Research progress on the role of pyroptosis in flavivirus infection

Abstract:

Flaviviruses are a group of single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses with envelope, which are transmitted by mosquitoes. They are the major pathogens of emerging infectious diseases which threat human health in the world. Although the diseases caused by different flaviviruses vary, the clinical symptoms are similar to some extent. Fever, especially high fever, is the most common symptom after flavivirus infection. Studies have demonstrated that caspase-1-dependent inflammatory response occurs in the infections with Zika virus and Japanese encephalitis virus, and this process is partially consistent with the mechanism of pyroptosis. Pyroptosis is a type of programmed death of inflammatory cells dependent on caspases, characterized by gasdermin-mediated pore formation, cell swelling, rupture, and release of inflammatory cytokines. In this paper, the flavivirus-caused macrophage pyroptosis in innate immunity was reviewed. The molecular mechanism of pyroptosis and the important components involved in pyroptosis were summarized, and the relationship between pyroptosis and representative flaviviruses was analyzed. This study will provide reference for the follow-up research on the role of pyroptosis in the pathogenesis of flaviviruses and shed light on the antiviral treatment.