In early simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infections, gut-associated lymphatic tissue (GALT), the largest component of the lymphoid organ system, is a principal site of both virus production and depletion of primarily lamina propria memory CD4+ T cells; that is, CD4-expressing T cells that previously encountered antigens and microbes and homed to the lamina propria of GALT. Here, we show that peak virus production in gut tissues of SIV-infected rhesus macaques coincides with peak numbers of infected memory CD4+ T cells. Surprisingly, most of the initially infected memory cells were not, as expected, activated but were instead immunophenotypically 'resting' cells that, unlike truly resting cells, but like the first cells mainly infected at other mucosal sites and peripheral lymph nodes, are capable of supporting virus production. In addition to inducing immune activation and thereby providing activated CD4+ T-cell targets to sustain infection, virus production also triggered an immunopathologically limiting Fas-Fas-ligand-mediated apoptotic pathway in lamina propria CD4+ T cells, resulting in their preferential ablation. Thus, SIV exploits a large, resident population of resting memory CD4+ T cells in GALT to produce peak levels of virus that directly (through lytic infection) and indirectly (through apoptosis of infected and uninfected cells) deplete CD4+ T cells in the effector arm of GALT. The scale of this CD4+ T-cell depletion has adverse effects on the immune system of the host, underscoring the importance of developing countermeasures to SIV that are effective before infection of GALT.

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RESEARCH ARTICLE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION: Loss-of-function mutations in one gene copy can lead to reduced amounts of protein and, consequently, human disease, a condition termed haploinsufficiency. It is currently estimated that more than 660 genes cause human disease as a result of haploinsufficiency. The delivery of extra copies of the gene by way of gene therapy is a promising therapeutic strategy to increase genedosage in such conditions.Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) provides a promising tool for delivery of transgenes in an efficient and safe way for gene therapy. However, it has some limitations, including an optimal DNA packaging constraint of 4700 base pairs and ectopic expression. RATIONALE: Increasing the expression levels of the normal gene copy by directly targeting the endogenous gene regulatory elements that control it could potentially correct haploinsufficiency. CRISPR-mediated activation (CRISPRa), whereby a nuclease-deficient Cas9 (dCas9) is used to target a transcriptional activator to the gene’s regulatory element (promoter or enhancer), could be used for this purpose. Such an approach could overcome the ectopic expression and DNA packaging limitations of rAAV. Using obesity as a model, we tested in mice whether CRISPR-mediated activation of the existing normal copy of two different genes, Sim1 or Mc4r, where loss-of-function mutations that lead to haploinsufficiency are a major cause of human obesity, can rescue their obesity phenotype. RESULTS: We first generated a transgenic CRISPRa system using dCas9 fused to a transcriptional activator, VP64, to test whether it can rescue the obesity phenotype in a Sim1 haploinsufficient mouse model. CRISPRa targeting of the Sim1 promoter or its hypothalamusspecific enhancer, which is 270 kilobases away from the gene, in Sim1 haploinsufficient mice increased the expression of the normal copy of Sim1. This up-regulation was sufficient to rescue the obesity phenotype of Sim1 heterozygous mice and led to significantly reduced food intake and body fat content in thesemice. We assessed the off-targeting effects of CRISPRa using both RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and Cas9 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIPseq) analyses. We found CRISPRa targeting to be highly specific and without any overt changes in the expression of other genes. We also observed that Sim1 up-regulation occurred only in tissues where the regulatory element (promoter or enhancer) that was being targeted was active. Although promoter-CRISPRa-targeted mice up-regulated Sim1 in all the tissues where it is expressed, the enhancer-CRISPRa-targeted mice showed Sim1 up-regulation only in the hypothalamus. We then delivered CRISPRa packaged into rAAV targeting the Sim1 promoter or its hypothalamus-specific enhancer using either Streptococcus pyogenes or the shorter Staphylococcus aureus CRISPRa system. We show that postnatal injection of CRISPRa-rAAV into the hypothalamus can up-regulate Sim1 expression and rescue the obesity phenotype in Sim1 haploinsufficient mice in a long-lasti...

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Chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was recently revealed to affect hypothalamic neuroendocrine pathways that regulate feeding and body weight. However, it remains unexplored whether brain ER stress could use a neural route to rapidly cause the peripheral disorders that underlie the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the metabolic syndrome. Using a pharmacologic model that delivered ER stress inducer thapsigargin into the brain, this study demonstrated that a short-term brain ER stress over 3 d was sufficient to induce glucose intolerance, systemic and hepatic insulin resistance, and blood pressure (BP) increase. The collection of these changes was accompanied by elevated sympathetic tone and prevented by sympathetic suppression. Molecular studies revealed that acute induction of metabolic disorders via brain ER stress was abrogated by NF-κB inhibition in the hypothalamus. Therapeutic experiments further revealed that acute inhibition of brain ER stress with tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) partially reversed obesity-associated metabolic and blood pressure disorders. In conclusion, ER stress in the brain represents a mediator of the sympathetic disorders that underlie the development of insulin resistance syndrome and T2D. D uring the recent two decades, the epidemic of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has reached an explosive scale in the United States and many other developed countries. The risk factors for the development of T2D include a group of prognostic disorders known collectively as insulin resistance syndrome, which manifests frequently in the form of glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and blood pressure (BP) increase in association with aging and obesity. As broadly documented in the literature (1-7), all of these disorders are characterized by the existence of stress and inflammatory molecules in the circulation and various tissues. Although it is still poorly understood how all these pathophysiological changes are etiologically connected, a variety of intracellular stresses have been proposed as primary pathogenic factors (8, 9). These advances have included the recent understanding on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (10-12), a set of intracellular molecular responses when the ER fails to adapt to various physiological or pathological conditions that challenge the normal functions of ER. Under diabetes-prone environmental changes, induction of ER stress was reported to occur in insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells (13-15) and various insulin-responsive peripheral tissues (16-18), which together cause the compromised regulation of glucose homeostasis by insulin. Most recently, chronic ER stress was revealed to occur in the hypothalamus under conditions of nutritional excess and cause hypothalamic hormonal (leptin and insulin) defects that promote feeding and weight gain (19,20). Such effects of chronic brain ER stress are predicted to incur long-term pathological changes that contribute to T2D in a manner which is secondary to weight gain and obesity (19,20).The central nervo...

Inspired by natural biomolecular machines, synthetic molecular-level machines have been proven to perform well-defined mechanical tasks and measurable work. To mimic the function of channel proteins, we herein report the development of a synthetic molecular shuttle, [2]­rotaxane 3, as a unimolecular vehicle that can be inserted into lipid bilayers to perform passive ion transport through its stochastic shuttling motion. The [2]­rotaxane molecular shuttle is composed of an amphiphilic molecular thread with three binding stations, which is interlocked in a macrocycle wheel component that tethers a K+ carrier. The structural characteristics enable the rotaxane to transport ions across the lipid bilayers, similar to a cable car, transporting K+ with an EC50 value of 1.0 μM (3.0 mol % relative to lipid). We expect that this simple molecular machine will provide new opportunities for developing more effective and selective ion transporters.

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Physical and cognitive exercise may prevent or delay dementia in later life but the neural mechanisms underlying these therapeutic benefits are largely unknown. We examined structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain changes after 6 months of progressive resistance training (PRT), computerized cognitive training (CCT) or combined intervention. A total of 100 older individuals (68 females, average age=70.1, s.d.±6.7, 55–87 years) with dementia prodrome mild cognitive impairment were recruited in the SMART (Study of Mental Activity and Resistance Training) Trial. Participants were randomly assigned into four intervention groups: PRT+CCT, PRT+SHAM CCT, CCT+SHAM PRT and double SHAM. Multimodal MRI was conducted at baseline and at 6 months of follow-up (immediately after training) to measure structural and spontaneous functional changes in the brain, with a focus on the hippocampus and posterior cingulate regions. Participants' cognitive changes were also assessed before and after training. We found that PRT but not CCT significantly improved global cognition (F(90)=4.1, P<0.05) as well as expanded gray matter in the posterior cingulate (Pcorrected <0.05), and these changes were related to each other (r=0.25, P=0.03). PRT also reversed progression of white matter hyperintensities, a biomarker of cerebrovascular disease, in several brain areas. In contrast, CCT but not PRT attenuated decline in overall memory performance (F(90)=5.7, P<0.02), mediated by enhanced functional connectivity between the hippocampus and superior frontal cortex. Our findings indicate that physical and cognitive training depend on discrete neuronal mechanisms for their therapeutic efficacy, information that may help develop targeted lifestyle-based preventative strategies.