USP27X negatively regulates antiviral signaling by deubiquitinating RIG-I

PLoS Pathog. 2020 Feb 6;16(2):e1008293. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008293. eCollection 2020 Feb.

Abstract

RIG-I plays important roles in pathogen sensing and activation of antiviral innate immune responses in response to RNA viruses. RIG-I-mediated signaling must be precisely controlled to maintain innate immune signaling homeostasis. Previous studies demonstrated that lysine 63 (K63)-linked polyubiquitination of RIG-I is vital for its activation, but the mechanisms through which RIG-I is deubiquitinated to control innate immune responses are not well understood. Here we identified USP27X as a negative regulator of antiviral signaling in response to RNA viruses through siRNA library screening. Further functional studies indicated that USP27X negatively modulated RIG-I-mediated antiviral signaling in a deubiquitinase-dependent manner. Mechanistically, we found that USP27X removed K63-linked polyubiquitin chains from RIG-I to negatively modulate type I interferon signaling. Collectively, these studies uncover a novel negative regulatory role of USP27X in targeting RIG-I to balance innate immune responses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • DEAD Box Protein 58* / genetics
  • DEAD Box Protein 58* / immunology
  • HeLa Cells
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate / genetics*
  • Interferon Type I / genetics
  • Interferon Type I / immunology
  • Mice
  • RAW 264.7 Cells
  • Receptors, Immunologic
  • Signal Transduction* / genetics
  • Signal Transduction* / immunology
  • Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases* / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases* / immunology
  • Ubiquitination / genetics
  • Ubiquitination / immunology
  • Viruses / immunology*

Substances

  • Interferon Type I
  • Receptors, Immunologic
  • USP27X protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases
  • RIGI protein, human
  • Ddx58 protein, mouse
  • DEAD Box Protein 58

Grants and funding

This work is supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 31570916 and 31970895) The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.