating about lessons that we have learnt from other viral infections and immunosenescence, and discussing what kind of aspects of research should be deepened in order to improve our knowledge of how host genetic variability impacts the outcome for COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Pojero
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostic, University of Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy; (F.P.); (G.C.); (M.E.L.); (G.A.)
| | - Giuseppina Candore
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostic, University of Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy; (F.P.); (G.C.); (M.E.L.); (G.A.)
| | - Calogero Caruso
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostic, University of Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy; (F.P.); (G.C.); (M.E.L.); (G.A.)
| | - Danilo Di Bona
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy;
| | - David A. Groneberg
- Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany;
| | - Mattia E. Ligotti
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostic, University of Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy; (F.P.); (G.C.); (M.E.L.); (G.A.)
| | - Giulia Accardi
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostic, University of Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy; (F.P.); (G.C.); (M.E.L.); (G.A.)
| | - Anna Aiello
- Laboratory of Immunopathology and Immunosenescence, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostic, University of Palermo, 90134 Palermo, Italy; (F.P.); (G.C.); (M.E.L.); (G.A.)
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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most significant public health threats in recent history and has impacted the lives of almost everyone worldwide. Epigenetic mechanisms contribute to many aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle, including expression levels of viral receptor ACE2, expression of cytokine genes as part of the host immune response, and the implication of various histone modifications in several aspects of COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 proteins physically associate with many different host proteins over the course of infection, and notably there are several interactions between viral proteins and epigenetic enzymes such as HDACs and bromodomain-containing proteins as shown by correlation-based studies. The many contributions of epigenetic mechanisms to the viral life cycle and the host immune response to infection have resulted in epigenetic factors being identified as emerging biomarkers for COVID-19, and project epigenetic modifiers as promising therapeutic targets to combat COVID-19. This review article highlights the major epigenetic pathways at play during COVID-19 disease and discusses ongoing clinical trials that will hopefully contribute to slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rwik Sen
- Active Motif, Incorporated, 1914 Palomar Oaks Way, Suite 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Michael Garbati
- Active Motif, Incorporated, 1914 Palomar Oaks Way, Suite 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Kevin Bryant
- Active Motif, Incorporated, 1914 Palomar Oaks Way, Suite 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
| | - Yanan Lu
- Active Motif, Incorporated, 1914 Palomar Oaks Way, Suite 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA
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