Chikungunya Virus-Encoded nsP2, E2, and E1 Strongly Antagonizes the Interferon β Signaling Pathway.

Chikungunya Virus-Encoded nsP2, E2, and E1 Strongly Antagonizes the Interferon β Signaling Pathway. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2019 Oct 22;: Authors: Bae S, Lee JY, Myoung J Abstract Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus, belonging to the genus alphavirus of the Togaviridae family. It causes multiple symptoms, including headache, fever, severe joint and muscle pain, and arthralgia. Since CHIKV was first isolated in Tanzania in 1952, there have been multiple outbreaks of CHIKV. However, its pathogenesis and mechanisms of viral immune evasion have been poorly understood. In addition, exact roles of individual CHIKV genes on the host innate immune response remain largely unknown. To investigate if CHIKV-encoded genes modulate the type I interferon (IFN) response, each and every CHIKV gene was screened for their effects on the induction of the IFN-β promoter. Here we report that CHIKV nsP2, E2 and E1 strongly suppressed activation of the IFN-β promoter induced by the MDA5/RIG-I receptor signaling pathway, suggesting that nsP2, E2, and E1 are the major antagonists against induction of IFN-β. Delineation of underlying mechanisms of CHIKV-mediated inhibition of the IFN-b pathway may help develop virus-specific therapeutics and vaccines. PMID: 31635445 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: J Microbiol Biotechnol Source Type: research