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Autophagy protects against Sindbis virus infection of the central nervous system.

ABSTRACT: Autophagy functions in antiviral immunity. However, the ability of endogenous autophagy genes to protect against viral disease in vertebrates remains to be causally established. Here, we report that the autophagy gene Atg5 function is critical for protection against lethal Sindbis virus (SIN) infection of the mouse central nervous system. Inactivating Atg5 in SIN-infected neurons results in delayed clearance of viral proteins, increased accumulation of the cellular p62 adaptor protein, and increased cell death in neurons, but the levels of viral replication remain unaltered. In vitro, p62 interacts with SIN capsid protein, and genetic knockdown of p62 blocks the targeting of viral capsid to autophagosomes. Moreover, p62 or autophagy gene knockdown increases viral capsid accumulation and accelerates virus-induced cell death without affecting virus replication. These results suggest a function for autophagy in mammalian antiviral defense: a cell-autonomous mechanism in which p62 adaptor-mediated autophagic viral protein clearance promotes cell survival.

SUBMITTER: Orvedahl A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2860265 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The overall goal of the study was to use in vivo data combined with functional genomics to define gene expression signatures representative of a spectrum of HSV CNS infections. Innate immune deficiencies result in a spectrum of severe clinical outcomes following infection. In particular, there is a strong association between loss of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) pathway, breach of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and virus-induced neuropathology. The gene signatures that characterize resistance, disease, and mortality in the virus-infected nervous system have not been defined. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is commonly associated with encephalitis in humans, and humans and mice lacking Stat1 display increased susceptibility to HSV central nervous system (CNS) infections. In this study, two HSV-1 strains were used, KOS (wild type [WT]), and Δvhs, an avirulent recombinant lacking the virion host shutoff (vhs) function. In addition, two mouse strains were used: strain 129 (control) and a Stat1-deficient (Stat1(-/-)) strain. Using combinations of these virus and mouse strains, we established a model of infection resulting in three different outcomes: viral clearance without neurological disease (Δvhs infection of control mice), neurological disease followed by viral clearance (Δvhs infection of Stat1(-/-) mice and WT infection of control mice), or neurological disease followed by death (WT infection of Stat1(-/-) mice). Through the use of functional genomics on the infected brain stem and liver, we determined gene signatures that were representative of the three infection outcomes. Gender matched, 6- to 8- week old immunocompetent, control 129S6 and 129S6 Stat1 knockout mice were infected corneally with 2x10^6 PFU of either wild type HSV-1, a vhs-null HSV virus, or mock-infected. Brain stems and liver of individual mice were isolated at days 1, 3, 5 and 7 post-inoculation for microarray analysis. For microarray analysis, samples were collected from n=2 animals (1 male, 1 female) per mouse strain and virus strain for each time point. Equal masses of tissue were pooled from two mock-infected mice per time point and run on microarray.

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Autophagy protects against Sindbis virus infection of the central nervous system.

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