NSUN2-mediated m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections

5-Methylcytosine (m5C) is a widespread post-transcriptional RNA modification and is reported to be involved in manifold cellular responses and biological processes through regulating RNA metabolism. However, its regulatory role in antiviral innate immunity has not yet been elucidated. Here, we repor...

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Main Authors: Hongyun Wang, Jiangpeng Feng, Cong Zeng, Jiejie Liu, Zhiying Fu, Dehe Wang, Yafen Wang, Lu Zhang, Jiali Li, Ao Jiang, Miao He, Yuanyuan Cao, Kun Yan, Hao Tang, Deyin Guo, Ke Xu, Xiang Zhou, Li Zhou, Ke Lan, Yu Zhou, Yu Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Series:Emerging Microbes and Infections
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2023.2178238
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author Hongyun Wang
Jiangpeng Feng
Cong Zeng
Jiejie Liu
Zhiying Fu
Dehe Wang
Yafen Wang
Lu Zhang
Jiali Li
Ao Jiang
Miao He
Yuanyuan Cao
Kun Yan
Hao Tang
Deyin Guo
Ke Xu
Xiang Zhou
Li Zhou
Ke Lan
Yu Zhou
Yu Chen
author_facet Hongyun Wang
Jiangpeng Feng
Cong Zeng
Jiejie Liu
Zhiying Fu
Dehe Wang
Yafen Wang
Lu Zhang
Jiali Li
Ao Jiang
Miao He
Yuanyuan Cao
Kun Yan
Hao Tang
Deyin Guo
Ke Xu
Xiang Zhou
Li Zhou
Ke Lan
Yu Zhou
Yu Chen
author_sort Hongyun Wang
collection DOAJ
description 5-Methylcytosine (m5C) is a widespread post-transcriptional RNA modification and is reported to be involved in manifold cellular responses and biological processes through regulating RNA metabolism. However, its regulatory role in antiviral innate immunity has not yet been elucidated. Here, we report that NSUN2, a typical m5C methyltransferase, negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2. NSUN2 specifically mediates m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA and accelerates its degradation, resulting in low levels of IRF3 and downstream IFN-β production. Knockout or knockdown of NSUN2 enhanced type I interferon and downstream ISGs during various viral infection in vitro. And in vivo, the antiviral innate response is more dramatically enhanced in Nsun2+/− mice than in Nsun2+/+ mice. The highly m5C methylated cytosines in IRF3 mRNA were identified, and their mutation enhanced cellular IRF3 mRNA levels. Moreover, infection with Sendai virus (SeV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), or Zika virus (ZIKV) resulted in a reduction of endogenous NSUN2 levels. Especially, SARS-CoV-2 infection (WT strain and BA.1 omicron variant) also decreased endogenous levels of NSUN2 in COVID-19 patients and K18-hACE2 KI mice, further increasing type I interferon and downstream ISGs. Together, our findings reveal that NSUN2 serves as a negative regulator of interferon response by accelerating the fast turnover of IRF3 mRNA, while endogenous NSUN2 levels decrease during SARS-CoV-2 and various viral infections to boost antiviral responses for effective elimination of viruses.
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spelling doaj-art-c0168b5f00514f569e9aed0a3de13fa02025-08-20T01:49:50ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEmerging Microbes and Infections2222-17512023-12-0112110.1080/22221751.2023.2178238NSUN2-mediated m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infectionsHongyun Wang0Jiangpeng Feng1Cong Zeng2Jiejie Liu3Zhiying Fu4Dehe Wang5Yafen Wang6Lu Zhang7Jiali Li8Ao Jiang9Miao He10Yuanyuan Cao11Kun Yan12Hao Tang13Deyin Guo14Ke Xu15Xiang Zhou16Li Zhou17Ke Lan18Yu Zhou19Yu Chen20State Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaCollege of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaHeart Center of Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Central China Fuwai Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaCollege of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Virology, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China5-Methylcytosine (m5C) is a widespread post-transcriptional RNA modification and is reported to be involved in manifold cellular responses and biological processes through regulating RNA metabolism. However, its regulatory role in antiviral innate immunity has not yet been elucidated. Here, we report that NSUN2, a typical m5C methyltransferase, negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2. NSUN2 specifically mediates m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA and accelerates its degradation, resulting in low levels of IRF3 and downstream IFN-β production. Knockout or knockdown of NSUN2 enhanced type I interferon and downstream ISGs during various viral infection in vitro. And in vivo, the antiviral innate response is more dramatically enhanced in Nsun2+/− mice than in Nsun2+/+ mice. The highly m5C methylated cytosines in IRF3 mRNA were identified, and their mutation enhanced cellular IRF3 mRNA levels. Moreover, infection with Sendai virus (SeV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), or Zika virus (ZIKV) resulted in a reduction of endogenous NSUN2 levels. Especially, SARS-CoV-2 infection (WT strain and BA.1 omicron variant) also decreased endogenous levels of NSUN2 in COVID-19 patients and K18-hACE2 KI mice, further increasing type I interferon and downstream ISGs. Together, our findings reveal that NSUN2 serves as a negative regulator of interferon response by accelerating the fast turnover of IRF3 mRNA, while endogenous NSUN2 levels decrease during SARS-CoV-2 and various viral infections to boost antiviral responses for effective elimination of viruses.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2023.21782385-methylcytosineRNA methyltransferaseviral infectionsantiviral innate immunitySARS-CoV-2
spellingShingle Hongyun Wang
Jiangpeng Feng
Cong Zeng
Jiejie Liu
Zhiying Fu
Dehe Wang
Yafen Wang
Lu Zhang
Jiali Li
Ao Jiang
Miao He
Yuanyuan Cao
Kun Yan
Hao Tang
Deyin Guo
Ke Xu
Xiang Zhou
Li Zhou
Ke Lan
Yu Zhou
Yu Chen
NSUN2-mediated m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections
Emerging Microbes and Infections
5-methylcytosine
RNA methyltransferase
viral infections
antiviral innate immunity
SARS-CoV-2
title NSUN2-mediated m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections
title_full NSUN2-mediated m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections
title_fullStr NSUN2-mediated m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections
title_full_unstemmed NSUN2-mediated m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections
title_short NSUN2-mediated m5C methylation of IRF3 mRNA negatively regulates type I interferon responses during various viral infections
title_sort nsun2 mediated m5c methylation of irf3 mrna negatively regulates type i interferon responses during various viral infections
topic 5-methylcytosine
RNA methyltransferase
viral infections
antiviral innate immunity
SARS-CoV-2
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2023.2178238
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