Biology subjects

Chuang, Y.-M.

Publications and source records attributed to Chuang, Y.-M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Anopheles gambiae mosGILT regulates innate immune genes and zpg expression

Gene-edited mosquitoes lacking a gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase-like protein, namely (mosGILTnull) have lower Plasmodium infection, which is linked to impaired ovarian development and immune activation. The transcriptome of mosGILTnull A. gambiae was therefore compared to wild type (WT) by RNA-sequencing to delineate mosGILT-dependent pathways. Compared to WT mosquitoes, mosGILTnull A. gambiae demonstrated altered expression of genes related to oogenesis, 20-hydroxyecdysone synthesis, as well as immune-related genes. Serendipitously, the zero population growth gene, zpg, an essential regulator of germ cell development was found to be one of the most downregulated genes in mosGILTnull mosquitoes. These results provide the crucial missing link between two previous studies on the role of zpg and mosGILT in ovarian development. This study further demonstrates that mosGILT has the potential to serve as a target for the biological control of mosquito vectors and to influence the Plasmodium life cycle within the vector.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2021

The Lyme Disease agent co-opts adiponectin receptor-mediated signaling in its arthropod vector

Adiponectin-mediated pathways contribute to mammalian homeostasis; however, little is known about adiponectin and adiponectin receptor signaling in arthropods. In this study, we demonstrate that Ixodes scapularis ticks have an adiponectin receptor-like protein (ISARL) but lack adiponectin - suggesting activation by alternative pathways. ISARL expression is significantly upregulated in the tick gut after Borrelia burgdorferi infection suggesting that ISARL-signaling may be co-opted by the Lyme disease agent. Consistent with this, RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of ISARL significantly reduced the B. burgdorferi burden in the tick. RNA-seq-based transcriptomics and RNAi assays demonstrate that ISARL-mediated phospholipid metabolism by phosphatidylserine synthase I is associated with B. burgdorferi survival. Furthermore, the tick complement C1q-like protein 3 interacts with ISARL, and B. burgdorferi facilitates this process. This study identifies a new tick metabolic pathway that is connected to the life cycle of the Lyme disease spirochete. Significance StatementAdiponectin binds to adiponectin receptors and participates in glucose and lipid metabolism in mammals. In this study, we found that ticks have an adiponectin receptor-like protein but lack adiponectin. Importantly, we demonstrated that the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, takes advantage of the adiponectin receptor signaling pathway to establish infection in its arthropod vector, Ixodes scapularis. Our study sheds light on the understanding of Borrelia-tick interactions and provides insights into how a human infectious disease agent may evolve to manipulate host metabolism for its own benefits. Understanding this pathway may lead to new ways to interfere with the Borrelia life cycle, and this mechanism may be applicable to additional microbes that are transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes or other arthropods.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Antibiotic treatment shapes antigen presentation during chronic TB infection, offering novel targets for therapeutic vaccination

The lengthy and complicated current regimen required to treat drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) reflects the ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to persist in host tissues. The stringent response pathway, governed by the dual (p)ppGpp synthetase/hydrolase, RelMtb, is a major mechanism underlying Mtb persistence and antibiotic tolerance. In the current study, we addressed the hypothesis that RelMtb is a \"persistence antigen\" presented during TB chemotherapy and that enhanced T-cell immunity to RelMtb can enhance the tuberculocidal activity of the first-line anti-TB drug, isoniazid, which has reduced efficacy against Mtb persisters, C57BL/6 mice and Hartley guinea pigs were aerosol-infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and, 4 weeks later, received either human-equivalent daily doses of isoniazid alone, or isoniazid in combination with a DNA vaccine targeting relMtb. After isoniazid treatment, the total number of Mtb antigen-specific CD4+ T cells remained stable in mouse lungs and spleens, as did the number of RelMtb-specific T cells, although there was a significant reduction in dominant antigen ESAT6-specific CD4+ or TB10.4-specific CD8+ T cells in the lungs and spleens of mice, Therapeutic vaccination enhanced the activity of isoniazid in Mtb-infected C57BL/6 mice and guinea pigs. When treatment with isoniazid was discontinued, mice immunized with the relMtb DNA vaccine showed a lower mean lung bacterial burden at relapse compared to the control group. Our work shows that antitubercular treatment shapes antigen presentation and antigen-specific T-cell responses, and that therapeutic vaccination targeting the Mtb stringent response may represent a novel approach to enhance immunity against Mtb persisters, with the ultimate goal of shortening curative TB treatment.

microbiology↗