Mosquito Defensins Enhance Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection by Facilitating Virus Adsorption and Entry within the Mosquito.

ABSTRACT: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a viral zoonosis that can cause viral encephalitis, death, and disability. Although the Culex mosquito is the primary vector of JEV, little is known about JEV transmission by this kind of mosquito. Here, we found that mosquito defensin facilitated the adsorption of JEV on target cells via the defensin/lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2 (LRP2) axis. Mosquito defensin bound the ED III domain of the viral envelope (E) protein and directly mediated efficient virus adsorption on the target cell surface; the receptor LRP2, which is expressed on the cell surface, affected defensin-dependent adsorption. As a result, mosquito defensin enhanced JEV infection in the salivary gland, increasing the possibility of viral transmission by mosquitoes. These fi

SUBMITTER: Liu K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7565626 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature