Inhibition of Japanese encephalitis virus proliferation by long non-coding RNA SUSAJ1 in PK-15 cells.

BACKGROUND

Japanese encephalitis virus is a mosquito-borne neurotropic flavivirus that causes acute viral encephalitis in humans. Pigs are crucial amplifier host of JEV. Recently, increasing evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in virus infection.

METHODS

JEV proliferation was evaluated after overexpression or knockdown of lncRNA-SUSAJ1 using western blotting and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). C-C chemokine receptor type 1 (CCR1) was found to regulate the expression of lncRNA-SUSAJ1 by inhibitors screen. The expression of lncRNA-SUSAJ1 was detected using RT-PCR after overexpression or knockdown of transcription factor SP1. In addition, the enrichments of transcription factor SP1 on the promoter of lncRNA-SUSAJ1 were analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation.

RESULTS

In this study, we demonstrated that swine lncRNA-SUSAJ1 could suppress JEV proliferation in PK-15 cells. We also found that CCR1 inhibited the expression of lncRNA-SUSAJ1 via the transcription factor SP1. In addition, knockdown of CCR1 could upregulated the expression of SP1 and lncRNA-SUSAJ1, resulting in resistance to JEV proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings illustrate the importance of lncRNAs in virus proliferation, and reveal how this virus regulates lncRNAs in host cells to promote its proliferation.