Increased ROS levels activate AMPK-ULK1-mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replication

Abstract Increasing evidence has confirmed that oxidative stress plays a nonnegligible role in the viral pathogenic process. In this study, we investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the replication of pseudorabies virus (PRV). Our data showed that PRV infection initially enhanced...

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Main Authors: Yuan Zhao, Xiaoyi Qi, Zhenbang Zhu, Wenqiang Wang, Wei Wen, Xiangdong Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Veterinary Research
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-025-01595-9
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author Yuan Zhao
Xiaoyi Qi
Zhenbang Zhu
Wenqiang Wang
Wei Wen
Xiangdong Li
author_facet Yuan Zhao
Xiaoyi Qi
Zhenbang Zhu
Wenqiang Wang
Wei Wen
Xiangdong Li
author_sort Yuan Zhao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Increasing evidence has confirmed that oxidative stress plays a nonnegligible role in the viral pathogenic process. In this study, we investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the replication of pseudorabies virus (PRV). Our data showed that PRV infection initially enhanced the contact between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, leading to an upsurge of mitochondrial Ca2+ (mtCa2+) concentration, which resulted in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and excessive ROS production. Instead of translocating it to the nucleus, PRV infection concurrently sequestered Nrf2 in cytoplasm impeding the efficient scavenging of intracellular ROS. The excessive ROS production and failure in ROS clearance contributed to the persistently high ROS levels during PRV infection. Furthermore, elevated ROS levels elicited activation of the AMPK-ULK1 axis, initiating PINK1-Parkin-dependent mitophagy that selectively degraded damaged mitochondria along with mitochondrial-localized mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS). This process suppressed MAVS-mediated type I interferon responses by eliminating both dysfunctional mitochondria and their associated antiviral signaling platforms, thereby creating a cellular environment permissive to viral replication. Overall, our findings elucidated the mechanism by which ROS enables the virus to resist the host interferon immune response and provided a theoretical basis for ROS-based antiviral strategies.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1297-9716
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher BMC
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series Veterinary Research
spelling doaj-art-76ffd3f934874faea9d79e4032ef7aed2025-08-20T03:46:29ZengBMCVeterinary Research1297-97162025-07-0156111310.1186/s13567-025-01595-9Increased ROS levels activate AMPK-ULK1-mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replicationYuan Zhao0Xiaoyi Qi1Zhenbang Zhu2Wenqiang Wang3Wei Wen4Xiangdong Li5Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou UniversityJiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou UniversityJiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou UniversityJiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou UniversityJiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou UniversityJiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou UniversityAbstract Increasing evidence has confirmed that oxidative stress plays a nonnegligible role in the viral pathogenic process. In this study, we investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the replication of pseudorabies virus (PRV). Our data showed that PRV infection initially enhanced the contact between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, leading to an upsurge of mitochondrial Ca2+ (mtCa2+) concentration, which resulted in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and excessive ROS production. Instead of translocating it to the nucleus, PRV infection concurrently sequestered Nrf2 in cytoplasm impeding the efficient scavenging of intracellular ROS. The excessive ROS production and failure in ROS clearance contributed to the persistently high ROS levels during PRV infection. Furthermore, elevated ROS levels elicited activation of the AMPK-ULK1 axis, initiating PINK1-Parkin-dependent mitophagy that selectively degraded damaged mitochondria along with mitochondrial-localized mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS). This process suppressed MAVS-mediated type I interferon responses by eliminating both dysfunctional mitochondria and their associated antiviral signaling platforms, thereby creating a cellular environment permissive to viral replication. Overall, our findings elucidated the mechanism by which ROS enables the virus to resist the host interferon immune response and provided a theoretical basis for ROS-based antiviral strategies.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-025-01595-9Pseudorabies virusreactive oxygen speciesmitophagyAMPKmitochondria Ca2+Nrf2
spellingShingle Yuan Zhao
Xiaoyi Qi
Zhenbang Zhu
Wenqiang Wang
Wei Wen
Xiangdong Li
Increased ROS levels activate AMPK-ULK1-mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replication
Veterinary Research
Pseudorabies virus
reactive oxygen species
mitophagy
AMPK
mitochondria Ca2+
Nrf2
title Increased ROS levels activate AMPK-ULK1-mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replication
title_full Increased ROS levels activate AMPK-ULK1-mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replication
title_fullStr Increased ROS levels activate AMPK-ULK1-mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replication
title_full_unstemmed Increased ROS levels activate AMPK-ULK1-mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replication
title_short Increased ROS levels activate AMPK-ULK1-mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replication
title_sort increased ros levels activate ampk ulk1 mediated mitophagy to promote pseudorabies virus replication
topic Pseudorabies virus
reactive oxygen species
mitophagy
AMPK
mitochondria Ca2+
Nrf2
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-025-01595-9
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AT zhenbangzhu increasedroslevelsactivateampkulk1mediatedmitophagytopromotepseudorabiesvirusreplication
AT wenqiangwang increasedroslevelsactivateampkulk1mediatedmitophagytopromotepseudorabiesvirusreplication
AT weiwen increasedroslevelsactivateampkulk1mediatedmitophagytopromotepseudorabiesvirusreplication
AT xiangdongli increasedroslevelsactivateampkulk1mediatedmitophagytopromotepseudorabiesvirusreplication