LncRNA446 Regulates Tight Junctions by Inhibiting the Ubiquitinated Degradation of Alix after Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Infection
Weiyun Qin, Xiaoyi Qi, Yunxiao Xie, Haifei Wang, Shenglong Wu, Ming‐an Sun, Wenbin Bao
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea is an acute, highly contagious enteric viral disease severely affecting the pig industry, for which current vaccines are inefficient due to the high variability of PEDV. Because PEDV infection can lead to severe injury of the intestinal epithelial barrier, which is the first line of defense, a better understanding of the related mechanisms may facilitate the development of new strategies for the prevention and treatment of PED. Here, we demonstrate that the lncRNA446 directly binds one core component of the actomyosin-tight junction complex named Alix and inhibits its ubiquitinated degradation. Functionally, the lncRNA446/Alix axis can regulate the integrity of tight junctions and potentially repair intestinal barrier injury after PEDV infection.