Autor(es): Reid St Patrick, Tritsch Sarah R, Kota Krishna, Chiang Chih-Yuan, Dong Lian, Kenny Tara, Brueggemann Ernest E, Ward Michael D, Cazares Lisa H, Bavari Sina

Resumo: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging alphavirus which causes severe - prolonged arthralgic febrile illness. The recent global spread of the virus - lack of approved therapeutic options makes it imperative to gain greater insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying CHIKV pathogenesis, in particular host factors recruited by the virus. In the current study, we identify sphingosine kinase 2 (SK2) as a CHIKV host factor co-localized with the viral replication complex (VRC) during infection. SK2 was demonstrated to co-localize with viral RNA - nonstructural proteins. Targeted impairment of SK2 expression or function significantly inhibited CHIKV infection. Furthermore, affinity purification-mass spectrometry studies revealed that SK2 associates with a number of proteins involved in cellular gene expression specifically during viral infection, suggesting a role in replication. Collectively these results identify SK2 as a novel CHIKV host factor.

Palavras-Chave: Chikungunya virus; nsP3; Sphingosine kinase 2; Viral replication complex

Imprenta: Emerging Microbes & Infections, v. 4, n. 10, p. e61, 2015

Identificador do Objeto Digital: 10.1038/emi.2015.61

Descritores: Chikungunya virus - Pathogenesis ; Chikungunya virus - Proteins ; Chikungunya virus - RNA ; Chikungunya virus - Infectious diseases ; Chikungunya virus - Viral infections ; Chikungunya Virus - Virus

Data de Publicação: 2015