Dengue virus nonstructural 3 protein interacts directly with human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and reduces its glycolytic activity
Authors: Emiliana M Silva
Gilberto Weissmuller
Diego R Coelho
K√≠ssila Rabelo
Pedro Henrique Carneiro
Manuela L Silva
Ronaldo Mohana-Borges
Diego Allonso
Jonas N Conde
Paulo Mascarello Bisch
Marciano V Paes
Gustavo T Ventura
Journal: Scientific Reports (2019)
Discipline: Multidisciplinary
Keywords: Dengue; NS3 protein; GAPDH; host energy metabolism; viral protease
Affiliations: Laborat√≥rio de Gen√¥mica Estrutural, Instituto de Biof√≠sica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil., Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmac√™utica, Faculdade de Farm√°cia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil., Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Maca√©, RJ, Brazil., Laborat√≥rio Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa M√©dica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Funda√ß√£o Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil., Laborat√≥rio de Ultraestrutura e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil., Laborat√≥rio de F√≠sica Biol√≥gica, Instituto de Biof√≠sica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil., Laborat√≥rio de Gen√¥mica Estrutural, Instituto de Biof√≠sica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil. .

Abstract:  Dengue is an important mosquito-borne disease and a global public health problem. The disease is caused by dengue virus (DENV), which is a member of the Flaviviridae family and contains a positive single-stranded RNA genome that encodes a single precursor polyprotein that is further cleaved into structural and non-structural proteins. Among these proteins, the non-structural 3 (NS3) protein is very important because it forms a non-covalent complex with the NS2B cofactor, thereby forming the functional viral protease. NS3 also contains a C-terminal ATPase/helicase domain that is essential for RNA replication. Here, we identified 47 NS3-interacting partners using the yeast two-hybrid system. Among those partners, we highlight several proteins involved in host energy metabolism, such as apolipoprotein H, aldolase B, cytochrome C oxidase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). GAPDH directly binds full-length NS3 and its isolated helicase and protease domains. Moreover, we observed an intense colocalization between the GAPDH and NS3 proteins in DENV2-infected Huh7.5.1 cells, in NS3-transfected BHK-21 cells and in hepatic tissue from a fatal dengue case. Taken together, these results suggest that the human GAPDH-DENV NS3 interaction is involved in hepatic metabolic alterations, which may contribute to the appearance of steatosis in dengue-infected patients. The interaction between GAPDH and full-length NS3 or its helicase domain in vitro as well as in NS3-transfected cells resulted in decreased GAPDH glycolytic activity. Reduced GAPDH glycolytic activity may lead to the accumulation of metabolic intermediates, shifting metabolism to alternative, non-glycolytic pathways. This report is the first to identify the interaction of the DENV2 NS3 protein with the GAPDH protein and to demonstrate that this interaction may play an important role in the molecular mechanism that triggers hepatic alterations. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figure 1. * Red boxes: Two panels showing different experiments appear to show an overlap.  , 
 Figure 6C: * Blue boxes: Two panels appear to overlap, as caught by ImageTwin. The overlapping panels are shown in different orientation, 90 degrees rotated, and at different darkness levels.  ,