TRIM21-mediated proteasomal degradation of SAMHD1 regulates its antiviral activity

The Emerging Role of Deubiquitinases in Radiosensitivity

Radiation therapy is a primary treatment for cancer, but radioresistance remains a significant challenge in improving efficacy and reducing toxicity. Accumulating evidence suggests that deubiquitinases (DUBs) play a crucial role in regulating cell sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Traditional small-molecule DUB inhibitors have demonstrated radiosensitization effects, and novel deubiquitinase-targeting chimeras (DUBTACs) provide a promising strategy for radiosensitizer development by harnessing the ubiquitin-proteasome system. This review highlights the mechanisms by which DUBs regulate radiosensitivity, including DNA damage repair, the cell cycle, cell death, and hypoxia. Progress on DUB inhibitors and DUBTACs is summarized, and their potential radiosensitization effects are discussed. Developing drugs targeting DUBs appears to be a promising alternative approach to overcoming radioresistance, warranting further research into their mechanisms.

Role of protein Post-translational modifications in enterovirus infection

Enteroviruses (EVs) are the main cause of a number of neurological diseases. Growing evidence has revealed that successful infection with enteroviruses is highly dependent on the host machinery, therefore, host proteins play a pivotal role in viral infections. Both host and viral proteins can undergo post-translational modification (PTM) which can regulate protein activity, stability, solubility and interactions with other proteins; thereby influencing various biological processes, including cell metabolism, metabolic, signaling pathways, cell death, and cancer development. During viral infection, both host and viral proteins regulate the viral life cycle through various PTMs and different mechanisms, including the regulation of host cell entry, viral protein synthesis, genome replication, and the antiviral immune response. Therefore, protein PTMs play important roles in EV infections. Here, we review the role of various host- and virus-associated PTMs during enterovirus infection.

Impaired influenza A virus replication by the host restriction factor SAMHD1 which inhibited by PA-mediated dephosphorylation of the host transcription factor IRF3

BACKGROUND

Influenza A virus (IAV) can cause severe and life-threatening illness in humans and animals. Therefore, it is important to search for host antiviral proteins and elucidate their antiviral mechanisms for the development of potential treatments. As a part of human innate immunity, host restriction factors can inhibit the replication of viruses, among which SAM and HD domain containing deoxynucleoside triphosphate triphosphohydrolase 1 (SAMHD1) can restrict the replication of viruses, such as HIV and enterovirus EV71. Viruses also developed countermeasures in the arms race with their hosts. There are few reports about whether SAMHD1 has a restriction effect on IAV.

METHODS

To investigate the impact of IAV infection on SAMHD1 expression in A549 cells, we infected A549 cells with a varying multiplicity of infection (MOI) of IAV and collected cell samples at different time points for WB and RT-qPCR analysis to detect viral protein and SAMHD1 levels. The virus replication level in the cell culture supernatant was determined using TCID50 assay. Luciferase assay was used to reveal that H5N1 virus polymerase acidic protein (PA) affected the activity of the SAMHD1 promoter. To assess the antiviral capacity of SAMHD1, we generated a knockdown and overexpressed cell line for detecting H5N1 replication.

RESULTS

In this study, we observed that SAMHD1 can restrict the intracellular replication of H5N1 and that the H5N1 viral protein PA can downregulate the expression of SAMHD1 by affecting SAMHD1 transcriptional promoter activity. We also found that SAMHD1's ability to restrict H5N1 is related to phosphorylation at 592-tyrosine.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, we found that SAMHD1 may affect the replication of IAVs as a host restriction factor and be countered by PA. Furthermore, SAMHD1 may be a potential target for developing antiviral drugs.

A Interacting Model: How TRIM21 Orchestrates with Proteins in Intracellular Immunity

Tripartite motif-containing protein 21 (TRIM21), identified as both a cytosolic E3 ubiquitin ligase and FcR (Fragment crystallizable receptor), primarily interacts with proteins via its PRY/SPRY domains and promotes their proteasomal degradation to regulate intracellular immunity. But how TRIM21 involves in intracellular immunity still lacks systematical understanding. Herein, it is probed into the TRIM21-related literature and raises an interacting model about how TRIM21 orchestrates proteins in cytosol. In this novel model, TRIM21 generally interacts with miscellaneous protein in intracellular immunity in two ways: For one, TRIM21 solely plays as an E3, ubiquitylating a glut of proteins that contain specific interferon-regulatory factor, nuclear transcription factor kappaB, virus sensors and others, and involving inflammatory responses. For another, TRIM21 serves as both E3 and specific FcR that detects antibody-complexes and facilitates antibody destroying target proteins. Correspondingly delineated as Fc-independent signaling and Fc-dependent signaling in this review, how TRIM21's interactions contribute to intracellular immunity, expecting to provide a systematical understanding of this important protein and invest enlightenment for further research on the pathogenesis of related diseases and its prospective application is elaborated.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus downregulates vacuolar protein sorting 28 to promote viral replication

Vacuolar protein sorting 28 (Vps28), a component of the ESCRT-I (endosomal sorting complex required for transport I), plays an important role in the pathogen life cycle. Here, we investigated the reciprocal regulation between Vps28 and the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). Overexpression of Vps28 decreased FMDV replication. On the contrary, the knockdown of Vps28 increased viral replication. Subsequently, the mechanistic study showed that Vps28 destabilized the replication complex (RC) by associating with 3A rather than 2C protein. In addition, Vps28 targeted FMDV VP0, VP1, and VP3 for degradation to inhibit viral replication. To counteract this, FMDV utilized tactics to restrict Vps28 to promote viral replication. FMDV degraded Vps28 mainly through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Additional data demonstrated that 2B and 3A proteins recruited E3 ubiquitin ligase tripartite motif-containing protein 21 to degrade Vps28 at Lys58 and Lys25, respectively, and FMDV 3Cpro degraded Vps28 through autophagy and its protease activity. Meantime, the 3Cpro-mediated Vps28 degradation principally alleviated the ability to inhibit viral propagation. Intriguingly, we also demonstrated that the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of Vps28 were responsible for the suppression of FMDV replication, which suggested the elaborated counteraction between FMDV and Vps28. Collectively, our results first investigate the role of ESCRTs in host defense against picornavirus and unveil underlying strategies utilized by FMDV to evade degradation machinery for triumphant propagation. IMPORTANCE ESCRT machinery plays positive roles in virus entry, replication, and budding. However, little has been reported on its negative regulation effects during viral infection. Here, we uncovered the novel roles of ESCRT-I subunit Vps28 on FMDV replication. The data indicated that Vps28 destabilized the RC and impaired viral structural proteins VP0, VP1, and VP3 to inhibit viral replication. To counteract this, FMDV hijacked intracellular protein degradation pathways to downregulate Vps28 expression and thus promoted viral replication. Our findings provide insights into how ESCRT regulates pathogen life cycles and elucidate additional information regarding FMDV counteraction of host antiviral activity.

De-ubiquitination of SAMHD1 by USP7 promotes DNA damage repair to overcome oncogenic stress and affect chemotherapy sensitivity

Oncogenic stress induces DNA damage repair (DDR) that permits escape from mitotic catastrophe and allows early precursor lesions during the evolution of cancer. SAMHD1, a dNTPase protecting cells from viral infections, has been recently found to participate in DNA damage repair process. However, its role in tumorigenesis remains largely unknown. Here, we show that SAMHD1 is up-regulated in early-stage human carcinoma tissues and cell lines under oxidative stress or genotoxic insults. We further demonstrate that de-ubiquitinating enzyme USP7 interacts with SAMHD1 and de-ubiquitinates it at lysine 421, thus stabilizing SAMHD1 protein expression for further interaction with CtIP for DDR, which promotes tumor cell survival under genotoxic stress. Furthermore, SAMHD1 levels positively correlates with USP7 in various human carcinomas, and is associated with an unfavorable survival outcome in patients who underwent chemotherapy. Moreover, USP7 inhibitor sensitizes tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agents by decreasing SAMHD1 in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that de-ubiquitination of SAMHD1 by USP7 promotes DDR to overcome oncogenic stress and affect chemotherapy sensitivity.

The Involvement of Ubiquitination and SUMOylation in Retroviruses Infection and Latency

Retroviruses, especially the pathogenic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), have severely threatened human health for decades. Retroviruses can form stable latent reservoirs via retroviral DNA integration into the host genome, and then be temporarily transcriptional silencing in infected cells, which makes retroviral infection incurable. Although many cellular restriction factors interfere with various steps of the life cycle of retroviruses and the formation of viral latency, viruses can utilize viral proteins or hijack cellular factors to evade intracellular immunity. Many post-translational modifications play key roles in the cross-talking between the cellular and viral proteins, which has greatly determined the fate of retroviral infection. Here, we reviewed recent advances in the regulation of ubiquitination and SUMOylation in the infection and latency of retroviruses, focusing on both host defense- and virus counterattack-related ubiquitination and SUMOylation system. We also summarized the development of ubiquitination- and SUMOylation-targeted anti-retroviral drugs and discussed their therapeutic potential. Manipulating ubiquitination or SUMOylation pathways by targeted drugs could be a promising strategy to achieve a "sterilizing cure" or "functional cure" of retroviral infection.

Type I interferon/STAT1 signaling regulates UBE2M-mediated antiviral innate immunity in a negative feedback manner

Type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling is central to inducing antiviral innate immunity. However, the mechanisms for IFN-I signaling self-regulation are still largely unknown. Here, we report that RNA virus-infected macrophages with UBE2M deficiency produced decreased IFN-I expression in a RIG-I-dependent manner, causing an aggravated viral infection. Mechanistically, UBE2M inhibits RIG-I degradation by preventing the interaction of RIG-I and E3 ligase STUB1, resulting in antiviral IFN-I signaling activation. Simultaneously, IFN-I signaling-activated STAT1 facilitates the transcription of Trim21, leading to increased UBE2M degradation and blunted antiviral immunity. Translationally, oral administration of milk-derived extracellular vesicles containing RING domain-truncated TRIM21 (TRIM21-ΔRING) lacking E3 ligase activity efficiently transfers TRIM21-ΔRING into macrophages. TRIM21-ΔRING suppresses UBE2M degradation by competitively binding to UBE2M with TRIM21, thereby enhancing antiviral immunity. Overall, we reveal a negative feedback loop of IFN-I signaling and develop a reagent to improve innate immunity against RNA viruses.

TRIM21 attenuates renal carcinoma lipogenesis and malignancy by regulating SREBF1 protein stability

BACKGROUND

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of various cancers. Targeting metabolic processes is a very attractive treatment for cancer. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a type of metabolic disease, and the lipidomic profile of RCC is significantly altered compared with that of healthy tissue. However, the molecular mechanism underlying lipid metabolism regulation in RCC is not clear.

METHODS

The XF long-chain fatty acid oxidative stress test kits were used to assess the dependence on long-chain fatty acids and mitochondrial function after knockdown TRIM21 in RCC cells. The effect of TRIM21 on the lipid content in RCC cells was determined by metabolomics analysis, Oil Red O staining, and cellular Nile red staining. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to explore the relationship between TRIM21 and lipogenesis, and then the key molecule sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1) was identified to interact with TRIM21 by immunoprecipitation, which was also identified in an orthotopic model. Subsequently, the relevance and clinical significance of TRIM21 and SREBF1 were analyzed by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and 239 tissues were collected from RCC patients.

RESULTS

TRIM21 silencing attenuated the dependence of RCC cells on fatty acids, and enhanced lipid accumulation in RCC cells. TRIM21 overexpression significantly decreased lipid contents by decreasing the expression of lipogenic enzymes via ubiquitination-mediated degradation of SREBF1. SREBF1 is critical for TRIM21-mediated lipogenesis inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, TRIM21 expression is negatively correlated with SREBF1 expression, and TRIM21-SREBF1 is a reliable combinational biomarker for RCC prognosis.

CONCLUSION

The findings from this study reveal a novel pathway through which TRIM21 inhibits the lipid metabolism process of RCC and shed light on the development of targeted metabolic treatment and prognosis diagnosis of RCC.

Multiple Roles of TRIM21 in Virus Infection

The tripartite motif protein 21 (TRIM21) belongs to the TRIM family, possessing an E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Similar to other TRIMs, TRIM21 also contains three domains (named RBCC), including the Really Interesting New Gene (RING) domain, one or two B-Box domains (B-Box), and one PRY/SPRY domain. Notably, we found that the RING and B-Box domains are relatively more conservative than the PRY/SPRY domain, suggesting that TRIM21 of different species had similar functions. Recent results showed that TRIM21 participates in virus infection by directly interacting with viral proteins or modulating immune and inflammatory responses. TRIM21 also acts as a cytosol high-affinity antibody Fc receptor, binding to the antibody-virus complex and triggering an indirect antiviral antibody-dependent intracellular neutralization (ADIN). This paper focuses on the recent progress in the mechanism of TRIM21 during virus infection and the application prospects of TRIM21 on virus infection.

SAMHD1 silencing cooperates with radiotherapy to enhance anti-tumor immunity through IFI16-STING pathway in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Sterile alpha motif domain and histidine-aspartate domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) is a DNA end resection factor, which is involved in DNA damage repair and innate immunity. However, the role of SAMHD1 in anti-tumor immunity is still unknown. This study investigated the effects of SAMHD1 on stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-type I interferon (IFN) pathway and radiation-induced immune responses.

METHODS

The roles of SAMHD1 in the activation of cytosolic DNA sensing STING pathway in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells were investigated with flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, immunoblotting and qPCR. The combined effects of SAMHD1 silencing and radiation on tumor cell growth and STING pathway activation were also evaluated with colony formation and CCK8 assay. The Lewis lung cancer mouse model was used to evaluate the combined efficiency of SAMHD1 silencing and radiotherapy in vivo. Macrophage M1 polarization and cytotoxic T cell infiltration were evaluated with flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) accumulated in the cytosol of SAMHD1-deficient lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells, accompanied by upregulated DNA sensor IFN-γ-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) and activated STING pathway. The translocation of IFI16 from nucleus to cytosol was detected in SAMHD1-deficient cells. IFI16 and STING were acquired in the activation of STING-IFN-I pathway in SAMHD1-deficient cells. SAMHD1 silencing in LUAD cells promoted macrophage M1 polarization in vitro. SAMHD1 silencing synergized with radiation to activate ssDNA-STING-IFN-I pathway, inhibit proliferation, promote apoptosis and regulate cell cycle. SAMHD1 silencing cooperated with radiotherapy to inhibit tumor growth and increase CD86⁺MHC-II^high M1 proportion and CD8⁺ T cell infiltration in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

SAMHD1 deficiency induced IFN-I production through cytosolic IFI16-STING pathway in LUAD cells. Moreover, SAMHD1 downregulation and radiation cooperated to inhibit tumor growth and enhance anti-tumor immune responses through macrophage M1 polarization and CD8⁺ T cell infiltration. Combination of SAMHD1 inhibition and radiotherapy may be a potentially therapeutic strategy for LUAD patients.

Functional skewing of TRIM21-SIRT5 interplay dictates IL-1β production in DSS-induced colitis

Macrophage polarization determines the production of pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines in response to various bacterial and virus infections. Here, we report that pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) skews the TRIM21-SIRT5 interplay toward TRIM21 activation and SIRT5 degradation, resulting in an enhancement of interleukin (IL)-1β production in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, LPS challenge enhances the interaction between TRIM21 and SIRT5 to promote SIRT5 ubiquitination and degradation, while reducing the binding of SIRT5 to HAUSP, a deubiquitinating enzyme that stabilizes SIRT5. In a feedback loop, SIRT5 degradation sustains the acetylation of TRIM21 at Lys351, thereby increasing its E3 ligase activity in LPS-activated macrophages. Thus, we identify a functional balance between TRIM21 and SIRT5 that is tilted toward SIRT5 suppression in response to LPS stimulation, thereby enhancing IL-1β production during inflammation.

Study on the potential of Sanghuangporus sanghuang and its components as COVID-19 spike protein receptor binding domain inhibitors

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has led to the most severe global pandemic, which began in Wuhan, China. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) combines with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, allowing the virus to cross the membrane and enter the cell. SARS-CoV-2 is modified by the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) to facilitate access to cells. Accordingly, ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are targets of vital importance for the avoidance of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sanghuangporus sanghuang (SS) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been demonstrated to have antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory properties. In this paper, we demonstrated that SS decreased ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression in cell lines and a mouse model without cytotoxicity or organ damage. Liver and kidney sections were confirmed to have reduced expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) assessment. Then, hispidin, DBA, PAC, PAD and CA, phenolic compounds of SS, were also tested and verified to reduce the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. In summary, the results indicate that SS and its phenolic compounds have latent capacity for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in the future.

Fish TRIM21 exhibits antiviral activity against grouper iridovirus and nodavirus infection

Growing evidences have demonstrated that multiple TRIM (tripartite motif) proteins exert critical roles in host defense against different microbial pathogens. Although mammalian TRIM21 has been reported to function as an important regulatory factor in antiviral immune and inflammatory response, the role of fish TRIM21 against virus infection still remains largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the characteristics of TRIM21 gene (EcTRIM21) from orange spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides). The full-length EcTRIM21 cDNA encoded a 557 amino acid peptide with 92.1% and 31.14% identity with giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) and human (Homo sapiens), respectively. EcTRIM21 contained four conserved domains, including RING, B-Box, PRY and SPRY domain. EcTRIM21 expression was significantly up-regulated in response to Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) and red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) infection, suggesting that EcTRIM21 might be involved in host defense against fish virus infections. Subcellular localization showed that EcTRIM21 were distributed in the cytoplasm in a punctate manner. Overexpression of EcTRIM21 in vitro significantly inhibited RGNNV and SGIV replication, as evidenced by the decreased severity of cytopathic effect (CPE) and the reduced expression levels of viral core genes. Consistently, knockdown of EcTRIM21 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) promoted the replication of RGNNV and SGIV in vitro. Furthermore, EcTRIM21 overexpression increased both interferon (IFN) and interferon stimulated response element (ISRE) promoter activities. In addition, the transcription levels of IFN signaling related molecules were positively regulated by EcTRIM21 overexpression. Together, our data demonstrated that fish TRIM21 exerted antiviral activity against fish viruses through positive regulation of host interferon response.

Host Restrictive Factors Are the Emerging Storm Troopers Against Enterovirus: A Mini-Review

Enterovirus infection continues to be a global health problem. The lack of specific drugs and broad-spectrum vaccines means an urgent need to develop effective strategies against enteroviruses. Host restrictive factors are a class of intrinsic host antiviral factors that have been broadly defined and investigated during HIV infections and have great significance for drug development and treatment design. In recent years, the essential role of host restrictive factors in regulating enteroviral infections has been gradually recognized and investigated. An increasing number of studies have shown that host-restrictive factors regulate multiple steps in the life cycle of enteroviruses. This mini-review discusses the restrictive factors against enteroviruses, their antiviral mechanism, and the arms race between them and enteroviruses. We also summarise the pathways that enteroviruses use to impair host antiviral signals. This mini-review characterizes the essential role of host restriction factors in enterovirus infections, which provides ideas and potential targets for antiviral drug design by regulating host restrictive factors. It also reveals potential future research on the interplay between host restrictive factors and enteroviruses.

Genetic background influences survival of infections with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in the Collaborative Cross

Salmonella infections typically cause self-limiting gastroenteritis, but in some individuals these bacteria can spread systemically and cause disseminated disease. Salmonella Typhimurium (STm), which causes severe systemic disease in most inbred mice, has been used as a model for disseminated disease. To screen for new infection phenotypes across a range of host genetics, we orally infected 32 Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse strains with STm and monitored their disease progression for seven days by telemetry. Our data revealed a broad range of phenotypes across CC strains in many parameters including survival, bacterial colonization, tissue damage, complete blood counts (CBC), and serum cytokines. Eighteen CC strains survived to day 7, while fourteen susceptible strains succumbed to infection before day 7. Several CC strains had sex differences in survival and colonization. Surviving strains had lower pre-infection baseline temperatures and were less active during their daily active period. Core body temperature disruptions were detected earlier after STm infection than activity disruptions, making temperature a better detector of illness. All CC strains had STm in spleen and liver, but susceptible strains were more highly colonized. Tissue damage was weakly negatively correlated to survival. We identified loci associated with survival on Chromosomes (Chr) 1, 2, 4, 7. Polymorphisms in Ncf2 and Slc11a1, known to reduce survival in mice after STm infections, are located in the Chr 1 interval, and the Chr 7 association overlaps with a previously identified QTL peak called Ses2. We identified two new genetic regions on Chr 2 and 4 associated with susceptibility to STm infection. Our data reveal the diversity of responses to STm infection across a range of host genetics and identified new candidate regions for survival of STm infection.

CTNNBL1 restricts HIV-1 replication by suppressing viral DNA integration into the cell genome

Retroviral integration is mediated by a unique enzymatic process shared by all retroviruses and retrotransposons. During integration, double-stranded linear viral DNA is inserted into the host genome in a process catalyzed by viral-encoded integrase (IN). However, host cell defenses against HIV-1 integration are not clear. This study identifies β-catenin-like protein 1 (CTNNBL1) as a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 integration via association with viral-encoded integrase (IN) and its cofactor, lens epithelium-derived growth factor/p75. CTNNBL1 overexpression blocks HIV-1 integration and inhibits viral replication, whereas CTNNBL1 depletion significantly upregulates HIV-1 integration into the genome of various target cells. Further, CTNNBL1 expression is downregulated in CD4⁺ T cells by activation, and CTNNBL1 depletion also facilitates HIV-1 integration in resting CD4⁺ T cells. Thus, host cells may employ CTNNBL1 to inhibit HIV-1 integration into the genome. This finding suggests a strategy for the treatment of HIV infections.

Host restriction factor A3G inhibits the replication of Enterovirus D68 through competitively binding 5' UTR with PCBP1

The host restriction factor APOBEC3G (A3G) presents extensively inhibition on a variety of viruses, including retroviruses, DNA and RNA viruses. Our recent study showed that A3G inhibits enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) via competitively binding 5'UTR with the host protein poly(C)-binding protein 1 (PCBP1) that is required for multiple EVs replication. However, in addition to EV71 and CA16, whether A3G inhibits other EVs has not been investigated. Here, we demonstrate that A3G could inhibit EVD68 replication, which needs PCBP1 for its replication, but not CA6 that PCBP1 is dispensable for CA6 replication. Further investigation revealed that nucleic acid binding activity of A3G is required for EVD68 restriction, which is similar to the mechanism presented in EV71 restriction. Mechanistically, A3G competitively binds to the cloverleaf (1-123) and the stem-loop IV (234-446) domains of EVD68 5'UTR with PCBP1, thereby inhibiting the 5'UTR activity of EVD68, whereas A3G doesn't interact with CA6 5'UTR results in no effect on CA6 replication. Moreover, non-structural protein 2C encoded by EVD68 overcomes A3G suppression through inducing A3G degradation via the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Our finding revealed that A3G might have broad spectrum antiviral activity against multiple EVs through the general mechanism, which might provide important information for the development of anti-EVs strategy. Importance As the two major pathogens causing hand, food, and mouth disease (HFMD), EV71 and CA16 attract more attention for the discovery of pathogenesis, the involvement of cellular proteins and so on. However, other EVs such as CA6 or EVD68 constantly occurred sporadic or might spread widely in recent years worldwide. Therefore, more information related to these EVs needs to be further investigated so as to develop broad-spectrum anti-EVs inhibitor. In this study, we first reveal that PCBP1 involved in PV and EV71 virus replication, also is required for the replication of EVD68 but not CA6. Then we found that the host restriction factor A3G specifically inhibits the replication of EVD68 but not CA6 via competitively binding to the 5'UTR of EVD68 with PCBP1. Our findings broaden the knowledge related to EVs replication and the interplay between EVs and host factors.

Regulation of Viral Restriction by Post-Translational Modifications

Intrinsic immunity is orchestrated by a wide range of host cellular proteins called restriction factors. They have the capacity to interfere with viral replication, and most of them are tightly regulated by interferons (IFNs). In addition, their regulation through post-translational modifications (PTMs) constitutes a major mechanism to shape their action positively or negatively. Following viral infection, restriction factor modification can be decisive. Palmitoylation of IFITM3, SUMOylation of MxA, SAMHD1 and TRIM5α or glycosylation of BST2 are some of those PTMs required for their antiviral activity. Nonetheless, for their benefit and by manipulating the PTMs machinery, viruses have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to counteract restriction factors. Indeed, many viral proteins evade restriction activity by inducing their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Studies on PTMs and their substrates are essential for the understanding of the antiviral defense mechanisms and provide a global vision of all possible regulations of the immune response at a given time and under specific infection conditions. Our aim was to provide an overview of current knowledge regarding the role of PTMs on restriction factors with an emphasis on their impact on viral replication.

Manuscript Title: Analysis of tripartite motif (TRIM) family gene expression in prostate cancer bone metastases

Tripartite motif (TRIM) family proteins are post-translational protein modifiers with E3-ubiquitin ligase activity, thereby involved in various biological processes. The molecular mechanisms driving prostate cancer (PCa) bone metastasis (BM) are incompletely understood, and targetable genetic alterations are lacking in the majority of cases. Therefore, we aimed to explore the expression and potential functional relevance of 71 TRIM members in bone metastatic PCa. We performed transcriptome analysis of all human TRIM family members and 770 cancer-related genes in 29 localized PCa and 30 PCa BM using Nanostring. KEGG, STRING and Ubibrowser were used for further bioinformatic gene correlation and pathway enrichment analyses. Compared to localized tumors, six TRIMs are under-expressed while nine TRIMs are over-expressed in BM. The differentially expressed TRIM proteins are linked to TNF-, TGFβ-, PI3K/AKT- and HIF-1-signaling, and to features such as proteoglycans, platelet activation, adhesion and ECM-interaction based on correlation to cancer-related genes. The identification of TRIM-specific E3-ligase-substrates revealed insight into functional connections to oncogenes, tumor suppressors and cancer-related pathways including androgen receptor- and TGFβ signaling, cell cycle regulation and splicing. In summary, this is the first study that comprehensively and systematically characterizes the expression of all TRIM members in PCa BM. Our results describe post-translational protein modification as an important regulatory mechanism of oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and pathway molecules in PCa progression. Therefore, this study may provide evidence for novel therapeutic targets, in particular for the treatment or prevention of BM.

TRIM21/Ro52 - Roles in Innate Immunity and Autoimmune Disease

TRIM21 (Ro52/SSA1) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase with key roles in immune host defence, signal transduction, and possibly cell cycle regulation. It is also an autoantibody target in Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and other rheumatic autoimmune diseases. Here, we summarise the structure and function of this enzyme, its roles in innate immunity, adaptive immunity and cellular homeostasis, the pathogenesis of autoimmunity against TRIM21, and the potential impacts of autoantibodies to this intracellular protein.

SUMOylation of SAMHD1 at Lysine 595 is required for HIV-1 restriction in non-cycling cells

SAMHD1 is a cellular triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) proposed to inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcription in non-cycling immune cells by limiting the supply of the dNTP substrates. Yet, phosphorylation of T592 downregulates SAMHD1 antiviral activity, but not its dNTPase function, implying that additional mechanisms contribute to viral restriction. Here, we show that SAMHD1 is SUMOylated on residue K595, a modification that relies on the presence of a proximal SUMO-interacting motif (SIM). Loss of K595 SUMOylation suppresses the restriction activity of SAMHD1, even in the context of the constitutively active phospho-ablative T592A mutant but has no impact on dNTP depletion. Conversely, the artificial fusion of SUMO2 to a non-SUMOylatable inactive SAMHD1 variant restores its antiviral function, a phenotype that is reversed by the phosphomimetic T₅₉₂E mutation. Collectively, our observations clearly establish that lack of T592 phosphorylation cannot fully account for the restriction activity of SAMHD1. We find that SUMOylation of K595 is required to stimulate a dNTPase-independent antiviral activity in non-cycling immune cells, an effect that is antagonized by cyclin/CDK-dependent phosphorylation of T592 in cycling cells.

PIAS1 potentiates the anti-EBV activity of SAMHD1 through SUMOylation

BACKGROUND

Sterile alpha motif and HD domain 1 (SAMHD1) is a deoxynucleotide triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) that restricts the infection of a variety of RNA and DNA viruses, including herpesviruses. The anti-viral function of SAMHD1 is associated with its dNTPase activity, which is regulated by several post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitination. Our recent studies also demonstrated that the E3 SUMO ligase PIAS1 functions as an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) restriction factor. However, whether SAMHD1 is regulated by PIAS1 to restrict EBV replication remains unknown.

RESULTS

In this study, we showed that PIAS1 interacts with SAMHD1 and promotes its SUMOylation. We identified three lysine residues (K469, K595 and K622) located on the surface of SAMHD1 as the major SUMOylation sites. We demonstrated that phosphorylated SAMHD1 can be SUMOylated by PIAS1 and SUMOylated SAMHD1 can also be phosphorylated by viral protein kinases. We showed that SUMOylation-deficient SAMHD1 loses its anti-EBV activity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that SAMHD1 is associated with EBV genome in a PIAS1-dependent manner.

CONCLUSION

Our study reveals that PIAS1 synergizes with SAMHD1 to inhibit EBV lytic replication through protein-protein interaction and SUMOylation.

SAMHD1 Inhibits Multiple Enteroviruses by Interfering with the Interaction between VP1 and VP2 Proteins

Sterile alpha motif and histidine-aspartic acid domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) possesses multiple biological activities such as virus restriction, innate immunity regulation, and autoimmunity. Our previous study demonstrated that SAMHD1 potently inhibits the replication of enterovirus 71 (EV71). In this study, we observed that SAMHD1 also restricts multiple enteroviruses (EVs), including coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) and enterovirus D68 (EVD68), but not coxsackievirus A6 (CA6). Mechanistically, SAMHD1 competitively interacted with the same domain in VP1 that binds to VP2 of EV71 and EVD68, thereby interfering with the interaction between VP1 and VP2 , and therefore viral assembly. Moreover, we showed that the SAMHD1 T592A mutant maintained the EV71 inhibitory effect by attenuating the interaction between VP1 and VP2, whereas the T592D mutant failed to. We also demonstrated that SAMHD1 could not inhibit CA6 because a different binding site is required for the SAMHD1 and VP1 interaction. Our findings reveal the mechanism of SAMHD1 inhibition of multiple EVs, and this could potentially be important for developing drugs against a broad range of EVs. IMPORTANCE Enterovirus causes a wide variety of diseases, such as hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), which is a severe public problem threatening children under 5 years. Therefore, identifying essential genes which restrict EV infection and exploring the underlying mechanisms are necessary to develop an effective strategy to inhibit EV infection. In this study, we report that host restrictive factor SAMHD1 has broad-spectrum antiviral activity against EV71, CA16, and EVD68 independent of its well-known deoxynucleoside triphosphate triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) or RNase activity. Mechanistically, SAMHD1 restricts EVs by competitively interacting with the same domain in VP1 that binds to VP2 of EVs, thereby interfering with the interaction between VP1 and VP2, and therefore viral assembly. In contrast, we also demonstrated that SAMHD1 could not inhibit CA6 because a different binding site is required for the SAMHD1 and CA6 VP1 interaction. Our study reveals a novel mechanism for the SAMHD1 anti-EV replication activity.

TRIM21 inhibits porcine epidemic diarrhea virus proliferation by proteasomal degradation of the nucleocapsid protein

Tripartite motif protein 21 (TRIM21) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and cytosolic antibody receptor of the TRIM family. Previous reports have indicated that TRIM21 plays an important role during viral infection. This study aimed at examining the role of TRIM21 in the replication of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and showed that TRIM21 inhibits PEDV proliferation by targeting and degrading the nucleocapsid (N) protein through the proteasomal pathway. Furthermore, the endogenous expression of TRIM21 was found to be downregulated by PEDV infection in Vero and LLC-PK1 cells. Overexpression of TRIM21 inhibited PEDV replication, whereas knockdown of TRIM21 increased viral titers and N protein levels. TRIM21 was found to interact and colocalize with the N protein, and the TRIM21-mediated antiviral effect was dependent on its ubiquitin ligase activity, which engages in polyubiquitination and degradation of the N protein in a proteasome-dependent manner. Taken together, these findings provide information about the role of TRIM21 in PEDV proliferation and increase our understanding of host-virus interactions.

IFIT5 Negatively Regulates the Type I IFN Pathway by Disrupting TBK1-IKKε-IRF3 Signalosome and Degrading IRF3 and IKKε

IFN-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats (IFITs), known as canonical IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), play critical roles in regulating immune responses against pathogens and maintaining homeostasis. How the IFIT5 regulates innate immune responses is rarely reported and remains enigmatic. In this study, we discover that human IFIT5 (hIFIT5) functions as a negative regulator of the type I IFN (IFN) pathway in HEK293T cell lines. Our data illustrated that hIFIT5 inhibited the promotor activities of IFN-β induced by IRF3 and its upstream factors but not by IRF3-5D (activated form of IRF3), suggesting that IRF3 might be a target of hIFIT5. Further investigations revealed that hIFIT5 downregulated the phosphorylation of IRF3 and IKKε and blocked the IRF3 nuclear translocation. Moreover, hIFIT5 impaired the IRF3-TBK1-IKKε complex, accompanied by IRF3 and IKKε degradation. In conclusion, these findings indicate that hIFIT5 is a negative modulator in the type I IFN signaling pathway, opening additional avenues for preventing hyperactivation and maintaining immunity homeostasis.

Trim21-mediated HIF-1α degradation attenuates aerobic glycolysis to inhibit renal cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis

Tripartite motif-containing 21 (Trim21) is mainly involved in antiviral responses and autoimmune diseases. Although Trim21 has been reported to have a cancer-promoting or anticancer effect in various tumours, its role in renal cell cancer (RCC) remains to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that Trim21 is downregulated in primary RCC tissues. Low Trim21 expression in RCC is correlated with poor clinicopathological characteristics and short overall survival. Moreover, we illustrate that Trim21 inhibits RCC cells glycolysis through the ubiquitination-mediated degradation of HIF-1α, which inhibits the proliferation, tumorigenesis, migration, and metastasis of RCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Our findings show that Trim21 may become a promising predictive biomarker for the prognosis of patients with RCC.

Role of Intracellular Distribution of Feline and Bovine SAMHD1 Proteins in Lentiviral Restriction

Human SAMHD1 (hSAM) restricts lentiviruses at the reverse transcription step through its dNTP triphosphohydrolase (dNTPase) activity. Besides humans, several mammalian species such as cats and cows that carry their own lentiviruses also express SAMHD1. However, the intracellular distribution of feline and bovine SAMHD1 (fSAM and bSAM) and its significance in their lentiviral restriction function is not known. Here, we demonstrated that fSAM and bSAM were both predominantly localized to the nucleus and nuclear localization signal (¹¹KRPR¹⁴)-deleted fSAM and bSAM relocalized to the cytoplasm. Both cytoplasmic fSAM and bSAM retained the antiviral function against different lentiviruses and cytoplasmic fSAM could restrict Vpx-encoding SIV and HIV-2 more efficiently than its wild-type (WT) protein as cytoplasmic hSAM. Further investigation revealed that cytoplasmic fSAM was resistant to Vpx-induced degradation like cytoplasmic hSAM, while cytoplasmic bSAM was not, but they all demonstrated the same in vitro dNTPase activity and all could interact with Vpx as their WT proteins, indicating that cytoplasmic hSAM and fSAM can suppress more SIV and HIV-2 by being less sensitive to Vpx-mediated degradation. Our results suggested that fSAM- and bSAM-mediated lentiviral restriction does not require their nuclear localization and that fSAM shares more common features with hSAM. These findings may provide insights for the establishment of alternative animal models to study SAMHD1 in vivo.

ATP1B3 Restricts Hepatitis B Virus Replication Via Reducing the Expression of the Envelope Proteins

Our recent study reported that ATP1B3 inhibits hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication via inducing NF-κB activation. However, ATP1B3 mutants which were defective in NF-κB activation still maintained the moderate degree of suppression on HBV replication, suggesting that another uncharacterized mechanism is also responsible for ATP1B3-mediated HBV suppression. Here, we demonstrated that ATP1B3 reduced the expression of HBV envelope proteins LHBs, MHBs and SHBs, but had no effect on intracellular HBV DNA, RNA levels as well as HBV promoter activities. Further investigation showed that proteasome inhibitor MG132 rescued ATP1B3-mediated envelope proteins degradation, demonstrating that proteasome-dependent pathway is involved in ATP1B3-induced degradation of envelope proteins. Co-IP showed that ATP1B3 interacts with LHBs and MHBs and induces LHBs and MHBs polyubiquitination. Immunofluorescence co-localization analysis confirmed LHBs and MHBs colocalized with ATP1B3 together. Our work provides important information for targeting ATP1B3 as a potential therapeutic molecule for HBV infection.

Hexosamine biosynthetic pathway promotes the antiviral activity of SAMHD1 by enhancing O-GlcNAc transferase-mediated protein O-GlcNAcylation

Rationale: Viruses hijack the host cell machinery to promote viral replication; however, the mechanism by which metabolic reprogramming regulates innate antiviral immunity in the host remains elusive. Herein, we explore how the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) and O-linked-N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) regulate host antiviral response against hepatitis B virus (HBV) in vitro and in vivo. Methods: We conducted a metabolomics assay to evaluate metabolic responses of host cells to HBV infection. We systematically explored the role of HBP and protein O-GlcNAcylation in regulating HBV infection in cell and mouse models. O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) target proteins were identified via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Additionally, we also examined uridine diphosphate (UDP)-GlcNAc biosynthesis and O-GlcNAcylation levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Results: HBV infection upregulated GLUT1 expression on the hepatocyte surface and facilitated glucose uptake, which provides substrates to HBP to synthesize UDP-GlcNAc, leading to an increase in protein O-GlcNAcylation. Pharmacological or transcriptional inhibition of HBP and O-GlcNAcylation promoted HBV replication. Mechanistically, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT)-mediated O-GlcNAcylation of sterile alpha motif and histidine/aspartic acid domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) on Ser93 stabilizes SAMHD1 and enhances its antiviral activity. Analysis of clinical samples revealed that UDP-GlcNAc level was increased, and SAMHD1 was O-GlcNAcylated in patients with CHB. Conclusions: HBP-mediated O-GlcNAcylation positively regulates host antiviral response against HBV in vitro and in vivo. The findings reveal a link between HBP, O-GlcNAc modification, and innate antiviral immunity by targeting SAMHD1.

Forkhead box O1-mediated ubiquitination suppresses RIG-I-mediated antiviral immune responses

RNA virus infection activates the RIG-I-like Receptor (RLR) signaling pathway to produce type I interferons (IFNs), the key components of the antiviral immune response. Forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) is a host transcription factor that participates in multiple biological processes. In this study, FoxO1 was identified as a critical negative regulator of RIG-I-triggered signaling. FoxO1 promoted Sendai virus (SeV) replication and downregulated type I IFN production. Upon SeV infection, FoxO1 suppressed K63-linked ubiquitination of TRAF3 and the interaction between TRAF3 and TBK1, after which the production of type I IFNs via the interferon regulatory transcription factor 3 (IRF3) pathways was reduced. In addition, FoxO1 destabilized IRF3 by facilitating E3 ligase TRIM22- or TRIM21-mediated K48-linked ubiquitination of IRF3. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of FoxO1 was found to depend on its DNA binding domain (DBD). Thus, our findings highlight novel important roles of FoxO1 in controlling RLR-mediated antiviral innate immunity.

GBP5 Is an Interferon-Induced Inhibitor of Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Guanylate binding protein 5 (GBP5) belongs to the GTPase subfamily, which is mainly induced by interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and is involved in many important cellular processes, including inflammasome activation and innate immunity against a wide variety of microbial pathogens. However, it is unknown whether GBP5 inhibits respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. In this study, we identified GBP5 as an effector of the anti-RSV activity of IFN-γ and found that in children, the weaker immune response, especially the weaker IFN-γ response and the decreased GBP5 expression, leads to RSV susceptibility. Furthermore, we revealed that GBP5 reduced the cell-associated levels of the RSV small hydrophobic (SH) protein, which was identified as a viroporin. In contrast, overexpression of the SH protein rescued RSV replication in the presence of GBP5. The GBP5-induced decrease in intracellular SH protein levels is because GBP5 promotes the release of the SH protein into the cell culture. Moreover, the GBP5 C583A mutants with changes at the C terminus or the GBP5 ΔC mutant lacking the C-terminal region, which impairs GBP5 localization in the Golgi, could not inhibit RSV infection, whereas the GTPase-defective GBP5 maintained RSV inhibition, suggesting that Golgi localization but not the GTPase activity of GBP5 is required for RSV inhibition. Interestingly, we found that RSV infection or RSV G protein downregulates GBP5 expression by upregulating DZIP3, an E3 ligase, which induces GBP5 degradation through the K48 ubiquitination and proteasomal pathways. Thus, this study reveals a complicated interplay between host restrictive factor GBP5 and RSV infection and provides important information for understanding the pathogenesis of RSV.IMPORTANCE RSV is a highly contagious virus that causes multiple infections in infants within their first year of life. It can also easily cause infection in elderly or immunocompromised individuals, suggesting that individual differences in immunity play an important role in RSV infection. Therefore, exploring the pathogenic mechanisms of RSV and identifying essential genes which inhibit RSV infection are necessary to develop an effective strategy to control RSV infection. Here, we report that the IFN-inducible gene GBP5 potently inhibits RSV replication by reducing the cell-associated levels of the RSV small hydrophobic (SH) protein, which is a viroporin. In contrast, the RSV G protein was shown to upregulate the expression of the DZIP3 protein, an E3 ligase that degrades GBP5 through the proteasomal pathway. Our study provides important information for the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of RSV and host immunity as well as the complicated interplay between the virus and host.

SAMHD1 Functions and Human Diseases

Deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) molecules are essential for the replication and maintenance of genomic information in both cells and a variety of viral pathogens. While the process of dNTP biosynthesis by cellular enzymes, such as ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) and thymidine kinase (TK), has been extensively investigated, a negative regulatory mechanism of dNTP pools was recently found to involve sterile alpha motif (SAM) domain and histidine-aspartate (HD) domain-containing protein 1, SAMHD1. When active, dNTP triphosphohydrolase activity of SAMHD1 degrades dNTPs into their 2'-deoxynucleoside (dN) and triphosphate subparts, steadily depleting intercellular dNTP pools. The differential expression levels and activation states of SAMHD1 in various cell types contributes to unique dNTP pools that either aid (i.e., dividing T cells) or restrict (i.e., nondividing macrophages) viral replication that consumes cellular dNTPs. Genetic mutations in SAMHD1 induce a rare inflammatory encephalopathy called Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS), which phenotypically resembles viral infection. Recent publications have identified diverse roles for SAMHD1 in double-stranded break repair, genome stability, and the replication stress response through interferon signaling. Finally, a series of SAMHD1 mutations were also reported in various cancer cell types while why SAMHD1 is mutated in these cancer cells remains to investigated. Here, we reviewed a series of studies that have begun illuminating the highly diverse roles of SAMHD1 in virology, immunology, and cancer biology.