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Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production
08:32

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production

Published on: March 2, 2014

Innate immunity modulation in virus entry

Mathias Faure1, Chantal Rabourdin-Combe

  • 1Université de Lyon, France. mathias.faure@inserm.fr

Current Opinion in Virology
|March 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Viruses evade innate immunity by subverting cellular entry mechanisms and pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Some viruses use PRRs for entry while others dampen immune responses upon entry, potentially using autophagy to enhance infectivity.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cellular entry is a critical step for viral infection, exposing viruses to the host's innate immune system, particularly pattern recognition receptors (PRRs).
  • Viruses have evolved diverse strategies to counteract PRR-mediated innate immunity, often targeting the initial stages of cell entry.
  • While soluble PRRs are frequently evaded, endocytic/phagocytic PRRs are often exploited by viruses for cellular entry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the intricate interplay between viral entry mechanisms and the host's innate immune surveillance.
  • To elucidate how viruses circumvent or manipulate pattern recognition receptor (PRR) detection during cellular entry.
  • To explore the potential role of virion-associated proteins and autophagy in subverting antiviral responses post-entry.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of viral entry pathways and their interaction with cellular receptors.
  • Investigation of PRR recognition evasion strategies employed by various viruses.
  • Examination of the impact of virion proteins on innate immune signaling.
  • Study of viral hijacking of cellular processes like autophagy.

Main Results:

  • Viruses commonly escape soluble PRR detection but frequently utilize endocytic/phagocytic PRRs, such as DC-SIGN and mannose receptor, for cell entry.
  • Virion-incorporated proteins can actively dampen innate antiviral immunity following viral entry.
  • Evidence suggests that entering viruses may co-opt the autophagy pathway to enhance their own infectivity and propagation.

Conclusions:

  • Viral entry is a key battleground where viruses employ sophisticated strategies to evade or subvert innate immune detection by PRRs.
  • Exploitation of endocytic PRRs and manipulation of host cell machinery like autophagy are critical viral tactics for successful infection.
  • Understanding these viral evasion mechanisms is crucial for developing effective antiviral therapies targeting early infection stages.

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