Virus-host protein co-expression networks reveal temporal organization and strategies of viral infection

Metabolism-associated protein network constructing and host-directed anti-influenza drug repurposing

Host-directed antivirals offer a promising strategy for addressing the challenge of viral resistance. Virus-host interactions often trigger stage-specific metabolic reprogramming in the host, and the causal links between these interactions and virus-induced metabolic changes provide valuable insights for identifying host targets. In this study, we present a workflow for repurposing host-directed antivirals using virus-induced protein networks. These networks capture the dynamic progression of viral infection by integrating host proteins directly interacting with the virus and enzymes associated with significantly altered metabolic fluxes, identified through dual-species genome-scale metabolic models. This approach reveals numerous hub nodes as potential host targets. As a case study, 50 approved drugs with potential anti-influenza virus A (IVA) activity were identified through eight stage-specific IVA-induced protein networks, each comprising 699-899 hub nodes. Lisinopril, saxagliptin, and gliclazide were further validated for anti-IVA efficacy in vitro through assays measuring the inhibition of cytopathic effects and viral titers in A549 cells infected with IVA PR8. This workflow paves the way for the rapid repurposing of host-directed antivirals.

Adaptation of turnip mosaic virus to Arabidopsis thaliana involves rewiring of VPg-host proteome interactions

The outcome of a viral infection depends on a complex interplay between the host physiology and the virus, mediated through numerous protein-protein interactions. In a previous study, we used high-throughput yeast two-hybrid (HT-Y2H) to identify proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana that bind to the proteins encoded by the turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) genome. Furthermore, after experimental evolution of TuMV lineages in plants with mutations in defense-related or proviral genes, most mutations observed in the evolved viruses affected the VPg cistron. Among these mutations, D113G was a convergent mutation selected in many lineages across different plant genotypes, including cpr5-2 with constitutive expression of systemic acquired resistance. In contrast, mutation R118H specifically emerged in the jin1 mutant with affected jasmonate signaling. Using the HT-Y2H system, we analyzed the impact of these two mutations on VPg's interaction with plant proteins. Interestingly, both mutations severely compromised the interaction of VPg with the translation initiation factor eIF(iso)4E, a crucial interactor for potyvirus infection. Moreover, mutation D113G, but not R118H, adversely affected the interaction with RHD1, a zinc-finger homeodomain transcription factor involved in regulating DNA demethylation. Our results suggest that RHD1 enhances plant tolerance to TuMV infection. We also discuss our findings in a broad virus evolution context.

Do microbes play a role in Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is a complex and progressive condition that affects essential neurological functions such as memory and reasoning. In the brain, neuronal loss, synaptic dysfunction, proteinopathy, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuroinflammation are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology. In addition, recent evidence has highlighted that microbes, whether commensal or pathogenic, also have the ability to interact with their host and to regulate its immune system, therefore participating in the exchanges that lead to peripheral inflammation and neuropathology. Because of this intimate relationship, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa have been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Here, we bring together current and most recent evidence of the role of microbes in Alzheimer's disease, raising burning questions that need to be addressed to guide therapeutic approaches and potential prophylactic strategies.