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Parkinson’s disease is the second most common age-related, neurodegenerative disease. A small collection of genes has been linked to Parkinson’s disease including LRRK2 , SAT1 , and SNCA , the latter of which encodes the protein alpha-synuclein that aggregates in Lewy bodies as a hallmark of the disease. Overexpression of even wild-type versions of these genes can lead to pathogenesis, yet the regulatory mechanisms that control protein production of the genes are not fully understood. Pumilio proteins belong to the highly conserved PUF family of eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression through binding conserved motifs in the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of mRNA targets known as PUF Recognition Elements (PREs). The 3’UTRs of LRRK2 , SNCA and SAT1 each contain multiple putative PREs. Knockdown (KD) of the two human Pumilio homologs (Pumilio 1 and Pumilio 2) in a neurodegenerative model cell line, SH-SY5Y, resulted in increased SNCA and LRRK2 mRNA, as well as alpha-synuclein levels, suggesting these genes are normally repressed by the Pumilio proteins. Some studies have indicated a relationship between Pumilio and microRNA activities on the same target, especially when their binding sites are close together. LRRK2 , SNCA , and SAT1 each contain several putative microRNA-binding sites within the 3’UTR, some of which reside near PREs. Small RNA-seq and microRNA qPCR assays were performed in both wild type and Pumilio KD SH-SY5Y cells to analyze global and differential microRNA expression. One thousand four hundred and four microRNAs were detected across wild type and Pumilio KD cells. Twenty-one microRNAs were differentially expressed between treatments, six of which were previously established to be altered in Parkinson’s disease patient samples or research models. Expression of ten miRs predicted to target LRRK2 and SNCA was verified by RT-qPCR. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Pumilios and microRNAs play a multi-faceted role in regulating Parkinson’s disease-associated genes.

A hallmark of dengue virus (DENV) pathogenesis is the potential for antibody-dependent enhancement, which is associated with deadly DENV secondary infection, complicates the identification of correlates of protection, and negatively impacts the safety and efficacy of DENV vaccines. Antibody-dependent enhancement is linked to antibodies targeting the fusion loop (FL) motif of the envelope protein, which is completely conserved in mosquito-borne flaviviruses and required for viral entry and fusion. In the current study, we utilized saturation mutagenesis and directed evolution to engineer a functional variant with a mutated FL (D2-FL), which is not neutralized by FL-targeting monoclonal antibodies. The FL mutations were combined with our previously evolved prM cleavage site to create a mature version of D2-FL (D2-FLM), which evades both prM- and FL-Abs but retains sensitivity to other type-specific and quaternary cross-reactive (CR) Abs. CR serum from heterotypic (DENV4)-infected non-human primates (NHP) showed lower neutralization titers against D2-FL and D2-FLM than isogenic wildtype DENV2 while similar neutralization titers were observed in serum from homotypic (DENV2)-infected NHP. We propose D2-FL and D2-FLM as valuable tools to delineate CR Ab subtypes in serum as well as an exciting platform for safer live-attenuated DENV vaccines suitable for naïve individuals and children.

Parkinson's disease is the second most common age-related, neurodegenerative disease. A small collection of genes has been linked to Parkinson's disease including LRRK2, SAT1, and SNCA, the latter of which encodes the protein alpha-synuclein that aggregates in Lewy bodies as a hallmark of the disease. Overexpression of even wild-type versions of these genes can lead to pathogenesis, yet the regulatory mechanisms that control protein production of the genes are not fully understood. Pumilio proteins belong to the highly conserved PUF family of eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression through binding conserved motifs in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of mRNA targets known as PUF Recognition Elements (PREs). The 3'UTRs of LRRK2, SNCA and SAT1 each contain multiple putative PREs. Knockdown (KD) of the two human Pumilio homologs (Pumilio 1 and Pumilio 2) in a neurodegenerative model cell line, SH-SY5Y, resulted in increased SNCA and LRRK2 mRNA, as well as alpha-synuclein levels, suggesting these genes are normally repressed by the Pumilio proteins. Some studies have indicated a relationship between Pumilio and microRNA activities on the same target, especially when their binding sites are close together. LRRK2, SNCA, and SAT1 each contain several putative microRNA-binding sites within the 3'UTR, some of which reside near PREs. Small RNA-seq and microRNA qPCR assays were performed in both wild type and Pumilio KD SH-SY5Y cells to analyze global and differential microRNA expression. One thousand four hundred and four microRNAs were detected across wild type and Pumilio KD cells. Twenty-one microRNAs were differentially expressed between treatments, six of which were previously established to be altered in Parkinson's disease patient samples or research models. Expression of ten miRs predicted to target LRRK2 and SNCA was verified by RT-qPCR. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Pumilios and microRNAs play a multi-faceted role in regulating Parkinson's disease-associated genes.

A hallmark of Dengue virus (DENV) pathogenesis is the potential for antibody-dependent enhancement, which is associated with deadly DENV secondary infection, complicates the identification of correlates of protection, and negatively impacts the safety and efficacy of DENV vaccines. ADE is linked to antibodies targeting the fusion loop (FL) motif of the envelope protein, which is completely conserved in mosquito-borne flaviviruses and required for viral entry and fusion. In the current study, we utilized saturation mutagenesis and directed evolution to engineer a functional variant with a mutated FL (D2-FL) which is not neutralized by FL-targeting monoclonal antibodies. The FL mutations were combined with our previously evolved prM cleavage site to create a mature version of D2-FL (D2-FLM), which evades both prM- and FL-Abs but retains sensitivity to other type-specific and quaternary cross-reactive (CR) Abs. CR serum from heterotypic (DENV4) infected non-human primates (NHP) showed lower neutralization titers against D2-FL and D2-FLM than isogenic wildtype DENV2 while similar neutralization titers were observed in serum from homotypic (DENV2) infected NHP. We propose D2-FL and D2-FLM as valuable tools to delineate CR Ab subtypes in serum as well as an exciting platform for safer live attenuated DENV vaccines suitable for naïve individuals and children.

A hallmark of dengue virus (DENV) pathogenesis is the potential for antibody-dependent enhancement, which is associated with deadly DENV secondary infection, complicates the identification of correlates of protection, and negatively impacts the safety and efficacy of DENV vaccines. Antibody-dependent enhancement is linked to antibodies targeting the fusion loop (FL) motif of the envelope protein, which is completely conserved in mosquito-borne flaviviruses and required for viral entry and fusion. In the current study, we utilized saturation mutagenesis and directed evolution to engineer a functional variant with a mutated FL (D2-FL), which is not neutralized by FL-targeting monoclonal antibodies. The FL mutations were combined with our previously evolved prM cleavage site to create a mature version of D2-FL (D2-FLM), which evades both prM- and FL-Abs but retains sensitivity to other type-specific and quaternary cross-reactive (CR) Abs. CR serum from heterotypic (DENV4)-infected non-human primates (NHP) showed lower neutralization titers against D2-FL and D2-FLM than isogenic wildtype DENV2 while similar neutralization titers were observed in serum from homotypic (DENV2)-infected NHP. We propose D2-FL and D2-FLM as valuable tools to delineate CR Ab subtypes in serum as well as an exciting platform for safer live-attenuated DENV vaccines suitable for naïve individuals and children.