Zika virus elicits inflammation to evade antiviral response by cleaving cGAS via NS 1‐caspase‐1 axis

Y Zheng, Q Liu, Y Wu, L Ma, Z Zhang, T Liu, S Jin… - The EMBO …, 2018 - embopress.org
Y Zheng, Q Liu, Y Wu, L Ma, Z Zhang, T Liu, S Jin, Y She, YP Li, J Cui
The EMBO journal, 2018embopress.org
Viral infection triggers host innate immune responses, which primarily include the activation
of type I interferon (IFN) signaling and inflammasomes. Here, we report that Zika virus (ZIKV)
infection triggers NLRP 3 inflammasome activation, which is further enhanced by viral non‐
structural protein NS 1 to benefit its replication. NS 1 recruits the host deubiquitinase USP 8
to cleave K11‐linked poly‐ubiquitin chains from caspase‐1 at Lys134, thus inhibiting the
proteasomal degradation of caspase‐1. The enhanced stabilization of caspase‐1 by NS 1 …
Abstract
Viral infection triggers host innate immune responses, which primarily include the activation of type I interferon (IFN) signaling and inflammasomes. Here, we report that Zika virus (ZIKV) infection triggers NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which is further enhanced by viral non‐structural protein NS1 to benefit its replication. NS1 recruits the host deubiquitinase USP8 to cleave K11‐linked poly‐ubiquitin chains from caspase‐1 at Lys134, thus inhibiting the proteasomal degradation of caspase‐1. The enhanced stabilization of caspase‐1 by NS1 promotes the cleavage of cGAS, which recognizes mitochondrial DNA release and initiates type I IFN signaling during ZIKV infection. NLRP3 deficiency increases type I IFN production and strengthens host resistance to ZIKVin vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our work unravels a novel antagonistic mechanism employed by ZIKV to suppress host immune response by manipulating the interplay between inflammasome and type I IFN signaling, which might guide the rational design of therapeutics in the future.
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