Characterization of the localized immune response in the respiratory tract of ferrets following infection with influenza A and B viruses
- Authors: Carolan, Louise , Rockman, Steve , Borg, Kathryn , Guarnaccia, Teagan , Reading, Patrick , Mosse, Jennifer , Kelso, Anne , Barr, Ian , Laurie, Karen
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Virology Vol. 90, no. 6 (2016), p. 2838-2848
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The burden of infection with seasonal influenza viruses is significant. Each year is typically characterized by the dominance of one (sub)type or lineage of influenza A or B virus, respectively. The incidence of disease varies annually, and while this may be attributed to a particular virus strain or subtype, the impacts of prior immunity, population differences, and variations in clinical assessment are also important. To improve our understanding of the impacts of seasonal influenza viruses, we directly compared clinical symptoms, virus shedding, and expression of cytokines, chemokines, and immune mediators in the upper respiratory tract (URT) of ferrets infected with contemporary A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), or influenza B virus. Gene expression in the lower respiratory tract (LRT) was also assessed. Clinical symptoms were minimal. Overall cytokine/chemokine profiles in the URT were consistent in pattern and magnitude between animals infected with influenza A and B viruses, and peak expression levels of interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p40, alpha interferon (IFN-α), IFN-β, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) mRNAs correlated with peak levels of viral shedding. MCP1 and IFN-γ were expressed after the virus peak. Granzymes A and B and IL-10 reached peak expression as the virus was cleared and seroconversion was detected. Cytokine/chemokine gene expression in the LRT following A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection reflected the observations seen for the URT but was delayed 2 or 3 days, as was virus replication. These data indicate that disease severities and localized immune responses following infection with seasonal influenza A and B viruses are similar, suggesting that other factors are likely to modulate the incidence and impact of seasonal influenza. © 2016, American Society for Microbiology.
β-Adrenergic signaling regulates NR4A nuclear receptor and metabolic gene expression in multiple tissues
- Authors: Myers, Stephen , Eriksson, Natalie , Burow, Rachel , Wang, Mary Shu-Ching , Muscat, George
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology Vol. 309, no. 1-2 (2009), p. 101-108
- Full Text: false
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- Description: The nuclear hormone receptor (NR) 4A subgroup of orphan nuclear receptors includes three members, Nur77 (NR4A1), Nurr1 (NR4A2) and Nor-1 (NR4A3). Previously we have identified the rapid and robust (in vitro and in vivo) induction of the NR4A subgroup following β-adrenergic stimulation in mouse skeletal muscle. This was concomitant with changes in the expression of genes involved in the regulation of nutrient metabolism. We have isolated mouse tissue of cardiovascular, endocrine and gastrointestinal origin at 1, 4, 8 and 24 h after a single intraperitoneal injection of the β-adrenergic agonist, isoprenaline. We similarly identified the significant induction (between 1 and 4 h) of the NR4A genes in many of these tissues. Moreover, we have utilized TaqMan ® Low Density Arrays to determine the β-adrenergic-sensitive metabolic gene expression in liver, white adipose and heart. In summary, cross-talk between β-adrenergic and NR4A signaling occurs in several tissues, and is accompanied by modulation of metabolic gene expression. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Isolated remnant or recent introduction? Estimating the provenance of Yellingbo Leadbeater's possums by genetic analysis and bottleneck simulation
- Authors: Hansen, Birgita , Taylor, Andrea
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Molecular Ecology Vol. 17, no. 18 (2008), p. 4039-4052
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Effective conservation management requires that genetically divergent populations potentially harbouring important local adaptations be identified and maintained as separate management units. In the case of the endangered Australian Leadbeater's possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri), an arboreal marsupial endemic to Victoria, uncertainty over the evolutionary origin of a potentially important extant wild population recently discovered in atypical habitat (lowland swamp) at Yellingbo is hampering such efforts. The population is rumoured to be a recent introduction. Microsatellite allele frequencies at Yellingbo differed substantially from those in sampled populations in montane ash forest (FST between 0.23 and 0.36), and Bayesian clustering analyses of genotypes strongly separated them (K = 2). We conducted a suite of bottlenecking tests which all indicated that Yellingbo had undergone a recent reduction in size. The extent to which the distinctiveness of Yellingbo animals might be expected solely through bottlenecking associated with a recent introduction, was tested by simulating population-history scenarios seeded with genotypes from candidate wild and captive sources. No bottleneck scenario reproduced anything approaching the genetic distinction of the Yellingbo population, with all structure analyses placing Yellingbo in a separate cluster to simulated populations (K = 2, minimum FST = 0.13). These results suggest that Yellingbo does not share recent ancestry with other extant populations and instead may be a remnant of an otherwise extinct gene pool. Importantly, this may include genes involved in adaptation to a lowland swamp environment, substantially adding to the conservation importance of this population, and suggesting that separate management may be prudent until evidence suggests otherwise. © 2008 The Authors.