Norovirus evolution in immunodeficient mice reveals potentiated pathogenicity via a single nucleotide change in the viral capsid.

Interferons (IFNs) are key controllers of viral replication, with intact IFN responses suppressing virus growth and spread. Using the murine norovirus (MNoV) system, we show that IFNs exert selective pressure to limit the pathogenic evolutionary potential of this enteric virus. In animals lacking type I IFN signaling, the nonlethal MNoV strain CR6 rapidly acquired enhanced virulence via conversion of a single nucleotide. This nucleotide change resulted in amino acid substitution F514I in the viral capsid, which led to >10,000-fold higher replication in systemic organs including the brain. Pathogenicity was mediated by enhanced recruitment and infection of intestinal myeloid cells and increased extraintestinal dissemination of virus. Interestingly, the trade-off for this mutation was reduced fitness in an IFN-competent host, in which CR6 bearing F514I exhibited decreased intestinal replication and shedding. In an immunodeficient context, a spontaneous amino acid change can thus convert a relatively avirulent viral strain into a lethal pathogen.

Long-term hypoxia uncouples Ca2+ and eNOS in bradykinin-mediated pulmonary arterial relaxation.

Bradykinin-induced activation of the pulmonary endothelium triggers a rise in intracellular Ca2+ that activates nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vasorelaxation. Chronic hypoxia is commonly associated with increased pulmonary vascular tone, which can cause pulmonary hypertension in responsive individuals. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that long-term high-altitude hypoxia (LTH) diminishes bradykinin-induced Ca2+ signals and inhibits endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), prostacyclin (PGI2), and large-conductance K+ (BKCa) channels in sheep, which are moderately responsive to LTH, resulting in decreased pulmonary arterial vasorelaxation. Pulmonary arteries were isolated from ewes kept near sea level (720 m) or at high altitude (3,801 m) for >100 days. Vessel force was measured with wire myography and endothelial intracellular Ca2+ with confocal microscopy. eNOS was inhibited with 100 µM NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), PGI2 production was inhibited with 10 µM indomethacin that inhibits cyclooxygenase, and BKCa channels were blocked with 1 mM tetraethylammonium. Bradykinin-induced endothelial Ca2+ signals increased following LTH, but bradykinin relaxation decreased. Furthermore, some vessels contracted in response to bradykinin after LTH. l-NAME sensitivity decreased, suggesting that eNOS dysfunction played a role in uncoupling Ca2+ signals and bradykinin relaxation. The Ca2+ ionophore A-23187 (10 µM) elicited an enhanced Ca2+ response following LTH while relaxation was unchanged although l-NAME sensitivity increased. Additionally, BKCa function decreased during bradykinin relaxation following LTH. Western analysis showed that BKCa α-subunit expression was increased by LTH while that for the ß1 subunit was unchanged. Overall, these results suggest that those even moderately responsive to LTH can have impaired endothelial function.

Muscarinic Receptor Activation Affects Pulmonary Artery Contractility in Sheep: The Impact of Maturation and Chronic Hypoxia on Endothelium-Dependent and Endothelium-Independent Function.

Giang, Michael, Demosthenes G. Papamatheakis, Dan Nguyen, Ricardo Paez, Carla Blum Johnston, Joon Kim, Alexander Brunnell, Quintin Blood, Ravi Goyal, Lawrence D. Longo, and Sean M. Wilson. Muscarinic receptor activation affects pulmonary artery contractility in sheep: the impact of maturation and chronic hypoxia on endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent function. High Alt Med Biol. 17:122-132, 2015.-Muscarinic receptor activation in the pulmonary vasculature can cause endothelium-dependent vasodilation and smooth muscle-dependent vasoconstriction. Chronic hypoxia (CH) can modify both of these responses. This study aimed to assess the combined influence of CH and maturation on endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent muscarinic-induced vasoreactivity. This was accomplished by performing wire myography on endothelium-intact or endothelium-disrupted pulmonary arterial rings isolated from normoxic or CH fetal and adult sheep. In endothelium-intact arteries, vasodilation was evaluated using cumulative bradykinin doses in phenylephrine and carbachol precontracted pulmonary arterial segments; and vasoconstriction was examined using cumulative doses of carbachol following bradykinin predilation. Effects of nonselective (atropine) and selective M1 (pirenzepine), M2 (AFDX116), and M3 (4-DAMP and Dau5884) muscarinic receptor antagonists were assessed in disrupted arteries. In normoxic arteries, bradykinin relaxation was twofold greater in the adult compared to fetus, while carbachol contraction was fourfold greater. In adult arteries, CH increased bradykinin relaxation and carbachol contraction. In vessels with intact endothelium, maturation and CH augmented maximal response and efficacy for carbachol constriction and bradykinin relaxation. Approximately 50%-80% of adult normoxic and CH endothelium-disrupted arteries contracted to acetylcholine, while ∼50% of fetal normoxic and ∼10% of CH arteries responded. Atropine reduced carbachol-induced contraction in all vessels. Adult normoxic vessels were most responsive to M3 antagonism, fetal to M2 antagonism, while M1 inhibition had no effect. Overall, muscarinic-induced pulmonary arterial contraction is partially endothelium dependent and appears to develop after birth. Fetuses are more reliant on M3 receptors while M2 receptors predominate in adults, whereas CH augments muscarinic-dependent pulmonary vasoconstriction in both.

Developmental acceleration of bradykinin-dependent relaxation by prenatal chronic hypoxia impedes normal development after birth.

Bradykinin-induced activation of the pulmonary endothelium triggers nitric oxide production and other signals that cause vasorelaxation, including stimulation of large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BKCa) channels in myocytes that hyperpolarize the plasma membrane and decrease intracellular Ca(2+). Intrauterine chronic hypoxia (CH) may reduce vasorelaxation in the fetal-to-newborn transition and contribute to pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. Thus we examined the effects of maturation and CH on the role of BKCa channels during bradykinin-induced vasorelaxation by examining endothelial Ca(2+) signals, wire myography, and Western immunoblots on pulmonary arteries isolated from near-term fetal (∼ 140 days gestation) and newborn, 10- to 20-day-old, sheep that lived in normoxia at 700 m or in CH at high altitude (3,801 m) for >100 days. CH enhanced bradykinin-induced relaxation of fetal vessels but decreased relaxation in newborns. Endothelial Ca(2+) responses decreased with maturation but increased with CH. Bradykinin-dependent relaxation was sensitive to 100 µM nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or 10 µM 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, supporting roles for endothelial nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylate cyclase activation. Indomethacin blocked relaxation in CH vessels, suggesting upregulation of PLA2 pathways. BKCa channel inhibition with 1 mM tetraethylammonium reduced bradykinin-induced vasorelaxation in the normoxic newborn and fetal CH vessels. Maturation reduced whole cell BKCa channel α1-subunit expression but increased ß1-subunit expression. These results suggest that CH amplifies the contribution of BKCa channels to bradykinin-induced vasorelaxation in fetal sheep but stunts further development of this vasodilatory pathway in newborns. This involves complex changes in multiple components of the bradykinin-signaling axes.