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NF-κB Activation Promotes Alphavirus Replication in Mature Neurons

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Mosquito-borne alphaviruses are a significant and growing cause of viral encephalomyelitis worldwide. The outcome of alphaviral neuronal infections is host age dependent and greatly affected by neuronal maturation status, with differentiated, mature neurons being more resistant to infection than undifferentiated, immature neurons. The biological factors that change during neuronal maturation and that influence the outcome of viral infection are currently only partially defined. These studies investigated the role of NF-κB in determining the outcome of alphaviral infection in mature and immature neurons. Inhibition of canonical NF-κB activation decreased alphavirus replication in mature neurons by regulating protein synthesis and limiting the production of the viral structural proteins but had little effect on viral replication in immature neurons or fibroblasts. Therefore, NF-κB is a signaling pathway that influences the maturation-dependent outcome of alphaviral infection in neurons and that highlights the importance of cellular context in determining the effects of signal pathway activation.

Source: Journal of Virology

DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01071-19

Authors: Jane X. Yeh, Eunhye Park, Kimberly L. W. Schultz, Diane E. Griffin

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Mosquito-borne diseases and control

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke