Reoviruses hijack the SMARCB1-MYC transcriptional regulation complex to activate autophagy for persistent viral infection in leafhopper vector.

ABSTRACT: Autophagy plays a crucial role in virus-host interactions, as viral components and particles can be degraded by the host's autophagic machinery. Additionally, some viruses can hijack autophagy for their own benefit. However, the mechanisms underlying the transcriptional regulation of autophagy by arboviruses in insect vectors remain largely unexplored. In this study, we found that rice dwarf virus (RDV) infection activates the autophagy pathway in the leafhopper vector, Nephotettix cincticeps, and this autophagy activation also facilitates viral infection in the leafhopper. We identified that MYC transcription factor regulates the expression of autophagy proteins ATG5 and ATG8 by directly targeting their promoters. A transcription regulator SMARCB1 binds to MYC and impedes its recognition

SUBMITTER: Wang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12510602 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature