Journal: EMBO Molecular Medicine
Article Title: FABP4 as a therapeutic host target controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection
doi: 10.1038/s44321-024-00188-x
Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A – C ) hTERT pre-adipocytes and differentiated adipocytes infected with SARS-CoV-2 (WA1/2020, MOI = 1). ( A , B ) Relative expression of viral ( A ) genomic RNA (nucleocapsid, *** p = 0.0002, ** p = 0.0018) and ( B ) sub-genomic RNA (ORF1ab, *** p = 0.0003, * p = 0.0263), normalized to β-actin. ( C ) Viral loads measured from supernatant using plaque assay. (**** p < 0.0001, ** p = 0.0024). Data are pooled from two independent experiments ( n = 8, biological replicates). Statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA. ( D ) IL-6 levels in the supernatant of differentiated adipocytes with or without viral infection (MOI = 1), measured by ELISA. Data are pooled from three independent experiments ( n = 14, biological replicates, **** p < 0.0001). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. ( E – G ) Adipocytes were infected at 4, 9, 12, 16, and 20 days post-differentiation (MOI = 1), with measurements taken 48 h post-infection. ( E ) Viral loads measured by plaque assay; data represent two independent experiments ( n = 4, biological replicates, **** p < 0.0001). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. ( F ) Western blot of viral nucleocapsid, FABP4, and β-actin proteins levels in cell lysates. ( G ) Quantification of nucleocapsid and FABP4 band intensities normalized to β-actin, representative of two independent experiments ( n = 4, biological replicates, **** p < 0.0001, *** p = 0.0001 and 0.0006). Statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA. ( H , I ) Percent area of lipid droplets in infected cells and neighboring cells, quantified by fluorescence neutral lipid staining (Bodipy). Infected cells identified by ( H ) nucleocapsid-positive staining and ( I ) dsRNA-positive staining. Data pooled from two independent experiments ( n = 6, biological replicates, **** p < 0.0001, *** p = 0.0001); statistical analysis was performed using a standard t-test. ( J ) Representative confocal images of infected differentiated adipocytes (MOI = 1), stained for dsRNA (red), lipid droplets (yellow), and nucleus (DAPI, blue). Scale bar = 50 μm; magnified regions = 10 μm ( n = 3). ( K ) Percent lipid droplet area relative to dsRNA-positive area per cell. Pearson correlation coefficient indicated as r. ( L , M ) Representative confocal images of control and infected adipocytes at 8, 12, 24, and 48 h post-infection, stained for dsRNA (red), lipid droplets (yellow), calnexin (blue), and FABP4 (gray). ( L ) Merged image of all stains (Scale bar = 50 μm); insets highlight overlap of FABP4, dsRNA, and calnexin (Scale bar = 5 μm). ( M ) Signal overlap between dsRNA, FABP4, and calnexin, and between FABP4 and calnexin individually (Scale bar = 5 μm). ( N – P ) Colocalization of target signals over time, represented as Pearson correlation R. Cells infected with MOI = 3 at 8 and 12 hpi; data pooled from two independent experiments ( n = 6, biological replicates, **** p < 0.0001). For 24 and 48 hpi, MOI = 1 was used ( n = 3) biological replicates. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. Data shown as mean ± s.e.m. .
Article Snippet: The following antibodies were used for this study: anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid mouse antibody (Cell Signaling Technology, 33717—1:200 dilution), anti-double stranded RNA J2 mouse antibody (Exalpha, 10010500—1:200 dilution), anti-calnexin rabbit antibody (Cell Signaling Technology, 2679—1:200 dilution), anti-FABP4 rabbit monoclonal antibody (Abcam, ab216708—1:200 dilution), anti-FABP4 goat polyclonal antibody (Novus, AF1443—1:200 dilution), anti-mouse secondary antibody (Cell Signaling Technology, 4410—1:1000 dilution), anti-rabbit secondary antibody (ThermoFisher Scientific, A-11037—1:1000 dilution).
Techniques: Infection, Expressing, Plaque Assay, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Western Blot, Fluorescence, Staining, Control