Go to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • All ...
  • Videos
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Resource and Technical Advances
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Editorials
    • Perspectives
    • Physician-Scientist Development
    • Reviews
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • In-Press Preview
  • Resource and Technical Advances
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Editorials
  • Perspectives
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Reviews
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
Hyperglycemia exacerbates dengue virus infection by facilitating poly(A)-binding protein–mediated viral translation
Ting-Jing Shen, Chia-Ling Chen, Tsung-Ting Tsai, Ming-Kai Jhan, Chyi-Huey Bai, Yu-Chun Yen, Ching-Wen Tsai, Po-Chun Tseng, Chia-Yi Yu, Chiou-Feng Lin
Ting-Jing Shen, Chia-Ling Chen, Tsung-Ting Tsai, Ming-Kai Jhan, Chyi-Huey Bai, Yu-Chun Yen, Ching-Wen Tsai, Po-Chun Tseng, Chia-Yi Yu, Chiou-Feng Lin
View: Text | PDF | Corrigendum
Research Article Infectious disease Virology

Hyperglycemia exacerbates dengue virus infection by facilitating poly(A)-binding protein–mediated viral translation

  • Text
  • PDF
Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is highly comorbid with severe dengue diseases; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Patients with DM have a 1.61-fold increased risk of developing dengue hemorrhagic fever. In search of host factors involved in dengue virus (DENV) infection, we used high-glucose (HG) treatment and showed that HG increased viral protein expression and virion release but had no effects on the early stages of viral infection. After HG stimulation, DENV–firefly luciferase–transfected assay and cellular replicon–based assay indicated increased viral translation, whereas using the glucose uptake inhibitor phloretin blocked this effect. HG treatment increased the translational factor poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) in a glucose transporter–associated, PI3K/AKT-regulated manner. Silencing PABP significantly decreased HG-prompted virion production. HG enhanced the formation of the PABP–eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G complex, which is regulated by protein–disulfide isomerase. Hyperglycemia increased PABP expression, mortality rate, viral protein expression, and viral loads in streptozotocin-induced DM mice. Overall, hyperglycemic stress facilitates DENV infection by strengthening PABP-mediated viral translation.

Authors

Ting-Jing Shen, Chia-Ling Chen, Tsung-Ting Tsai, Ming-Kai Jhan, Chyi-Huey Bai, Yu-Chun Yen, Ching-Wen Tsai, Po-Chun Tseng, Chia-Yi Yu, Chiou-Feng Lin

×

Figure 5

PABP-facilitated viral translation requires PDI-mediated, PABP-eIF4G translational complex formation.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
PABP-facilitated viral translation requires PDI-mediated, PABP-eIF4G tra...
(A) The LDH assay showed cell cytotoxicity in BHK-21 cells cultured in medium containing 25 mM glucose (Glu) with or without P1 cotreatment for 48 hours. O.D., optical density. (B) Representative Western blot showed the protein expression of PABP and PDI in BHK-21 cells pretreated with P1 for 3 hours, followed by DENV 2 (MOI, 1) infection for an additional 48 hours. (C) Plaque assays were conducted to determine the viral titer of BHK-21 cells that were pretreated with P1 for 3 hours and then infected with DENV 2 (MOI, 1) for an additional 48 hours. DMSO was used as a control. (D) BHK-21 cells were pretreated with or without P1 for 3 hours and then further cultured in medium containing 25 mM Glu for 48 hours. Cell lysates were immunoprecipitated (IP) with anti–eIF4G Ab and then analyzed by Western blotting. The inputs represented the original cell lysates. The mean ± SD of quantitative data from at least 3 independent experiments are reported. *P < 0.05. **P < 0.01.

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN 2379-3708

Sign up for email alerts