THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN VIPERIN ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY AND JUNIN ARENAVIRUS LIPID DEPENDENT MECHANISM

JOSE PEÑA CARCAMO; MARIA LAURA MORELL; SEZEN VATANSERVER; SOBARZO; GUAZZONE; CORDO, SANDRA; GARCIA, CYBELE

San Diego

Conferencia; International Congress for Antiviral Research; 2016

ISAR

Junin arenavirus infections are associated withhigh levels of interferons and cytokines in both severe and fatal cases. Juninvirus (JUNV) infection initiates a signaling cascade that ultimately attemptsto limit viral replication and prevent infection progression through theexpression of host antiviral proteins. Although there is a consensus regardingthese hypotheses, the acting cellular antiviral proteins have not beencharacterized yet. The interferon stimulated gene (ISG) viperin has drawn ourattention as it has been highlighted as an important antiviral protein againstseveral viral infections. The studies of the mechanistic actions of viperinhave described important functional domains relating its antiviral andimmune-modulator actions to cellular lipid structures. In line with this, wehave recently identified viperin as an antiviral ISG against JUNV. We haverevealed possible viperin-JUNV protein interactions that might be participatingin this antiviral pathway, as well as the intracellular site where theinteraction takes place. Altogether, these studies should provide a betterunderstanding of viperin antiviral activity against JUNV infection. It is ofgreat importance to understand the factors mediating innate immunity inarenavirus infection which may lead to the development of new pharmacologicalagents that can boost their effectiveness therebyleading to new treatments for this viral disease.