Capsid, membrane and NS3 are the major viral proteins involved in autophagy induced by Japanese encephalitis virus.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is an important zoonotic pathogen causing viral encephalitis in human and reproductive failure in pigs. In the present study, we first examined the autophagy induced by JEV infection in host cells, and then analyzed the JEV proteins involving in autophagy induction, and further investigated the relationship between viral protein and immunity-related GTPases M (IRGM). Our results showed that JEV infection could induce autophagy in host cells and autophagy promoted the replication of JEV in vitro; the cells transfected with individual plasmid that was expressing C, M and NS3 had a significantly higher conversion of LC3-I/II, and enhanced LC3 signals with the fluorescence punctuates accumulation which was completely co-localized with LC3 and increased number of autophagosomes-like vesicles, suggesting that C, M and NS3 are the major viral proteins involving in autophagy induction upon JEV infection; the virus titer in the cells treated by the siRNA specific for IRGM had a significant decrease, and the NS3 signals in the cells transfected with the plasmid that was expressing NS3 were completely co-localized with the IRGM signals, suggesting that the NS3 of JEV could target IRGM which may play a role in the replication of JEV. Our findings help to understand the role of autophagy in JEV and other flaviviruses infections.