Characterization of the Temporal Dynamics of the Endothelial-Mesenchymal-like Transition Induced by Soluble Factors from Dengue Virus Infection in Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Dengue virus (DV) infection poses a severe life-threatening risk in certain cases. This is mainly due to endothelial dysregulation, which causes plasma leakage and hemorrhage. However, the etiology of DV-induced endothelial dysregulation remains incompletely understood. To identify the potential mechanisms of endothelial dysregulation caused by DV, the effects of conditioned media from Dengue virus (CMDV) on the mechanics and transcriptional profile of the endothelial cells were examined using permeability assays, atomic force microscopy, In-Cell Western blot and in silico transcriptomics. Exposure of HMEC-1 cells to the CMDV increased endothelial permeability and cellular stiffness. It also induced the expression of the key proteins associated with endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). These data support the notion that the DV promotes endothelial dysfunction by triggering transcriptional programs that compromise the endothelial barrier function. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying DV-induced endothelial dysregulation is crucial for developing targeted therapeutic strategies to mitigate the severe outcomes associated with dengue infection.

Systematic computational hunting for small RNAs derived from ncRNAs during dengue virus infection in endothelial HMEC-1 cells

In recent years, a population of small RNA fragments derived from non-coding RNAs (sfd-RNAs) has gained significant interest due to its functional and structural resemblance to miRNAs, adding another level of complexity to our comprehension of small-RNA-mediated gene regulation. Despite this, scientists need more tools to test the differential expression of sfd-RNAs since the current methods to detect miRNAs may not be directly applied to them. The primary reasons are the lack of accurate small RNA and ncRNA annotation, the multi-mapping read (MMR) placement, and the multicopy nature of ncRNAs in the human genome. To solve these issues, a methodology that allows the detection of differentially expressed sfd-RNAs, including canonical miRNAs, by using an integrated copy-number-corrected ncRNA annotation was implemented. This approach was coupled with sixteen different computational strategies composed of combinations of four aligners and four normalization methods to provide a rank-order of prediction for each differentially expressed sfd-RNA. By systematically addressing the three main problems, we could detect differentially expressed miRNAs and sfd-RNAs in dengue virus-infected human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. Although more biological evaluations are required, two molecular targets of the hsa-mir-103a and hsa-mir-494 (CDK5 and PI3/AKT) appear relevant for dengue virus (DENV) infections. Here, we performed a comprehensive annotation and differential expression analysis, which can be applied in other studies addressing the role of small fragment RNA populations derived from ncRNAs in virus infection.

TRANSICIÓN EPITELIO-MESÉNQUIMA INDUCIDA POR VIRUS

La Transición Epitelio-Mesénquima (EMT) es un proceso de dediferenciación altamente conservado en vertebrados. Este ocurre en células epiteliales con la activación progresiva de la pérdida de la polaridad, la adquisición de motilidad individual y la capacidad invasiva a otros tejidos. La EMT es un proceso normal durante el desarrollo; no obstante, en condiciones patológicas está relacionada con la inducción de metástasis, lo cual representa una vía alterna al desarrollo de procesos oncogénicos tempranos. Aunque la EMT es activada principalmente por factores de crecimiento, también se puede desencadenar por infecciones de patógenos intracelulares mediante la activación de rutas moleculares inductoras de este proceso. Por lo tanto, una infección bacteriana o viral pueda generar predisposición al desarrollo de tumores. Nuestro interés está enfocado principalmente encaracterizar la relación virus-hospedero, y en el caso de los virus, varios ya se han descrito como inductores de la EMT. En este artículo de revisión se describenelfenómeno de la plasticidad celular y la ocurrencia detallada del proceso de EMT, los patógenos virales reportados como inductores, los mecanismos moleculares usados para ello y las vías de regulación mediante miRNAs. Por último, se discute cómo esta relación virus-hospedero puede explicar la patogénesis de la enfermedad causada por Dengue virus, favoreciendo la identificación de blancos moleculares para terapia, estrategia conocida como Antivirales dirigidos a blancos celulares o HTA (Host-targeting antivirals).