Modulation of acyl-carnitines, the broad mechanism behind -mediated inhibition of medically important flaviviruses in .

-infected mosquitoes are refractory to flavivirus infections, but the role of lipids in -mediated virus blocking remains to be elucidated. Here, we use liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to provide a comprehensive picture of the lipidome of cells infected with only, either dengue or Zika virus only, and -infected cells superinfected with either dengue or Zika virus. This approach identifies a class of lipids, acyl-carnitines, as being down-regulated during infection. Furthermore, treatment with an acyl-carnitine inhibitor assigns a crucial role for acyl-carnitines in the replication of dengue and Zika viruses. In contrast, depletion of acyl-carnitines increases density while addition of commercially available acyl-carnitines impairs production. Finally, we show an increase in flavivirus infection of -infected cells with the addition of acyl-carnitines. This study uncovers a previously unknown role for acyl-carnitines in this tripartite interaction that suggests an important and broad mechanism that underpins -mediated pathogen blocking.