Key Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
J Virol. 2021 Feb 24;95(6). doi: 10.1128/JVI.02001-20.
Influenza A virus (IAV) is a highly contagious pathogen, causing acute respiratory illnesses in human beings and animals and frequently giving rise to epidemic outbreaks. Evasion by IAV of host immunity facilitates viral replication and spread, which can be initiated through various mechanisms, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation. However, how EGFR mediates the suppression of antiviral systems remains unclear. Here, we examined host innate immune responses and their relevant signaling to EGFR upon IAV infection. IAV was found to induce the phosphorylation of EGFR and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) at an early stage of infection. Inhibition of EGFR or ERK suppressed the viral replication but increased the expression of type I and type III interferons (IFNs) and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), supporting the idea that IAV escapes from antiviral innate immunity by activating EGFR/ERK signaling. Meanwhile, IAV infection also induced the activation of Src homology region 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2). Pharmacological inhibition or small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based silencing of SHP2 enhanced the IFN-dependent antiviral activity and reduced virion production. Furthermore, knockdown of SHP2 attenuated the EGFR-mediated ERK phosphorylation triggered by viral infection or EGF stimulation. Conversely, ectopic expression of constitutively active SHP2 noticeably promoted ERK activation and viral replication, concomitant with diminished immune function. Altogether, the results indicate that SHP2 is crucial for IAV-induced activation of the EGFR/ERK pathway to suppress host antiviral responses. Viral immune evasion is the most important strategy whereby viruses evolve for their survival. This work shows that influenza A virus (IAV) suppressed the antiviral innate immunity through downregulation of IFNs and ISGs by activating EGFR/ERK signaling. Meanwhile, IAV also induced the activation of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2, which was found to be responsible for modulating the EGFR-mediated ERK activity and subsequent antiviral effectiveness both and The results suggest that SHP2 is a key signal transducer between EGFR and ERK and plays a crucial role in suppressing host innate immunity during IAV infection. The finding enhances our understanding of influenza immune evasion and provides a new therapeutic approach to viral infection.
甲型流感病毒(IAV)是一种高度传染性病原体,可导致人类和动物的急性呼吸道疾病,并经常引发疫情爆发。IAV 逃避宿主免疫有助于病毒复制和传播,这可以通过多种机制启动,包括表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)的激活。然而,EGFR 如何介导抗病毒系统的抑制作用尚不清楚。在这里,我们研究了 IAV 感染后宿主固有免疫反应及其相关信号转导至 EGFR。研究发现,IAV 在感染早期诱导 EGFR 和细胞外信号调节激酶(ERK)的磷酸化。抑制 EGFR 或 ERK 抑制了病毒复制,但增加了 I 型和 III 型干扰素(IFN)和干扰素刺激基因(ISG)的表达,这表明 IAV 通过激活 EGFR/ERK 信号来逃避抗病毒固有免疫。同时,IAV 感染也诱导了 Src 同源结构域 2 包含的蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酶 2(SHP2)的激活。药理学抑制或基于小干扰 RNA(siRNA)的 SHP2 沉默增强了 IFN 依赖性抗病毒活性并减少了病毒粒子的产生。此外,SHP2 的敲低减弱了病毒感染或 EGF 刺激触发的 EGFR 介导的 ERK 磷酸化。相反,组成型激活的 SHP2 的异位表达显著促进了 ERK 的激活和病毒复制,同时降低了免疫功能。总之,结果表明 SHP2 对于 IAV 诱导的 EGFR/ERK 通路的激活至关重要,以抑制宿主抗病毒反应。病毒免疫逃避是病毒为了生存而进化的最重要策略。这项工作表明,甲型流感病毒(IAV)通过激活 EGFR/ERK 信号抑制干扰素和 ISGs 的表达来抑制抗病毒固有免疫。同时,IAV 还诱导了蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酶 SHP2 的激活,研究发现 SHP2 负责调节 EGFR 介导的 ERK 活性和随后的抗病毒效果。研究结果表明,SHP2 是 EGFR 和 ERK 之间的关键信号转导分子,在 IAV 感染期间抑制宿主固有免疫中发挥着关键作用。该发现提高了我们对流感免疫逃避的认识,并为病毒感染提供了新的治疗方法。