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Kate L. Jeffrey

Bio: Kate L. Jeffrey is an academic researcher from Harvard University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Epigenetics & Innate immune system. The author has an hindex of 16, co-authored 28 publications receiving 3625 citations. Previous affiliations of Kate L. Jeffrey include Rockefeller University & Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
23 Dec 2010-Nature
TL;DR: A synthetic compound (I-BET) is described that by ‘mimicking’ acetylated histones disrupts chromatin complexes responsible for the expression of key inflammatory genes in activated macrophages, and confers protection against lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxic shock and bacteria-induced sepsis.
Abstract: Interaction of pathogens with cells of the immune system results in activation of inflammatory gene expression. This response, although vital for immune defence, is frequently deleterious to the host due to the exaggerated production of inflammatory proteins. The scope of inflammatory responses reflects the activation state of signalling proteins upstream of inflammatory genes as well as signal-induced assembly of nuclear chromatin complexes that support mRNA expression. Recognition of post-translationally modified histones by nuclear proteins that initiate mRNA transcription and support mRNA elongation is a critical step in the regulation of gene expression. Here we present a novel pharmacological approach that targets inflammatory gene expression by interfering with the recognition of acetylated histones by the bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) family of proteins. We describe a synthetic compound (I-BET) that by 'mimicking' acetylated histones disrupts chromatin complexes responsible for the expression of key inflammatory genes in activated macrophages, and confers protection against lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxic shock and bacteria-induced sepsis. Our findings suggest that synthetic compounds specifically targeting proteins that recognize post-translationally modified histones can serve as a new generation of immunomodulatory drugs.

1,407 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
29 Oct 2010-Cell
TL;DR: It is shown that fully differentiated monocyte-derived DCs (Mo-DCs) develop in mice and DC-SIGN/CD209a marks the cells, and the blood monocyte reservoir becomes the dominant presenting cell in response to select microbes, yielding DC- SIGN(+) cells with critical functions of DCs.

551 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: From a drug discovery perspective, DUSP family members are promising drug targets for manipulating MAPK-dependent immune responses in a cell-type and disease-context-dependent manner, to either boost or subdueimmune responses in cancers, infectious diseases or inflammatory disorders.
Abstract: Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) are a subset of protein tyrosine phosphatases, many of which dephosphorylate threonine and tyrosine residues on mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and hence are also referred to as MAPK phosphatases (MKPs). The regulated expression and activity of DUSP family members in different cells and tissues controls MAPK intensity and duration to determine the type of physiological response. For immune cells, DUSPs regulate responses in both positive and negative ways, and DUSP-deficient mice have been used to identify individual DUSPs as key regulators of immune responses. From a drug discovery perspective, DUSP family members are promising drug targets for manipulating MAPK-dependent immune responses in a cell-type and disease-context-dependent manner, to either boost or subdue immune responses in cancers, infectious diseases or inflammatory disorders.

454 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that maturation of miR-451, a functional miRNA that is perfectly conserved among vertebrates, is independent of Dicer, and the mir-451 backbone is amenable to reprogramming, permitting vector-driven expression of diverse functional miRNAs in the absence of Dacer.
Abstract: Canonical animal microRNAs (miRNAs) are generated by sequential cleavage of precursor substrates by the Drosha and Dicer RNase III enzymes. Several variant pathways exploit other RNA metabolic activities to generate functional miRNAs. However, all of these pathways culminate in Dicer cleavage, suggesting that this is a unifying feature of miRNA biogenesis. Here, we show that maturation of miR-451, a functional miRNA that is perfectly conserved among vertebrates, is independent of Dicer. Instead, structure-function and knockdown studies indicate that Drosha generates a short pre-mir-451 hairpin that is directly cleaved by Ago2 and followed by resection of its 3′ terminus. We provide stringent evidence for this model by showing that Dicer knockout cells can generate mature miR-451 but not other miRNAs, whereas Ago2 knockout cells reconstituted with wild-type Ago2, but not Slicer-deficient Ago2, can process miR-451. Finally, we show that the mir-451 backbone is amenable to reprogramming, permitting vector-driven expression of diverse functional miRNAs in the absence of Dicer. Beyond the demonstration of an alternative strategy to direct gene silencing, these observations open the way for transgenic rescue of Dicer conditional knockouts.

441 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
22 Mar 2012-Nature
TL;DR: It is proposed that the histone mimic in NS1 enables the influenza virus to affect inducible gene expression selectively, thus contributing to suppression of the antiviral response.
Abstract: Viral infection is commonly associated with virus-driven hijacking of host proteins. Here we describe a novel mechanism by which influenza virus affects host cells through the interaction of influenza non-structural protein 1 (NS1) with the infected cell epigenome. We show that the NS1 protein of influenza A H3N2 subtype possesses a histone-like sequence (histone mimic) that is used by the virus to target the human PAF1 transcription elongation complex (hPAF1C). We demonstrate that binding of NS1 to hPAF1C depends on the NS1 histone mimic and results in suppression of hPAF1C-mediated transcriptional elongation. Furthermore, human PAF1 has a crucial role in the antiviral response. Loss of hPAF1C binding by NS1 attenuates influenza infection, whereas hPAF1C deficiency reduces antiviral gene expression and renders cells more susceptible to viruses. We propose that the histone mimic in NS1 enables the influenza virus to affect inducible gene expression selectively, thus contributing to suppression of the antiviral response.

264 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Small non-coding RNAs that function as guide molecules in RNA silencing are involved in nearly all developmental and pathological processes in animals and their dysregulation is associated with many human diseases.
Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that function as guide molecules in RNA silencing. Targeting most protein-coding transcripts, miRNAs are involved in nearly all developmental and pathological processes in animals. The biogenesis of miRNAs is under tight temporal and spatial control, and their dysregulation is associated with many human diseases, particularly cancer. In animals, miRNAs are ∼22 nucleotides in length, and they are produced by two RNase III proteins--Drosha and Dicer. miRNA biogenesis is regulated at multiple levels, including at the level of miRNA transcription; its processing by Drosha and Dicer in the nucleus and cytoplasm, respectively; its modification by RNA editing, RNA methylation, uridylation and adenylation; Argonaute loading; and RNA decay. Non-canonical pathways for miRNA biogenesis, including those that are independent of Drosha or Dicer, are also emerging.

4,256 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
David E. Gordon, Gwendolyn M. Jang, Mehdi Bouhaddou, Jiewei Xu, Kirsten Obernier, Kris M. White1, Matthew J. O’Meara2, Veronica V. Rezelj3, Jeffrey Z. Guo, Danielle L. Swaney, Tia A. Tummino4, Ruth Hüttenhain, Robyn M. Kaake, Alicia L. Richards, Beril Tutuncuoglu, Helene Foussard, Jyoti Batra, Kelsey M. Haas, Maya Modak, Minkyu Kim, Paige Haas, Benjamin J. Polacco, Hannes Braberg, Jacqueline M. Fabius, Manon Eckhardt, Margaret Soucheray, Melanie J. Bennett, Merve Cakir, Michael McGregor, Qiongyu Li, Bjoern Meyer3, Ferdinand Roesch3, Thomas Vallet3, Alice Mac Kain3, Lisa Miorin1, Elena Moreno1, Zun Zar Chi Naing, Yuan Zhou, Shiming Peng4, Ying Shi, Ziyang Zhang, Wenqi Shen, Ilsa T Kirby, James E. Melnyk, John S. Chorba, Kevin Lou, Shizhong Dai, Inigo Barrio-Hernandez5, Danish Memon5, Claudia Hernandez-Armenta5, Jiankun Lyu4, Christopher J.P. Mathy, Tina Perica4, Kala Bharath Pilla4, Sai J. Ganesan4, Daniel J. Saltzberg4, Rakesh Ramachandran4, Xi Liu4, Sara Brin Rosenthal6, Lorenzo Calviello4, Srivats Venkataramanan4, Jose Liboy-Lugo4, Yizhu Lin4, Xi Ping Huang7, Yongfeng Liu7, Stephanie A. Wankowicz, Markus Bohn4, Maliheh Safari4, Fatima S. Ugur, Cassandra Koh3, Nastaran Sadat Savar3, Quang Dinh Tran3, Djoshkun Shengjuler3, Sabrina J. Fletcher3, Michael C. O’Neal, Yiming Cai, Jason C.J. Chang, David J. Broadhurst, Saker Klippsten, Phillip P. Sharp4, Nicole A. Wenzell4, Duygu Kuzuoğlu-Öztürk4, Hao-Yuan Wang4, Raphael Trenker4, Janet M. Young8, Devin A. Cavero4, Devin A. Cavero9, Joseph Hiatt9, Joseph Hiatt4, Theodore L. Roth, Ujjwal Rathore9, Ujjwal Rathore4, Advait Subramanian4, Julia Noack4, Mathieu Hubert3, Robert M. Stroud4, Alan D. Frankel4, Oren S. Rosenberg, Kliment A. Verba4, David A. Agard4, Melanie Ott, Michael Emerman8, Natalia Jura, Mark von Zastrow, Eric Verdin4, Eric Verdin10, Alan Ashworth4, Olivier Schwartz3, Christophe d'Enfert3, Shaeri Mukherjee4, Matthew P. Jacobson4, Harmit S. Malik8, Danica Galonić Fujimori, Trey Ideker6, Charles S. Craik, Stephen N. Floor4, James S. Fraser4, John D. Gross4, Andrej Sali, Bryan L. Roth7, Davide Ruggero, Jack Taunton4, Tanja Kortemme, Pedro Beltrao5, Marco Vignuzzi3, Adolfo García-Sastre, Kevan M. Shokat, Brian K. Shoichet4, Nevan J. Krogan 
30 Apr 2020-Nature
TL;DR: A human–SARS-CoV-2 protein interaction map highlights cellular processes that are hijacked by the virus and that can be targeted by existing drugs, including inhibitors of mRNA translation and predicted regulators of the sigma receptors.
Abstract: A newly described coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected over 2.3 million people, led to the death of more than 160,000 individuals and caused worldwide social and economic disruption1,2. There are no antiviral drugs with proven clinical efficacy for the treatment of COVID-19, nor are there any vaccines that prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2, and efforts to develop drugs and vaccines are hampered by the limited knowledge of the molecular details of how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells. Here we cloned, tagged and expressed 26 of the 29 SARS-CoV-2 proteins in human cells and identified the human proteins that physically associated with each of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins using affinity-purification mass spectrometry, identifying 332 high-confidence protein–protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and human proteins. Among these, we identify 66 druggable human proteins or host factors targeted by 69 compounds (of which, 29 drugs are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, 12 are in clinical trials and 28 are preclinical compounds). We screened a subset of these in multiple viral assays and found two sets of pharmacological agents that displayed antiviral activity: inhibitors of mRNA translation and predicted regulators of the sigma-1 and sigma-2 receptors. Further studies of these host-factor-targeting agents, including their combination with drugs that directly target viral enzymes, could lead to a therapeutic regimen to treat COVID-19. A human–SARS-CoV-2 protein interaction map highlights cellular processes that are hijacked by the virus and that can be targeted by existing drugs, including inhibitors of mRNA translation and predicted regulators of the sigma receptors.

3,319 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An update on canonical and non-canonical miRNA biogenesis pathways and various mechanisms underlying miRNA-mediated gene regulations and the current knowledge of the dynamics of miRNA action and of the secretion, transfer, and uptake of extracellular miRNAs is provided.
Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that play important roles in regulating gene expression. The majority of miRNAs are transcribed from DNA sequences into primary miRNAs and processed into precursor miRNAs, and finally mature miRNAs. In most cases, miRNAs interact with the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of target mRNAs to induce mRNA degradation and translational repression. However, interaction of miRNAs with other regions, including the 5' UTR, coding sequence, and gene promoters, have also been reported. Under certain conditions, miRNAs can also activate translation or regulate transcription. The interaction of miRNAs with their target genes is dynamic and dependent on many factors, such as subcellular location of miRNAs, the abundancy of miRNAs and target mRNAs, and the affinity of miRNA-mRNA interactions. miRNAs can be secreted into extracellular fluids and transported to target cells via vesicles, such as exosomes, or by binding to proteins, including Argonautes. Extracellular miRNAs function as chemical messengers to mediate cell-cell communication. In this review, we provide an update on canonical and non-canonical miRNA biogenesis pathways and various mechanisms underlying miRNA-mediated gene regulations. We also summarize the current knowledge of the dynamics of miRNA action and of the secretion, transfer, and uptake of extracellular miRNAs.

2,538 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
29 Oct 2009-Nature
TL;DR: It is shown that SCFA–GPR43 interactions profoundly affect inflammatory responses, and GPR43 binding of SCFAs potentially provides a molecular link between diet, gastrointestinal bacterial metabolism, and immune and inflammatory responses.
Abstract: The immune system responds to pathogens by a variety of pattern recognition molecules such as the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which promote recognition of dangerous foreign pathogens. However, recent evidence indicates that normal intestinal microbiota might also positively influence immune responses, and protect against the development of inflammatory diseases. One of these elements may be short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are produced by fermentation of dietary fibre by intestinal microbiota. A feature of human ulcerative colitis and other colitic diseases is a change in 'healthy' microbiota such as Bifidobacterium and Bacteriodes, and a concurrent reduction in SCFAs. Moreover, increased intake of fermentable dietary fibre, or SCFAs, seems to be clinically beneficial in the treatment of colitis. SCFAs bind the G-protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43, also known as FFAR2), and here we show that SCFA-GPR43 interactions profoundly affect inflammatory responses. Stimulation of GPR43 by SCFAs was necessary for the normal resolution of certain inflammatory responses, because GPR43-deficient (Gpr43(-/-)) mice showed exacerbated or unresolving inflammation in models of colitis, arthritis and asthma. This seemed to relate to increased production of inflammatory mediators by Gpr43(-/-) immune cells, and increased immune cell recruitment. Germ-free mice, which are devoid of bacteria and express little or no SCFAs, showed a similar dysregulation of certain inflammatory responses. GPR43 binding of SCFAs potentially provides a molecular link between diet, gastrointestinal bacterial metabolism, and immune and inflammatory responses.

2,515 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
06 Jul 2012-Cell
TL;DR: The basic principles behind DNA methylation, histone modification, nucleosome remodeling, and RNA-mediated targeting are presented and the evidence suggesting that their misregulation can culminate in cancer is highlighted.

2,501 citations