The monkeypox virus suppresses autophagy by modulating Rubicon expression.

ABSTRACT: Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a globally reemerging pathogen that poses a significant threat to public health, representing the most impactful Orthopoxvirus infection in humans since the eradication of smallpox. Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and it can exert either pro-viral or anti-viral effects during infections. Poxviruses interaction with the autophagy machinery remains poorly understood, and the specific interplay between MPXV and autophagy has not been documented. In this study, we infected Calu-3 cells with MPXV and observed that the virus significantly impairs autophagic flux by upregulating Rubicon, a known negative regulator of autophagy. Notably, silencing Rubicon r

SUBMITTER: Refolo G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12847765 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature