β-arrestin 2 as an activator of cGAS-STING signaling and target of viral immune evasion

Nat Commun. 2020 Nov 26;11(1):6000. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19849-9.

Abstract

Virus infection may induce excessive interferon (IFN) responses that can lead to host tissue injury or even death. β-arrestin 2 regulates multiple cellular events through the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways. Here we demonstrate that β-arrestin 2 also promotes virus-induced production of IFN-β and clearance of viruses in macrophages. β-arrestin 2 interacts with cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and increases the binding of dsDNA to cGAS to enhance cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) production and the downstream stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and innate immune responses. Mechanistically, deacetylation of β-arrestin 2 at Lys171 facilitates the activation of the cGAS-STING signaling and the production of IFN-β. In vitro, viral infection induces the degradation of β-arrestin 2 to facilitate immune evasion, while a β-blocker, carvedilol, rescues β-arrestin 2 expression to maintain the antiviral immune response. Our results thus identify a viral immune-evasion pathway via the degradation of β-arrestin 2, and also hint that carvedilol, approved for treating heart failure, can potentially be repurposed as an antiviral drug candidate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carvedilol / pharmacology*
  • Carvedilol / therapeutic use
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drug Repositioning
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Herpesvirus 1, Human / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immune Evasion / drug effects
  • Immune Evasion / immunology*
  • Interferon-beta / metabolism
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / immunology
  • Macrophages, Peritoneal / metabolism
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Proteolysis / drug effects
  • RAW 264.7 Cells
  • RNA-Seq
  • Sendai virus / immunology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / immunology
  • Vesiculovirus / immunology
  • Virus Diseases / drug therapy
  • Virus Diseases / immunology*
  • Virus Diseases / virology
  • beta-Arrestin 2 / agonists
  • beta-Arrestin 2 / genetics
  • beta-Arrestin 2 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Arrb2 protein, mouse
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Sting1 protein, mouse
  • beta-Arrestin 2
  • Carvedilol
  • Interferon-beta
  • Nucleotidyltransferases
  • cGAS protein, mouse