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Macrophage Akt1 Kinase-Mediated Mitophagy Modulates Apoptosis Resistance and Pulmonary Fibrosis. Larson-Casey Jennifer L,Deshane Jessy S,Ryan Alan J,Thannickal Victor J,Carter A Brent Immunity Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating lung disorder with increasing incidence. Mitochondrial oxidative stress in alveolar macrophages is directly linked to pulmonary fibrosis. Mitophagy, the selective engulfment of dysfunctional mitochondria by autophagasomes, is important for cellular homeostasis and can be induced by mitochondrial oxidative stress. Here, we show Akt1 induced macrophage mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitophagy. Mice harboring a conditional deletion of Akt1 in macrophages (Akt1(-/-)Lyz2-cre) and Park2(-/-) mice had impaired mitophagy and reduced active transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Although Akt1 increased TGF-β1 expression, mitophagy inhibition in Akt1-overexpressing macrophages abrogated TGF-β1 expression and fibroblast differentiation. Importantly, conditional Akt1(-/-)Lyz2-cre mice and Park2(-/-) mice had increased macrophage apoptosis and were protected from pulmonary fibrosis. Moreover, IPF alveolar macrophages had evidence of increased mitophagy and displayed apoptosis resistance. These observations suggest that Akt1-mediated mitophagy contributes to alveolar macrophage apoptosis resistance and is required for pulmonary fibrosis development. 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.01.001
Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis Is Caused by Elevated Mechanical Tension on Alveolar Stem Cells. Wu Huijuan,Yu Yuanyuan,Huang Huanwei,Hu Yucheng,Fu Siling,Wang Zheng,Shi Mengting,Zhao Xi,Yuan Jie,Li Jiao,Yang Xueyi,Bin Ennan,Wei Dong,Zhang Hongbin,Zhang Jin,Yang Chun,Cai Tao,Dai Huaping,Chen Jingyu,Tang Nan Cell Fibrosis can develop in most organs and causes organ failure. The most common type of lung fibrosis is known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, in which fibrosis starts at the lung periphery and then progresses toward the lung center, eventually causing respiratory failure. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and periphery-to-center progression of the disease. Here we discovered that loss of Cdc42 function in alveolar stem cells (AT2 cells) causes periphery-to-center progressive lung fibrosis. We further show that Cdc42-null AT2 cells in both post-pneumonectomy and untreated aged mice cannot regenerate new alveoli, resulting in sustained exposure of AT2 cells to elevated mechanical tension. We demonstrate that elevated mechanical tension activates a TGF-β signaling loop in AT2 cells, which drives the periphery-to-center progression of lung fibrosis. Our study establishes a direct mechanistic link between impaired alveolar regeneration, mechanical tension, and progressive lung fibrosis. 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.027
Hyaluronan and TLR4 promote surfactant-protein-C-positive alveolar progenitor cell renewal and prevent severe pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Nature medicine Successful recovery from lung injury requires the repair and regeneration of alveolar epithelial cells to restore the integrity of gas-exchanging regions within the lung and preserve organ function. Improper regeneration of the alveolar epithelium is often associated with severe pulmonary fibrosis, the latter of which involves the recruitment and activation of fibroblasts, as well as matrix accumulation. Type 2 alveolar epithelial cells (AEC2s) are stem cells in the adult lung that contribute to the lung repair process. The mechanisms that regulate AEC2 renewal are incompletely understood. We provide evidence that expression of the innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA) on AEC2s are important for AEC2 renewal, repair of lung injury and limiting the extent of fibrosis. Either deletion of TLR4 or HA synthase 2 in surfactant-protein-C-positive AEC2s leads to impaired renewal capacity, severe fibrosis and mortality. Furthermore, AEC2s from patients with severe pulmonary fibrosis have reduced cell surface HA and impaired renewal capacity, suggesting that HA and TLR4 are key contributors to lung stem cell renewal and that severe pulmonary fibrosis is the result of distal epithelial stem cell failure. 10.1038/nm.4192
Generation of multiciliated cells in functional airway epithelia from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Firth Amy L,Dargitz Carl T,Qualls Susan J,Menon Tushar,Wright Rebecca,Singer Oded,Gage Fred H,Khanna Ajai,Verma Inder M Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Despite therapeutic advancement, pulmonary disease still remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Opportunities to study human lung disease either in vivo or in vitro are currently limited. Using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), we generated mature multiciliated cells in a functional airway epithelium. Robust multiciliogenesis occurred when notch signaling was inhibited and was confirmed by (i) the assembly of multiple pericentrin-stained centrioles at the apical surface, (ii) expression of transcription factor forkhead box protein J1, and (iii) presence of multiple acetylated tubulin-labeled cilia projections in individual cells. Clara, goblet, and basal cells were all present, confirming the generation of a complete polarized epithelial-cell layer. Additionally, cAMP-activated and cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator inhibitor 172-sensitive cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator currents were recorded in isolated epithelial cells. Our report demonstrating the generation of mature multiciliated cells in respiratory epithelium from iPSCs is a significant advance toward modeling a number of human respiratory diseases in vitro. 10.1073/pnas.1403470111
Modeling of Fibrotic Lung Disease Using 3D Organoids Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Strikoudis Alexandros,Cieślak Anna,Loffredo Lucas,Chen Ya-Wen,Patel Nina,Saqi Anjali,Lederer David J,Snoeck Hans-Willem Cell reports The pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), an intractable interstitial lung disease, is unclear. Recessive mutations in some genes implicated in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) cause HPS-associated interstitial pneumonia (HPSIP), a clinical entity that is similar to IPF. We previously reported that HPS1 embryonic stem cell-derived 3D lung organoids showed fibrotic changes. Here, we show that the introduction of all HPS mutations associated with HPSIP promotes fibrotic changes in lung organoids, while the deletion of HPS8, which is not associated with HPSIP, does not. Genome-wide expression analysis revealed the upregulation of interleukin-11 (IL-11) in epithelial cells from HPS mutant fibrotic organoids. IL-11 was detected predominantly in type 2 alveolar epithelial cells in end-stage IPF, but was expressed more broadly in HPSIP. Finally, IL-11 induced fibrosis in WT organoids, while its deletion prevented fibrosis in HPS4 organoids, suggesting IL-11 as a therapeutic target. hPSC-derived 3D lung organoids are, therefore, a valuable resource to model fibrotic lung disease. 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.077
Transflammation: Innate immune signaling in nuclear reprogramming. Meng Shu,Chanda Palas,Thandavarayan Rajarajan A,Cooke John P Advanced drug delivery reviews Induction of pluripotency in somatic cells by retroviral overexpression of four transcription factors has revolutionized the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. The efficient induction of pluripotency requires the activation of innate immune signaling in a process termed "transflammation" (Lee et al., 2012). Specifically, the stimulation of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) causes global alterations in the expression and activity of epigenetic modifiers to favor an open chromatin configuration. Activation of toll-like receptors (TLR) or RIG-1-like receptors (RLR) (Sayed et al. 2017) trigger signaling cascades that result in NFκB or IRF-3 mediated changes in epigenetic plasticity that facilitate reprogramming. Another form of nuclear reprogramming is so-called direct reprogramming or transdifferentiation of one somatic cell to another lineage. We have shown that transdifferentiation of human fibroblasts to endothelial cells also involves transflammation (Sayed et al., 2015). Recently, we also identified reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Zhou et al. 2016) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) (Meng et al., 2016) as mediators of innate immune signaling in nuclear reprogramming. Innate immune signaling plays a key role in nuclear reprogramming by regulating DNA accessibility (Fig. 1). Here, we review recent progress of innate immunity signaling in nuclear reprogramming and epigenetic plasticity. 10.1016/j.addr.2017.09.010
Severe influenza pneumonitis in children with inherited TLR3 deficiency. Lim Hye Kyung,Huang Sarah X L,Chen Jie,Kerner Gaspard,Gilliaux Olivier,Bastard Paul,Dobbs Kerry,Hernandez Nicholas,Goudin Nicolas,Hasek Mary L,García Reino Eduardo Javier,Lafaille Fabien G,Lorenzo Lazaro,Luthra Priya,Kochetkov Tatiana,Bigio Benedetta,Boucherit Soraya,Rozenberg Flore,Vedrinne Catherine,Keller Michael D,Itan Yuval,García-Sastre Adolfo,Celard Marie,Orange Jordan S,Ciancanelli Michael J,Meyts Isabelle,Zhang Qian,Abel Laurent,Notarangelo Luigi D,Snoeck Hans-Willem,Casanova Jean-Laurent,Zhang Shen-Ying The Journal of experimental medicine Autosomal recessive IRF7 and IRF9 deficiencies impair type I and III IFN immunity and underlie severe influenza pneumonitis. We report three unrelated children with influenza A virus (IAV) infection manifesting as acute respiratory distress syndrome (IAV-ARDS), heterozygous for rare variants (P554S in two patients and P680L in the third) causing autosomal dominant (AD) TLR3 deficiency. AD TLR3 deficiency can underlie herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) encephalitis (HSE) by impairing cortical neuron-intrinsic type I IFN immunity to HSV-1. TLR3-mutated leukocytes produce normal levels of IFNs in response to IAV. In contrast, TLR3-mutated fibroblasts produce lower levels of IFN-β and -λ, and display enhanced viral susceptibility, upon IAV infection. Moreover, the patients' iPSC-derived pulmonary epithelial cells (PECs) are susceptible to IAV. Treatment with IFN-α2b or IFN-λ1 rescues this phenotype. AD TLR3 deficiency may thus underlie IAV-ARDS by impairing TLR3-dependent, type I and/or III IFN-mediated, PEC-intrinsic immunity. Its clinical penetrance is incomplete for both IAV-ARDS and HSE, consistent with their typically sporadic nature. 10.1084/jem.20181621
MyD88 is an essential component of retinoic acid-induced differentiation in human pluripotent embryonal carcinoma cells. Sulaiman Gomaa,Cooke Aoife,Ffrench Brendan,Gasch Claudia,Abdullai Olayemi Azeez,O'Connor Kevin,Elbaruni Salah,Blackshields Gordon,Spillane Cathy,Keegan Helen,McEneaney Victoria,Knittel Ronan,Rogers Annamarie,Jeffery Ian B,Doyle Brendan,Bates Mark,d'Adhemar Charles,Lee Mathia Yc,Campbell Eric L,Moynagh Paul N,Higgins Desmond G,O'Toole Sharon,O'Neill Luke,O'Leary John J,Gallagher Michael F Cell death and differentiation We have previously reported that myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) is downregulated during all-trans retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiation of pluripotent NTera2 human embryonal carcinoma cells (hECCs), whereas its maintained expression is associated with RA differentiation resistance in nullipotent 2102Ep hECCs. MyD88 is the main adapter for toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling, where it determines the secretion of chemokines and cytokines in response to pathogens. In this study, we report that loss of MyD88 is essential for RA-facilitated differentiation of hECCs. Functional analysis using a specific MyD88 peptide inhibitor (PepInh) demonstrated that high MyD88 expression in the self-renewal state inhibits the expression of a specific set of HOX genes. In NTera2 cells, MyD88 is downregulated during RA-induced differentiation, a mechanism that could be broadly replicated by MyD88 PepInh treatment of 2102Ep cells. Notably, MyD88 inhibition transitioned 2102Ep cells into a stable, self-renewing state that appears to be primed for differentiation upon addition of RA. At a molecular level, MyD88 inhibition combined with RA treatment upregulated HOX, RA signalling and TLR signalling genes. These events permit differentiation through a standard downregulation of Oct4-Sox2-Nanog mechanism. In line with its role in regulating secretion of specific proteins, conditioned media experiments demonstrated that differentiated (MyD88 low) NTera2 cell media was sufficient to differentiate NTera2 cells. Protein array analysis indicated that this was owing to secretion of factors known to regulate angiogenesis, neurogenesis and all three branches of TGF-β Superfamily signalling. Collectively, these data offer new insights into RA controlled differentiation of pluripotent cells, with notable parallels to the ground state model of embryonic stem cell self-renewal. These data may provide insights to facilitate improved differentiation protocols for regenerative medicine and differentiation-therapies in cancer treatment. 10.1038/cdd.2017.124
Human iPSC-derived trigeminal neurons lack constitutive TLR3-dependent immunity that protects cortical neurons from HSV-1 infection. Zimmer Bastian,Ewaleifoh Osefame,Harschnitz Oliver,Lee Yoon-Seung,Peneau Camille,McAlpine Jessica L,Liu Becky,Tchieu Jason,Steinbeck Julius A,Lafaille Fabien,Volpi Stefano,Notarangelo Luigi D,Casanova Jean-Laurent,Zhang Shen-Ying,Smith Gregory A,Studer Lorenz Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) encephalitis (HSE) is the most common sporadic viral encephalitis in Western countries. Some HSE children carry inborn errors of the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)-dependent IFN-α/β- and -λ-inducing pathway. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cortical neurons with TLR3 pathway mutations are highly susceptible to HSV-1, due to impairment of cell-intrinsic TLR3-IFN immunity. In contrast, the contribution of cell-intrinsic immunity of human trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons remains unclear. Here, we describe efficient in vitro derivation and purification of TG neurons from human iPSCs via a cranial placode intermediate. The resulting TG neurons are of sensory identity and exhibit robust responses to heat (capsaicin), cold (icilin), and inflammatory pain (ATP). Unlike control cortical neurons, both control and TLR3-deficient TG neurons were highly susceptible to HSV-1. However, pretreatment of control TG neurons with poly(I:C) induced the cells into an anti-HSV-1 state. Moreover, both control and TLR3-deficient TG neurons developed resistance to HSV-1 following pretreatment with IFN-β but not IFN-λ. These data indicate that TG neurons are vulnerable to HSV-1 because they require preemptive stimulation of the TLR3 or IFN-α/β receptors to induce antiviral immunity, whereas cortical neurons possess a TLR3-dependent constitutive resistance that is sufficient to block incoming HSV-1 in the absence of prior antiviral signals. The lack of constitutive resistance in TG neurons in vitro is consistent with their exploitation as a latent virus reservoir in vivo. Our results incriminate deficiencies in the constitutive TLR3-dependent response of cortical neurons in the pathogenesis of HSE. 10.1073/pnas.1809853115