Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 2, 2026

A High Resolution Method to Monitor Phosphorylation-dependent Activation of IRF3
Published on: January 24, 2016
Pyruvate is a natural suppressor of interferon signaling by inducing STAT1 protein pyruvylation
Yibo Zuo1, Qin Wang2, Wanying Tian3
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Clinical Immunology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan-Chongqing Joint Key Laboratory for Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Jinfeng Laboratory, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, China; The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China.
Abstract:
Glycolysis is a central metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate. Although pyruvate has been well documented to be a key and terminal metabolite of glycolysis with both energetic and biosynthetic roles, its non-metabolic functions remain unexplored. Here, we report a pyruvate-mediated protein post-translational modification (PTM), protein pyruvylation. We reveal that high glucose-upregulated glycolysis promotes signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) pyruvylation at Lys201 (K201), which blocks STAT1 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2) interaction, thus suppressing type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling and antiviral immune activity. Consequently, STAT1-K201R knockin mice exhibit enhanced IFN-I antiviral immunity. Importantly, high glucose promotes STAT1 pyruvylation and attenuates immune response to either virus infection or IFN-I treatment in humans. This study identifies the protein pyruvylation modification, reveals a non-metabolic function of the metabolite pyruvate, and provides insights into how high glucose impairs IFN-I antiviral immunity through pyruvate, offering strategies to improve IFN-I immune activity for both preventing and treating viral infections.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Abnormal Proliferation
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...
Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein....

