Genetic Tools for Studying the Roles of Sphingolipids in Viral Infections.

Sphingolipids are a critical family of membrane lipids with diverse functions in eukaryotic cells, and a growing body of literature supports that these lipids play essential roles during the lifecycles of viruses. While small molecule inhibitors of sphingolipid synthesis and metabolism are widely used, the advent of CRISPR-based genomic editing techniques allows for nuanced exploration into the manners in which sphingolipids influence various stages of viral infections. Here we describe some of these critical considerations needed in designing studies utilizing genomic editing techniques for manipulating the sphingolipid metabolic pathway, as well as the current body of literature regarding how viruses depend on the products of this pathway. Here, we highlight the ways in which sphingolipids affect viruses as these pathogens interact with and influence their host cell and describe some of the many open questions remaining in the field.

Development of a dual antigen lateral flow immunoassay for detecting Yersinia pestis.

BACKGROUND: Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague, a zoonosis associated with small mammals. Plague is a severe disease, especially in the pneumonic and septicemic forms, where fatality rates approach 100% if left untreated. The bacterium is primarily transmitted via flea bite or through direct contact with an infected host. The 2017 plague outbreak in Madagascar resulted in more than 2,400 cases and was highlighted by an increased number of pneumonic infections. Standard diagnostics for plague include laboratory-based assays such as bacterial culture and serology, which are inadequate for administering immediate patient care for pneumonic and septicemic plague. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The goal of this study was to develop a sensitive rapid plague prototype that can detect all virulent strains of Y. pestis. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced against two Y. pestis antigens, low-calcium response V (LcrV) and capsular fraction-1 (F1), and prototype lateral flow immunoassays (LFI) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were constructed. The LFIs developed for the detection of LcrV and F1 had limits of detection (LOD) of roughly 1-2 ng/mL in surrogate clinical samples (antigens spiked into normal human sera). The optimized antigen-capture ELISAs produced LODs of 74 pg/mL for LcrV and 61 pg/mL for F1 when these antigens were spiked into buffer. A dual antigen LFI prototype comprised of two test lines was evaluated for the detection of both antigens in Y. pestis lysates. The dual format was also evaluated for specificity using a small panel of clinical near-neighbors and other Tier 1 bacterial Select Agents. CONCLUSIONS: LcrV is expressed by all virulent Y. pestis strains, but homologs produced by other Yersinia species can confound assay specificity. F1 is specific to Y. pestis but is not expressed by all virulent strains. Utilizing highly reactive mAbs, a dual-antigen detection (multiplexed) LFI was developed to capitalize on the diagnostic strengths of each target.

Simultaneous electrical recording of cardiac electrophysiology and contraction on chip.

Prevailing commercialized cardiac platforms for in vitro drug development utilize planar microelectrode arrays to map action potentials, or impedance sensing to record contraction in real time, but cannot record both functions on the same chip with high spatial resolution. Here we report a novel cardiac platform that can record cardiac tissue adhesion, electrophysiology, and contractility on the same chip. The platform integrates two independent yet interpenetrating sensor arrays: a microelectrode array for field potential readouts and an interdigitated electrode array for impedance readouts. Together, these arrays provide real-time, non-invasive data acquisition of both cardiac electrophysiology and contractility under physiological conditions and under drug stimuli. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes were cultured as a model system, and used to validate the platform with an excitation-contraction decoupling chemical. Preliminary data using the platform to investigate the effect of the drug norepinephrine are combined with computational efforts. This platform provides a quantitative and predictive assay system that can potentially be used for comprehensive assessment of cardiac toxicity earlier in the drug discovery process.