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Wu L, Zhang L, Feng S, Chen L, Lin C, Wang G, Zhu Y, Wang P, Cheng G. An evolutionarily conserved ubiquitin ligase drives infection and transmission of flaviviruses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317978121. [PMID: 38593069 PMCID: PMC11032495 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317978121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne flaviviruses such as dengue (DENV) and Zika (ZIKV) cause hundreds of millions of infections annually. The single-stranded RNA genome of flaviviruses is translated into a polyprotein, which is cleaved equally into individual functional proteins. While structural proteins are packaged into progeny virions and released, most of the nonstructural proteins remain intracellular and could become cytotoxic if accumulated over time. However, the mechanism by which nonstructural proteins are maintained at the levels optimal for cellular fitness and viral replication remains unknown. Here, we identified that the ubiquitin E3 ligase HRD1 is essential for flaviviruses infections in both mammalian hosts and mosquitoes. HRD1 directly interacts with flavivirus NS4A and ubiquitylates a conserved lysine residue for ER-associated degradation. This mechanism avoids excessive accumulation of NS4A, which otherwise interrupts the expression of processed flavivirus proteins in the ER. Furthermore, a small-molecule inhibitor of HRD1 named LS-102 effectively interrupts DENV2 infection in both mice and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and significantly disturbs DENV transmission from the infected hosts to mosquitoes owing to reduced viremia. Taken together, this study demonstrates that flaviviruses have evolved a sophisticated mechanism to exploit the ubiquitination system to balance the homeostasis of viral proteins for their own advantage and provides a potential therapeutic target to interrupt flavivirus infection and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linjuan Wu
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen518000, China
- Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Liming Zhang
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Shengyong Feng
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen518000, China
- Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Lu Chen
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Cai Lin
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen518000, China
| | - Gang Wang
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Yibin Zhu
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
- Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Penghua Wang
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT06030
| | - Gong Cheng
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen518000, China
- Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen518055, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming650092, China
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Zhang X, Li Y, Cao Y, Wu Y, Cheng G. The Role of Noncoding RNA in the Transmission and Pathogenicity of Flaviviruses. Viruses 2024; 16:242. [PMID: 38400018 PMCID: PMC10892091 DOI: 10.3390/v16020242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute a class of RNA molecules that lack protein-coding capacity. ncRNAs frequently modulate gene expression through specific interactions with target proteins or messenger RNAs, thereby playing integral roles in a wide array of cellular processes. The Flavivirus genus comprises several significant members, such as dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and yellow fever virus (YFV), which have caused global outbreaks, resulting in high morbidity and mortality in human populations. The life cycle of arthropod-borne flaviviruses encompasses their transmission between hematophagous insect vectors and mammalian hosts. During this process, a complex three-way interplay occurs among the pathogen, vector, and host, with ncRNAs exerting a critical regulatory influence. ncRNAs not only constitute a crucial regulatory mechanism that has emerged from the coevolution of viruses and their hosts but also hold potential as antiviral targets for controlling flavivirus epidemics. This review introduces the biogenesis of flavivirus-derived ncRNAs and summarizes the regulatory roles of ncRNAs in viral replication, vector-mediated viral transmission, antiviral innate immunity, and viral pathogenicity. A profound comprehension of the interplay between ncRNAs and flaviviruses will help formulate efficacious prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against flavivirus-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwen Zhang
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Yuhan Li
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; (Y.L.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yingyi Cao
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; (Y.L.); (Y.C.)
| | - Ying Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Institute of Medical Virology, TaiKang Medical School, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Gong Cheng
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; (Y.L.); (Y.C.)
- Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming 650092, China
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Marano JM, Weger-Lucarelli J. Preexisting inter-serotype immunity drives antigenic evolution of dengue virus serotype 2. Virology 2024; 590:109951. [PMID: 38096749 PMCID: PMC10855010 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.109951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) infects roughly 400 million people annually, causing febrile and hemorrhagic disease. While preexisting inter-serotype immunity (PISI) provides transient protection, it may drive severe disease over time. PISI's impact on virus evolution, however, is less understood. Retrospective epidemiological analyses suggest that PISI may drive DENV evolution. Using in vitro directed evolution, we explored how DENV2 evolves in the presence of DENV3/4 convalescent serum. Two post-passaging mutations (E-I6M and E-N203D) were then studied for fitness effects in mammalian and insect hosts and immune escape. E-I6M resisted neutralization, altered fitness in mammalian cell culture models, and had no effect in Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. E-N203D showed no change in neutralization sensitivity, reduced fitness in a DENV-naïve epithelial model, and no effects in the other models. These results align with surveillance data, where E-I6M emerged and disappeared, while E-203D and E-203 N cocirculate, thus suggesting that PISI can drive DENV evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Marano
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, United States; Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - James Weger-Lucarelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.
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Yu X, Shi H, Cheng G. Mpox Virus: Its Molecular Evolution and Potential Impact on Viral Epidemiology. Viruses 2023; 15:v15040995. [PMID: 37112975 PMCID: PMC10142743 DOI: 10.3390/v15040995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is an infectious viral illness caused by the mpox virus (MPXV), an orthopoxvirus that belongs to the family Poxviridae. The symptoms of mpox in humans are similar to those of smallpox, although the mortality rate is lower. In recent years, the concern over a potential global pandemic has increased due to reports of mpox spreading across Africa and other parts of the world. Prior to this discovery, mpox was a rare zoonotic disease restricted to endemic regions of Western and Central Africa. The sudden emergence of MPXV cases in multiple regions has raised concerns about its natural evolution. This review aims to provide an overview of previously available information about MPXV, including its genome, morphology, hosts and reservoirs, and virus-host interaction and immunology, as well as to perform phylogenetic analysis on available MPXV genomes, with an emphasis on the evolution of the genome in humans as new cases emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518000, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Huicheng Shi
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Gong Cheng
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Chen L, Zhang X, Guo X, Peng W, Zhu Y, Wang Z, Yu X, Shi H, Li Y, Zhang L, Wang L, Wang P, Cheng G. Neighboring mutation-mediated enhancement of dengue virus infectivity and spread. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e55671. [PMID: 36197120 PMCID: PMC9638853 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Frequent turnover of dengue virus (DENV) clades is one of the major forces driving DENV persistence and prevalence. In this study, we assess the fitness advantage of nine stable substitutions within the envelope (E) protein of DENV serotypes. Two tandem neighboring substitutions, threonine to lysine at the 226th (T226K) and glycine to glutamic acid at the 228th (G228E) residues in the DENV2 Asian I genotype, enhance virus infectivity in either mosquitoes or mammalian hosts, thereby promoting clades turnover and dengue epidemics. Mechanistic studies indicate that the substitution-mediated polarity changes in these two residues increase the binding affinity of E for host C-type lectins. Accordingly, we predict that a G228E substitution could potentially result in a forthcoming epidemic of the DENV2 Cosmopolitan genotype. Investigations into the substitutions associated with DENV fitness in hosts may offer mechanistic insights into dengue prevalence, thus providing a warning of potential epidemics in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Chen
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xianwen Zhang
- Institute of Infectious DiseasesShenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
| | - Xuan Guo
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Wenyu Peng
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yibin Zhu
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Zhaoyang Wang
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xi Yu
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Huicheng Shi
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yuhan Li
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Liming Zhang
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Lei Wang
- Institute of Infectious DiseasesShenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
| | - Penghua Wang
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicinethe University of Connecticut Health CenterFarmingtonCTUSA
| | - Gong Cheng
- Tsinghua‐Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Institute of Infectious DiseasesShenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
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