TRK-Fused Gene (TFG), a protein involved in protein secretion pathways, is an essential component of the antiviral innate immune response

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Jan 7;17(1):e1009111. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009111. eCollection 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Antiviral innate immune response to RNA virus infection is supported by Pattern-Recognition Receptors (PRR) including RIG-I-Like Receptors (RLR), which lead to type I interferons (IFNs) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISG) production. Upon sensing of viral RNA, the E3 ubiquitin ligase TNF Receptor-Associated Factor-3 (TRAF3) is recruited along with its substrate TANK-Binding Kinase (TBK1), to MAVS-containing subcellular compartments, including mitochondria, peroxisomes, and the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane (MAM). However, the regulation of such events remains largely unresolved. Here, we identify TRK-Fused Gene (TFG), a protein involved in the transport of newly synthesized proteins to the endomembrane system via the Coat Protein complex II (COPII) transport vesicles, as a new TRAF3-interacting protein allowing the efficient recruitment of TRAF3 to MAVS and TBK1 following Sendai virus (SeV) infection. Using siRNA and shRNA approaches, we show that TFG is required for virus-induced TBK1 activation resulting in C-terminal IRF3 phosphorylation and dimerization. We further show that the ability of the TRAF3-TFG complex to engage mTOR following SeV infection allows TBK1 to phosphorylate mTOR on serine 2159, a post-translational modification shown to promote mTORC1 signaling. We demonstrate that the activation of mTORC1 signaling during SeV infection plays a positive role in the expression of Viperin, IRF7 and IFN-induced proteins with tetratricopeptide repeats (IFITs) proteins, and that depleting TFG resulted in a compromised antiviral state. Our study, therefore, identifies TFG as an essential component of the RLR-dependent type I IFN antiviral response.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Antiviral Agents / metabolism*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate / immunology*
  • Interferon Type I / metabolism*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Rhabdoviridae Infections / immunology*
  • Rhabdoviridae Infections / metabolism
  • Rhabdoviridae Infections / virology
  • Secretory Pathway*
  • Signal Transduction
  • TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 3 / genetics
  • TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 3 / metabolism
  • Vesiculovirus / immunology*
  • Vesiculovirus / physiology

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Interferon Type I
  • MAVS protein, human
  • Proteins
  • TFG protein, human
  • TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 3
  • TRAF3 protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • TBK1 protein, human