NYMC Faculty Publications
Journal Title
Frontiers in Microbiology
First Page
1350
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2018
Department
Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Abstract
Flaviviruses have evolved complex mechanisms to evade the mammalian host immune systems including the RIG-I (retinoic acid-inducible gene I) like receptor (RLR) signaling. Zika virus (ZIKV) is a re-emerging flavivirus that is associated with severe neonatal microcephaly and adult Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ZIKV pathogenesis remain poorly defined. Here we report that ZIKV non-structural protein 4A (NS4A) impairs the RLR-mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS) interaction and subsequent induction of antiviral immune responses. In human trophoblasts, both RIG-I and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) contribute to type I interferon (IFN) induction and control ZIKV replication. Type I IFN induction by ZIKV is almost completely abolished in MAVS(-/-) cells. NS4A represses RLR-, but not Toll-like receptor-mediated immune responses. NS4A specifically binds the N-terminal caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD) of MAVS and thus blocks its accessibility by RLRs. Our study provides in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms of immune evasion by ZIKV and its pathogenesis.
Recommended Citation
Ma, J., Ketkar, H., Geng, T., Lo, E., Yang, L., Wang, P., & Geng, T. (2018). Zika Virus Non-structural Protein 4A Blocks the RLR-MAVS Signaling. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 1350. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01350
Publisher's Statement
Originally published in Frontiers in Microbiology, 9 [Article 1350]. The original material can be found here.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Comments
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