Search bioRxiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.10.10.511536

Differential innate immune response of endometrial cells to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type 1 versus type 2

Lothong, M.·Rukarcheep, D.·Wattanaphansak, S.·Thammacharoen, S.·Deachapunya, C.·Poonyachoti, S.
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Modification of cellular and immunological events due to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection is associated with pathogenesis in lungs. PRRSV also causes female reproductive dysfunction and persistent infection which can spread to fetus, stillbirth, and offspring. In this study, alterations in cellular and innate immune responses to PRRSV type 1 or type 2 infection, including expression of PRRSV mediators, mRNA expression of toll-like receptor (TLRs) and cytokine, and cytokine secretion, were examined in primary porcine glandular endometrial cells (PGE). Cell infectivity as observed by cytopathic effect (CPE), PRRSV nucleocapsid proteins, and viral nucleic acids was early detected at two days post-infection (2 dpi) and persisted to 6 dpi. Higher percentage of CPE and PRRSV positive cells were detected in type 2 infection. PRRSV mediator proteins, CD151, CD163, sialoadhesin (Sn), integrin and vimentin, were upregulated following type 1 and type 2 infection. CD151, CD163 and Sn were upregulated by type 2. Both PRRSV types upregulated TLR1 and TLR6. Only type 2 infection upregulated TLR3, but downregulated TLR4 and TLR8. By contrast, both types upregulated TLR4 and downregulated TLR6 protein expression. Interleukin (IL)-1{beta}, IL-6 and tumor necrotic factor (TNF)- were upregulated by type 2, but IL-8 was upregulated by type 1. Both PRRSV type 1 and 2 stimulated IL-6 but suppressed TNF- secretion. In addition, IL-1{beta} secretion was suppressed by type 2. These findings reveal one of the important mechanisms underlying the strategy of PRRSV on innate immune evasion in endometrium which is associated with the viral persistence. Author SummaryWidely prevalence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) remains the leading cause of huge economic losses to the global swine industry. Due to an infection of macrophages, PRRSV can persist in animals for extended periods of time associated with long-lasting reproductive disorders. Modification of cellular and immunological responses to PRRSV infection which may be related with the pathogenesis of reproductive disorders remains unclear. Herein, direct PRRSV infection of primary porcine glandular endometrial epithelial cell culture (PGE) demonstrated that PRRSV type 1 and 2 upregulated the protein expression of PRRSV mediators correlated with cell persistence of PRRSV. However, TLR and cytokines gene expression, and cytokine secretion were differentially modulated in response to PRRSV type 1 vs. type 2. Our study provides new insights into the cellular mechanism associating with PRRSV persistence in the endometrial cells and the underlying interaction of virus with the host.

Explore related subjects

microbiologyPreprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Lothong, M., Rukarcheep, D., Wattanaphansak, S., Thammacharoen, S., Deachapunya, C., Poonyachoti, S.. 2022-10-11. Differential innate immune response of endometrial cells to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type 1 versus type 2. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.10.511536

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

A conserved cysteine-histidine-glutamate metal site identifies DUF501 (Rv1025), an essential uncharacterised protein family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a candidate metalloenzyme and drug target

A substantial fraction of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteome remains functionally uncharacterised. Rv1025, a 155-residue protein carrying the domain of unknown function DUF501 (Pfam PF04417), is essential by transposon mutagenesis and vulnerable by CRISPR interference, an attractive but neglected drug target, yet has never been functionally described. The family (4,370 proteins, no Gene Ontology term, no solved structure) is uncharacterised across all organisms and essential in three Actinobacterial genera. A Foldseek search of the AlphaFold model against complete structural databases finds no significant homolog, indicating a novel fold. The operon eno-divIC-Rv1025-ppx2 is conserved across the Actinobacteria phylum, yet AlphaFold-Multimer finds no direct complex between Rv1025 and its neighbour DivIC. Instead, conservation across 8,700 homologous sequences reveals a near-invariant Cys113-His115-Glu59 cluster forming a pocket. Holo AlphaFold3 predictions with Zn, Fe and Mn confidently place a divalent metal on this triad at 2.25-2.47 A; mutating the triad relocates the metal, and an independent backbone-geometry predictor recovers the same site, confirming specificity. The triad is universal across the family: present in all 1,472 near-complete bacterial sequences of the Pfam alignment, with no non-conservative substitution among the 2,228 sequences examined, a defining feature of bacterial DUF501 rather than a mycobacterial peculiarity. We propose that DUF501 is a metal-binding protein and candidate metalloenzyme, the first functional hypothesis for this family, whose conserved, essential metal pocket is a promising drug target. As the predictions build on a conservation-defined site within a fully computational study, they are supportive rather than proof of metal occupancy and warrant experimental validation.

microbiology↗
bioRxiv2026

Mycoplasmal endosymbionts of Trichomonas vaginalis are associated with reduced risk for Chlamydia trachomatis endometrial infection in asymptomatic, coinfected, women.

Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoan parasite that causes trichomoniasis, the most common curable non-viral sexually transmitted infection, and Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterial pathogen that can ascend to the upper genital tract and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. T. vaginalis harbors bacterial endosymbionts, including Candidatus Malacoplasma girerdii, an obligate symbiont, and Metamycoplasma hominis, which can live freely or symbiotically. In a 16S rRNA sequencing study of the cervicovaginal microbiome of women at high risk for chlamydial infection, Ca. M. girerdii abundance was one of 13 features predicting lack of chlamydial spread to the endometrium, despite no direct association between T. vaginalis infection and reduced chlamydial ascension. Investigating the relationship between these microorganisms further, we found that T. vaginalis vaginal abundance correlated positively with chlamydial burden in women whose infection was confined to the cervix, while a nonsignificant inverse relationship was seen in women with endometrial spread. Among participants with high chlamydial burden, Ca. M. girerdii was detected exclusively in women without endometrial infection. Both endosymbionts trended toward more frequent detection, and higher abundance, in coinfected women without endometrial spread, while M. hominis abundance correlated strongly with T. vaginalis burden in this group. These findings suggest that mycoplasmal endosymbionts of T. vaginalis, rather than T. vaginalis itself, are microbial factors limiting chlamydial ascension, and point to a three-way interaction between parasite, endosymbiont, and bacterial pathogen that shapes upper genital tract C. trachomatis infection risk.

microbiology↗
bioRxiv2026

Understanding the physiological alterations of Vibrio cholerae upon exposure to L-ascorbic acid

The scourge of cholera remains a major global public health threat. It affects up to 4 million people worldwide and causes tens of thousands of deaths each year. The disease is experiencing a concerning resurgence in many parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. To effectively tackle cholera and circumvent rising antimicrobial resistance, targeted biological and preventive approaches, complementing traditional rehydration, are urgently needed. In this regard, our group has demonstrated the efficacy of L-ascorbic acid in controlling the growth and pathogenesis of Vibrio cholerae in vitro. The present work further provides a mechanistic elucidation of the L-ascorbic acid-mediated physiological changes in V. cholerae and also bolsters such a non-antibiotic approach to control cholera.

microbiology↗