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1.
J Virol ; 96(9): e0148621, 2022 05 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35420461

ABSTRACT

Following exposure and replication at mucosal surfaces, most alphaherpesviruses invade the peripheral nervous system by retrograde axonal transport and establish lifelong latent infections in the peripheral ganglia. Reactivation of ganglionic infections is followed by anterograde axonal transport of virions back to body surfaces where viral replication results in disease that can range from moderate to severe in presentation. In the case of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), replication in the epithelial mucosa presents as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), a respiratory disease of significant economic impact. In this study, we provide a live-cell analysis of BoHV-1 retrograde axonal transport relative to the model alphaherpesvirus pathogen pseudorabies virus (PRV) and demonstrate that this critical neuroinvasive step is conserved between the two viruses. In addition, we report that the BoHV-1 pUL37 tegument protein supports processive retrograde motion in infected axons and invasion of the calf peripheral nervous system. IMPORTANCE A molecular and cellular understanding of the retrograde axonal transport process that underlies the neuroinvasive properties of the alphaherpesviruses is established from studies of herpes simplex virus and pseudorabies virus. The degree to which this phenotype is conserved in other related viruses has largely not been examined. We provide a time-lapse analysis of the retrograde axonal transport kinetics of bovine herpesvirus 1 and demonstrate that mutation of the pUL37 region 2 effector affords a strategy to produce live-attenuated vaccines for enhanced protection of cattle.


Subject(s)
Axonal Transport , Herpesvirus 1, Bovine , Sensory Receptor Cells , Viral Proteins , Animals , Axons , Cattle , Herpesvirus 1, Bovine/genetics , Herpesvirus 1, Bovine/pathogenicity , Sensory Receptor Cells/virology , Viral Proteins/genetics
2.
Nature ; 599(7886): 662-666, 2021 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34789877

ABSTRACT

Neurotropic alphaherpesviruses initiate infection in exposed mucosal tissues and, unlike most viruses, spread rapidly to sensory and autonomic nerves where life-long latency is established1. Recurrent infections arise sporadically from the peripheral nervous system throughout the life of the host, and invasion of the central nervous system may occur, with severe outcomes2. These viruses directly recruit cellular motors for transport along microtubules in nerve axons, but how the motors are manipulated to deliver the virus to neuronal nuclei is not understood. Here, using herpes simplex virus type I and pseudorabies virus as model alphaherpesviruses, we show that a cellular kinesin motor is captured by virions in epithelial cells, carried between cells, and subsequently used in neurons to traffic to nuclei. Viruses assembled in the absence of kinesin are not neuroinvasive. The findings explain a critical component of the alphaherpesvirus neuroinvasive mechanism and demonstrate that these viruses assimilate a cellular protein as an essential proviral structural component. This principle of viral assimilation may prove relevant to other virus families and offers new strategies to combat infection.


Subject(s)
Herpesvirus 1, Human/metabolism , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/metabolism , Kinesins/metabolism , Movement , Virion/metabolism , Virus Assembly , Animals , Biological Transport , Capsid/metabolism , Cell Line , Cell Nucleus/virology , Chlorocebus aethiops , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Epithelial Cells/virology , Humans , Neurons/metabolism , Neurons/virology , Rabbits , Swine
3.
NPJ Vaccines ; 5(1): 104, 2020 Nov 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33298966

ABSTRACT

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are common and can cause severe illness but no vaccine is currently available. The recent failure of subunit HSV vaccines has highlighted the need for vaccines that present a diverse array of antigens, including the development of next-generation live-attenuated vaccines. However, most attenuated HSV strains propagate poorly, limiting their ability to elicit protective immune responses. A live-attenuated vaccine that replicates in non-neural tissue but is ablated for transmission into the nervous system may elicit protective immune responses without evoking neurologic complications or establishing life-long infections. Initial studies of R2, a live-attenuated vaccine that is engineered to be unable to invade the nervous system, used the guinea pig genital HSV model to evaluate the ability of R2 to replicate at the site of inoculation, cause disease and infect neural tissues. R2 was then evaluated as a vaccine using three routes of inoculation: intramuscular (IM), intradermal (ID) and intravaginal (IVag) and compared to IM administered gD2+MPL/Alum vaccine in the same model. R2 replicated in the genital tract but did not produce acute or recurrent disease and did not infect the neural tissue. The R2 vaccine-induced neutralizing antibody and decreased the severity of acute and recurrent HSV-2 disease as well as recurrent shedding. The ID route was the most effective. ID administered R2 was more effective than gD2+MPL/Alum at inducing neutralizing antibody, suppressing acute disease, and acute vaginal virus replication. R2 was especially more effective at reducing recurrent virus shedding, the most common source of HSV transmission. The live-attenuated prophylactic HSV vaccine, R2, was effective in the guinea pig model of genital HSV-2 especially when administered by the ID route. The use of live-attenuated HSV vaccines that robustly replicate in mucosal tissues but are ablated for neuroinvasion offers a promising approach for HSV vaccines.

4.
Vaccine ; 38(29): 4524-4528, 2020 06 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32448623

ABSTRACT

Neurotropic alpha-herpesviruses that infect mammals establish life-long latent infections in the peripheral nervous system after initial infection of exposed mucosal tissues. The neuroinvasive properties can lead to severe complications both with clinical and veterinary alpha-herpesviruses, and vaccines are often unavailable or provide limited protection. Here we assess the properties and efficacy of an R2 vaccine derived from the alpha-herpesvirus, pseudorabies virus (PRV), in pigs. We demonstrate that the PRV R2 vaccine does not invade the porcine peripheral nervous system within the limits of detection. Furthermore, after a single intranasal vaccination, R2 conferred protection to pigs subsequently challenged with a virulent PRV field strain (NIA-3). These findings support that the R2 vaccine design is non-neuroinvasive and is an effective vaccine in the context of a natural host.


Subject(s)
Herpesvirus 1, Suid , Pseudorabies , Swine Diseases , Vaccines , Viral Vaccines , Animals , Antibodies, Viral , Pseudorabies/prevention & control , Pseudorabies Vaccines , Swine , Swine Diseases/prevention & control
5.
eNeuro ; 5(3)2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29756029

ABSTRACT

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) innervate the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a circadian oscillator that functions as a biological clock. ipRGCs use vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGlut2) to package glutamate into synaptic vesicles and light-evoked resetting of the SCN circadian clock is widely attributed to ipRGC glutamatergic neurotransmission. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is also packaged into vesicles in ipRGCs and PACAP may be coreleased with glutamate in the SCN. vGlut2 has been conditionally deleted in ipRGCs in mice [conditional knock-outs (cKOs)] and their aberrant photoentrainment and residual attenuated light responses have been ascribed to ipRGC PACAP release. However, there is no direct evidence that all ipRGC glutamatergic neurotransmission is eliminated in vGlut2 cKOs. Here, we examined two lines of ipRGC vGlut2 cKO mice for SCN-mediated behavioral responses under several lighting conditions and for ipRGC glutamatergic neurotransmission in the SCN. Circadian behavioral responses varied from a very limited response to light to near normal photoentrainment. After collecting behavioral data, hypothalamic slices were prepared and evoked EPSCs (eEPSCs) were recorded from SCN neurons by stimulating the optic chiasm. In cKOs, glutamatergic eEPSCs were recorded and all eEPSC parameters examined (stimulus threshold, amplitude, rise time or time-to-peak and stimulus strength to evoke a maximal response) were similar to controls. We conclude that a variable number but functionally significant percentage of ipRGCs in two vGlut2 cKO mouse lines continue to release glutamate. Thus, the residual SCN-mediated light responses in these cKO mouse lines cannot be attributed solely to ipRGC PACAP release.


Subject(s)
Behavior, Animal , Circadian Rhythm , Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials , Glutamic Acid/metabolism , Optic Chiasm/physiology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/physiology , Suprachiasmatic Nucleus/physiology , Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2/physiology , Animals , Female , Male , Mice, Knockout , Motor Activity , Photic Stimulation
6.
PLoS Pathog ; 13(12): e1006741, 2017 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29216315

ABSTRACT

A hallmark property of the neurotropic alpha-herpesvirinae is the dissemination of infection to sensory and autonomic ganglia of the peripheral nervous system following an initial exposure at mucosal surfaces. The peripheral ganglia serve as the latent virus reservoir and the source of recurrent infections such as cold sores (herpes simplex virus type I) and shingles (varicella zoster virus). However, the means by which these viruses routinely invade the nervous system is not fully understood. We report that an internal virion component, the pUL37 tegument protein, has a surface region that is an essential neuroinvasion effector. Mutation of this region rendered herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and pseudorabies virus (PRV) incapable of spreading by retrograde axonal transport to peripheral ganglia both in culture and animals. By monitoring the axonal transport of individual viral particles by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy, the mutant viruses were determined to lack the characteristic sustained intracellular capsid motion along microtubules that normally traffics capsids to the neural soma. Consistent with the axonal transport deficit, the mutant viruses did not reach sites of latency in peripheral ganglia, and were avirulent. Despite this, viral propagation in peripheral tissues and in cultured epithelial cell lines remained robust. Selective elimination of retrograde delivery to the nervous system has long been sought after as a means to develop vaccines against these ubiquitous, and sometimes devastating viruses. In support of this potential, we find that HSV-1 and PRV mutated in the effector region of pUL37 evoked effective vaccination against subsequent nervous system challenges and encephalitic disease. These findings demonstrate that retrograde axonal transport of the herpesviruses occurs by a virus-directed mechanism that operates by coordinating opposing microtubule motors to favor sustained retrograde delivery of the virus to the peripheral ganglia. The ability to selectively eliminate the retrograde axonal transport mechanism from these viruses will be useful in trans-synaptic mapping studies of the mammalian nervous system, and affords a new vaccination paradigm for human and veterinary neurotropic herpesviruses.


Subject(s)
Axonal Transport/physiology , Herpesvirus 1, Human/physiology , Herpesvirus 1, Human/pathogenicity , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/physiology , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/pathogenicity , Viral Structural Proteins/physiology , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Axonal Transport/genetics , Axons/virology , Ganglia/virology , Genes, Viral , Herpesvirus 1, Human/genetics , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/genetics , Host-Pathogen Interactions/genetics , Host-Pathogen Interactions/physiology , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred DBA , Models, Molecular , Mutation , Neurons/virology , Rats , Rats, Long-Evans , Viral Structural Proteins/chemistry , Viral Structural Proteins/genetics , Viral Vaccines/genetics , Virulence/genetics , Virulence/physiology , Virus Release/genetics , Virus Release/physiology
7.
Nat Commun ; 8: 14908, 2017 03 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28361990

ABSTRACT

Animals promote their survival by avoiding rapidly approaching objects that indicate threats. In mice, looming-evoked defensive responses are triggered by the superior colliculus (SC) which receives direct retinal inputs. However, the specific neural circuits that begin in the retina and mediate this important behaviour remain unclear. Here we identify a subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that controls mouse looming-evoked defensive responses through axonal collaterals to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and SC. Looming signals transmitted by DRN-projecting RGCs activate DRN GABAergic neurons that in turn inhibit serotoninergic neurons. Moreover, activation of DRN serotoninergic neurons reduces looming-evoked defensive behaviours. Thus, a dedicated population of RGCs signals rapidly approaching visual threats and their input to the DRN controls a serotonergic self-gating mechanism that regulates innate defensive responses. Our study provides new insights into how the DRN and SC work in concert to extract and translate visual threats into defensive behavioural responses.


Subject(s)
Behavior, Animal/physiology , Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/physiology , Perceptual Defense , Retinal Ganglion Cells/physiology , Serotonin/metabolism , Amygdala/physiology , Animals , GABAergic Neurons/physiology , Male , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism , Superior Colliculi , Thalamus/physiology , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism
8.
J Virol ; 90(22): 10182-10192, 2016 Nov 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27581983

ABSTRACT

A complete understanding of herpesvirus morphogenesis requires studies of capsid assembly dynamics in living cells. Although fluorescent tags fused to the VP26 and pUL25 capsid proteins are available, neither of these components is present on the initial capsid assembly, the procapsid. To make procapsids accessible to live-cell imaging, we made a series of recombinant pseudorabies viruses that encoded green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused in frame to the internal capsid scaffold and maturation protease. One recombinant, a GFP-VP24 fusion, maintained wild-type propagation kinetics in vitro and approximated wild-type virulence in vivo The fusion also proved to be well tolerated in herpes simplex virus. Viruses encoding GFP-VP24, along with a traditional capsid reporter fusion (pUL25/mCherry), demonstrated that GFP-VP24 was a reliable capsid marker and revealed that the protein remained capsid associated following entry into cells and upon nuclear docking. These dual-fluorescent viruses made possible the discrimination of procapsids during infection and monitoring of capsid shell maturation kinetics. The results demonstrate the feasibility of imaging herpesvirus procapsids and their morphogenesis in living cells and indicate that the encapsidation machinery does not substantially help coordinate capsid shell maturation. IMPORTANCE: The family Herpesviridae consists of human and veterinary pathogens that cause a wide range of diseases in their respective hosts. These viruses share structurally related icosahedral capsids that encase the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viral genome. The dynamics of capsid assembly and maturation have been inaccessible to examination in living cells. This study has overcome this technical hurdle and provides new insights into this fundamental stage of herpesvirus infection.


Subject(s)
Capsid Proteins/metabolism , Capsid/metabolism , Herpes Simplex/metabolism , Herpes Simplex/virology , Herpesvirus 1, Human/metabolism , Animals , Cell Line , Chlorocebus aethiops , Genome, Viral/genetics , Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/metabolism , Male , Mice , Vero Cells , Viral Proteins/metabolism , Virus Assembly/physiology , Virus Internalization
9.
Sci Rep ; 6: 26060, 2016 05 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27181078

ABSTRACT

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), the major source of serotonergic input to the forebrain, receives excitatory input from the retina that can modulate serotonin levels and depressive-like behavior. In the Mongolian gerbil, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with alpha-like morphological and Y-like physiological properties innervate the DRN with ON DRN-projecting RGCs out numbering OFF DRN-projecting RGCs. The DRN neurons targeted by ON and OFF RGCs are unknown. To explore retino-raphe anatomical organization, retinal afferents labeled with Cholera toxin B were examined for association with the postsynaptic protein PSD-95. Synaptic associations between retinal afferents and DRN serotonergic and GABAergic neurons were observed. To explore retino-raphe functional organization, light-evoked c-fos expression was examined. Light significantly increased the number of DRN serotonergic and GABAergic cells expressing c-Fos. When ON RGCs were rendered silent while enhancing the firing rate of OFF RGCs, c-Fos expression was greatly increased in DRN serotonergic neurons suggesting that OFF DRN-projecting RGCs predominately activate serotonergic neurons whereas ON DRN-projecting RGCs mainly target GABAergic neurons. Direct glutamatergic retinal input to DRN 5-HT neurons contributes to the complex excitatory drive regulating these cells. Light, via the retinoraphe pathway can modify DRN 5-HT neuron activity which may play a role in modulating affective behavior.


Subject(s)
Depression/metabolism , Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/physiology , GABAergic Neurons/physiology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/physiology , Serotonergic Neurons/physiology , Afferent Pathways , Animals , Cells, Cultured , Cholera Toxin/metabolism , Depression/pathology , Disease Models, Animal , Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein/metabolism , Electrical Synapses , Excitatory Amino Acid Agents/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation , Gerbillinae , Humans , Light Signal Transduction , Male , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism , Serotonin/metabolism
10.
Virology ; 488: 179-86, 2016 Jan 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26655235

ABSTRACT

Neurotropic herpesviruses exit the peripheral nervous system and return to exposed body surfaces following reactivation from latency. The pUS9 protein is a critical viral effector of the anterograde axonal transport that underlies this process. We recently reported that while pUS9 increases the frequency of sorting of newly assembled pseudorabies virus particles to axons from the neural soma during egress, subsequent axonal transport of individual virus particles occurs with wild-type kinetics in the absence of the protein. Here, we examine the role of a related pseudorabies virus protein, pUL56, during neuronal infection. The findings indicate that pUL56 is a virulence factor that supports virus dissemination in vivo, yet along with pUS9, is dispensable for axonal transport.


Subject(s)
Axonal Transport , Axons/virology , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/physiology , Viral Proteins/metabolism , Virulence Factors/metabolism , Animals , Cells, Cultured , Chick Embryo , Male , Mice , Rats, Long-Evans , Swine
11.
Psychiatr Clin North Am ; 38(4): 645-65, 2015 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26600101

ABSTRACT

There is a growing recognition that the coordinated timing of behavioral, physiologic, and metabolic circadian rhythms is a requirement for a healthy body and mind. In mammals, the primary circadian oscillator is the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is responsible for circadian coordination throughout the organism. Temporal homeostasis is recognized as a complex interplay between rhythmic clock gene expression in brain regions outside the SCN and in peripheral organs. Abnormalities in this intricate circadian orchestration may alter sleep patterns and contribute to the pathophysiology of affective disorders.


Subject(s)
Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Neural Pathways/physiology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/physiology , Suprachiasmatic Nucleus/physiology , Animals , Circadian Clocks/genetics , Circadian Clocks/physiology , Circadian Rhythm/genetics , Humans , Serotonergic Neurons/physiology
12.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev ; 57: 118-31, 2015 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26363667

ABSTRACT

Retinal ganglion Y (alpha) cells are found in retinas ranging from frogs to mice to primates. The highly conserved nature of the large, fast conducting retinal Y cell is a testament to its fundamental task, although precisely what this task is remained ill-defined. The recent discovery that Y-alpha retinal ganglion cells send axon collaterals to the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in addition to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), medial interlaminar nucleus (MIN), pretectum and the superior colliculus (SC) has offered new insights into the important survival tasks performed by these cells with highly branched axons. We propose that in addition to its role in visual perception, the Y-alpha retinal ganglion cell provides concurrent signals via axon collaterals to the DRN, the major source of serotonergic afferents to the forebrain, to dramatically inhibit 5-HT activity during orientation or alerting/escape responses, which dis-facilitates ongoing tonic motor activity while dis-inhibiting sensory information processing throughout the visual system. The new data provide a fresh view of these evolutionarily old retinal ganglion cells.


Subject(s)
Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/physiology , Motor Activity/physiology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/physiology , Serotonin/physiology , Signal Transduction/physiology , Visual Perception/physiology , Animals , Humans , Serotonin/metabolism
13.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 112(41): 12818-23, 2015 Oct 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26407585

ABSTRACT

Neuroinvasive herpesviruses display a remarkable propensity to enter the nervous system of healthy individuals in the absence of obvious trauma at the site of inoculation. We document a repurposing of cellular ubiquitin during infection to switch the virus between two invasive states. The states act sequentially to defeat consecutive host barriers of the peripheral nervous system and together promote the potent neuroinvasive phenotype. The first state directs virus access to nerve endings in peripheral tissue, whereas the second delivers virus particles within nerve fibers to the neural ganglia. Mutant viruses locked in either state remain competent to overcome the corresponding barrier but fail to invade the nervous system. The herpesvirus "ubiquitin switch" may explain the unusual ability of these viruses to routinely enter the nervous system and, as a consequence, their prevalence in human and veterinary hosts.


Subject(s)
Herpes Simplex/metabolism , Herpesvirus 1, Human/metabolism , Herpesvirus 1, Human/pathogenicity , Neurons/metabolism , Neurons/virology , Ubiquitination , Animals , Chlorocebus aethiops , Herpes Simplex/genetics , Herpesvirus 1, Human/genetics , Humans , Neurons/pathology , Vero Cells
14.
J Virol ; 89(15): 8088-91, 2015 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25995254

ABSTRACT

Reactivation from latency results in transmission of neurotropic herpesviruses from the nervous system to body surfaces, referred to as anterograde axonal trafficking. The virus-encoded protein pUS9 promotes axonal dissemination by sorting virus particles into axons, but whether it is also an effector of fast axonal transport within axons is unknown. To determine the role of pUS9 in anterograde trafficking, we analyzed the axonal transport of pseudorabies virus in the presence and absence of pUS9.


Subject(s)
Axons/virology , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/metabolism , Lipoproteins/metabolism , Phosphoproteins/metabolism , Pseudorabies/virology , Swine Diseases/virology , Viral Proteins/metabolism , Animals , Axonal Transport , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/genetics , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins , Lipoproteins/genetics , Phosphoproteins/genetics , Protein Transport , Swine , Viral Proteins/genetics
15.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci ; 56(13): 8373-81, 2015 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26747768

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: A retinal projection into the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), namely, the retino-raphe projection, exists in many species. The rat is one of several species in which a retino-raphe projection has been described; however, the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types that contribute to this pathway are unknown. METHODS: Retrograde tracing via cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) was used to reveal DRN-projecting RGCs in rats, combined with intracellular injection in vitro, melanopsin immunostaining in whole-mounted retinas, and serotonin immunostaining to define the DRN. We modified methods of CTB injection into DRN used previously in order to avoid possible contamination with other retinorecipient regions, particularly the superior colliculus (SC). RESULTS: The majority of DRN-projecting RGCs showed alpha-like morphology, and some CTB-positive RGCs were colabeled with melanopsin. Approximately 80% of the total population of CTB-labeled DRN-projecting RGCs was alpha-like cells including ON alpha cells and OFF alpha cells; these alpha-like cells were melanopsin immunonegative. Approximately 10% of the remaining DRN-projecting RGCs were melanopsin immunopositive, in which the M1 subtype of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell (ipRGC) provided the dominant projection of ipRGCs into DRN, with only few non-M1 ipRGCs involved. The DRN-projecting ipRGCs could be retrogradely labeled following tracer injection into all rostrocaudal aspects of the DRN. CONCLUSIONS: Both conventional RGCs with alpha-like morphology and melanopsin-expressing ipRGCs project into the rat DRN. Approximately 10% of DRN-projecting RGCs were colabeled with melanopsin, and the majority of these were the M1 subtype of ipRGCs. An ipRGC component of the retino-raphe projection may contribute to a sustained light-mediated modulation of DRN serotonin release.


Subject(s)
Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/metabolism , Retinal Ganglion Cells/metabolism , Superior Colliculi/metabolism , Animals , Dorsal Raphe Nucleus/cytology , Light , Male , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Retinal Ganglion Cells/cytology , Rod Opsins/metabolism , Superior Colliculi/cytology
16.
PLoS One ; 9(11): e111944, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25365210

ABSTRACT

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a circadian oscillator entrained to the day/night cycle via input from the retina. Serotonin (5-HT) afferents to the SCN modulate retinal signals via activation of 5-HT1B receptors, decreasing responsiveness to light. Consequently, 5-HT1B receptor knockout (KO) mice entrain to the day/night cycle with delayed activity onsets. Since circulating corticosterone levels exhibit a robust daily rhythm peaking around activity onset, we asked whether delayed entrainment of activity onsets affects rhythmic corticosterone secretion. Wheel-running activity and plasma corticosterone were monitored in mice housed under several different lighting regimens. Both duration of the light:dark cycle (T cycle) and the duration of light within that cycle was altered. 5-HT1B KO mice that entrained to a 9.5L:13.5D (short day in a T = 23 h) cycle with activity onsets delayed more than 4 h after light offset exhibited a corticosterone rhythm in phase with activity rhythms but reduced 50% in amplitude compared to animals that initiated daily activity <4 h after light offset. Wild type mice in 8L:14D (short day in a T = 22 h) conditions with highly delayed activity onsets also exhibited a 50% reduction in peak plasma corticosterone levels. Exogenous adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) stimulation in animals exhibiting highly delayed entrainment suggested that the endogenous rhythm of adrenal responsiveness to ACTH remained aligned with SCN-driven behavioral activity. Circadian clock gene expression in the adrenal cortex of these same animals suggested that the adrenal circadian clock was also aligned with SCN-driven behavior. Under T cycles <24 h, altered circadian entrainment to short day (winter-like) conditions, manifest as long delays in activity onset after light offset, severely reduces the amplitude of the diurnal rhythm of plasma corticosterone. Such a pronounced reduction in the glucocorticoid rhythm may alter rhythmic gene expression in the central nervous system and in peripheral organs contributing to an array of potential pathophysiologies.


Subject(s)
Behavior, Animal/physiology , Biological Clocks/physiology , Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Corticosterone/metabolism , Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B/metabolism , Suprachiasmatic Nucleus/metabolism , Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/pharmacology , Animals , Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Biological Clocks/drug effects , Circadian Rhythm/drug effects , Corticosterone/genetics , Mice , Mice, Knockout , Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B/genetics
17.
PLoS One ; 9(3): e92959, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24658072

ABSTRACT

The brain's master circadian pacemaker resides within the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). SCN clock neurons are entrained to the day/night cycle via the retinohypothalamic tract and the SCN provides temporal information to the central nervous system and to peripheral organs that function as secondary oscillators. The SCN clock-cell network is thought to be the hypothalamic link between the retina and descending autonomic circuits to peripheral organs such as the adrenal gland, thereby entraining those organs to the day/night cycle. However, there are at least three different routes or mechanisms by which retinal signals transmitted to the hypothalamus may be conveyed to peripheral organs: 1) via retinal input to SCN clock neurons; 2) via retinal input to non-clock neurons in the SCN; or 3) via retinal input to hypothalamic regions neighboring the SCN. It is very well documented that light-induced responses of the SCN clock (i.e., clock gene expression, neural activity, and behavioral phase shifts) occur primarily during the subjective night. Thus to determine the role of the SCN clock in transmitting photic signals to descending autonomic circuits, we compared the phase dependency of light-evoked responses in the SCN and a peripheral oscillator, the adrenal gland. We observed light-evoked clock gene expression in the mouse adrenal throughout the subjective day and subjective night. Light also induced adrenal corticosterone secretion during both the subjective day and subjective night. The irradiance threshold for light-evoked adrenal responses was greater during the subjective day compared to the subjective night. These results suggest that retinohypothalamic signals may be relayed to the adrenal clock during the subjective day by a retinal pathway or cellular mechanism that is independent of an effect of light on the SCN neural clock network and thus may be important for the temporal integration of physiology and metabolism.


Subject(s)
Adrenal Glands/physiology , Adrenal Glands/radiation effects , Biological Clocks/physiology , Hypothalamus/physiology , Light , Retina/physiology , Suprachiasmatic Nucleus/physiology , Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood , Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/metabolism , Animals , Circadian Rhythm/physiology , Corticosterone/blood , Corticosterone/metabolism , Gene Expression , Glucocorticoids/blood , Glucocorticoids/metabolism , Hormones/blood , Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System , Male , Mice , Period Circadian Proteins/genetics , Period Circadian Proteins/metabolism , Pituitary-Adrenal System
18.
Nat Chem Biol ; 9(10): 630-5, 2013 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23974117

ABSTRACT

Melanopsin, expressed in a subset of retinal ganglion cells, mediates behavioral adaptation to ambient light and other non-image-forming photic responses. This has raised the possibility that pharmacological manipulation of melanopsin can modulate several central nervous system responses, including photophobia, sleep, circadian rhythms and neuroendocrine function. Here we describe the identification of a potent synthetic melanopsin antagonist with in vivo activity. New sulfonamide compounds inhibiting melanopsin (opsinamides) compete with retinal binding to melanopsin and inhibit its function without affecting rod- and cone-mediated responses. In vivo administration of opsinamides to mice specifically and reversibly modified melanopsin-dependent light responses, including the pupillary light reflex and light aversion. The discovery of opsinamides raises the prospect of therapeutic control of the melanopsin phototransduction system to regulate light-dependent behavior and remediate pathological conditions.


Subject(s)
Light Signal Transduction/drug effects , Rod Opsins/antagonists & inhibitors , Small Molecule Libraries/pharmacology , Sulfonamides/pharmacology , Humans , Molecular Structure , Rod Opsins/metabolism , Small Molecule Libraries/chemical synthesis , Small Molecule Libraries/chemistry , Structure-Activity Relationship , Sulfonamides/chemical synthesis , Sulfonamides/chemistry
19.
Neuropsychopharmacology ; 38(7): 1163-75, 2013 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23370156

ABSTRACT

Light is a powerful modulator of higher-order cognitive processes such as mood but it remains unclear which neural circuits mediate the impact of light on affective behavior. We found that light deprivation produces a depressive-like behavioral state that is reversed by activation of direct retinal signals to the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in a manner equivalent to treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine. Surprisingly, the DRN-projecting retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are indistinguishable from the classic alpha/Y-like RGC type that contributes to image-forming visual pathways. Silencing RGC firing or specific immunotoxin ablation of DRN-projecting RGCs increased depressive-like behavior and reduced serotonin levels in the DRN. Serotonin has a key role in the pathophysiology of depression, and these results demonstrate that retino-raphe signals modulate DRN serotonergic tone and affective behavior.


Subject(s)
Affect/physiology , Raphe Nuclei/physiology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/physiology , Serotonin/physiology , Action Potentials/drug effects , Action Potentials/physiology , Affect/drug effects , Animals , Behavior, Animal/drug effects , Behavior, Animal/physiology , Darkness , Fluoxetine/pharmacology , Gerbillinae , Imipramine/pharmacology , Male , Neural Pathways/metabolism , Neural Pathways/physiology , Raphe Nuclei/metabolism , Serotonin/metabolism
20.
Cell Host Microbe ; 13(2): 193-203, 2013 Feb 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23414759

ABSTRACT

Microtubule transport of herpesvirus capsids from the cell periphery to the nucleus is imperative for viral replication and, in the case of many alphaherpesviruses, transmission into the nervous system. Using the neuroinvasive herpesvirus, pseudorabies virus (PRV), we show that the viral protein 1/2 (VP1/2) tegument protein associates with the dynein/dynactin microtubule motor complex and promotes retrograde microtubule transport of PRV capsids. Functional activation of VP1/2 requires binding to the capsid protein pUL25 or removal of the capsid-binding domain. A proline-rich sequence within VP1/2 is required for the efficient interaction with the dynein/dynactin microtubule motor complex as well as for PRV virulence and retrograde axon transport in vivo. Additionally, in the absence of infection, functionally active VP1/2 is sufficient to move large surrogate cargoes via the dynein/dynactin microtubule motor complex. Thus, VP1/2 tethers PRV capsids to dynein/dynactin to enhance microtubule transport, neuroinvasion, and pathogenesis.


Subject(s)
Dyneins/metabolism , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/pathogenicity , Sensory Receptor Cells/virology , Viral Structural Proteins/metabolism , Animals , Axons/metabolism , Chlorocebus aethiops , Coinfection/metabolism , Coinfection/virology , Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism , HEK293 Cells , Herpesvirus 1, Suid/metabolism , Humans , Immunoprecipitation , Male , Mice , Microtubules/metabolism , Nuclear Envelope/metabolism , Nuclear Envelope/virology , Proline/metabolism , Protein Interaction Mapping , Protein Transport , Pseudorabies/metabolism , Pseudorabies/pathology , Pseudorabies/virology , Rats , Rats, Long-Evans , Sensory Receptor Cells/metabolism , Vero Cells , Viral Plaque Assay , Viral Structural Proteins/genetics
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