Metabolic changes during respiratory syncytial virus infection of epithelial cells

PLoS One. 2020 Mar 26;15(3):e0230844. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230844. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Viral infections induce substantial metabolic changes in infected cells to optimize viral production while cells develop countermeasures to restrict that infection. Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is an infectious pathogen that causes severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised adults for which no effective treatment or vaccine is currently available. In this study, variations in metabolite levels at different time points post-HRSV infection of epithelial cells were studied by untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of methanol cell extracts. Numerous metabolites were significantly upregulated after 18 hours post-infection, including nucleotides, amino acids, amino and nucleotide sugars, and metabolites of the central carbon pathway. In contrast, most lipid classes were downregulated. Additionally, increased levels of oxidized glutathione and polyamines were associated with oxidative stress in infected cells. These results show how HRSV infection influences cell metabolism to produce the energy and building blocks necessary for virus reproduction, suggesting potential therapeutic interventions against this virus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Amino Acids / metabolism
  • Carbon / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Epithelial Cells / virology*
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Metabolomics
  • Nucleotides / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / physiology*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Nucleotides
  • Carbon

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, grant number PI15CIII/0024 to IM. URL: https://www.isciii.es/Paginas/Inicio.aspx The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.