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Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes: A Functional Genomics Tool for the Study of Positive-strand RNA Viruses
Published on: December 29, 2015
CALR-dependent endoplasmic reticulum N-glycoprotein maturation promotes Japanese encephalitis virus entry and
Yonghui Zhang1,2, Jinyan Zhang3, Rui Jiang1,2
1Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education & Key Lab of Swine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
Cell & Bioscience
|June 14, 2026
Summary
Calreticulin (CALR) promotes Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection by aiding viral glycoprotein maturation and host cell permissiveness. Targeting the calnexin/calreticulin (CANX/CALR) pathway may offer new antiviral strategies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone machinery is crucial for viral infection.
- The role of ER quality control in Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) permissiveness is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of ER-resident chaperones in JEV infection.
- To identify host factors that regulate cellular permissiveness to JEV.
Main Methods:
- CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of calreticulin (CALR).
- Glycomic analysis to assess N-linked glycosylation.
- Quantification of viral E glycoprotein and ITGA3 levels.
Main Results:
- CALR knockout significantly reduced JEV attachment, internalization, and replication.
- CALR depletion disrupted N-linked glycosylation homeostasis and reduced ITGA3 abundance.
- CALR deficiency decreased viral envelope (E) glycoprotein levels, impacting viral biogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Calreticulin (CALR) is a key host factor promoting JEV infection by regulating ER glycoprotein maturation.
- CALR supports both ITGA3-dependent cell adhesion and viral E protein biogenesis.
- The calnexin/calreticulin (CANX/CALR)-dependent N-glycosylation axis is a potential target for antiviral therapies against JEV.
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