Cellular Interleukin Enhancer-Binding Factor 2, ILF2, Inhibits Japanese Encephalitis Virus Replication In Vitro

  • Viruses. 2019 Jun 17;11(6):559. doi: 10.3390/v11060559.
Xiaofang Cui  1  2 ,  Ping Qian  3  4  5  6 ,  Tingting Rao  7  8 ,  Yanming Wei  9  10 ,  Fang Zhao  11  12 ,  Huawei Zhang  13  14 ,  Huanchun Chen  15  16  17  18 ,  Xiangmin Li  19  20  21  22
Affiliations
  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 2. Laboratory of Animal Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 3. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 4. Laboratory of Animal Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 5. Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 6. Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 7. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 8. Laboratory of Animal Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 9. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 10. Laboratory of Animal Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 11. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 12. Laboratory of Animal Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 13. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 14. Laboratory of Animal Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 15. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 16. Laboratory of Animal Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 17. Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 18. Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 19. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 20. Laboratory of Animal Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 21. Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
  • 22. Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China. [email protected].
PMID: 31212927 DOI: 10.3390/v11060559
Abstract

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne Flavivirus which is the leading causative agent of viral encephalitis in endemic regions. JEV NS3 is a component of the viral replicase complex and is a multifunctional protein. In this study, interleukin enhancer-binding factor 2 (ILF2) is identified as a novel cellular protein interacting with NS3 through co-immunoprecipitation assay and LC-MS/MS. The expression of ILF2 is decreased in JEV-infected human embryonic kidney (293T) cells. The knockdown of endogenous ILF2 by special short hairpin RNA (shRNA) positively regulates JEV propagation, whereas the overexpression of ILF2 results in a significantly reduced JEV genome synthesis. Further analysis revealed that the knockdown of ILF2 positively regulates viral replication by JEV replicon system studies. These results suggest that ILF2 may act as a potential Antiviral agent against JEV Infection.

Keywords
Japanese encephalitis virus; antiviral activity; cellular interleukin enhancer-binding factor 2 (ILF2); viral RNA translation.