NOG1 downregulates type I interferon production by targeting phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 3.

The innate immune system is the first line of the host's defense, and studying the mechanisms of the negative regulation of interferon (IFN) signaling is important for maintaining the balance of innate immune responses. Here, we found that the host GTP-binding protein 4 (NOG1) is a negative regulator of innate immune responses. Overexpression of NOG1 inhibited viral RNA- and DNA-mediated signaling pathways, and NOG1 deficiency promoted the antiviral innate immune response, resulting in the ability of NOG1 to promote viral replication. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection induced a higher level of IFN-ß protein in NOG1 deficient mice. Meanwhile, NOG1-deficient mice were more resistant to VSV and HSV-1 infection. NOG1 inhibited type I IFN production by targeting IRF3. NOG1 was also found to interact with phosphorylated IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) to impair its DNA binding activity, thereby downregulating the transcription of IFN-ß and downstream IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). The GTP binding domain of NOG1 is responsible for this process. In conclusion, our study reveals an underlying mechanism of how NOG1 negatively regulates IFN-ß by targeting IRF3, which uncovers a novel role of NOG1 in host innate immunity.

Picornavirus infection enhances aspartate by the SLC38A8 transporter to promote viral replication.

Foot-and-mouth disease, a class of animal diseases, is caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). The metabolic changes during FMDV infection remain unclear. Here, PK-15 cells, serum, and tonsils infected with FMDV were analyzed by metabolomics. A total of 284 metabolites in cells were significantly changed after FMDV infection, and most of them belong to amino acids and nucleotides. Further studies showed that FMDV infection significantly enhanced aspartate in vitro and in vivo. The amino acid transporter solute carrier family 38 member 8 (SLC38A8) was responsible for FMDV-upregulated aspartate. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Seneca Valley virus (SVV) infection also enhanced aspartate by SLC38A8. Aspartate aminotransferase activity was also elevated in FMDV-, EV71-, and SVV-infected cells, which may lead to reversible transition between the TCA cycle and amino acids synthesis. Aspartate and SLC38A8 were essential for FMDV, EV71, and SVV replication in cells. In addition, aspartate and SLC38A8 also promoted FMDV and EV71 replication in mice. Detailed analysis indicated that FMDV infection promoted the transfer of mTOR to lysosome to enhance interaction between mTOR and Rheb, and activated PI3K/AKT/TSC2/Rheb/mTOR/p70S6K1 pathway to promote viral replication. The mTORC1 signaling pathway was responsible for FMDV-induced SLC38A8 protein expression. For the first time, our data identified metabolic changes during FMDV infection. These data identified a novel mechanism used by FMDV to upregulate aspartate to promote viral replication and will provide new perspectives for developing new preventive strategies.

Innate sensing of picornavirus infection involves cGAS-STING-mediated antiviral responses triggered by mitochondrial DNA release.

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) plays a key role in the innate immune responses to both DNA and RNA virus infection. Here, we found that enterovirus 71 (EV-A71), Seneca Valley virus (SVV), and foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection triggered mitochondria damage and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) release in vitro and vivo. These responses were mediated by picornavirus 2B proteins which induced mtDNA release during viral replication. SVV infection caused the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and led to voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1)- and BCL2 antagonist/killer 1 (Bak) and Bak/BCL2-associated X (Bax)-dependent mtDNA leakage into the cytoplasm, while EV-A71 and FMDV infection induced mPTP opening and resulted in VDAC1-dependent mtDNA release. The released mtDNA bound to cGAS and activated cGAS-mediated antiviral immune response. cGAS was essential for inhibiting EV-A71, SVV, and FMDV replication by regulation of IFN-ß production. cGAS deficiency contributed to higher mortality of EV-A71- or FMDV-infected mice. In addition, we found that SVV 2C protein was responsible for decreasing cGAS expression through the autophagy pathway. The 9th and 153rd amino acid sites in 2C were critical for induction of cGAS degradation. Furthermore, we also show that EV-A71, CA16, and EMCV 2C antagonize the cGAS-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway through interaction with STING, and highly conserved amino acids Y155 and S156 were critical for this inhibitory effect. In conclusion, these data reveal novel mechanisms of picornaviruses to block the antiviral effect mediated by the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, which will provide insights for developing antiviral strategies against picornaviruses.

The Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Lb Protease Cleaves Intracellular Transcription Factors STAT1 and STAT2 to Antagonize IFN-ß-Induced Signaling.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is the causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease, one of the most highly infectious animal viruses throughout the world. The JAK-STAT signaling pathway is a highly conserved pathway for IFN-ß-induced antiviral gene expression. Previous studies have shown that FMDV can strongly suppress the innate immune response. Moreover, although STAT1 and STAT2 (STAT1/2) have been well established in JAK-STAT signaling-induced antiviral gene expression, whether FMDV proteins inhibit IFN-ß-induced JAK-STAT signaling remains poorly understood. In this study, we described the Lb leader protease (Lbpro) of FMDV as a candidate for inhibiting IFN-ß-induced signaling transduction via directly interacting with STAT1/2. We further showed that Lbpro colocalized with STAT1/2 to inhibit their nuclear translocation. Importantly, Lbpro cleaved STAT1/2 to inhibit IFN-ß-induced signal transduction, whereas the catalytically inactive mutant of LC51A (Lbpro with cysteine substituted with alanine at amino acid residue 51) had no effect on the stability of STAT1/2 proteins. The cleavage of the STAT1/2 proteins was also determined during FMDV infection in vitro. Lbpro could cleave the residues between 252 and 502 aa for STAT1 and the site spanning residues 140 - 150 aa (QQHEIESRIL) for STAT2. The in vivo results showed that Lbpro can cleave STAT1/2 in pigs. Overall, our findings suggest that FMDV Lbpro-mediated targeting of STAT1/2 may reveal a novel mechanism for viral immune evasion.

African Swine Fever Virus E184L Protein Interacts with Innate Immune Adaptor STING to Block IFN Production for Viral Replication and Pathogenesis.

African swine fever is one of the most serious viral diseases that affects domestic and wild pigs. The causative agent, African swine fever virus (ASFV), has evolved sophisticated immune evasion mechanisms that target both innate and adaptive immune responses. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully understood. Here, we report that ASFV E184L protein inhibits host innate immune response via targeting the stimulator of IFN genes (STING)-mediated signaling pathway in both human embryonic kidney HEK-293T cells and porcine pulmonary alveolar macrophages. E184L interacts with STING, impairing dimerization and oligomerization of STING but not affecting its puncta formation at the perinuclear region. Furthermore, E184L disrupts STING-TBK1-IRF3 complex formation, leading to inhibition of STING phosphorylation, and IRF3 dimerization and nuclear translocation. The 1-20 aa region in E184L is essential for E184L-STING interaction and blocking IL-1ß and type I IFN production. Deletion of E184L in ASFV considerably impairs antagonistic function of the virus in suppression of the STING-mediated antiviral response, an effect that is reversible by introduction of E184L. Importantly, the virulence of mutant ASFV lacking E184L is reduced in pigs compared with its parental virus due to induction of higher IFN production in vivo. Our findings indicate that ASFV E184L is an important antagonist of IFN signaling to evade host innate immune antiviral responses, which improves our understanding of immune evasion mechanisms of ASFV.

Deletions of MGF110-9L and MGF360-9L from African swine fever virus are highly attenuated in swine and confer protection against homologous challenge.

African swine fever, caused by a large icosahedral DNA virus (African swine fever virus, ASFV), is a highly contagious disease in domestic and feral swine, thus posing a significant economic threat to the global swine industry. Currently, there are no effective vaccines or the available methods to control ASFV infection. Attenuated live viruses with deleted virulence factors are considered to be the most promising vaccine candidates; however, the mechanism by which these attenuated viruses confer protection is unclear. Here, we used the Chinese ASFV CN/GS/2018 as a backbone and used homologous recombination to generate a virus in which MGF110-9L and MGF360-9L, two genes antagonize host innate antiviral immune response, were deleted (ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L). This genetically modified virus was highly attenuated in pigs and provided effective protection of pigs against parental ASFV challenge. Importantly, we found ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L infection induced higher expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mRNA compared with parental ASFV as determined by RNA-Seq and RT-PCR analysis. Further immunoblotting results showed that parental ASFV and ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L infection inhibited Pam3CSK4-triggered activating phosphorylation of proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB subunit p65 and phosphorylation of NF-κB inhibitor IκBα levels, although NF-κB activation was higher in ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L-infected cells compared with parental ASFV-infected cells. Additionally, we show overexpression of TLR2 inhibited ASFV replication and the expression of ASFV p72 protein, whereas knockdown of TLR2 had the opposite effect. Our findings suggest that the attenuated virulence of ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L might be mediated by increased NF-κB and TLR2 signaling.

Peste Des Petits Ruminants Virus Nucleocapsid Protein Interacts with Protein Kinase R-Activating Protein and Induces Stress Granules To Promote Viral Replication.

The pathogenic mechanisms of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infection remain poorly understood, leaving peste des petits ruminants (PPR) control and eradication especially difficult. Here, we determined that PPRV nucleocapsid (N) protein triggers formation of stress granules (SGs) to benefit viral replication. A mass spectrometry-based profiling of the interactome of PPRV N protein revealed that PPRV N protein interacted with protein kinase R (PKR)-activating protein (PACT), and this interaction was confirmed in the context of PPRV infection. PACT was essential for PPRV replication. Besides, the ectopic expression of N activated the PKR/eIF2α (α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2) pathway through induction of PKR phosphorylation, but it did not induce PKR phosphorylation in PACT-deficient (PACT-/-) cells. PPRV N interacted with PACT, impairing the interaction between PACT and a PKR inhibitor, transactivation response RNA-binding protein (TRBP), which subsequently enhanced the interaction between PACT and PKR and thus promoted the activation of PKR and eIF2α phosphorylation, resulting in formation of stress granules (SGs). Consistently, PPRV infection induced SG formation through activation of the PKR/eIF2α pathway, and knockdown of N impaired PPRV-induced SG formation. PPRV-induced SG formation significantly decreased in PACT-/- cells as well. The role of SG formation in PPRV replication was subsequently investigated, which showed that SG formation plays a positive role in PPRV replication. By using an RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization assay, we found that PPRV-induced SGs hid cellular mRNA rather than viral mRNA. Altogether, our data provide the first evidence that PPRV N protein plays a role in modulating the PKR/eIF2α/SG axis and promotes virus replication through targeting PACT. IMPORTANCE Stress granule (SG) formation is a conserved cellular strategy to reduce stress-related damage regulating cell survival. A mass spectrometry-based profiling of the interactome of PPRV N protein revealed that PPRV N interacted with PACT to regulate the assembly of SGs. N protein inhibited the interaction between PACT and a PKR inhibitor, TRBP, through binding to the M1 domain of PACT, which enhanced the interaction between PACT and PKR and thus promoted PKR activation and subsequent eIF2α phosphorylation as well as SG formation. The regulatory function of N protein was strikingly abrogated in PACT-/- cells. SGs induced by PPRV infection through the PKR/eIF2α pathway are PACT dependent. The loss-of-function assay indicated that PPRV-induced SGs were critical for PPRV replication. We concluded that the PPRV N protein manipulates the host PKR/eIF2α/SG axis to favor virus replication.

Metabolomic analysis of pig spleen reveals African swine fever virus infection increased acylcarnitine levels to facilitate viral replication.

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) that adversely affects the pig industry. The spleen is the main target organ of ASFV; however, the function of metabolites in the spleen during ASFV infection is yet to be investigated. To define the metabolic changes in the spleen after ASFV infection, untargeted and targeted metabolomics analyses of spleens from ASFV-infected pigs were conducted. Untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed 540 metabolites with significant differential levels. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that these metabolites were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, including nucleotide metabolism, purine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. Moreover, 134 of 540 metabolites quantified by targeted metabolomics analysis had differential levels and were enriched in metabolic pathways such as the biosynthesis of cofactors, ABC transporters, and biosynthesis of amino acids. Furthermore, coalition analysis of untargeted and targeted metabolomics data revealed that the levels of acylcarnitines, which are intermediates of fatty acid ß-oxidation, were significantly increased in ASFV-infected spleens compared with those in the uninfected spleens. Moreover, inhibiting fatty acid ß-oxidation significantly reduced ASFV replication, indicating that fatty acid ß-oxidation is essential for this process. To our knowledge, this is the first report presenting the metabolite profiles of ASFV-infected pigs. This study revealed a new mechanism of ASFV-mediated regulation of host metabolism. These findings provide new insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of ASFV, which will benefit the development of target drugs for ASFV replication. IMPORTANCE African swine fever virus, the only member of the Asfarviridae family, relies on hijacking host metabolism to meet the demand for self-replication. However, the change in host metabolism after African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection remains unknown. Here, we analyzed the metabolic changes in the pig spleen after ASFV infection for the first time. ASFV infection increased the levels of acylcarnitines. Inhibition of the production and metabolism of acylcarnitines inhibited ASFV replication. Acylcarnitines are the vital intermediates of fatty acid ß-oxidation. This study highlights the critical role of fatty acid ß-oxidation in ASFV infection, which may help identify target drugs to control African swine fever disease.

Deletion of MGF-110-9L gene from African swine fever virus weakens autophagic degradation of TBK1 as a mechanism for enhancing type I interferon production.

African swine fever (ASF) caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a devastating disease for the global pig industry and economic benefit. The limited knowledge on the pathogenesis and infection mechanisms of ASF restricts progress toward vaccine development and ASF control. Previously, we illustrated that deletion of the MGF-110-9L gene from highly virulent ASFV CN/GS/2018 strains (ASFV∆9L) results in attenuated virulence in swine, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that the difference in virulence between wild-type ASFV (wt-ASFV) and ASFV∆9L strains was mainly caused by the difference in TANK Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1) reduction. TBK1 reduction was further identified to be mediated by the autophagy pathway and this degradative process requires the up-regulation of a positive autophagy regulation molecule- Phosphatidylinositol-4-Phosphate 3-Kinase Catalytic Subunit Type 2 Beta (PIK3C2B). Moreover, TBK1 over-expression was confirmed to inhibit ASFV replication in vitro. In summary, these results indicate that wt-ASFV counteracts type I interferon (IFN) production by degrading TBK1, while ASFVΔ9L enhanced type I IFN production by weakening TBK1 reduction, clarifying the mechanism that ASFVΔ9L present the attenuated virulence in vitro.

Role of neuropeptides in orofacial pain: A literature review.

BACKGROUND: Neuropeptides play a critical role in regulating pain and inflammation. Despite accumulating evidence has further uncovered the novel functions and mechanisms of different neuropeptides in orofacial pain sensation and transmission, there is deficient systematic description of neuropeptides' pain modulation in the orofacial region, especially in the trigeminal system. OBJECTIVES: The present review aims to summarise several key neuropeptides and gain a better understanding of their major regulatory roles in orofacial inflammation and pain. METHODS: We review and summarise current studies related to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), opioid peptide (OP), galanin (GAL) and other neuropeptides' functions and mechanisms as well as promising targets for orofacial pain control. RESULTS: A number of neuropeptides are clearly expressed in the trigeminal sensory system and have critical functions in the transduction and pathogenesis of orofacial pain. The functions, possible cellular and molecular mechanisms have been introduced and discussed. Neuropeptides and their agonists or antagonists which are widely studied to be potential treatment options of orofacial pain has been evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: Various neuropeptides play important but distinct (pro-nociceptive or analgesic) roles in orofacial pain with different mechanisms. In summary, CGRP, SP, NPY, NKA, HK-1, VIP mainly play proinflammatory and pro-nociceptive effects while OP, GAL, OXT, OrxA mainly have inhibitory effects on orofacial pain.

African Swine Fever Virus Regulates Host Energy and Amino Acid Metabolism To Promote Viral Replication.

African swine fever is one of the most serious viral diseases caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). The metabolic changes induced by ASFV infection remain unknown. Here, porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) infected with ASFV was analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) in combination with multivariate statistical analysis. A total of 90 metabolites were significantly changed after ASFV infection, and most of them were amino acids and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates. ASFV infection induced an increase in most of amino acids in the host during the early stages of infection, and amino acids decreased in the late stages of infection. ASFV infection did not significantly affect the glycolysis pathway, whereas it induced increases in citrate, succinate, α-ketoglutarate, and oxaloacetate levels in the TCA cycle, suggesting that ASFV infection promoted the TCA cycle. The activities of aspartate aminotransferase and glutamate production were significantly elevated in ASFV-infected cells and pigs, resulting in reversible transition between TCA cycle and amino acid synthesis. Aspartate, glutamate, and TCA cycle were essential for ASFV replication. In addition, ASFV infection induced an increase in lactate level using lactate dehydrogenase, which led to low expression of beta interferon (IFN-ß) and increased ASFV replication. Our data, for the first time, indicate that ASFV infection controls IFN-ß production through RIG-I-mediated signaling pathways. These data identified a novel mechanism evolved by ASFV to inhibit host innate immune responses and provide insights for development of new preventive or therapeutic strategies targeting the altered metabolic pathways. IMPORTANCE In order to promote viral replication, viruses often cause severe immunosuppression and seize organelles to synthesize a large number of metabolites required for self-replication. African swine fever virus (ASFV) has developed many strategies to evade host innate immune responses. However, the impact of ASFV infection on host cellular metabolism remains unknown. Here, for the first time, we analyzed the metabolomic profiles of ASFV-infected PAMs. ASFV infection increased host TCA cycle and amino acid metabolism. Aspartate, glutamate, and TCA cycle promoted ASFV replication. ASFV infection also induced the increase of lactate production to inhibit innate immune responses for self-replication. This study identified novel immune evasion mechanisms utilized by ASFV and provided insights into ASFV-host interactions, which is critical for guiding the design of new prevention strategies against ASFV targeting the altered metabolic pathways.

Combinational Deletions of MGF360-9L and MGF505-7R Attenuated Highly Virulent African Swine Fever Virus and Conferred Protection against Homologous Challenge.

Multigene family (MGF) gene products are increasingly reported to be implicated in African swine fever virus (ASFV) virulence and attenuation of host defenses, among which the MGF360-9L and MGF505-7R gene products are characterized by convergent but distinct mechanisms of immune evasion. Herein, a recombinant ASFV mutant, ASFV-Δ9L/Δ7R, bearing combinational deletions of MGF360-9L and MGF505-7R, was constructed from the highly virulent ASFV strain CN/GS/2018 of genotype II that is currently circulating in China. Pigs inoculated intramuscularly with 104 50% hemadsorption doses (HAD50) of the mutant remained clinically healthy without any serious side effects. Importantly, in a virulence challenge, all four within-pen contact pigs demonstrated clinical signs and pathological findings consistent with ASF. In contrast, vaccinated pigs (5/6) were protected and clinical indicators tended to be normal, accompanied by extensive tissue repairs. Similar to most viral infections, innate immunity and both humoral and cellular immune responses appeared to be vital for protection. Notably, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed a regulatory function of the mutant in dramatic and sustained expression of type I/III interferons and inflammatory and innate immune genes in vitro. Furthermore, infection with the mutant elicited an early and robust p30-specific IgG response, which coincided and was strongly correlated with the protective efficacy. Analysis of the cellular response revealed a strong ASFV-specific interferon gamma (IFN-γ) response and immunostaining of CD4+ T cells coupled with a high level of CD163+ macrophage infiltration in spleens of vaccinated pigs. Our study identifies a new mechanism of immunological regulation by ASFV MGFs that rationalizes the design of live attenuated vaccine for implementation of improved control strategies to eradicate ASFV. IMPORTANCE Currently, the deficiency in commercially available vaccines or therapeutic options against African swine fever constitutes a matter of major concern in the swine industry globally. Here, we report the design and construction of a recombinant ASFV mutant harboring combinational deletions of interferon inhibitors MGF360-9L and MGF505-7R based on a genotype II ASFV CN/GS/2018 strain currently circulating in China. The mutant was completely attenuated when inoculated at a high dose of 104 HAD50. In the virulence challenge with homologous virus, sterile immunity was achieved, demonstrating the mutant's potential as a promising vaccine candidate. This sufficiency of effectiveness supports the claim that this live attenuated virus may be a viable vaccine option with which to fight ASF.

FMDV 3A Antagonizes the Effect of ANXA1 to Positively Modulate Viral Replication.

The RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway is crucial for producing type I interferon (IFN-I) against RNA viruses. The present study observed that viral infection increased annexin-A1 (ANXA1) expression, and ANXA1 then promoted RNA virus-induced IFN-I production. Compared to ANXA1 wild-type cells, ANXA1-/- knockout cells showed IFN-ß production decreasing after viral stimulation. RNA virus stimulation induced ANXA1 to regulate IFN-ß production through the TBK1-IRF3 axis but not through the NF-κB axis. ANXA1 also interacted with JAK1 and STAT1 to increase signal transduction induced by IFN-ß or IFN-γ. We assessed the effect of ANXA1 on the replication of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) and found that ANXA1 inhibits FMDV replication dependent on IFN-I production. FMDV 3A plays critical roles in viral replication and host range. The results showed that FMDV 3A interacts with ANXA1 to inhibit its ability to promote IFN-ß production. We also demonstrated that FMDV 3A inhibits the formation of ANXA1-TBK1 complex. These results indicate that ANXA1 positively regulates RNA virus-stimulated IFN-ß production and FMDV 3A antagonizes ANXA1-promoted IFN-ß production to modulate viral replication. IMPORTANCE FMDV is a pathogen that causes one of the world's most destructive and highly contagious animal diseases. The FMDV 3A protein plays a critical role in viral replication and host range. Although 3A is one of the viral proteins that influences FMDV virulence, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. ANXA1 is involved in immune activation against pathogens. The present study demonstrated that FMDV increases ANXA1 expression, while ANXA1 inhibits FMDV replication. The results also showed that ANXA1 promotes RNA virus-induced IFN-I production through the IRF3 axis at VISA and TBK1 levels. ANXA1 was also found to interact with JAK1 and STAT1 to strengthen signal transduction induced by IFN-ß and IFN-γ. 3A interacted with ANXA1 to inhibit ANXA1-TBK1 complex formation, thereby antagonizing the inhibitory effect of ANXA1 on FMDV replication. This study helps to elucidate the mechanism underlying the effect of the 3A protein on FMDV replication.

Peste Des Petits Ruminants Virus N Protein Is a Critical Proinflammation Factor That Promotes MyD88 and NLRP3 Complex Assembly.

Inflammatory responses play a central role in host defense against invading pathogens. Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) causes highly contagious acute or subacute disease of small ruminants. However, the precise mechanism by which PPRV regulates inflammatory responses remains unknown. Here, we revealed a novel mechanism by which PPRV induces inflammation. Our study showed that PPRV induced the secretion of interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway and the NLRP3 inflammasome. Moreover, PPRV replication and protein synthesis were essential for NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Importantly, PPRV N protein promoted NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome via direct binding of MyD88 and NLPR3, respectively, and induced caspase-1 cleavage and IL-1ß maturation. Biochemically, N protein interacted with MyD88 to potentiate the assembly of MyD88 complex and interacted with NLPR3 to facilitate NLRP3 inflammasome complex assembly by forming an N-NLRP3-ASC ring-like structure, leading to IL-1ß secretion. These findings demonstrate a new function of PPRV N protein as an important proinflammation factor and identify a novel underlying mechanism modulating inflammasome assembly and function induced by PPRV. IMPORTANCE An important part of the innate immune response is the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway and NLPR3 inflammasome, which is induced upon exposure to pathogens. Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is a highly contagious virus causing fever, stomatitis, and pneumoenteritis in goats by inducing many proinflammatory cytokines. Although the NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome play an important role in regulating host immunity and viral infection, the precise mechanism by which PPRV regulates inflammatory responses remains unknown. This study demonstrates that PPRV induces inflammatory responses. Mechanistically, PPRV N protein facilitates the MyD88 complex assembly by directly binding to MyD88 and promotes the NLRP3 inflammasome complex assembly by directly binding to NLRP3 to form ring-like structures of N-NLRP3-ASC. These findings provide insights into the prevention and treatment of PPRV infection.

JMJD6 negatively regulates cytosolic RNA induced antiviral signaling by recruiting RNF5 to promote activated IRF3 K48 ubiquitination.

The negative regulation of antiviral immune responses is essential for the host to maintain homeostasis. Jumonji domain-containing protein 6 (JMJD6) was previously identified with a number of functions during RNA virus infection. Upon viral RNA recognition, retinoic acid-inducible gene-I-like receptors (RLRs) physically interact with the mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) and activate TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) to induce type-I interferon (IFN-I) production. Here, JMJD6 was demonstrated to reduce type-I interferon (IFN-I) production in response to cytosolic poly (I:C) and RNA virus infections, including Sendai virus (SeV) and Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Genetic inactivation of JMJD6 enhanced IFN-I production and impaired viral replication. Our unbiased proteomic screen demonstrated JMJD6 contributes to IRF3 K48 ubiquitination degradation in an RNF5-dependent manner. Mice with gene deletion of JMJD6 through piggyBac transposon-mediated gene transfer showed increased VSV-triggered IFN-I production and reduced susceptibility to the virus. These findings classify JMJD6 as a negative regulator of the host's innate immune responses to cytosolic viral RNA.

Cyproheptadine hydrochloride inhibits African swine fever viral replication in vitro.

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), and has a high mortality rate. It has caused serious socioeconomic consequences worldwide. Currently, there are no available commercial vaccines or antiviral drug interventions. D1133L is one of the key genes for ASFV replication and antiviral drug screening. In this study, a virtual screening software program, PyRx, was used to screen libraries of compounds against the potential drug target D1133L. Twelve compounds with a high affinity for ASFV D1133L were screened, and cyproheptadine hydrochloride (periactin) was identified as a candidate drug. The periactin has little cytotoxicity, and which dose-dependently inhibited ASFV replication in vitro. Further research indicated that periactin could significantly down-regulate D1133L at the transcriptional and protein levels with RT-qPCR and western blot methods. This study has provided important candidate drugs for the prevention and treatment of ASF, as well as biological materials and new fields of view for the research and development of vaccines and drugs for ASFV.

Proteins in pregnant swine serum promote the African swine fever virus replication: an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis.

African swine fever (ASF) is a severe infectious disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), seriously endangering the global pig industry. ASFV possesses a large genome, strong mutation ability, and complex immune escape mechanisms. Since the first case of ASF was reported in China in August 2018, it has had a significant impact on social economy and food safety. In the present study, pregnant swine serum (PSS) was found to promote viral replication; differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in PSS were screened and identified using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation technology and compared with those in non-pregnant swine serum (NPSS). The DEPs were analyzed using Gene Ontology functional annotation, Kyoto Protocol Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathway enrichment, and protein-protein interaction networks. In addition, the DEPs were validated via western blot and RT-qPCR experiments. And the 342 of DEPs were identified in bone marrow-derived macrophages cultured with PSS compared with the NPSS. The 256 were upregulated and 86 of DEPs were downregulated. The primary biological functions of these DEPs involved signaling pathways that regulate cellular immune responses, growth cycles, and metabolism-related pathways. An overexpression experiment showed that the PCNA could promote ASFV replication whereas MASP1 and BST2 could inhibit it. These results further indicated that some protein molecules in PSS were involved in the regulation of ASFV replication. In the present study, the role of PSS in ASFV replication was analyzed using proteomics, and the study will be provided a basis for future detailed research on the pathogenic mechanism and host interactions of ASFV as well as new insights for the development of small-molecule compounds to inhibit ASFV.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Membrane Protein Interacted with IRF7 to Inhibit Type I IFN Production during Viral Infection.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a highly pathogenic porcine enteropathogenic coronavirus causing severe enteritis and lethal watery diarrhea in piglets. PEDV infection suppresses the synthesis of type I IFN, and multiple viral proteins of PEDV have been shown to target the adaptors of innate immune pathways to inhibit type I IFN production. In this study, we identified PEDV membrane (M) protein as a new antagonist of type I IFN production in both human embryonic kidney HEK293T cells and porcine kidney PK-15 cells and determined the antagonistic mechanism used by M protein to target IFN regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), an important regulator of type I IFN production. IRF7 is phosphorylated and activated by TBK1 and IKKε in response to viral infection. We found that PEDV M protein interacted with the inhibitory domain of IRF7 and significantly suppressed TBK1/IKKε-induced IRF7 phosphorylation and dimerization of IRF7, leading to the decreased expression of type I IFN, although it did not affect the interaction between TBK1/IKKε and IRF7. As expected, overexpression of M protein significantly increased PEDV replication in porcine cells. The M proteins of both epidemic PEDV strains and vaccine strain showed similar antagonistic effect on type I IFN production, and the 1-55 region of M protein was essential for disruption of IRF7 function by interacting with IRF7. Taken together, our data identified a new, to our knowledge, IFN antagonist of PEDV, as well as a novel, to our knowledge, antagonistic mechanism evolved by PEDV to inhibit type I IFN production.

Dysregulation of the RIG-I-like Receptor Pathway Signaling by Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus Phosphoprotein.

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is a Morbillivirus that causes highly contagious and severe disease in various ruminants. PPRV infection leads to a severe inhibition of host antiviral immune response. Our previous study demonstrated that PPRV V protein blocks IFN response by targeting STAT proteins. In the current study, we identified the phosphoprotein (P) as a novel antagonistic factor of PPRV to counteract host antiviral innate immune response. PPRV P protein significantly suppressed RIG-I-like receptor pathway signaling and impaired IFN-ß and ISGs expression by targeting IFN regulatory factor (IRF)3 in both human embryonic kidney 293T cells and primary goat fibroblasts. The 1-102 region of P protein was critical for the antagonistic function of P protein. P protein interacted with IRF association domain (IAD) of IRF3 to block the interaction between TBK1 and IRF3. The interaction between TBK1 and the IAD of IRF3 is responsible for triggering the phosphorylation of IRF3. P protein competed with TBK1 to bind to the IAD of IRF3 that contributed to the decreased phosphorylation of IRF3, which, in turn, interfered with the dimerization of IRF3 and blocked IRF3 nuclear transportation. Besides, we also found that P protein interacted with IRF5 and IRF8. However, the involved mechanism remains unknown. Taken together, our results reveal a novel mechanism by which PPRV P protein antagonizes host antiviral innate immune response by interacting with the transcription factor IRF3, thereby inhibiting the type I IFN production and promoting viral replication.

African Swine Fever Virus MGF-505-7R Negatively Regulates cGAS-STING-Mediated Signaling Pathway.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a devastating infectious disease in pigs, severely threatening the global pig industry. To efficiently infect animals, ASFV must evade or inhibit fundamental elements of the innate immune system, namely the type I IFN response. In this study, we identified that ASFV MGF-505-7R protein exerts a negative regulatory effect on STING-dependent antiviral responses. MGF-505-7R interacted with STING and inhibited the cGAS-STING signaling pathway at STING level. MGF-505-7R overexpression either degraded STING or STING expression was reduced in ASFV-infected cells via autophagy, whereas STING expression was elevated in MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV-infected cells. We further found that MGF-505-7R promoted the expression of the autophagy-related protein ULK1 to degrade STING, whereas ULK1 was elevated in MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV-infected cells. Moreover, MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV induced more IFN-ß production than wild-type ASFV and was attenuated in replication compared with wild-type ASFV. The replicative ability of MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV was also attenuated compared with wild-type. Importantly, MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV was fully attenuated in pigs. Our results showed for the first time, to our knowledge, a relationship involving the cGAS-STING pathway and ASFV MGF-505-7R, contributing to uncover the molecular mechanisms of ASFV virulence and to the rational development of ASFV vaccines.