Hypoxia induces permeability and giant cell responses of Andes virus-infected pulmonary endothelial cells by activating the mTOR-S6K signaling pathway.

Abstract

Andes virus (ANDV) is a South American hantavirus that causes a highly lethal hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) characterized by hypoxia, thrombocytopenia, and vascular leakage leading to acute pulmonary edema. ANDV infects human pulmonary microvascular and lymphatic endothelial cells (MECs and LECs, respectively) and nonlytically enhances the permeability of interendothelial cell adherence junctions in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Recent findings also indicate that ANDV causes the formation of giant endothelial cells. Here, we demonstrate that hypoxic conditions alone enhance permeability and giant cell responses of ANDV-infected MECs and LECs through activation of the mTOR signaling pathway. In contrast to infection of cells with nonpathogenic Tula virus (TULV), we observed that exposure of ANDV-infected MECs and LECs to hypoxic conditions resulted in a 3- to 6-fold increase in monolayer permeability and the formation of giant cells 3× to 5× normal size. ANDV infection in combination with hypoxic conditions resulted in the enhancement of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α)-directed VEGF A, angiopoietin 4, and EGLN3 transcriptional responses. Constitutive mTOR signaling induces the formation of giant cells via phosphorylation of S6K, and mTOR regulates hypoxia and VEGF A-induced cellular responses. We found that S6K was hyperphosphorylated in ANDV-infected, hypoxia-treated MECs and LECs and that rapamycin treatment for 1 h inhibited mTOR signaling responses and blocked permeability and giant cell formation in ANDV-infected monolayers. These findings indicate that ANDV infection and hypoxic conditions enhance mTOR signaling responses, resulting in enhanced endothelial cell permeability and suggest a role for rapamycin in therapeutically stabilizing the endothelium of microvascular and lymphatic vessels during ANDV infection.

• Authors: Irina N Gavrilovskaya, Elena E Gorbunova, Erich R Mackow
• Journal: Journal of virology (J Virol) Vol. 87 Issue 23 Pg. 12999-3008 (Dec 2013) ISSN: 1098-5514 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24067973 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Chemical References

• MTOR protein, human
• Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa
• TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
• ribosomal protein S6 kinase, 70kD, polypeptide 1
• Oxygen

Topics

• Cell Membrane Permeability
• Endothelial Cells (metabolism, virology)
• Giant Cells (metabolism, virology)
• Orthohantavirus (physiology)
• Hantavirus Infections (genetics, metabolism, virology)
• Humans
• Hypoxia (genetics, metabolism, virology)
• Oxygen (metabolism)
• Phosphorylation
• Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa (genetics, metabolism)
• Signal Transduction
• TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases (genetics, metabolism)