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Journal of Virology, September 2000, p. 7989-7996, Vol. 74, No. 17
Department of
Microbiology1 and Immunobiology
Center,2 Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New
York, New York 10029; Department of Biology and Biochemistry,
University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath,
England3; and Department of
Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, 1090 Vienna,
Austria4
Received 1 February 2000/Accepted 8 June 2000
We present a novel mechanism by which viruses may inhibit the
alpha/beta interferon (IFN-
0022-538X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Activation of Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 Is
Inhibited by the Influenza A Virus NS1 Protein
/
) cascade. The double-stranded RNA
(dsRNA) binding protein NS1 of influenza virus is shown to prevent the
potent antiviral interferon response by inhibiting the activation of
interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3), a key regulator of IFN-
/
gene expression. IRF-3 activation and, as a consequence, IFN-
mRNA
induction are inhibited in wild-type (PR8) influenza virus-infected
cells but not in cells infected with an isogenic virus lacking the NS1
gene (delNS1 virus). Furthermore, NS1 is shown to be a general
inhibitor of the interferon signaling pathway. Inhibition of IRF-3
activation can be achieved by the expression of wild-type NS1 in
trans, not only in delNS1 virus-infected cells but also in
cells infected with a heterologous RNA virus (Newcastle disease virus).
We propose that inhibition of IRF-3 activation by a dsRNA binding
protein significantly contributes to the virulence of influenza A
viruses and possibly to that of other viruses.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave Levy Pl., New York, NY 10029. Phone: (212) 241-7318. Fax: (212) 722-3634. E-mail: peter.palese{at}mssm.edu.
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