Autophagy as a dual-faced host response to viral infections

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Dec 6:13:1289170. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1289170. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Autophagy selectively degrades viral particles or cellular components, either facilitating or inhibiting viral replication. Conversely, most viruses have evolved strategies to escape or exploit autophagy. Moreover, autophagy collaborates with the pattern recognition receptor signaling, influencing the expression of adaptor molecules involved in the innate immune response and regulating the expression of interferons (IFNs). The intricate relationship between autophagy and IFNs plays a critical role in the host cell defense against microbial invasion. Therefore, it is important to summarize the interactions between viral infections, autophagy, and the host defense mechanisms against viruses. This review specifically focuses on the interactions between autophagy and IFN pathways during viral infections, providing a comprehensive summary of the molecular mechanisms utilized or evaded by different viruses.

Keywords: autophagy; interferons; viral infection; viral replication; viruses.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Autophagy
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Interferons
  • Virus Diseases*
  • Virus Replication
  • Viruses*

Substances

  • Interferons

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32072854 and U20A2060).