Viral-Host Interactome Analysis Reveals Chicken STAU2 Interacts With Non-structural Protein 1 and Promotes the Replication of H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus

As a highly pathogenic influenza virus, H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV) poses a great threat to poultry production and public health. H5N1 AIV has a small genome and, therefore, relies heavily on its host cellular machinery to replicate. To develop a comprehensive understanding of how H5N1 AIV rewires host cellular machinery during the course of infection, it is crucial to identify which host proteins and complexes come into physical contact with the viral proteins. Here, we utilized affinity purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) to systematically determine the physical interactions of 11 H5N1 AIV proteins with host proteins in chicken DF1 cells. We identified with high confidence 1,043 H5N1 AIV-chicken interactions involving 621 individual chicken proteins and uncovered a number of host proteins and complexes that were targeted by the viral proteins. Specifically, we revealed that chicken Staufen double-stranded RNA-binding protein 2 interacts with AIV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) and promotes the replication of the virus by enhancing the nuclear export of NS1 mRNA. This dataset facilitates a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of how the host machinery is manipulated during the course of H5N1 AIV infection.

Automated summary

The study systematically investigated the physical interactions between 11 H5N1 avian influenza virus proteins and host proteins in chicken DF1 cells using AP-MS, revealing how the host machinery is manipulated during the course of H5N1 AIV infection. Over 1,000 interactions were identified involving 621 chicken proteins, providing a comprehensive understanding of the virus-host interactions.