2024
Intestinal tuft cell immune privilege enables norovirus persistence
Strine M, Fagerberg E, Darcy P, Barrón G, Filler R, Alfajaro M, D'Angelo-Gavrish N, Wang F, Graziano V, Menasché B, Damo M, Wang Y, Howitt M, Lee S, Joshi N, Mucida D, Wilen C. Intestinal tuft cell immune privilege enables norovirus persistence. Science Immunology 2024, 9: eadi7038. PMID: 38517952, DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adi7038.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCD8<sup>+</sup> T cellsIntestinal tuft cellsT cellsTufted cellsViral persistenceSite of viral persistenceChemosensory epithelial cellsNormal antigen presentationImmune-privileged nicheIntestinal stem cellsMemory phenotypeImmune privilegeImmune escapeReporter miceAntigen presentationChronic infectionCytotoxic capacityEpithelial cellsNorovirus infectionStem cellsCell interactionsInfectionCell survivalEnteric microbesCells
2022
Tuft-cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mediators of norovirus tropism regulate viral immunity
Strine M, Alfajaro M, Graziano V, Song J, Hsieh L, Hill R, Guo J, VanDussen K, Orchard R, Baldridge M, Lee S, Wilen C. Tuft-cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mediators of norovirus tropism regulate viral immunity. Cell Reports 2022, 41: 111593. PMID: 36351394, PMCID: PMC9662704, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111593.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-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
CD300lf Conditional Knockout Mouse Reveals Strain-Specific Cellular Tropism of Murine Norovirus
Graziano VR, Alfajaro MM, Schmitz CO, Filler RB, Strine MS, Wei J, Hsieh LL, Baldridge MT, Nice TJ, Lee S, Orchard RC, Wilen CB. CD300lf Conditional Knockout Mouse Reveals Strain-Specific Cellular Tropism of Murine Norovirus. Journal Of Virology 2021, 95: 10.1128/jvi.01652-20. PMID: 33177207, PMCID: PMC7925115, DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01652-20.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsConditional knockout miceIntestinal epithelial cellsCell tropismKnockout miceTuft cellsDendritic cellsMyelomonocytic cellsB cellsCellular tropismMurine norovirusEpithelial cellsViral RNA levelsInnate immune responseCause of gastroenteritisMNoV infectionCell typesViral loadGastrointestinal infectionsReceptor expressionImmunocompetent humansImmune responseCell type-specific rolesMouse modelIntestinal tissueMNoVNeuroinvasion 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
Mouse 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
2018
Feline calicivirus- and murine norovirus-induced COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway has proviral effects
Alfajaro M, Cho E, Park J, Kim J, Soliman M, Baek Y, Kang M, Park S, Cho K. Feline calicivirus- and murine norovirus-induced COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway has proviral effects. PLOS ONE 2018, 13: e0200726. PMID: 30021004, PMCID: PMC6051663, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200726.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCOX-2/COX-1/Production of PGE2COX-2 enzymePharmacological inhibitorsProviral effectCOX-1COX-2/PGE2Potential therapeutic candidateAddition of PGE2Small interfering RNAsSame virus familyReplication of virusesInfection of cellsTime-dependent mannerAntiviral effectMNV infectionTherapeutic candidatePGE2Virus replicationMNV replicationPathophysiological conditionsInhibitory effectGenus SapovirusInfection