Tetherin antagonism by SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a and spike protein enhances virus release

Stewart, Hazel; Palmulli, Roberta; Johansen, Kristoffer H; McGovern, Naomi; Shehata, Ola M; Carnell, George W; Jackson, Hannah K; Lee, Jin S; Brown, Jonathan C; Burgoyne, Thomas; Heeney, Jonathan L; Okkenhaug, Klaus; Firth, Andrew E; Peden, Andrew A; Edgar, James R

Abstract

The antiviral restriction factor, tetherin, blocks the release of several different families of enveloped viruses, including the Coronaviridae. Tetherin is an interferon-induced protein that forms parallel homodimers between the host cell and viral particles, linking viruses to the surface of infected cells and inhibiting their release. We demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection causes tetherin downregulation and that tetherin depletion from cells enhances SARS-CoV-2 viral titres. We investigate the potential viral proteins involved in abrogating tetherin function and find that SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a reduces tetherin localisation within biosynthetic organelles where Coronaviruses bud, and increases tetherin localisation to late endocytic organelles via reduced retrograde recycling. We also find that expression of Spike protein causes a reduction in cellular tetherin levels. Our results confirm that tetherin acts as a host restriction factor for SARS-CoV-2 and highlight the multiple distinct mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 subverts tetherin function.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 1, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Oct 11, 2023
• Publication Date: Dec 6, 2023
• Deposit Date: May 28, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 29, 2024
• Journal: EMBO Reports
• Print ISSN: 1469-221X
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-3178
• Publisher: EMBO Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 12
• Article Number: e57224
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202357224
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/35432130
• Publisher URL: https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/embr.202357224
• Additional Information: Received: 2023-03-21; Accepted: 2023-09-21; Published: 2023-10-11