2023
Pharmacological disruption of mSWI/SNF complex activity restricts SARS-CoV-2 infection
Wei J, Patil A, Collings C, Alfajaro M, Liang Y, Cai W, Strine M, Filler R, DeWeirdt P, Hanna R, Menasche B, Ökten A, Peña-Hernández M, Klein J, McNamara A, Rosales R, McGovern B, Luis Rodriguez M, García-Sastre A, White K, Qin Y, Doench J, Yan Q, Iwasaki A, Zwaka T, Qi J, Kadoch C, Wilen C. Pharmacological disruption of mSWI/SNF complex activity restricts SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nature Genetics 2023, 55: 471-483. PMID: 36894709, PMCID: PMC10011139, DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01307-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMSWI/SNF complexesAcute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infectionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infectionHost-directed therapeutic targetSyndrome coronavirus 2 infectionSARS-CoV-2 infectionSWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatinSARS-CoV-2 susceptibilityNon-fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatinCoronavirus 2 infectionEnzyme 2 (ACE2) expressionSARS-CoV-2 variantsHuman cell typesPrimary human cell typesAirway epithelial cellsDrug-resistant variantsNew drug targetsChromatin accessibilitySNF complexACE2 locusACE2 expressionFactor complexHost determinantsTherapeutic targetConfer resistance
2022
Genome-wide bidirectional CRISPR screens identify mucins as host factors modulating SARS-CoV-2 infection
Biering SB, Sarnik SA, Wang E, Zengel JR, Leist SR, Schäfer A, Sathyan V, Hawkins P, Okuda K, Tau C, Jangid AR, Duffy CV, Wei J, Gilmore RC, Alfajaro MM, Strine MS, Nguyenla X, Van Dis E, Catamura C, Yamashiro LH, Belk JA, Begeman A, Stark JC, Shon DJ, Fox DM, Ezzatpour S, Huang E, Olegario N, Rustagi A, Volmer AS, Livraghi-Butrico A, Wehri E, Behringer RR, Cheon DJ, Schaletzky J, Aguilar HC, Puschnik AS, Button B, Pinsky BA, Blish CA, Baric RS, O’Neal W, Bertozzi CR, Wilen CB, Boucher RC, Carette JE, Stanley SA, Harris E, Konermann S, Hsu PD. Genome-wide bidirectional CRISPR screens identify mucins as host factors modulating SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nature Genetics 2022, 54: 1078-1089. PMID: 35879412, PMCID: PMC9355872, DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01131-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSARS-CoV-2 infectionHost factorsSARS-CoV-2 entry factors ACE2SARS-CoV-2-host interactionsSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Diverse respiratory virusesMild respiratory illnessRespiratory distress syndromeSARS-CoV-2 host factorsHost-directed therapeuticsSyndrome coronavirus 2Coronavirus disease 2019Human lung epithelial cellsRange of symptomsHost defense mechanismsLung epithelial cellsGenome-wide CRISPR knockoutDistress syndromeRespiratory virusesRespiratory illnessCoronavirus 2Cell cycle regulationHigh molecular weight glycoproteinsHigh-affinity, neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 can be made without T follicular helper cells
Chen JS, Chow RD, Song E, Mao T, Israelow B, Kamath K, Bozekowski J, Haynes WA, Filler RB, Menasche BL, Wei J, Alfajaro MM, Song W, Peng L, Carter L, Weinstein JS, Gowthaman U, Chen S, Craft J, Shon JC, Iwasaki A, Wilen CB, Eisenbarth SC. High-affinity, neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 can be made without T follicular helper cells. Science Immunology 2022, 7: eabl5652. PMID: 34914544, PMCID: PMC8977051, DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abl5652.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSARS-CoV-2 infectionSARS-CoV-2Follicular helper cellsB cell responsesHelper cellsAntibody productionCell responsesSARS-CoV-2 vaccinationB-cell receptor sequencingSevere COVID-19Cell receptor sequencingIndependent antibodiesT cell-B cell interactionsViral inflammationAntiviral antibodiesImmunoglobulin class switchingVirus infectionGerminal centersViral infectionClonal repertoireInfectionAntibodiesClass switchingCOVID-19Patients
2021
Single-cell longitudinal analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human airway epithelium identifies target cells, alterations in gene expression, and cell state changes
Ravindra NG, Alfajaro MM, Gasque V, Huston NC, Wan H, Szigeti-Buck K, Yasumoto Y, Greaney AM, Habet V, Chow RD, Chen JS, Wei J, Filler RB, Wang B, Wang G, Niklason LE, Montgomery RR, Eisenbarth SC, Chen S, Williams A, Iwasaki A, Horvath TL, Foxman EF, Pierce RW, Pyle AM, van Dijk D, Wilen CB. Single-cell longitudinal analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human airway epithelium identifies target cells, alterations in gene expression, and cell state changes. PLOS Biology 2021, 19: e3001143. PMID: 33730024, PMCID: PMC8007021, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001143.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSARS-CoV-2 infectionSARS-CoV-2Human bronchial epithelial cellsInterferon-stimulated genesCell state changesAcute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infectionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infectionSyndrome coronavirus 2 infectionCell tropismCoronavirus 2 infectionCoronavirus disease 2019Onset of infectionCell-intrinsic expressionCourse of infectionAir-liquid interface culturesHost-viral interactionsBronchial epithelial cellsSingle-cell RNA sequencingCell typesIL-1Disease 2019Human airwaysDevelopment of therapeuticsDrug AdministrationViral replicationDiscovery and functional interrogation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-host protein interactions
Flynn RA, Belk JA, Qi Y, Yasumoto Y, Wei J, Alfajaro MM, Shi Q, Mumbach MR, Limaye A, DeWeirdt PC, Schmitz CO, Parker KR, Woo E, Chang HY, Horvath TL, Carette JE, Bertozzi CR, Wilen CB, Satpathy AT. Discovery and functional interrogation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-host protein interactions. Cell 2021, 184: 2394-2411.e16. PMID: 33743211, PMCID: PMC7951565, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.03.012.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSARS-CoV-2 RNASARS-CoV-2Virus-induced cell deathHost protein interactionsRNA-binding proteinActive infectionRNA virusesHost-virus interfaceGlobal mortalityTherapeutic benefitCRISPR screensAntiviral factorsProtein interactionsAntiviral activityViral specificityHost pathwaysFunctional RNA-binding proteinsFunctional connectionsRNA-centric approachesCell deathHost proteinsVirusFunctional interrogationRNAComprehensive catalogNeuroinvasion of SARS-CoV-2 in human and mouse brain
Song E, Zhang C, Israelow B, Lu-Culligan A, Prado AV, Skriabine S, Lu P, Weizman OE, Liu F, Dai Y, Szigeti-Buck K, Yasumoto Y, Wang G, Castaldi C, Heltke J, Ng E, Wheeler J, Alfajaro MM, Levavasseur E, Fontes B, Ravindra NG, Van Dijk D, Mane S, Gunel M, Ring A, Kazmi SAJ, Zhang K, Wilen CB, Horvath TL, Plu I, Haik S, Thomas JL, Louvi A, Farhadian SF, Huttner A, Seilhean D, Renier N, Bilguvar K, Iwasaki A. Neuroinvasion of SARS-CoV-2 in human and mouse brain. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2021, 218: e20202135. PMID: 33433624, PMCID: PMC7808299, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20202135.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSARS-CoV-2Central nervous systemSARS-CoV-2 neuroinvasionImmune cell infiltratesCOVID-19 patientsType I interferon responseMultiple organ systemsCOVID-19I interferon responseHuman brain organoidsNeuroinvasive capacityCNS infectionsCell infiltrateNeuronal infectionPathological featuresCortical neuronsRespiratory diseaseDirect infectionCerebrospinal fluidNervous systemMouse brainInterferon responseOrgan systemsHuman ACE2Infection
2020
Genome-wide CRISPR Screens Reveal Host Factors Critical for SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Wei J, Alfajaro MM, DeWeirdt PC, Hanna RE, Lu-Culligan WJ, Cai WL, Strine MS, Zhang SM, Graziano VR, Schmitz CO, Chen JS, Mankowski MC, Filler RB, Ravindra NG, Gasque V, de Miguel FJ, Patil A, Chen H, Oguntuyo KY, Abriola L, Surovtseva YV, Orchard RC, Lee B, Lindenbach BD, Politi K, van Dijk D, Kadoch C, Simon MD, Yan Q, Doench JG, Wilen CB. Genome-wide CRISPR Screens Reveal Host Factors Critical for SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Cell 2020, 184: 76-91.e13. PMID: 33147444, PMCID: PMC7574718, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.10.028.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2AnimalsCell LineChlorocebus aethiopsClustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic RepeatsCoronavirusCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19Gene Knockout TechniquesGene Regulatory NetworksGenome-Wide Association StudyHEK293 CellsHMGB1 ProteinHost-Pathogen InteractionsHumansSARS-CoV-2Vero CellsVirus InternalizationConceptsSARS-CoV-2 infectionSARS-CoV-2Vesicular stomatitis virusGenome-wide CRISPR screenSWI/SNF chromatinSARS-CoV-2 host factorsAcute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infectionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infectionTherapeutic targetHost factorsCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesisSyndrome coronavirus 2 infectionCRISPR screensHost genesGene productsMiddle East respiratory syndrome CoVCoronavirus 2 infectionGenetic hitsHuman cellsSARS-CoV-2 spikeNovel therapeutic targetPotential therapeutic targetVero E6 cellsSARS-CoV-1Small molecule antagonistsMouse model of SARS-CoV-2 reveals inflammatory role of type I interferon signaling
Israelow B, Song E, Mao T, Lu P, Meir A, Liu F, Alfajaro MM, Wei J, Dong H, Homer RJ, Ring A, Wilen CB, Iwasaki A. Mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 reveals inflammatory role of type I interferon signaling. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2020, 217: e20201241. PMID: 32750141, PMCID: PMC7401025, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20201241.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2AnimalsBetacoronavirusCell Line, TumorCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19DependovirusDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHumansInflammationInterferon Type ILungMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, TransgenicPandemicsParvoviridae InfectionsPeptidyl-Dipeptidase APneumonia, ViralSARS-CoV-2Signal TransductionVirus ReplicationConceptsSARS-CoV-2Type I interferonMouse modelI interferonRobust SARS-CoV-2 infectionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2SARS-CoV-2 infectionRespiratory syndrome coronavirus 2SARS-CoV-2 replicationCOVID-19 patientsSyndrome coronavirus 2Patient-derived virusesSignificant fatality ratePathological findingsInflammatory rolePathological responseEnzyme 2Receptor angiotensinFatality rateVaccine developmentGenetic backgroundViral replicationCoronavirus diseaseMice