Lee, D;Helal, Z;Kim, J;Hunt, A;Barbieri, A;Tocco, N;Frasca, S;Kerr, K;Hyeon, J;Chung, D;Risatti, G;
| DOI: 10.3390/v13112141
We report the first detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a 3-month-old dog in Connecticut that died suddenly and was submitted to the state veterinary diagnostic laboratory for postmortem examination. Viral RNA was detected in multiple organs of the dog by reverse transcription real time-PCR (RT-qPCR). Negative and positive sense strands of viral RNA were visualized by in situ hybridization using RNAscope technology. Complete genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the hCoV-19/USA/CT-CVMDL-Dog-1/2021 (CT_Dog/2021) virus were conducted to identify the origin and lineage of the virus. The CT_Dog/2021 virus belonged to the GH/B1.2. genetic lineage and was genetically similar to SARS-CoV-2 identified in humans in the U.S. during the winter of 2020-2021. However, it was not related to other SARS-CoV-2 variants identified from companion animals in the U.S. It contained both the D614G in spike and P323L in nsp12 substitutions, which have become the dominant mutations in the United States. The continued sporadic detections of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals warrant public health concerns about the zoonotic potential of SARS-CoV-2 and enhance our collective understanding of the epidemiology of the virus.
Journal of clinical pathology
Humphries, MP;Bingham, V;Abdullah Sidi, F;Craig, S;Lara, B;El-Daly, H;O'Doherty, N;Maxwell, P;Lewis, C;McQuaid, S;Lyness, J;James, J;Snead, DRJ;Salto-Tellez, M;
PMID: 36717223 | DOI: 10.1136/jcp-2022-208525
Interrogation of immune response in autopsy material from patients with SARS-CoV-2 is potentially significant. We aim to describe a validated protocol for the exploration of the molecular physiopathology of SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary disease using multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF).The application of validated assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in tissues, originally developed in our laboratory in the context of oncology, was used to map the topography and complexity of the adaptive immune response at protein and mRNA levels.SARS-CoV-2 is detectable in situ by protein or mRNA, with a sensitivity that could be in part related to disease stage. In formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded pneumonia material, multiplex immunofluorescent panels are robust, reliable and quantifiable and can detect topographic variations in inflammation related to pathological processes.Clinical autopsies have relevance in understanding diseases of unknown/complex pathophysiology. In particular, autopsy materials are suitable for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and for the topographic description of the complex tissue-based immune response using mIF.
Choudhary, S;Kanevsky, I;Yildiz, S;Sellers, RS;Swanson, KA;Franks, T;Rathnasinghe, R;Munoz-Moreno, R;Jangra, S;Gonzalez, O;Meade, P;Coskran, T;Qian, J;Lanz, TA;Johnson, JG;Tierney, CA;Smith, JD;Tompkins, K;Illenberger, A;Corts, P;Ciolino, T;Dormitzer, PR;Dick, EJ;Shivanna, V;Hall-Ursone, S;Cole, J;Kaushal, D;Fontenot, JA;Martinez-Romero, C;McMahon, M;Krammer, F;Schotsaert, M;García-Sastre, A;
PMID: 35128980 | DOI: 10.1177/01926233211072767
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans has a wide range of presentations, ranging from asymptomatic or mild symptoms to severe illness. Suitable animal models mimicking varying degrees of clinical disease manifestations could expedite development of therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19. Here we demonstrate that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection resulted in subclinical disease in rhesus macaques with mild pneumonia and clinical disease in Syrian hamsters with severe pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry, or in situ hybridization. Replicating virus in the lungs was identified using in situ hybridization or virus plaque forming assays. Viral encephalitis, reported in some COVID-19 patients, was identified in one macaque and was confirmed with immunohistochemistry. There was no evidence of encephalitis in hamsters. Severity and distribution of lung inflammation were substantially more in hamsters compared with macaques and exhibited vascular changes and virus-induced cytopathic changes as seen in COVID-19 patients. Neither the hamster nor macaque models demonstrated evidence for multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS). Data presented here demonstrate that macaques may be appropriate for mechanistic studies of mild asymptomatic COVID-19 pneumonia and COVID-19-associated encephalitis, whereas Syrian hamsters may be more suited to study severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
Diffuse trophoblast damage is the hallmark of SARS-CoV-2-associated fetal demise
Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc
Garrido-Pontnou, M;Navarro, A;Camacho, J;Crispi, F;Alguacil-Guillén, M;Moreno-Baró, A;Hernandez-Losa, J;Sesé, M;Ramón Y Cajal, S;Garcia Ruíz, I;Serrano, B;Garcia-Aguilar, P;Suy, A;Ferreres, JC;Nadal, A;
PMID: 34006935 | DOI: 10.1038/s41379-021-00827-5
Placental pathology in SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnancies seems rather unspecific. However, the identification of the placental lesions due to SARS-CoV-2 infection would be a significant advance in order to improve the management of these pregnancies and to identify the mechanisms involved in a possible vertical transmission. The pathological findings in placentas delivered from 198 SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnant women were investigated for the presence of lesions associated with placental SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 infection was investigated in placental tissues through immunohistochemistry, and positive cases were further confirmed by in situ hybridization. SARS-CoV-2 infection was also investigated by RT-PCR in 33 cases, including all the immunohistochemically positive cases. Nine cases were SARS-CoV-2-positive by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and RT-PCR. These placentas showed lesions characterized by villous trophoblast necrosis with intervillous space collapse and variable amounts of mixed intervillous inflammatory infiltrate and perivillous fibrinoid deposition. Such lesions ranged from focal to massively widespread in five cases, resulting in intrauterine fetal death. Two of the stillborn fetuses showed some evidence of SARS-CoV-2 positivity. The remaining 189 placentas did not show similar lesions. The strong association between trophoblastic damage and placenta SARS-CoV-2 infection suggests that this lesion is a specific marker of SARS-CoV-2 infection in placenta. Diffuse trophoblastic damage, massively affecting chorionic villous tissue, can result in fetal death associated with COVID-19 disease.
Glycated ACE2 receptor in diabetes: open door for SARS-COV-2 entry in cardiomyocyte
Cardiovascular diabetology
D'Onofrio, N;Scisciola, L;Sardu, C;Trotta, MC;De Feo, M;Maiello, C;Mascolo, P;De Micco, F;Turriziani, F;Municinò, E;Monetti, P;Lombardi, A;Napolitano, MG;Marino, FZ;Ronchi, A;Grimaldi, V;Hermenean, A;Rizzo, MR;Barbieri, M;Franco, R;Campobasso, CP;Napoli, C;Municinò, M;Paolisso, G;Balestrieri, ML;Marfella, R;
PMID: 33962629 | DOI: 10.1186/s12933-021-01286-7
About 50% of hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) developed myocardial damage. The mechanisms of direct SARS-CoV-2 cardiomyocyte infection include viral invasion via ACE2-Spike glycoprotein-binding. In DM patients, the impact of glycation of ACE2 on cardiomyocyte invasion by SARS-CoV-2 can be of high importance. To evaluate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in cardiomyocytes from heart autopsy of DM cases compared to Non-DM; to investigate the role of DM in SARS-COV-2 entry in cardiomyocytes. We evaluated consecutive autopsy cases, deceased for COVID-19, from Italy between Apr 30, 2020 and Jan 18, 2021. We evaluated SARS-CoV-2 in cardiomyocytes, expression of ACE2 (total and glycosylated form), and transmembrane protease serine protease-2 (TMPRSS2) protein. In order to study the role of diabetes on cardiomyocyte alterations, independently of COVID-19, we investigated ACE2, glycosylated ACE2, and TMPRSS2 proteins in cardiomyocytes from DM and Non-DM explanted-hearts. Finally, to investigate the effects of DM on ACE2 protein modification, an in vitro glycation study of recombinant human ACE2 (hACE2) was performed to evaluate the effects on binding to SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. The authors included cardiac tissue from 97 autopsies. DM was diagnosed in 37 patients (38%). Fourth-seven out of 97 autopsies (48%) had SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cardiomyocytes. Thirty out of 37 DM autopsy cases (81%) and 17 out of 60 Non-DM autopsy cases (28%) had SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cardiomyocytes. Total ACE2, glycosylated ACE2, and TMPRSS2 protein expressions were higher in cardiomyocytes from autopsied and explanted hearts of DM than Non-DM. In vitro exposure of monomeric hACE2 to 120 mM glucose for 12 days led to non-enzymatic glycation of four lysine residues in the neck domain affecting the protein oligomerization. The upregulation of ACE2 expression (total and glycosylated forms) in DM cardiomyocytes, along with non-enzymatic glycation, could increase the susceptibility to COVID-19 infection in DM patients by favouring the cellular entry of SARS-CoV2.
Bräuninger, H;Stoffers, B;Fitzek, ADE;Meißner, K;Aleshcheva, G;Schweizer, M;Weimann, J;Rotter, B;Warnke, S;Edler, C;Braun, F;Roedl, K;Scherschel, K;Escher, F;Kluge, S;Huber, TB;Ondruschka, B;Schultheiss, HP;Kirchhof, P;Blankenberg, S;Püschel, K;Westermann, D;Lindner, D;
PMID: 34647998 | DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab322
Cardiac involvement in COVID-19 is associated with adverse outcome. However, it is unclear whether cell specific consequences are associated with cardiac SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, we investigated heart tissue utilizing in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and RNA-sequencing in consecutive autopsy cases to quantify virus load and characterize cardiac involvement in COVID-19.In this study, 95 SARS-CoV-2-positive autopsy cases were included. A relevant SARS-CoV-2 virus load in the cardiac tissue was detected in 41/95 deceased (43%). MACE-RNA-sequencing was performed to identify molecular pathomechanisms caused by the infection of the heart. A signature matrix was generated based on the single-cell dataset "Heart Cell Atlas" and used for digital cytometry on the MACE-RNA-sequencing data. Thus, immune cell fractions were estimated and revealed no difference in immune cell numbers in cases with and without cardiac infection. This result was confirmed by quantitative immunohistological diagnosis.MACE-RNA-sequencing revealed 19 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with a q-value <0.05 (e.g. up: IFI44L, IFT3, TRIM25; down: NPPB, MB, MYPN). The upregulated DEGs were linked to interferon pathways and originate predominantly from endothelial cells. In contrast, the downregulated DEGs originate predominately from cardiomyocytes. Immunofluorescent staining showed viral protein in cells positive for the endothelial marker ICAM1 but rarely in cardiomyocytes. The GO term analysis revealed that downregulated GO terms were linked to cardiomyocyte structure, whereas upregulated GO terms were linked to anti-virus immune response.This study reveals, that cardiac infection induced transcriptomic alterations mainly linked to immune response and destruction of cardiomyocytes. While endothelial cells are primarily targeted by the virus, we suggest cardiomyocyte-destruction by paracrine effects. Increased pro-inflammatory gene expression was detected in SARS-CoV-2-infected cardiac tissue but no increased SARS-CoV-2 associated immune cell infiltration was observed.Cardiac injury can be documented in COVID-19, regardless the direct cardiac virus infection and is known to be associated with outcome. However, the direct virus infection of the myocardium leads to transcriptomic alterations and might therefore additionally contribute to pathophysiological processes in COVID-19. Therefore, consequences of cardiac virus infection need to be investigated in future studies, since they might also contribute to long-term effects in case of survival.
Tissue factor upregulation is associated with SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs of COVID-19 patients
Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH
Subrahmanian, S;Borczuk, A;Salvatore, S;Fung, KM;Merrill, JT;Laurence, J;Ahamed, J;
PMID: 34236752 | DOI: 10.1111/jth.15451
A substantial proportion of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) develop severe/critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) characterized by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with thrombosis.We tested the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2--induced upregulation of tissue factor (TF) expression may be responsible for thrombus formation in COVID-19.We compared autopsy lung tissues from 11 patients with COVID-19--associated ARDS with samples from 6 patients with ARDS from other causes (non-COVID-19 ARDS) and 11 normal control lungs.Dual RNA in situ hybridization for SARS-CoV-2 and TF identified sporadic clustered SARS-CoV-2 with prominent co-localization of SARS-CoV-2 and TF RNA. TF expression was 2-fold higher in COVID-19 than in non-COVID-19 ARDS lungs (P = .017) and correlated with the intensity of SARS-CoV-2 staining (R2 = .36, P = .04). By immunofluorescence, TF protein expression was 2.1-fold higher in COVID-19 versus non-COVID-19 ARDS lungs (P = .0048) and 11-fold (P < .001) higher than control lungs. Fibrin thrombi and thrombi positive for platelet factor 4 (PF4) were found in close proximity to regions expressing TF in COVID-19 ARDS lung, and correlated with TF expression (fibrin, R2 = .52, P < .001; PF4, R2 = .59, P < .001).These data suggest that upregulation of TF expression is associated with thrombus formation in COVID-19 lungs and could be a key therapeutic target. Correlation of TF expression with SARS-CoV-2 in lungs of COVID-19 patients also raises the possibility of direct TF induction by the virus.
SARS-CoV-2 crosses the blood-brain barrier accompanied with basement membrane disruption without tight junctions alteration
Signal transduction and targeted therapy
Zhang, L;Zhou, L;Bao, L;Liu, J;Zhu, H;Lv, Q;Liu, R;Chen, W;Tong, W;Wei, Q;Xu, Y;Deng, W;Gao, H;Xue, J;Song, Z;Yu, P;Han, Y;Zhang, Y;Sun, X;Yu, X;Qin, C;
PMID: 34489403 | DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00719-9
SARS-CoV-2 has been reported to show a capacity for invading the brains of humans and model animals. However, it remains unclear whether and how SARS-CoV-2 crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Herein, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was occasionally detected in the vascular wall and perivascular space, as well as in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) in the infected K18-hACE2 transgenic mice. Moreover, the permeability of the infected vessel was increased. Furthermore, disintegrity of BBB was discovered in the infected hamsters by administration of Evans blue. Interestingly, the expression of claudin5, ZO-1, occludin and the ultrastructure of tight junctions (TJs) showed unchanged, whereas, the basement membrane was disrupted in the infected animals. Using an in vitro BBB model that comprises primary BMECs with astrocytes, SARS-CoV-2 was found to infect and cross through the BMECs. Consistent with in vivo experiments, the expression of MMP9 was increased and collagen IV was decreased while the markers for TJs were not altered in the SARS-CoV-2-infected BMECs. Besides, inflammatory responses including vasculitis, glial activation, and upregulated inflammatory factors occurred after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, our results provide evidence supporting that SARS-CoV-2 can cross the BBB in a transcellular pathway accompanied with basement membrane disrupted without obvious alteration of TJs.
Tansley, S;Uttam, S;Ureña Guzmán, A;Yaqubi, M;Pacis, A;Parisien, M;Deamond, H;Wong, C;Rabau, O;Brown, N;Haglund, L;Ouellet, J;Santaguida, C;Ribeiro-da-Silva, A;Tahmasebi, S;Prager-Khoutorsky, M;Ragoussis, J;Zhang, J;Salter, MW;Diatchenko, L;Healy, LM;Mogil, JS;Khoutorsky, A;
PMID: 35149686 | DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28473-8
Activation of microglia in the spinal cord following peripheral nerve injury is critical for the development of long-lasting pain hypersensitivity. However, it remains unclear whether distinct microglia subpopulations or states contribute to different stages of pain development and maintenance. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing, we show that peripheral nerve injury induces the generation of a male-specific inflammatory microglia subtype, and demonstrate increased proliferation of microglia in male as compared to female mice. We also show time- and sex-specific transcriptional changes in different microglial subpopulations following peripheral nerve injury. Apolipoprotein E (Apoe) is the top upregulated gene in spinal cord microglia at chronic time points after peripheral nerve injury in mice. Furthermore, polymorphisms in the APOE gene in humans are associated with chronic pain. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of human spinal cord microglia reveals a subpopulation with a disease-related transcriptional signature. Our data provide a detailed analysis of transcriptional states of mouse and human spinal cord microglia, and identify a link between ApoE and chronic pain in humans.
Schmitz, MT;Sandoval, K;Chen, CP;Mostajo-Radji, MA;Seeley, WW;Nowakowski, TJ;Ye, CJ;Paredes, MF;Pollen, AA;
PMID: 35322231 | DOI: 10.1097/PAI.0000000000001013
Neuroanatomists have long speculated that expanded primate brains contain an increased morphological diversity of inhibitory neurons (INs)1, and recent studies have identified primate-specific neuronal populations at the molecular level2. However, we know little about the developmental mechanisms that specify evolutionarily novel cell types in the brain. Here, we reconstruct gene expression trajectories specifying INs generated throughout the neurogenic period in macaques and mice by analysing the transcriptomes of 250,181 cells. We find that the initial classes of INs generated prenatally are largely conserved among mammals. Nonetheless, we identify two contrasting developmental mechanisms for specifying evolutionarily novel cell types during prenatal development. First, we show that recently identified primate-specific TAC3 striatal INs are specified by a unique transcriptional programme in progenitors followed by induction of a distinct suite of neuropeptides and neurotransmitter receptors in new-born neurons. Second, we find that multiple classes of transcriptionally conserved olfactory bulb (OB)-bound precursors are redirected to expanded primate white matter and striatum. These classes include a novel peristriatal class of striatum laureatum neurons that resemble dopaminergic periglomerular cells of the OB. We propose an evolutionary model in which conserved initial classes of neurons supplying the smaller primate OB are reused in the enlarged striatum and cortex. Together, our results provide a unified developmental taxonomy of initial classes of mammalian INs and reveal multiple developmental mechanisms for neural cell type evolution.
Liu, Y;Guerrero-Juarez, C;Xiao, F;Shettigar, N;Ramos, R;Kuan, C;Lin, Y;de Jesus Martinez Lomeli, L;Park, J;Oh, J;Liu, R;Lin, S;Tartaglia, M;Yang, R;Yu, Z;Nie, Q;Li, J;Plikus, M;
| DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.06.005
Hair follicle stem cells are regulated by dermal papilla fibroblasts, their principal signaling niche. Overactivation of Hedgehog signaling in the niche dramatically accelerates hair growth and induces follicle multiplication in mice. On single-cell RNA sequencing, dermal papilla fibroblasts increase heterogeneity to include new Wnt5ahigh states. Transcriptionally, mutant fibroblasts activate regulatory networks for Gli1, Alx3, Ebf1, Hoxc8, Sox18, and Zfp239. These networks jointly upregulate secreted factors for multiple hair morphogenesis and hair-growth-related pathways. Among these is non-conventional TGF-β ligand Scube3. We show that in normal mouse skin, Scube3 is expressed only in dermal papillae of growing, but not in resting follicles. SCUBE3 protein microinjection is sufficient to induce new hair growth, and pharmacological TGF-β inhibition rescues mutant hair hyper-activation phenotype. Moreover, dermal-papilla-enriched expression of SCUBE3 and its growth-activating effect are partially conserved in human scalp hair follicles. Thus, Hedgehog regulates mesenchymal niche function in the hair follicle via SCUBE3/TGF-β mechanism.
Human Type II Taste Cells Express ACE2 and are Infected by SARS-CoV-2
The American journal of pathology
Doyle, ME;Appleton, A;Liu, QR;Yao, Q;Mazucanti, CH;Egan, JM;
PMID: 34102107 | DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2021.05.010
Chemosensory changes are well-reported symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The virus targets cells for entry by binding of its spike protein to cell-surface angiotensin-converting enzyme- 2 (ACE2). It was not known whether ACE2 is expressed on taste receptor cells (TRCs) nor if TRCs are infected directly. Using an in-situ hybridization (ISH) probe and an antibody specific to ACE2, ACE2 is present on a subpopulation of TRCs, namely, Type II cells in taste buds in taste papillae. Fungiform papillae (FP) of a SARS-CoV-2+ patient exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, including taste changes, were biopsied. Based on ISH, replicating SARS-CoV-2 was present in Type II cells. Therefore, taste Type II cells provide a potential portal for viral entry that predicts vulnerabilities to SARS-CoV-2 in the oral cavity. The continuity and cell turnover of the patient's FP taste stem cell layer were disrupted during infection and had not completely recovered 6 weeks post symptom onset. Another patient suffering post-COVID-19 taste disturbances also had disrupted stem cells. These results demonstrate the possibility that novel and sudden taste changes frequently reported in COVID-19 may be the result of direct infection of taste papillae by SARS-CoV-2. This may result in impaired taste receptor stem cell activity and suggest more work is needed to understand the acute and post-acute dynamics of viral kinetics in the human taste bud.