Why the study?
The regulation and selectivity of NINJ1-mediated damage-associated molecular pattern release remain unexplored.
This study reveals a novel mechanism by which murine norovirus co-opts host NINJ1 and caspase-3 for the selective secretion of viral protein NS1, offering potential new therapeutic targets for norovirus infection.
Cautions against clinical adoption of caspase-3 inhibitors for norovirus; hypothesis-generating for NINJ1-targeted antivirals in animal models.
Plasma membrane rupture by Ninjurin-1 (NINJ1) executes programmed cell death, releasing large cellular damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). However, the regulation and selectivity of NINJ1-mediated DAMP release remain unexplored. Here, we uncover that murine norovirus (MNoV) strategically co-opts NINJ1 to selectively release the intracellular viral protein NS1, while NINJ1-mediated plasma membrane rupture simultaneously bulk-releases various cellular DAMPs. Host caspase-3 cleaves the precursor NS1/2, leading to NS1 secretion via an unconventional pathway. An unbiased CRISPR screen identifies NINJ1 as an essential factor for NS1 secretion. During infection, NINJ1 is recruited to the viral replication site, where it oligomerizes and forms speckled bodies, directly interacting with NS1. Subsequent mutagenesis studies identify critical amino acid residues of NS1 necessary for its interaction with NINJ1 and selective secretion. Genetic ablation or pharmaceutical inhibition of caspase-3 inhibits oral MNoV infection in mice. This study underscores the co-option of NINJ1 for controlled release of an intracellular viral protein.
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Song et al. (2025) studied this question.
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