African Swine Fever Virus EP364R and C129R Target Cyclic GMP-AMP To Inhibit the cGAS-STING Signaling Pathway
Niranjan Dodantenna, Lakmal Ranathunga, W. A. Gayan Chathuranga, Asela Weerawardhana, Ji-Won Cha, Ashan Subasinghe, Nuwan Gamage, D. K. Haluwana, Yongkwan Kim, WeonHwa Jheong, Haryoung Poo, Jong‐Soo Lee
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boars caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). ASF is a deadly epidemic disease in the global pig industry, but no drugs or vaccines are available. Understanding the pathogenesis of ASFV is essential to developing an effective live attenuated ASFV vaccine, and investigating the immune evasion mechanisms of ASFV is crucial to improve the understanding of its pathogenesis. In this study, for the first time, we identified the EP364R and C129R, uncharacterized proteins that inhibit type I interferon signaling. ASFV EP364R and C129R specifically interacted with 2',3'-cGAMP, the mammalian second messenger, and exerted phosphodiesterase activity to cleave 2',3'-cGAMP. In this study, we discovered a novel mechanism by which ASFV inhibits IFN-mediated antiviral responses, and our findings can guide the understanding of ASFV pathogenesis and the development of live attenuated ASFV vaccines.