Duck circovirus regulates the expression of duck CLDN2 protein by activating the MAPK-ERK pathway to affect its adhesion and infection
- Authors
- Type
- Published Article
- Journal
- Journal of Virology
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2024
- Volume
- 98
- Issue
- 10
- Identifiers
- DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00497-24
- Source
- ASM Journals
- Keywords
- License
- Yellow
Abstract
Although duck circovirus (DuCV) poses a widespread infection and a serious hazard to the duck industry, the molecular mechanisms underlying DuCV infection and transmission remain elusive. We initially demonstrated vertical transmission of DuCV through female breeding ducks by simulating natural infection. Furthermore, a differentially expressed membrane protein CLDN2 was identified on the DuCV-infected oviduct of female ducks, and its extracellular loop structural domains EL1 and EL2 were identified as the interaction sites of DuCV Cap proteins. Moreover, the binding of DuCV Cap to CLDN2 triggered the intracellular MAPK-ERK pathway and activated the downstream transcription factor SP5. Importantly, we demonstrated that intracellular Cap also interacts with SP5, leading to upregulation of CLDN2 transcription and facilitating enhanced adherence of DuCV to target tissue, thereby promoting viral infection and transmission. Our study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underlying vertical transmission of DuCV, highlighting CLDN2 as a promising target for drug development against DuCV infection.