SARS-CoV-2 induces robust germinal center CD4 T follicular helper cell responses in rhesus macaques.
Yashavanth Shaan LakshmanappaSonny R ElizaldiJamin W RohBrian A SchmidtTimothy D CarrollKourtney D WeaverJustin C SmithAnil VermaJesse D DeereJoseph DutraMars StoneSergej FranzRebecca Lee SammakKatherine J OlstadJ Rachel ReaderZhong-Min MaNancy K NguyenJennifer K WatanabeJodie UsachenkoRamya ImmareddyJoAnn L YeeDaniela WeiskopfAlessandro SetteDennis Hartigan-O'ConnorStephen J McSorleyJohn H MorrisonNam K TranGraham SimmonsMichael P BuschPamela A KozlowskiKoen K A Van RompayChristopher J MillerSmita S IyerPublished in: Nature communications (2021)
CD4 T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are important for the generation of durable and specific humoral protection against viral infections. The degree to which SARS-CoV-2 infection generates Tfh cells and stimulates the germinal center (GC) response is an important question as we investigate vaccine induced immunity against COVID-19. Here, we report that SARS-CoV-2 infection in rhesus macaques, either infused with convalescent plasma, normal plasma, or receiving no infusion, resulted in transient accumulation of pro-inflammatory monocytes and proliferating Tfh cells with a Th1 profile in peripheral blood. CD4 helper cell responses skewed predominantly toward a Th1 response in blood, lung, and lymph nodes. SARS-CoV-2 Infection induced GC Tfh cells specific for the SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins, and a corresponding early appearance of antiviral serum IgG antibodies. Collectively, the data show induction of GC responses in a rhesus model of mild COVID-19.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- induced apoptosis
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- cell cycle arrest
- peripheral blood
- coronavirus disease
- lymph node
- dendritic cells
- single cell
- stem cells
- low dose
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- signaling pathway
- cell death
- cell therapy
- machine learning
- drug induced
- oxidative stress
- high resolution
- mesenchymal stem cells
- brain injury
- big data
- deep learning
- cell proliferation
- tandem mass spectrometry
- african american
- liquid chromatography