A Secreted Viral Nonstructural Protein Determines Intestinal Norovirus Pathogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Murine norovirus (MNoV) infects a low percentage of enteric tuft cells and can persist in these cells for months following acute infection. Both tuft-cell tropism and resistance to interferon-? (IFN-?)-mediated clearance during persistent infection requires the viral nonstructural protein 1/2 (NS1/2). We show that processing of NS1/2 yields NS1, an unconventionally secreted viral protein that is central for IFN-? resistance. MNoV infection globally suppresses intestinal IFN-? responses, which is attributable to secreted NS1. MNoV NS1 secretion is triggered by caspase-3 cleavage of NS1/2, and a secreted form of human NoV NS1 is also observed. NS1 secretion is essential for intestinal infection and resistance to IFN-? in vivo. NS1 vaccination alone protects against MNoV challenge, despite the lack of induction of neutralizing anti-capsid antibodies previously shown to confer protection. Thus, despite infecting a low number of tuft cells, NS1 secretion allows MNoV to globally suppress IFN responses and promote persistence.

SUBMITTER: Lee S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6622463 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature