Collateral Damage during Dengue Virus Infection: Making Sense of DNA by cGAS

Abstract

Early sensing of viral components or infection-induced tissue damage is a prerequisite for the successful control of pathogenic viruses by the host innate immune system. Recent results from our laboratory show how immune cells use the DNA-sensing machinery to detect intracellular damage generated early during infection by an RNA virus, namely, dengue virus (DENV). Conversely, we found that DENV can efficiently dismantle this sensing mechanism by targeting the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and the stimulator of interferon (IFN) genes (STING), two crucial host factors involved in DNA detection and type I IFN production. These findings highlight the relevance of the DNA-sensing mechanism in the detection and control of infections by RNA viruses. In this review, we discuss how DENV modulates the innate immune DNA-sensing pathway, activated in the context of cellular damage during infection.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jul 15, 2017
Source ID
10.1128/jvi.01081-16

Entities

People

  • Ana Fernández-Sesma
  • Sebastian Aguirre

Organizations

  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Medicine

Readers

  • Nanoscale Plasmonic Nanotechnology
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).
  • Virology (or Medical Virology).