Suppression of Interferon Response and Antiviral Strategies of Bunyaviruses

Abstract

The order Bunyavirales belongs to the class of Ellioviricetes and is classified into fourteen families. Some species of the order Bunyavirales pose potential threats to human health. The continuously increasing research reveals that various viruses within this order achieve immune evasion in the host through suppressing interferon (IFN) response. As the types and nodes of the interferon response pathway are continually updated or enriched, the IFN suppression mechanisms and target points of different virus species within this order are also constantly enriched and exhibit variations. For instance, Puumala virus (PUUV) and Tula virus (TULV) can inhibit IFN response through their functional NSs inhibiting downstream factor IRF3 activity. Nevertheless, the IFN suppression mechanisms of Dabie bandavirus (DBV) and Guertu virus (GTV) are mostly mediated by viral inclusion bodies (IBs) or filamentous structures (FSs). Currently, there are no effective drugs against several viruses belonging to this order that pose significant threats to society and human health. While the discovery, development, and application of antiviral drugs constitute a lengthy process, our focus on key targets in the IFN response suppression process of the virus leads to potential antiviral strategies, which provide references for both basic research and practical applications.

Keywords

• bunyavirus
• interferon
• NSs
• TBK1
• STAT
• targeted therapy