Long non-coding RNA SUN2-AS1 acts as a negative regulator of ISGs transcription to promote flavivirus infection
- Virology. 2024 Sep 14:600:110245. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110245.
- 1. Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Guangxi Hospital Division of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Nanning, 530022, China.
- 2. Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
- 3. Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
Recent studies highlight the critical involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in modulating viral replication and immune responses, yet their specific roles in Flavivirus infections remain underexplored. Our study has identified lncRNA SUN2-AS1, which is significantly upregulated in response to Flavivirus infection in A549, Huh7 cells, and monocyte-differentiated macrophages (MDMs). SUN2-AS1 interacts with the transcription factors NF-κB and STAT1, andits expression is induced by ZIKV RNA via the type I interferon (IFN) pathway. Notably, SUN2-AS1 enhances the Infection of flaviviruses, including ZIKV, DENV2, and JEV, while showing no effect on VSV or HSV-1 infections. Mechanistically, SUN2-AS1 exerts a proviral effect by inhibiting the transcription of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). These findings uncover a novel mechanism by which lncRNAs facilitate Flavivirus propagation and highlight SUN2-AS1 as a potential target for Antiviral therapeutic strategies.