Autophagy-associated dengue vesicles promote viral transmission avoiding antibody neutralization

Sci Rep. 2016 Aug 25:6:32243. doi: 10.1038/srep32243.

Abstract

One of the major defense mechanisms against virus spread in vivo is the blocking of viral infectibility by neutralizing antibodies. We describe here the identification of infectious autophagy-associated dengue vesicles released from infected cells. These vesicles contain viral proteins E, NS1, prM/M, and viral RNA, as well as host lipid droplets and LC3-II, an autophagy marker. The viral RNA can be protected within the autophagic organelles since anti-dengue neutralizing antibodies do not have an effect on the vesicle-mediated transmission that is able to initiate a new round of infection in target cells. Importantly, such infectious vesicles were also detected in a patient serum. Our study suggests that autophagy machinery plays a new role in dengue virus transmission. This discovery explains the inefficiency of neutralizing antibody upon dengue infection as a potential immune evasion mechanism in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aedes
  • Animals
  • Autophagy
  • Cell Line
  • Dengue Virus / metabolism*
  • Dengue Virus / pathogenicity
  • Dengue* / metabolism
  • Dengue* / pathology
  • Dengue* / transmission
  • Humans
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism*
  • Secretory Vesicles* / metabolism
  • Secretory Vesicles* / pathology
  • Secretory Vesicles* / virology
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism*
  • Virus Release*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral
  • Viral Proteins