The Ras/ERK signaling pathway couples antimicrobial peptides to mediate resistance to dengue virus in Aedes mosquitoes.

ABSTRACT: Aedes mosquitoes can transmit dengue and several other severe vector-borne viral diseases, thereby influencing millions of people worldwide. Insects primarily control and clear the viral infections via their innate immune systems. Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are both evolutionarily conserved components of the innate immune systems. In this study, we investigated the role of MAPKs in Aedes mosquitoes following DENV infection by using genetic and pharmacological approaches. We demonstrated that knockdown of ERK, but not of JNK or p38, significantly enhances the viral replication in Aedes mosquito cells. The Ras/ERK signaling is activated in both the cells and midguts of Aedes mosquitoes following DENV infection, and thus plays a role in restric

SUBMITTER: Liu WQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7485967 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature