Helminth infection reactivates latent ?-herpesvirus via cytokine competition at a viral promoter.

ABSTRACT: Mammals are coinfected by multiple pathogens that interact through unknown mechanisms. We found that helminth infection, characterized by the induction of the cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) and the activation of the transcription factor Stat6, reactivated murine ?-herpesvirus infection in vivo. IL-4 promoted viral replication and blocked the antiviral effects of interferon-? (IFN?) by inducing Stat6 binding to the promoter for an important viral transcriptional transactivator. IL-4 also reactivated human Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus from latency in cultured cells. Exogenous IL-4 plus blockade of IFN? reactivated latent murine ?-herpesvirus infection in vivo, suggesting a "two-signal" model for viral reactivation. Thus, chronic herpesvirus infection, a component of the mammalian virome, is regulated by the counterpoised actions of multiple cytokines on viral promoters that have evolved to sense host immune status.

SUBMITTER: Reese TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4531374 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature