Spindle-E acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cells
Mosquitoes transmit several human- and animal-pathogenic alphaviruses (Togaviridae family). In alphavirus-infected mosquito cells two different types of virus-specific small RNAs are produced as part of the RNA interference response: short-interfering (si)RNAs and PIWI-interacting (pi)RNAs. The siRN...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI
2018
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| _version_ | 1826293437915201536 |
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| author | Varjak, M Dietrich, I Sreenu, V Till, B Merits, A Kohl, A Schnettler, E |
| author_facet | Varjak, M Dietrich, I Sreenu, V Till, B Merits, A Kohl, A Schnettler, E |
| author_sort | Varjak, M |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Mosquitoes transmit several human- and animal-pathogenic alphaviruses (Togaviridae family). In alphavirus-infected mosquito cells two different types of virus-specific small RNAs are produced as part of the RNA interference response: short-interfering (si)RNAs and PIWI-interacting (pi)RNAs. The siRNA pathway is generally thought to be the main antiviral pathway. Although an antiviral activity has been suggested for the piRNA pathway its role in host defences is not clear. Knock down of key proteins of the piRNA pathway (Ago3 and Piwi5) in Aedesaegypti-derived cells reduced the production of alphavirus chikungunya virus (CHIKV)-specific piRNAs but had no effect on virus replication. In contrast, knock down of the siRNA pathway key protein Ago2 resulted in an increase in virus replication. Similar results were obtained when expression of Piwi4 was silenced. Knock down of the helicase Spindle-E (SpnE), an essential co-factor of the piRNA pathway in Drosophila melanogaster, resulted in increased virus replication indicating that SpnE acts as an antiviral against alphaviruses such as CHIKV and the related Semliki Forest virus (SFV). Surprisingly, this effect was found to be independent of the siRNA and piRNA pathways in Ae. aegypti cells and specific for alphaviruses. This suggests a small RNA-independent antiviral function for this protein in mosquitoes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:30:05Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:ba6a238a-988e-4ca9-bae0-ff62cd8c1ef3 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:30:05Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | MDPI |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:ba6a238a-988e-4ca9-bae0-ff62cd8c1ef32022-03-27T05:09:45ZSpindle-E acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cellsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ba6a238a-988e-4ca9-bae0-ff62cd8c1ef3EnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordMDPI2018Varjak, MDietrich, ISreenu, VTill, BMerits, AKohl, ASchnettler, EMosquitoes transmit several human- and animal-pathogenic alphaviruses (Togaviridae family). In alphavirus-infected mosquito cells two different types of virus-specific small RNAs are produced as part of the RNA interference response: short-interfering (si)RNAs and PIWI-interacting (pi)RNAs. The siRNA pathway is generally thought to be the main antiviral pathway. Although an antiviral activity has been suggested for the piRNA pathway its role in host defences is not clear. Knock down of key proteins of the piRNA pathway (Ago3 and Piwi5) in Aedesaegypti-derived cells reduced the production of alphavirus chikungunya virus (CHIKV)-specific piRNAs but had no effect on virus replication. In contrast, knock down of the siRNA pathway key protein Ago2 resulted in an increase in virus replication. Similar results were obtained when expression of Piwi4 was silenced. Knock down of the helicase Spindle-E (SpnE), an essential co-factor of the piRNA pathway in Drosophila melanogaster, resulted in increased virus replication indicating that SpnE acts as an antiviral against alphaviruses such as CHIKV and the related Semliki Forest virus (SFV). Surprisingly, this effect was found to be independent of the siRNA and piRNA pathways in Ae. aegypti cells and specific for alphaviruses. This suggests a small RNA-independent antiviral function for this protein in mosquitoes. |
| spellingShingle | Varjak, M Dietrich, I Sreenu, V Till, B Merits, A Kohl, A Schnettler, E Spindle-E acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cells |
| title | Spindle-E acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cells |
| title_full | Spindle-E acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cells |
| title_fullStr | Spindle-E acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spindle-E acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cells |
| title_short | Spindle-E acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cells |
| title_sort | spindle e acts antivirally against alphaviruses in mosquito cells |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT varjakm spindleeactsantivirallyagainstalphavirusesinmosquitocells AT dietrichi spindleeactsantivirallyagainstalphavirusesinmosquitocells AT sreenuv spindleeactsantivirallyagainstalphavirusesinmosquitocells AT tillb spindleeactsantivirallyagainstalphavirusesinmosquitocells AT meritsa spindleeactsantivirallyagainstalphavirusesinmosquitocells AT kohla spindleeactsantivirallyagainstalphavirusesinmosquitocells AT schnettlere spindleeactsantivirallyagainstalphavirusesinmosquitocells |