2. Academic Validation
  3. Long non-coding RNA SUN2-AS1 acts as a negative regulator of ISGs transcription to promote flavivirus infection

Long non-coding RNA SUN2-AS1 acts as a negative regulator of ISGs transcription to promote flavivirus infection

  • Virology. 2024 Sep 14:600:110245. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110245.
Chao Yang 1,  Weikang Chen 2,  Yanxia Huang 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Guangxi Hospital Division of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Nanning, 530022, China.
  • 2 Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China. Electronic address: chenwk3@mail3.sysu.edu.cn.
  • 3 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China. Electronic address: huangyx335@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
PMID: 39288611 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110245
Abstract

Recent studies highlight the critical involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in modulating viral replication and immune responses, yet their specific roles in Flavivirus infections remain underexplored. Our study has identified lncRNA SUN2-AS1, which is significantly upregulated in response to Flavivirus infection in A549, Huh7 cells, and monocyte-differentiated macrophages (MDMs). SUN2-AS1 interacts with the transcription factors NF-κB and STAT1, andits expression is induced by ZIKV RNA via the type I interferon (IFN) pathway. Notably, SUN2-AS1 enhances the Infection of flaviviruses, including ZIKV, DENV2, and JEV, while showing no effect on VSV or HSV-1 infections. Mechanistically, SUN2-AS1 exerts a proviral effect by inhibiting the transcription of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). These findings uncover a novel mechanism by which lncRNAs facilitate Flavivirus propagation and highlight SUN2-AS1 as a potential target for Antiviral therapeutic strategies.

Keywords

Flavivirus; Interferon-stimulated genes; Type I IFN pathway; lncRNAs.

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