Persistent RNA virus infection is short-lived at the single-cell level but leaves transcriptomic footprints.

ABSTRACT: Several RNA viruses can establish life-long persistent infection in mammalian hosts, but the fate of individual virus-infected cells remains undefined. Here we used Cre recombinase-encoding lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus to establish persistent infection in fluorescent cell fate reporter mice. Virus-infected hepatocytes underwent spontaneous noncytolytic viral clearance independently of type I or type II interferon signaling or adaptive immunity. Viral clearance was accompanied by persistent transcriptomic footprints related to proliferation and extracellular matrix remodeling, immune responses, and metabolism. Substantial overlap with persistent epigenetic alterations in HCV-cured patients suggested a universal RNA virus-induced transcriptomic footprint. Cell-intrinsic clearance occur

SUBMITTER: Reuther P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8493862 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature