Serology and Virology Division, Microbiology, NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney 2031, Australia.
School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2052, Australia.
Viruses. 2024 Jun 5;16(6):918. doi: 10.3390/v16060918.
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the leading non-genetic cause of congenital malformation in developed countries, causing significant fetal injury, and in some cases fetal death. The pathogenetic mechanisms through which this host-specific virus infects then damages both the placenta and the fetal brain are currently ill-defined. We investigated the CMV modulation of key signaling pathway proteins for these organs including dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinases (DYRK) and Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway proteins using human first trimester placental trophoblast (TEV-1) cells, primary human astrocyte (NHA) brain cells, and CMV-infected human placental tissue. Immunofluorescence demonstrated the accumulation and re-localization of SHH proteins in CMV-infected TEV-1 cells with Gli2, Ulk3, and Shh re-localizing to the CMV cytoplasmic virion assembly complex (VAC). In CMV-infected NHA cells, DYRK1A re-localized to the VAC and DYRK1B re-localized to the CMV nuclear replication compartments, and the SHH proteins re-localized with a similar pattern as was observed in TEV-1 cells. Western blot analysis in CMV-infected TEV-1 cells showed the upregulated expression of Rb, Ulk3, and Shh, but not Gli2. In CMV-infected NHA cells, there was an upregulation of DYRK1A, DYRK1B, Gli2, Rb, Ulk3, and Shh. These in vitro monoculture findings are consistent with patterns of protein upregulation and re-localization observed in naturally infected placental tissue and CMV-infected ex vivo placental explant histocultures. This study reveals CMV-induced changes in proteins critical for fetal development, and identifies new potential targets for CMV therapeutic development.
人巨细胞病毒(CMV)感染是发达国家中导致先天畸形的主要非遗传原因,可导致严重的胎儿损伤,在某些情况下还会导致胎儿死亡。该种宿主特异性病毒感染胎盘和胎儿大脑并导致损伤的致病机制目前仍不清楚。我们使用人早孕胎盘滋养层(TEV-1)细胞、原代人星形胶质细胞(NHA)和 CMV 感染的人胎盘组织,研究了 CMV 对这些器官的关键信号通路蛋白的调节作用,包括双特异性酪氨酸磷酸化调节激酶(DYRK)和 Sonic Hedgehog(SHH)通路蛋白。免疫荧光显示,在 CMV 感染的 TEV-1 细胞中,SHH 蛋白发生聚集和重新定位,Gli2、Ulk3 和 Shh 重新定位到 CMV 细胞质病毒粒子组装复合物(VAC)。在 CMV 感染的 NHA 细胞中,DYRK1A 重新定位到 VAC,DYRK1B 重新定位到 CMV 核复制区,SHH 蛋白也发生了与在 TEV-1 细胞中观察到的类似的重新定位。在 CMV 感染的 TEV-1 细胞中的 Western blot 分析显示,Rb、Ulk3 和 Shh 的表达上调,但 Gli2 没有上调。在 CMV 感染的 NHA 细胞中,DYRK1A、DYRK1B、Gli2、Rb、Ulk3 和 Shh 的表达上调。这些体外单细胞培养的发现与在自然感染的胎盘组织和 CMV 感染的胎盘组织 explant 组织培养中观察到的蛋白上调和重新定位模式一致。本研究揭示了 CMV 诱导的对胎儿发育至关重要的蛋白变化,并确定了 CMV 治疗开发的新潜在靶点。